Pentimento: a dystopian Beauty and the Beast

by Jace, Cameron

  "Sounds great, friend," Iris patted her. First Colton had the friends theory, and now Zoe had the gifted theory. Somehow, Iris knew both weren't right. "Welcome back. I almost thought I lost you."

  "I was going to die, but I had to come back for you, to save your ass like always," Zoe pinched her, and let out a little moan. Her ribs still ached.

  "I promise you, I'll kick Vera's ass someday," Iris said. "I think I'll glue Mrs. Wormwood's wig to her head. That would be gold."

  "Ouch," Zoe said. "As much as we think we are the good girls, sometimes I feel like we are the bad ones."

  Iris laughed. "I have to go now. Dad's been really worried," she said, and walked to the door. But Iris couldn't leave before asking her. "Zoe, do you remember Colton being the first one to visit you when you were first brought to the hospital?"

  Zoe squinted, as if trying to see through the memory. "Colton?" she said. "Oh. Yes. I do remember. That was so sweet of him."

  "Really?" Iris said. "Do you remember what happened? If he said something to you?"

  "That's a hard one, Iris," Zoe laughed. "I was toast. I didn't even remember it until now, when you told me. Don't you think that’s strange?"

  "Like you said, you were toast," Iris said. "So you don't remember him saying or doing something, reminding you of the Beasts?" Iris shrugged. It was an absurd question.

  "You're joking, right? No. I think he told me to be strong and hang tight or something. I do actually remember that he was assuring me that you were on your way. Why?"

  "Nothing," Iris said. "I just wondered how fast he arrived before I did. It made me rather jealous. I wanted to be the first person next to you."

  28

  The conversation with Zoe had melted Iris's heart toward Colton. She'd been hard on him and he didn't give up on her. Still, Iris in her stubborn mode, couldn't pick up the phone and call him. She wondered if she'd inherited this from her mother, who even though she loved Charles, liked everything done in the light of her own beliefs and principles. Also, there was this little uneasiness after Zoe's incident, thinking Colton was the Beast. Iris still had no explanation for what happened. Probably Zoe was in shock and when Colton came into the room, he reminded her of Vera because, in many ways, he was one of them. The only thing that seemed odd was Colton not mentioning the incident. But then again, everyone was in shock and it wasn't important to tell her he saw Zoe first.

  Iris climbed down the stairs and picked up her coat and gloves to leave. With her hand gripping the door, she wondered if she'd been blinded by her love towards Colton.

  But Colton never ceased to amaze. When she opened the door, he was waiting for her outside, next to his car.

  "Before you get mad at me, just hear me out," he said.

  "I'm not mad at you anymore," she strode toward him and threw herself into his arms.

  "Wow," he hugged her. "I assume Zoe has a hand in this?"

  "She does," Iris said, rubbing her cheeks onto his chest. "She persuaded me that I was too hard on you."

  "I'm starting to fall in love with her," he joked. Iris hit him lightly on the stomach.

  "I have a surprise for you," he said.

  "Okay?"

  "It demands you trust me, without asking questions." he said.

  "I guess I can trust you," she chewed on the words. Why'd he ask her something like that, when she still couldn’t get Zoe's incident out of her head? Iris tilted her head and stared into his eyes. Who wouldn't trust those sparkling blue eyes, she thought.

  "Are you a girl of your word?" he touched her cheek slightly.

  "What do you have in mind?"

  "This." He pulled out a scarf made of delicate and fine wool.

  "Is that a present?"

  "Nope. We’re going to blindfold you."

  "Hmm..." Iris bit her lip. This was getting both exciting, and worrying. "That's interesting."

  "It's just until I drive you to a special place I need to show you." he said.

  "I haven't trusted anyone that much," she pondered.

  "That's the point," he said. "I've been thinking about you all week, and I decided that Eva can't stand between us. I will find out what happened to her and help her if she's still alive, though. But I can't hold myself back from you anymore. I need to be closer to you, Iris. I need to be with you. In your words, I want to peel off all your worries and become your Pentimento. To do so, I want to be sure you trust me."

  "Become my Pentimento, huh?" she said. "I get the idea, but I'm not sure if it's the most romantic metaphor you could have come up with."

  "Why not? Pentimentos are the original truth of what things were meant to be. I want to know who you were meant to be and will be. I don't want to know Iris the way she wants the world to know her. I want to be closer to you. So close."

  "Aren't you worried I might have demons buried beneath my soul?" she said.

  "No. I want you the way you are," he smiled. "Shall we?" he showed the scarf again.

  Iris nodded, a bit reluctant. Colton began binding her eyes.

  "Wait," she stopped him. "But you have to promise me that we're going to an amazing place."

  "I promise."

  29

  Iris enjoyed being guided by Colton. As usual, his hands holding her were warm and gentle. Being blindfolded turned out to be a sensual thing she'd never imagined before. It gave her space to feel things, instead of letting her eyes affect her judgment. It was silly, but she could feel Colton's love through his touch. His grip was firm, yet tender and caring. She enjoyed listening to his breath, a human characteristic overlooked by the Seeing Eye. Sound, when stripped of all affecting colors, held some kind of evidence in it. In Colton's situation, he sounded anticipating, wanting to know if she'd like what he had in store. It occurred to her that Colton was actually giving her the chance to experience something she loved tremendously. Having her eyes blindfolded and then pulling the binding to finally see his surprise was a subtle kind of Pentimento in itself. She wondered if Colton had thought of it that way, or if it was just coincidence.

  At some point, after the car stopped and Colton ushered her out, she found herself climbing stairs. It was uncomfortable. Colton made sure she didn't trip somehow by holding her hands.

  "Haven't we arrived yet?" She didn't know why she whispered. Maybe because she couldn't hear anyone else's voice nearby.

  They were alone.

  Colton shushed her, placing a finger on her lips. "You're not allowed to ask questions until we arrive."

  Iris complied, although the anticipation was killing her. She wondered if what Colton was eventually opening her eyes to would surpass the enjoyment she was experiencing. In her teen experience in The Second, most things shined from a distance, but weren't as glowing when seen closer.

  And again, she thought of Colton's surprise as a type of Pentimento.

  What an idea, she thought. Walking blindfolded in the darkness was like staring at the Fragorand painting, thinking the boy and the girl were looking at the Fountain of Love, not knowing the boy was actually a Beast.

  Iris's heart skipped a beat as Colton ushered her into a room.

  Could Colton really be a Beast? Iris hated herself for thinking this way. But she was now. Her mind brought her most of her troubles in life. If she could just shut it down, she thought, she'd live a much smoother life. The happiest people she knew were capable of shutting their minds off whenever it beeped, like a message from an unknown number.

  This is serious, Iris. There are too many coincidences to be overlooked. The Fragonard painting shows a beast underneath. Zoe was hallucinating that she saw Colton as a Beast, and now you found yourself thinking about Pentimento. What if what he's going to show you now is his secret? Will you still love him?

  Iris heard Colton hit a button, then the room vibrated. They were in an elevator.

  She touched the scarf on her eyes, pretending she was adjusting it. In truth, she couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to take it off. Damn those thoughts in her
head.

  "No cheating," Colton said in a playful voice.

  But why didn't she feel it was playful like before? All that she'd been thinking about seeing without seeing changed all of a sudden, all because of a trivial thought that hit her brain like a virus. How could her perception change so suddenly? The mind and perception, were horrible things. A simple thought could change the looks and feel of someone you had known for some time.

  You don't know him. It's only been two weeks or so. Iris began breathing faster.

  "Are you afraid of heights?" Colton asked. He sounded worried.

  What is wrong with you, Iris? This isn't the sound of a Beast. But then she didn't know how a Beast really sounded. She suddenly realized the Beasts' biggest tricks, the thing that made them the most feared: no one knew anything about them; who they were, or what they looked like. That's why their first commandment was, “Thou shall not question the beast.”

  "I'm okay," Iris said, dazed and confused. "Are we there yet?"

  "We are," Colton said, as she heard the elevator doors open.

  Colton helped her out of the elevator and she felt a cold breeze of air circle around her, before almost freezing her fingertips.

  "Don't worry about the cold," Colton said. "I will keep you warm."

  She let out a courtesy laugh. She trusted him with all her heart, but her mind wasn't on the same page at the moment. And it made her feel like she had a split-personality.

  Colton stopped her and rubbed her shoulder. "Once you see it, you will forget about the cold," he said. "Are you ready?"

  Pentimento. This was it. The moment when everything is revealed. When the truth comes out. When all our fears and assumptions prove right or wrong.

  "I am ready." She nodded. I'm Iris. My father gave me this name because he expected me to see through the veils of deception, and now I am about to see.

  Slowly, Colton pulled the scarf away. Iris began seeing through the blurring veil covering her eyes. The world still seemed dark. It was nighttime. But the first things that shone through the dark-veiled night were tiny spots in front of her. They were sparkling, like diamonds. They were very close.

  They were Stars. Millions of stars. They were so close, she thought she could grab a handful.

  She let out a small shriek, staring at her feet. She was worried she was floating in space or something. But there was concrete under her feet. Silver and metallic steel binding it.

  She raised her head again, a bit below the stars' level this time. Now she could see it all. She was atop a very high building, overlooking the metallic world they lived in. She was staring at The Second from a point so high, it felt like it was the Beasts' eye.

  30

  "It's the highest building in the world," Colton said, embracing her from behind. "We're not allowed to be here."

  "It's the Council's headquarters?" Iris asked.

  Colton nodded, rubbing his chin against her shoulder. "Yes. They call it the Sinai building, the place they rule us from. I stole the magnetic key from my father. I discovered he has three, so he'd probably not figure it out soon enough."

  Iris had seen the building many times before, but she wasn't fond of craning her head up high while walking down the streets in The Second. It was so high, it disappeared into the clouds sometimes. "Cody once heard a rumor that the top of the Sinai building was the place where the Council made contact with the Beasts too." Iris said.

  "Really?" Colton looked up at the stars. "So they're somewhere beyond the stars then? Are they watching us?" he mocked and waved at them. "I told you they must be watching us."

  "Stop it," Iris said, snickering. "It's a ridiculous idea. I just thought I'd tell you what Cody told me."

  "It's not ridiculous actually," Colton turned her to face him. He did it, oh, so smoothly, as if they were dancing. "If they are watching us from up there, then they should see why I brought you up here." Colton had that sweet look in his eyes again.

  Iris could feel the intensity of the staring in his eyes again. It reminded her of the first time he'd seen her on top of the principal's office. He was staring at her as if she was some kind of wonder. A precious surprise. An everlasting song he couldn't stop listening to. She really wished no other girl in the world had been stared up at this way. Yes, it felt so special, and Iris didn't mind being selfish when it came to Colton's eyes.

  "Why did you bring me up here?" Iris said, her voice splintered like glass in the windy snow.

  "Remember when I told you the next time I kiss you I wanted it to be my move?" Colton said, as his head was already invading her space. A beautiful invasion.

  Iris closed her eyes and waited for the warmth of his lips to save her from the cold. There was no point in talking anymore. Talking sucked sometimes. The arrival of his lips felt like forever, although it had been only a fraction of a second. And with it, an eternal shiver dwelled in her body. It was like a signature, the kind of slight shiver that was never going to leave her body after the kiss, reminding her of this moment when she was so high, she could almost reach the stars.

  Colton locked his lips onto hers longer than she'd expected. It was as if his life had depended on it this time, and she was losing hers already. Funny how a kiss was the only moment when she didn't mind dying from being out of breath, as long as their lips touched.

  Finally, Colton pulled away. Slowly though. Iris opened her eyes, and saw him inhale the cold air around him in his lungs, as if he was drowning.

  "I wanted our first real kiss to be special," he said. "Just like that."

  "Can I tell you something?" Iris said, almost embarrassed she was going to say this.

  Colton nodded.

  "Stop talking, because I already miss those lips," she pulled him closer again. Colton smirked and as he bent down to her lips again, he showed the middle finger to the Beasts watching them up there. That’s if there were such Beasts in the first place. "Perverts!" he told them, just before Iris could feel that sweet shiver again. She thought it was the best first kiss in history. And if it wasn't, it must have been the highest.

  31

  Somehow the rain fell heavily after the second kiss, and Colton wondered if the Beasts didn't approve of this relationship. Secretly, he suddenly felt worried about Iris. What if the Beasts decided to make her the next Bride? He shook the paranoid feeling from his mind, as he climbed down with Iris and got into his car.

  "I'm driving you home," he said on the way. "But those lips still have unfinished business with me," he smirked.

  Iris blushed and preferred to stare ahead at the rainy night. "You didn't have to provoke the Beasts," she joked. "Look at all this rain. We could have spent a little more time up there," she tightened Colton's jacket around her. He had given it to her once the rain started.

  "I wonder what provoked them more: the kiss or the finger?” Colton said, holding her hand while driving with the other.

  "You still sound like you really believe they were up there watching us." Iris remarked.

  "I do," Colton's facial expression sank into a serious mood. "Why do you think they let us do all this research and sneak into the Ruins? They see everything."

  "You mean they know about us going to the Ruins? They know about my Pentimento hobby? That can't be."

  "Why can't it be?" Colton said. "They see us. As long as there is no major uprising against them, they don't mind letting us dig a little. I think they rather love it. We're like lab rats, just narrow-minded and self-centered humans, and they laugh at us."

  "You sound weird tonight, Colton." Iris said.

  Colton couldn’t find words to respond. She was right. He was feeling a bit weird tonight. But not from the beginning. He had planned this to be a special night. Only something happened to him after they kissed. A horrible idea dawned on him. It was a sudden gut feeling. He was afraid to lose Iris.

  Why was he so afraid to lose her to the Beasts all of a sudden?

  Because you like her a lot, Colton. This is different from
any other girl you’ve liked. Kissing her felt like selling your soul to her. The little stubborn girl sitting next to you owns you now. Funny that she doesn't know it yet.

  Colton knew that he had to solve the Beasts' mystery, or find a way to protect Iris from them until she turned eighteen. If Zoe's speculations were right about the Beasts picking up smart girls with artistic hobbies like Iris had told him, then Iris was definitely on the list. She was smart as hell, and he didn't want to even think about her Pentimento hobby.

  "Think about it, Iris," he told her, nearing her house. "Why did they suddenly look for the girl they call the Beauty, the one who gave red roses to the Bride's parents? Why not before? You think with all this technology all around us, it's so hard to know if some parents refuse to wipe their daughter's memory from the face of the Earth? Hell, the Council could tell the way we think from tracking and quantifying what we buy and the kind of TV shows we watch. Our lives are out there on the social networks, our photographs, likes, and daily banter. All this data they gather from our cellphones and surfing the internet. We are watched twenty-four-seven."

  "I’m not following."

  "The Beasts only declared the red rose as prohibited when the phenomena of the Beauty started to spread, the same time it began to gather a crowd that could start a revolution. An uprising. The same word I found on most of the buildings in the Ruins. There was a huge uprising many years ago, and once the red roses spread to so many houses, they feared the uprising would return."

  "So you're still convinced that the Beasts have always been here?"

  "I am not really sure of anything," Colton gripped the wheel tighter. "It feels like I am trying to entrap mercury in the palm of my hand. It keeps slipping away." Colton stopped the car in front of her house. He was panting. Iris looked worried. She didn't know why he'd been soaked in fear all of a sudden. He couldn't tell her that the thought of her being a Bride began to drive him crazy. This creepy thought that overtook him, after they'd kissed on top of the world.