Free Monochrome by H.M. Jones

guy, a computer science woman, a math girl, and a few various career people, but never another lit major.”
    His dimple returned. “I knew there was something off about you.”
    She laughed out loud, then covered her mouth, but he didn’t seem worried. He just raised his eyes to her.
    “What?” she asked, quietly this time.
    “Your outfit is different again,” he said in a whisper. What she saw conjured a surge of happiness that tingled in her fingertips. Her jacket had transformed from jet black to mustard yellow.
    “My favorite color.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I’ve always wanted a jacket this color. It’s like wearing a ray of sun. I just found something I like about this place.”
    He stared unabashedly as he walked towards her. “Me too. It’s perfect on you.” He held out his hands to help her up. She took them and noticed his palms were rough and calloused, which surprised her. What kind of work requires a Guide to work so hard as to gain callouses? Once up, he didn’t let go of her hands immediately.
    He squeezed her hand lightly after she was already standing. It’s just pressure. Skin and nerves being pushed down upon. It’s nothing else. But she swore there was a little something buzzing behind the thumb on the back of her hand, and not bad electric, like at the bar.
    She lifted an eyebrow at him, and he released her hands. “Sorry.” But his voice wasn’t apologetic, and she noticed those same green stars dance in his eyes.
    “Your eyes are being weird,” she said to him.
    His grin faded, replaced by utter bafflement. “What?”
    Abigail closed her eyes. What she was going to try might not work, but she figured she had nothing to lose in the attempt. She concentrated on a memory of herself applying make-up before her first date with Jason: She was examining her face in her compact, a round green accessory, with yellow swirls on the front and a gold clasp closing. Her hands were shaking with nerves, as she closed the clasp. It filled the car with a loud click . The car door opened and Jason smiled, his white perfect teeth brilliant against his dark skin. As he ducked into the car, his long black-brown hair fell against his face and almost brushed his lap. Holy God, I’m dating the hottest man in the world, she thought to herself. The prospect did not calm her nerves. She put the green compact mirror in her jacket pocket.
    She remembered this memory because she left the compact in Jason’s car after their first date, and he called her just minutes after she left his car to tell her he had it. She suspected he called her just to hear the sound of her voice. She’d never known someone who craved her time and presence so much. It was a lovely feeling.
    She felt the pocket of her mustard coat get heavy, and she grinned. She reached into her pocket and closed her hand around the cold metal of the compact. She pulled it out of her pocket with a triumphant, but quiet, yelp.
    Ishmael’s eyes were shocked. “How did you…”
    Abigail shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought it might work. And it did. And why not? It’s an accessory, after all.” She flipped the case open to reveal a small, magnifying mirror inside and handed it to him.
    His face was still shocked as he took the small mirror from her. But he studied his eyes in the mirror, holding it close to his face, fighting against the non-existent light in the dim forest.
    “I’ve never seen this happen before.” His voice was thick with disbelief.
    “What is happening?”
    He held his eye lids open and studied his irises. “They’re changing back.” He beamed. “My eyes used to be greenish-brown before this place took their color.” Ishmael’s voice trailed off as he studied his eyes one last time and handed the small mirror back to her.
    “You mean they weren’t always creepy?” Abigail joked.
    Ishmael chuckled quietly. “No. They weren’t always creepy.” His voice grew serious. “The eyes are the doors to