The late afternoon sun poured through the window and fell on the varnished wooden floor in narrow strips. Colouring books and crayons lay across the dusty pink rug where he was propped up on his elbows with his tiny chin resting in his hands, eyes gazing intently at the outlines of farm animal illustrations on the pages. He picked up a crayon and started colouring, first, inside the lines, and then, outside.
She looked up from her coffee mug at the untidy mess he had made using the colours of his choice. With reckless abandon, he had painted the trees purple, elephants green, and skies pink. He didnโt follow the rules, neither did he bother to stay inside the lines. Yet, this act of his wasnโt a protest or an expression of anger against the set norms. His creative little mind directed him to colour the outlined pictures the way he imagines them and not how he sees them in real life.
But an adultโs mind works differently, she pondered. We rarely follow our heart, we spend our entire lives grudging, complaining about not being able to do the things we wanted to do. Truth is, we are never brave enough to go outside the lines.
Written for https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/sunday-photo-fiction-january-20-2019/
Photo Credit: Susan Spaulding
Always love the punch you keep at the end
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, it’s challenging for me to tell a story in just 100/200 words. Therefore, I just pick one moment or a shred of thought and go on describing it. It becomes easier to tell a meaningful/relatable story then.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I get it.. Its good to focus on one scene and divert all the plot towards that. sometimes it is interesting to picture it as a short film in mind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Short films are very much in vogue these days and so are the fragmented fictions. I am a fan of these new methods which help in bringing out the subtle and rarely talked about aspects of human lives ๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sure Piyali, we adults don’t dare break this bubble of being formal!! ๐
LikeLiked by 2 people
Right you are, Newton. We are too scared to venture out our comfort zones
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are very welcome, Piyali!! ๐
LikeLike
I agree.
Lines are made to be crossed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the read ๐
LikeLike
So true ๐
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Sujoy ๐
LikeLike
“Truth is, we are never brave enough to go outside the lines.” – This is GOLD!โค
Brilliant job done CAS! So much said in such little words!โค
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, fellow CAS ๐๐คโค
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey girl! Hope all is well?
Just checking in on you! ๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey, I have moved to a new city and the new routine has kind of put me in a perennially exhaustive state. Also, the creative dry spell seems to be never-ending. It has left me in the lurch (mentally and emotionally, both ๐ฆ )
LikeLike
That is so true Piyali. The challenge lies in keeping on trying ๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful. Well said.
LikeLike
So true. We act to be brave but the biggest question lies are we really Brave ??
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sadly, not very often. The very act of drawing or coloring outside the lines sounds liberating but also intimidating to some. Many of us are afraid to venture outside, sometimes too much is at stake and the risk is immense.
LikeLike