It was a pleasant sunset. Flaring colors scorched the night sky, in hues of burnt pastel shades of orange, and vibrant purple. It's beautiful, I thought to myself. But none of the people around me seem to see that. I sighed. The rows upon rows of white tenement houses reflected the colors of nature's wonderful display, and soon, they no longer were the fierce white color they were well known for. They were ablaze with beauty. The houses themselves were a marvel of architecture, their unique Spanish terracotta roofs, and their plain whitewashed sides, reflecting the uniformity of a utopian society. Rows of these old fashioned apartments littered the city, and it was these very same houses that created the narrow cobblestone alleyways that came about to be known as streets. Arches, and intricately carved balconies streamed from the tenements, causing a momentary roof that covered the small streets themselves. The colors of the city's flag fluttered swiftly in the sea breeze, bending and arching gracefully in a dance. These banners were all around, and they decorated the streets, and the sides of all the whitewashed buildings. Thousands of these flags swayed with the rhythm in the wind, and thousands of the flags absorbed the colors of the now fading sunset. The flags were white. As white as the whitewashed terracotta roofed houses that adorned the city. Needless to say, there was undefined beauty in this simplicity. There was undefined beauty in white.
Fresh sea air flowed through my lungs, and fresh air saturated my healthy body. I was running as fast as my legs could carry me, and my powerful muscles strained themselves to reach the point of where they could rest. I was not fleeing, no' there was no danger in this utopian city, and in fact, I was running with the thought of pure joy in my mind. Bliss. I was running to my home. Back then, I was only five, and I couldn't possibly grasp the truth behind law, the truth behind society, and the truth behind individuality, and I hope you could agree with me, that most five year olds would not be able to understand this concept as well. I was running to make my daily curfew, to make everyone's daily curfew. In my mind I could only think, something wants me to be home, to be safe so I could be happy, like the rest of the people around me. Something wants everyone to be safe. So I followed. I mean, why shouldn't I? Law, was telling me to be safe, to be responsible, and to get home before the dark colors of the night over took the brightness of day. As much as I was a kid, a kid has the power to reason, and to understand, to question, like any other being on earth. So as I was running, my white robe flailing behind me as the air picked up through my white, silk clothes, I couldn't help but notice, that I was sub-consciously running to make this curfew. I had no reason, I had no reason why to be home by 6:30, but without question, I followed that law that told me to do so. After all, it was the best thing to do. But really, is it? Something told me to do something, so my five year old mind obeyed. Simple.
I ran forcibly past an archway, and ducked swiftly, not to be caught in the folds of the white flag above my head. I just barely missed it. My hair flew up, and sweat broke out on my small forehead form all the perspiration I put into running. I ran straight and true, until I could make out the narrow street I called my own. In all essence, I didn't stop for one bit, as the numbers approached my face. 400, 401, and''' here it was, 402. I slowed, and stopped in front of the small place that I learned to call home. To me, it was only an empty white space, the same color, and the same type as any other apartment in this city. Nothing special, nothing different. White as day, and as identical to all the others. To any one else, it was perfect, a beautiful home that no one questioned. But as a little boy, I was different. I wanted to stand out. Some how, believe it or not, to me, complete equality, and total identity that was the same, was not perfect at all. It was boring.
I watched, as all the other boys and all the other kids, as well as the adults and elderly, made it to their whitewashed houses before the curfew flew into action. Before they break the law, I thought to myself. In seconds, the narrow streets were no longer crowded by the masses of white robed people, and no longer were people seen on the outside of the safety of their homes. The curfew had set in, and as quickly as the sunset had opened up, it closed with a defined finish. There were no more bright lights in the utopian sky. It was dark. Here come the candles. Sure enough, small wisps of flame arose in all of the windows of the bland tenement houses. Soon, the alley ways, and narrow streets were filled with blazing candles that cut through the night. I closed my door upon the darkness, and sub-consiencly I lit my solo candles in the window of my humble abode. I did it, because I had to. It was law, that pushed me to follow. The flames flickered beautifully in the darkness of the night. Those candles, were the only things that cut through the dark void of night. Those candles were the essence of beauty. The way they flashed the way the moved with the beat of the night. I stood there for hours, until I moved regretfully into my bedroom. I needed to bring back the spark of a child into my eyes. I needed the rest that any child needs. I walked silently up, and climbed into my bed. I threw on the covers, and I no longer shivered from the cold of the terrible sea. Warm beneath my covers, I sat. Warm beneath the safety of my makeshift fortress I thought. I thought about the world I lived in. It's simply perfect. Nothing could go wrong, and everybody is happy. In such a perfect world, why is everything so bland, so simple' so white. Even the wise people around me cannot settle to appreciate the bold colors of the sunset. Am I the only one who is unhappy? Why am I the only one who cant find happiness? Strong thoughts for a child of my age. why couldn't I find happiness in this world. The thought echoed forcefully through my mind, and shattered down to the deepest reaches of my soul. It hunted me, and it shattered apart my heart. Why' why? WHY?!? What is the reason. Why cant I be happy.
So there I sat. I sat crouched under the protection of my covers for hours. I sat there, thinking about everything. Why do I have to obey these rules? Why is everyone the same? Why are al the houses white? Why did the evil men stop the people from expressing themselves? I screamed aloud. Cant you see? CANT YOU SEE? Can all these people be this ignorant? Can they not see, that this isn't a perfect at all? This isn't a world worth living in! a world where individuality is taken away, and a world in which everything is white, HOW CAN THAT BE PERFECT? Why?! How can they not realize''' how are they so ignorant? The thoughts plagued my brain. They condensed in my soul, and pulled into my heart. I was young, but I had comprehended something, that not even the wisest of men could ever understand in this city. The thought never left me, and it never left me alone. Why, are they all so ignorant. It ate me up form the inside. I just couldn't understand, why people would except such a life. How could they even bring to say that it was perfect? HOW? When individuality is lost, everything is lost.

I didn't realize that the sheets were soaked with my own tears, until I felt the salty sting of water roll down my cheeks, and collect near the bottom of my fair face. I wept for the world. I wept, and I couldn't stop. I wept, in hope that the people might one day realize that they were wrong about perfection. They were wrong. I wept for innocence of the world, and I wept because ignorance held my city. I wept, until I realized what I had to do.