text: (WP) The Color of Secrets Indigo was her name, but no one could figure out exactly why she was the way she was. As a baby, and later, a toddler, she’d literally turn blue, either out of frustration or heat. She’d taken her strangeness, her peculiarity, as a fact of life. All her life she’d been told she was special by her parents, weird and freaky by her peers. She’d heard versions of both kinds of comments for so long that they bounced off. For a while, people left her alone; it wasn’t any fun to a bully if you didn’t react. Until this morning, when she’d tripped on the way to her locker and skinned her knee. That all too familiar current of low laughter followed her, spreading through her classmates like a virus. Much to her own chagrin, she could feel her cheeks heating, darkening to a shade of sapphire. She tried to cover the wound; it stung like hell. Much to her shock, the blood that seeped through her fingers was bright, electric blue, the color of a clear sky. For a moment, she was stunned by the sight; it hit her like a blow to the chest. Was she hallucinating? How was it possible for a normal human being to have blood that was blue? She was bitterly reminded of her cruel nickname: ‘Blue Blood’. It was ironic, considering and she and her family were one of the poorest families in town. Cruel laughter and whispers followed her, all the way to the nurse’s office. \*\* After an admonition about not running in the halls and watching her step, Indigo walked out of the office, intending to return to class. Instead, though, there was a pair of people, a boy and a girl, barring her way forward. “Hello, Blue,” said the girl, dressed head to toe in different shades of green. “It’s lovely to see you with my own eyes, at last.” She grinned at Indigo, and her teeth were sharp, pointed. Something stood out livid against her neck--gills? Indigo was pretty certain that she had hit her knee, not her head. But it felt as if she were in a movie, or a frightening nightmare. “Way to sound creepy,” The boy murmured, rolling his eyes. “You realize we’ve never met this girl before?” He added. “You don’t want to scare the poor thing. This is going to be enough of a shock as it is without you intimidating her, Emma.” “I’m Porfirio, and this is my sister, Emerald. Emma for short. It’s a pleasure to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.” “How did you find me?” Indigo replied, looking in between the two newcomers. “Our father demanded that we find you. We have a mission, you see. Emma, you, and I.” “What are you talking about? This all sounds like a bunch of nonsense.” Emma piped up at last, bright eyes on Indigo. “Hate to break it to you, Blue, but this is real life. Sounds like a comic book, though, doesn’t it?” “We need to see you after school. We have a lot to explain, Blu--I mean, Indigo.