Day 248 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a scene that addresses skin color.

Shannon: “You have spots on your skin,” the student next to me observed in a whisper. He seemed so aloof normally. I couldn’t believe I let him of all people catch me.

“I spilled some dye on it this morning. By the time I found it, I couldn’t get it off,” I recited the lie my family helped me come up, but that I never had to use until now.

‘Then why did you skin look the same way a week ago? You’re not supposed to be here, are you?”

Lying at this point didn’t seem smart, “Who did you tell,” I questioned, pleading for mercy with my eyes.

“I didn’t tell anyone, and I’m not going to, but you need to be careful. Don’t let them take you,” he warned, seeming to know more then he was willing to reveal.

Erin: “How come I can’t wear the dresses like the other girls in my class?” The youngest of my sisters was cute enough to be in commercials. She was made to wear dresses, we knew this because she owned some. My mother bought them for our family celebrations. I insisted that the cost was not worth the slim chance we got to wear them, but our mother found joy in those few days we could.

“You know we must cover our arms,” I tried to pull her right off the topic.

“Why? What’s wrong with purple,” she still didn’t know. She didn’t know that our arms were a sign of our past. Our mother’s contamination was a color that would be painted on our ancestors for years to come.

“There is nothing wrong with us sweetie. It just tells a story that not everyone is accepting of,” I tried to be vague.

“What story,” she continued to push.

“A story of choices, and places. You’ll learn more in time,” I promised. I could only hope the rest of society would as well.

How is skin color viewed in this society?