Returning for a freewrite

What better way to start writing on Hive again than to do a freewrite? I picked the visual prompt from this post from @freewritehouse. It's a contest, but I don't want to enter. I'm just writing for fun!

What do you see.png

What Do You See?

Gena leaned forward on the bench, loose strands from her ponytail tickling her face. “What do you mean, you can’t see it?”

“How else can I say I can’t see it?” Leo said from the other end of the bench, waving his arm at the huge yellow wall in front of them. “All I see is a big, ugly, yellow square. Kind of like the mustard on a hot dog.”

“Eww,” Marie said. She sat between her two friends, trying to mediate as best she could. “I hate mustard. And hot dogs.”

“So you see a hot dog?” Gena asked.

“No!” Leo stood, walked up to the wall, and waved his hands. “Just a wall painted yellow.”

“Ooooh! Do that again!” Gena screamed.

Leo waved his hands and did a little pirouette. Marie giggled.

“I didn’t realize it would be interactive. You made the light bend and change colors.” Gena leaned left and right, squinting and nodding.

“Now I know you’re just trying to pull one over on me. What do you see Marie?”

Both of her friends shifted attention to her. She squirmed under their gazes. “Well, I see something. I’m sorry, Leo, but I do. It isn’t the same as Marie. It’s more like a door, but fuzzy. It changes shape, warps.”

“Did it move when he waved his arms?”

“No. Nothing changed.” Marie looked down at the cold marble floor before looking back at Leo with a smile.

“You’re both putting me on. This is just a psychological trick, like that story where the emperor doesn’t wear clothes.” He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“Maybe you aren’t wearing clothes,” Gena said, chuckling.
Marie blushed.

“That’s not funny, Gena. Why did I agree to come with you to this stupid show, anyway?”

“Because you thought it would be cool, remember?” Gena stood up. “What does the plaque say about not seeing anything? Maybe you’re just super special.” Behind her, a few other people had stopped and were discussing what they saw. “See? We’re not putting you on. You might be putting us on. What do you see?”

“Nothing!” Leo sighed, but looked at the wall.

“Hey. I’ve found something on the walking tour app.” Marie held up her phone and read, “The latest installation from esteemed visual artist Harui Meritle offers a unique experience for every individual. Blah, blah, blah… While Meritle says everyone should see their own version of the artwork, she says that she’d love to hear from anyone who doesn’t experience anything. Please consider reaching out to her via our gallery director.”

“See? You’re the oddball, Leo. You should contact her.” Gena said, swaying back and forth while looking at the yellow wall.

Leo sat down next to Marie and read her phone.

“You should, Leo. I’ve heard she’s super nice.” Marie gave him the phone.

He scrolled through the page and stopped at an image of Meritle. The woman’s face was kind, with a wide smile and salt and pepper hair falling in loose curls below her shoulders. “Maybe I will.” He handed Marie back her phone as he stood up. He walked away, leaving Marie alone on the bench.

I'm not terrible happy with the ending, but I only had so much time. As usual I now have another idea for a full story. I wonder why Leo seems immune to whatever the art installation is? I'll have to finish it to find out.