Have you ever heard of the Holocaust? I’d doubt it if you didn’t. It was the biggest calamity during world war two. I won’t bore you with the long political details but it went a little something like this; There was a determined man named Adolf Hitler, and he was prejudice against anyone who was Jewish. He felt that they were dirt and like animals, and were the cause of many terrible things. It was also said that Hitler’s deep hatred for Jewish people might have come from his childhood, where there was multiple scenarios where he was mistreated by someone who was Jewish. Either way, Hitler had been an extremely smart man. He had convinced many of many people that Jewish people were wrong, and by whipping them out, would mean making the world better. His followers and soldiers, the Nazi’s, captured many Jewish families and killed them either on the spot or in concentration camps.
That’s where Derk Coil comes in. He’s the current leader of our very own Holocaust. Except, us non-followers give it an actual name, the Colorcaust. A long time ago, before the Nation of Ostracize became what it is today, there was peace. But a man named Greg Higgs, a very persuasive and rather non attractive man, had an idea. And his idea’s and reasons were much like Hitler’s. Higgs, for not any exact known reason, was prejudice to beautiful people. To him, nature was beauty. The colors of nature were true beauty; Blue, red, purple, green, gold, orange ect. What he considered normal, wasn’t beautiful. Anything brown black and white, was normal. Coincidentally, he had brown eyes and brown hair, and he was pale white. He rued those with green eyes, peachy skin, and red hair, anything that was not common to him.
I never stayed in school long enough to know exactly how, but Higgs some how convinced a group of people to believe that the beautiful people were destroying the world. Much like Hitler and the Jews. The number of his followed grew and grew, until they had so much power, they could start whipping out the Colorful, the beautiful.
But in later years, after Higgs death, the new leaders were smart enough to figure out that it was almost impossible to wipe out all the people with color. And if they succeeded the population would seem terribly low. So as technology advanced, the rulers came up with surgical ways to change the colorful. To take out the pigment in their dna and cells. But every surgery has some bad effect, but it doesn’t matter to the, because the beauty is gone. Those born without color are the lucky ones. Never having to go through surgery. Never having the possibility of being a soldier. Did I mention the soilders? Just like hitlers Nazi’s, Derk Coil has robotic soldiers.
When a colorful undergoes a surgery, it can take up to a full year. The process if very long, but rewarding in the councils eyes. Sometimes there body is so badly damaged after the operation, that more than half of it is replaced with machine. The strong able body ones, not fit for normal society jobs, are made into soldiers that hunt out the left over Colorfuls. Those who’s bodies are damaged, and aren’t able enough to be a solider, end up being killed. You can now see why Maur being taken away was more than skin deep. He’s very bulky, perfect to be a soldier. But Maur has such color, they will do so much operating on him, who knows what will be left.
Which is why reaching the rest of the boys was so important. We couldn’t lose anymore of our makeshift family.

It seemed we had reached them in time, since the front door had not been kicked in and all the boys were hanging around a little to carelessly. Tech and I brought them all back to Techs house, were we had to have a serious meeting.
“We have to be on constant alert now that Maur was taken.” Tech forced out, her eyes shinning with tears. “You all can’t stay here, as you know. So Maulie and I are going straight out to find a place for everyone to stay. It might have to be in the outskirts, but its safer than roaming the streets.”
There was a sea of moans. The outskirts was no better than the woods, but Tech was right, the streets would be to dangerous now. One of the newer boys stood up and dared to question Tech.
“Why CANT we stay here with you?” There was a little to much attitude in his voice to push aside him being new. Making it seem like Tech was being selfish. Everyone fell silent.
“Why?” She mocked back. “I’ll tell you why. I’m not a Colorful as you may have noticed.” She glared at the boy, he picked the wrong day to get her going. “And since I’m not, I’m at an almost 100% chance of never being taken away or suspected for treason. And I, who supply you with food, disguises and technology, can not risk the tiniest bit at being prosecuted for housing Colorfuls. If I am, our whole network will fail, and you’ll all eventually be captured by the council. You don’t want that do you?”
The boy didn’t even shake his head in a response. Of course she over exaggerated just a tiny bit. True she was very vital in our little network, but there were others around the city doing just as we are. Disguising ourselves, trying to live without being discovered. And of course, we are all connected in some way, if its by the people like Tech, who hold Colorfuls, or to those who have already been under the operation and help us stay hidden. We are the people who think that this is all wrong. And we stick together to try and live. But one drastic mishap can cause our fall.
“Now if we are done with doubting my methods, I want you all to stay in the lab underground. Don’t touch anything, I’m working on some new mechanisms. If I see one thing out of place, I’ll turn you all in.” Tech half smiled at her threat, but I’m sure she was joking for the most part.
Tech and I checked over my disguise and headed out. There wasn’t many places we could look for another home. It really sucks that we had to give up Maur’s home. It took us a while to shadow down the home on Arc street. In the capital, the council has a tracker on every person, and a scanner on every house. They have the power to find any one person at any time, and can search any home for any items. Ever since our Colorcaust began, people started to forget that privacy was important. That being safe from Colorfuls was more important. Then you have people who could care less as long as they’re out of the hands of the council. We passed down Mark Plaza, the shopping center. It was the biggest building in our city, had over 100 stores, and was the most colorless thing you’d ever lay eyes on. Chrome from top to bottom, but somehow beautiful in all its colorless glory. Its not a crime to have things with color, like toys or food or clothes. Just people. Getting rid of the color isn’t as completely crazy if you look at it from the pro-colorless side. I mean nature is a pretty sacred thing. But blaming people and changing them is dangerous. That’s mainly what I stand against. It’s the government, can’t do much with politics, but when the government gets real personal that’s where I draw the line. I remember one day in geography class, my teacher said that the best government is the one that intervenes the least. Apparently that idea flew out the window. This is what happens a lot now, my brain rambles on. And its this stupid council and governments fault.
“Where are we going anyway?” I asked. Tech seemed to be storming around aimlessly.
“I don’t even know anymore.” Her voice cracked. “Maulie, I don’t even know.”
I brought Tech over to a bench surrounded by some bushes, into as much privacy as the busy city would let us. I did it just in time, because at that moment she hit the bench, Tech broke down into tears. Silent tears. Even at this terrible time, she knows that bringing attention to us needed to be avoided.
“They took Maur. They TOOK him. My brother! My brother.” She wept. I have never seen Tech cry. She was the person we all went to with our troubles. She was always strong as stone, but I guess that was because she had Maur. The only lasting part of her REAL family. And just like mine, they took him away.
“Don’t worry Tech.” I wanted to tell her we could get him back. But that was impossible. There was no encouraging words I could tell her. “We need you to be strong. The others need us.”
“I’m going to give up Maulie! Just give up! There going to find us.” She whispered harshly.
I shook my head. “There is no way they can trace Maur to you. You aren’t listed as his family. Remember the documents? None of us have family according to them.”
“But the younger ones. They needed a guardian legally. They will be wondering who they were staying with. The ones without the Chipverse.”
“You didn’t give them one?” I gasped. The Chipverse was a chip that overided the tracker the Council had on us. So we were invisible on their map. Maur had one as well, which made it curious to how they caught him.
“I hadn’t made enough. I didn’t figure Maur would…and I thought I had more time! There’s to many of us now!”
Maurs house hadn’t had a Chipverse, like Techs house. That way the kids without Chipverses looked like they were living in a normal house like every other citizen. It was possible that Techs Chips did their job and prevented the council from tracking Maur to the house and to the kids, but no one knows what the council is always capable of.
“We have to do something. We can’t just leave the kids.”
She sighed. “’C’mon. We can talk about this later. Right now we need to find a place to keep the kids.”
That was the Tech I knew. Always on track. “Well I have an idea. I’m not sure how long it will take the Council to get suspicious but it should buy you some time.“
She nodded. “That’s all I need. I’m going to try and Mass Produce my Chipverse. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. I have an idea. Now show me your idea.”
I took Tech to the outskirts of the city. It was easy to slip by the guards to the entrance of the city, since we had the Chipverse. Not that the guards would just let us waltz out of the city, so we snuck out of a secret exit us Colorfuls made. The city is surrounded by some sort of magnetic field, that is triggered when ever a citizen moves outside it. But Tech, he and all of her marvelous smarts, made some sort of deflector that basically blocks the magnetic field. Like a personal door way, she set it up along the most inconspicuous side of the city. I took her there and lead her into the woods. It may have been years since I had been here, but it felt like just yesterday I was feeling from this place. In no time, I spotted it. The beat up building. No shutters, the door half loose, and the paint completely chipped off. My old home, before we were raided.
“This will be perfect!” Tech said relieved. “You go and scope it out. I need to go get working on my plan.”
“How are you going to Mass Produce the Chipverse?”
For once in a long time, Tech gave me a small smile. “At work theres a Copy Deployer. They use it a lot on full bread animals. It copies them, just like that. A real life copy. If I can get to use it when no one is looking, I can copy the Chips. I know its risky, but Its better than trying to make them all from scratch.”
I nodded. She nodded back and sprinted back through the forest. If she can get the Chips in the kids, and we can get them to this house, then we should all be safe for a while. They didn’t put a tracker on the house, since its outside the magnetic field. It’s a little too perfect. I’ll have to look through everything.

I stepped up to the broken door, and slid inside. I was alert and ready for any kind of wild animal to jump out and attack. I recognized just about every architectural feat the room offered. The stair case in the front hall, leading to the two bed rooms on the top floor. Some pictures still hung on the walls, which amazed me. My favorite, had been the one with all the water colors arranged to look like a peaceful back yard. It was done in color, like I said only people couldn’t have colors, and still made me smile. It has been over six years, but everything seemed almost completely untouched. Everything was covered in a thin line of dust though, enough dust that when I stepped into it, my footprint appeared.
And so did another persons.
Looking down past the staircase, I could see rather big foot prints rounding into the living room. I shortened my breathing as I stepped closer to the room. It was so quiet, I could hear a feather drop outside with the door shut. This is why I had to investigate in the first place. Make sure no one was here. It was possible that the person could have already left, or had been there a ling time ago. But the prints looked fresh, someone was in the house.
There was a sudden clash upstairs, making me jump six feet in the air. There was a thud of feet crossing the floor coming from the ceiling. Whatever was up there, it was heavy. Was it possible soldiers were here? There was no reason for them to be, that was the worst case cinaro…I hoped.
There was an old rusty metal pole thrown across the living room floor. I grabbed it, and silently stalked up the stair case. Many years of sneaking about made me as quiet and agile as a feline. Upstairs use to be my old room. There is also a trap door in my room behind the dresser, we used it whenever we thought our house was being invaded. But there was no warning the night that they really did come, those soldiers. If there was one race on earth I could wish away, it would be those soldiers. Before they were all just regular color people, but after the surgery there is no stopping them. They rewire your brain to control it, which is only why they take only the really beat up citizens to use as their minions. The less of your previous body is able to work, the better. I’m still hoping Maur doesn’t get ripped apart and used as a killer.


I stood outside the bedroom door, ready to pounce. There was another smash from inside the room, and this time I heard that thing curse. It was defiantly a person. It didn’t sound like a soldier, most of them either had mechanical voices, or couldn’t talk at all. It wasn’t a smart plan, but it was the only thing I could think to do. I slowly put my hand on the dented handle, and flung open the door. I apparently startled the figure inside as it fell back against the wall hard. I pounced onto the figure, holding the pole up high, ready to mutilate it if it was dangerous. The figure threw me back and I fell onto the floor with a thud. But I jumped right back up, as the figure jumped up and held up its own weapon.
I got a good look at the figure now, and felt a wave of relief. It was just a random citizen boy, and has if he felt my relief, he put down his own weapon. He gave me a once over and probably realized I was no threat. His eyes were bleak, just like everyone else in our world, except his were perfectly shaped. Like giant almonds, round and came to a point that tilted up to his ears. His hair a brownish tone, and it swept over his perfect placed eyes. His cheeks were drained of color and pale white like snow. Just as mine were suppose to look right now. Though he wasn’t skinny as a twig, he wasn’t bulky either. Maybe like a softball player, right in between. So why had his footsteps been so heavy?
“You scared me, I thought there was a killer up hear or something.” I sighed. He hardly looked dangerous, even with holding what looked like some kind of strange staff like thing.
“Hah. Not too far off I guess.” The boy grinned knowingly. “What are you doing here. I didn’t even hear you come up.”
“I should be asking you the same thing.” I inclined. “And I’m light on my feet.”
“Quick too. Like a rabbit.” He shrugged. “I’m just scouting around. You know, looking for treasure. I’m a pirate, so you better watch out.” He dropped the staff and went back to scavenging around the room. He threw aside chairs and old chests, stirring up a dust cloud. I coughed, trying to hide my anger. Those were my things he was carelessly tossing aside. Me and my FAMILYS things.
“Your funny kid.” I tried to make my tone light. There was something about this kid that didn’t sit right with me, but I could let him know that. “How did you get outside the magnetic field?” Unless he was one of us, a Colorful he shouldn’t know of all of our tricks and secrets. I also didn’t want a Colorful hating citizen to know the hide out we would soon be using. Some citizens are real jerks, going and tatling to the council whenever they find a runaway or homeless Colorful.
“Same way you probably did.” Was all he said.
“Through the rabbit hole?” My laugh was empty.
He didn’t answer me, and made his way over to my dresser. Opening all of its drawers, he felt around inside before slamming the shut all in a quick motion. He made a gesture to move the dresser from the wall. Panicking, I ran over to the dresser and opened one of the drawers to distract him. I didn’t want him finding the secret room.
“I thought I seen something.” I laughed, shutting the old rusty drawer. “So uhm whats your name?”
He smirked and stepped away from the dresser to my relief. “Raleigh. Yours?”

Raleigh. Didn’t ring a bell. Something else to note, he didn’t give me his last name, not that I expected him too. I won’t be giving him mine either. That left to options. A: He was a normal punk teenager who didn’t just hand out his last name, or B: Is like me, a colorful or some kind of refugee or solider who knows its to dangerous to just hand out our last names. I didn’t see any metal limbs, and I couldn’t determine if he was wearing any of Techs gear so it was better to assume he was a normal punk teenager.
“Maulie.” I smirked back, making it sound short and sweet. There was no feeling behind any of our smirks, I could feel it. We were both still on guard.
He gave me another once over, as if thinking the same. “I could have swore it would have been Bunny.” His joke was also empty. I could see him give a small nod, his head tilted up and down ever so slightly, but I’m not sure why. Just then there was a beeping sound, and Raleigh looked to his wrist.
“Looks like my treasure hunts done. See you. Bunny” He said, Making his way out the doorway and down the stairs.
“Wait!” I called after him. “Are you coming back here? At all?” I needed to make sure he wasn’t coming back before Tech brought our whole group here. He kept walking down the steps, and I descended after him, catching him on his sleeve. It was surprisingly cold for fabric. He shrugged away my hand and snickered. “You know your not very smooth, if you wanted to hang again all you had to do was ask.”
I was caught of guard. That was the farthest from what I was thinking. I’m sure my face showed it. “That’s not- I was- you think-“
“Its okay Bunny. I’ll see you around, though I wouldn’t be caught dead back at this place.” This time he smiled. REALLY smiled, though it was a small one. For that one second he did, his guard was completely down, and I could see right through him, his eyes like open gates. The problem was, I saw nothing beyond them.
And as if realizing his mistake of letting his guard down, he sped out of the house. Just like that, without another word. Whoever Raleigh was, I had to keep my eye on him.

It may not seem like it, but outside the hiding and keeping my background a secret, I do have what you could call a life among the eyes of the city. I know people who work in the shops, have a favorite spot in the city, and even have friends who aren’t Colorfuls. Though, my friends aren’t friends like you’d think. I’ve run into the same people frequently, and could help but talk to them, get to know them, and make memories with them. It’s one of the only happy parts of this life. Though I can’t let them in my life, they’ve let me in theirs.
For instance my friend Grace. I met her at my favorite spot in the city. There is a small beach, a mile from Mark Plaza, only half a mile if you cut through the grassland. But we say a mile since most people would drive there with a vehicle, which cannot pass through the grass land. Its strange to see a world so overrun with technology, and then see the preserved holiness of nature.
I would try to go to the beach as frequently as I could, I loved to admire the waves and sand. So free and colorful, something we could never be. Whenever I went, I would always end up seeing this one girl there, doing the same as I, sitting and staring at the waves. I would always stay longer than she would, so I began to notice that before she would leave, she always sang a song in some other language. I stopped her once before she left to ask her what language she was singing.
She told me, “Its in Italian. There language is just so colorful, it makes me smile and somehow feel right.”
“Colorful?” I asked bewildered. “What does the song mean in English?”
She sang it in Italian for me first. “ Lo sono libero, sono io, i miei occhi azzurri come il mare. Lo sono qui, io resterò, anche se il mio mondo è grigio. Dentro il mio cuore il mio sangue scorre rosso, e sarà fino alla fine. In english it roughly says, I am free, i am me, my eyes blue as the sea. I am here, i will stay, though my worlds turn to grey. Inside my heart my blood runs red, and it will untill the very end. I made it myself.”
I later asked Grace how she felt about Colorfuls, and she was on our side. She felt it didnt matter what color you were born with, and that we can’t be blamed for what our ansestors did. But despite that I could not let her know I was one of them. Instead, we would meet at the beach and talk. I wasn’t always there, but whenever i was, I could always count on Grace being there, unless it was past the beach curfew. We would always stay untill then, that way she was always there whenever I was.
Today I was planning on going to see her, but when the inccident with Maur happening, my whole schedual got screwed up.
I made my way back through the city to Tech’s house. Tech also had a life outside hiding us. She was a science engineer for the council, ironic isn’t it? She works with the trackers and does most of the citizens file work. Thats how we are able to keep such a low profile, she hids our files and is able to find out how to override the trackers for us. Tech made is so that under the eye of the council, she was my legal guardian. It also pays extreamly good money, so she can aford to feed our family. She’s very important at where she works and has alot of influence, but its extreamly dangerous too. There is maximun security just in her office bulding, I know because i went with her one day, when she needed my help stealing some of the information. I went along time ago though, and i wont be visiting again. When I went, I almost got caught. The security made me stick my head in a tub of water to wash away any disguise I might have had, but Tech gave me the very best of her creations to keep me from being found out. The water did something strange to my eyes and i kept rubbing them over and over, and I didnt realize that my contacts fell out. The water also started to make my concealer run down my face, turning my cheecks a slightish pink color. Thank god Tech seen before anyone else did, and i had to keep my eyes closed the whole way home as she led me through the city. Tech doesnt have a car, it makes us to conspicuois so were better of without one.
When I walked through the heavy set doors to her house, I almost fell over as I was trampled by the rest of our family. All the littlest ones were trying to get my attentoin and trying to ask me all sorts of questions. I made my way around them and to one of the older kids in the house, Tuner.
It seemd Tuner was also looking for me, since he also was making his way to me. “Techna’s at the office. She said you found us a home, and she was going to try and dupicate her Chipverses.”
I nodded and motioned Tuner to follow me over to the livingroom area. We are well off compared to alot of the colorfuls, thanks to Tech. Many of the safe houses dont even have enough food for all the children. I sat Tuner down and spoke rather quietly, so the other children wouldn’t freak out. “Tuner, I need you to gather all the kids who already have a chipverse in them. We need to leave asap, but those without one cant leave to the safe house, its outside the magnetic feild.” He nodded for me to go on. “Those who dont have to wait here, and I need to have the group ready for tonight. Thats when we will travle, right now it will look to conspicuois “
He nodded, but looked uneasy. There was something on his mind.
“What?”
He slid his hand through his bleak pale locks. “What if Techna isnt able to dupicate the chipverses in time?”
I sighed, not exactly sure how to answer. “The council is slow. I’m sure we have atleast two days before the start showing up around here looking for evidence. There probably trying to find out what to do with the Colorfuls they caught today. We have time. And Techna will pull through, she always does.”
But Tuner still looked at be doubtfully. He was as old as me, and he could figure out that there was a great possibility this plan could fail.
Yawining I told him, “ Wake me up at nightfall. I need my energy. Tech probably wont be back till tommorow afternoon. Its her night shift week.”
When I got yet another nod from Tuner, I made my way up the staircase and into one of the rooms. I went into one of the secret hiding rooms behind a bookshelf in one of the extra rooms. That way I could sleep in peace for a while untill Tuner came to get me. There was nothing I could do now but wait untill nightfall. As soon as I threw myself on the bed, I fell into the oblivion of sleep.