Colour. Colour is everywhere you look at. The street is almost an alley, with tall buildings at one side and stairs to the others and every place is painted with different styles. Graffiti and conventional art, all together in one amazing display of colour and creativity. You think you saw something but then look again and notice how it merges with something else and becomes a whole new thing.

It's amazing and overwhelming.

There are few people around, working on the walls but I don't get it, there's no single space without a trace of paint. What are they doing?

A girl notices I'm standing there, staring in awe at the display in front of me. In the letter H didn't tell me anything about looking for someone so I have no idea what I'm supposed to do here.

"Hey you," the girl calls and rises to her feet. I notice then that she's wearing a raincoat and protective goggles on top of her head. At the feet there are buckets with… Water balloons? "Did you come to paint?" she asks next walking up to me. She's probably my height, slim and blond. She looks at me with a wide and friendly smile.

"Where?" I ask looking around. I don't see where I could throw a drop of pain without ruining someone else's work.

The girl laughs as if I just said the most humorous thing.

"You don't know about this place, do you? Like the most basic thing about it," she questions and my expression must tell her this is my first time here. "This is a never-ending piece of art. Every day someone comes and keeps painting, on another painting. All work is ephemeral. Some last hours, some days; but they all are eventually gone."

My lips slightly part when I hear her explanation and she laughs again. It's not a mocking laugh, it's just an amused one.

"I'm Coni," she introduces herself wearing her friendly smile.

I shake the hand she offers and say, "I'm Maca," and her eyes widen in recognition, as it's happened many times today.

"Oh, you're his friend. He told me you were coming," Coni announces me and my smile is automatic. She's friends with H. "Have you had a good day so far?" I nod enthusiastically. "Brilliant, because he's put a lot of work. Anyhow, I was waiting for you. I would introduce you to everyone else here but I don't know them. It's very anonymous in here."

"Why did you talk to me then?" I question.

"I've talked to three girls already, wondering if they were you. I'm glad you're here, though. We prepared something for you so you can experience the art," she laughs at her own words and I find myself smiling, too.

She seems very light-hearted and kind, also very friendly and I like her already.

"I can't tell you when this place started," she begins as we walk together to where she was kneeling before. "One day a friend told me of this street and we came to see. It was completely different from how it looks now and that makes it so special. It's constantly changing and evolving, becoming more beautiful or hideous. You never know how it's gonna look tomorrow and that's exciting, don't you think?" she ponders and I totally agree with her.

Tomorrow this place won't look the same and in one week it'll maybe be a whole different street. It's overwhelming and amazing, all at the same time. I wonder how many people have come and left a mark just to be wiped away by someone else, to be left behind in the past. It's a bit sad at the same time because isn't like every human being's dream to leave a mark in the world? These walls are covered by people's attempts but they disappear shortly afterwards. We fight for our lives not to be like this, to be meaningful… But we don't make it.

"Your post-it guys says that this street is a representation of life," Coni tells me as she bends down to pick another raincoat that she hands me.

Well, H's thoughts are not that far away from mine right now.

"He says life is like this, messy and filled with colours that other people put on you. And we meet so many people in our lives and they change us, they change even what other people’ve done with us. We were a blank canvas but as time passes by, we become a colourful mess and that makes life beautiful. Isn't that guy clever?" she asks me with a wide smile. "I totally agree with him."

I'm shocked because my line of thoughts was completely opposite. While I saw it as a sign that we are nothing, that we will just be forgotten, H saw the positive side, saw interaction, saw society and human behaviour and growth all at once. How can someone see something so different from another when they have the same landscape in front?

"I think I like his theory better," I say and take another look around with his words in my head.

I see a guy painting over some graffiti and he's using that as the background for a new painting, more abstract. The old painting is there, it's part of the new and it's creating a new version of the same spot but it wouldn't be the same if the two works hadn't combined.

It's a beautiful way to see things. I should try to see the world through his eyes. I should ask him to teach me to see things in a brighter light.

"He's a special one," Coni speaks, bringing me back to the present. "He likes seeing things as a representation of something else."

"Well, starting with the fact he leaves post-its around, yeah he's quite special," we both laugh naturally.

"Anyhow, did you watch The Princess' Diary?" She questions and I nod my head. "Did you ever try painting with water balloons?" Now I shake my head and her smile widens. "Now you will. I have all these balloons with paint and we'll throw them at the walls and see what we can make. I love playing with colours and trying to make something out of it. Shall we try?"

My smile widens, excited to try this out. I don't have to be skilful to do this. I might fail at drawing horses—or anything else for what matters—but I can throw balloons at a wall. I think. Yeah, I can do this without killing myself. It's not that hard. My clumsiness shouldn’t get in the way this time.

Of course, I was wrong.

I grab the first balloon, a yellow one, and Coni does the same, but I grab it too tightly because the balloon explodes in my hand. Red paint splashing everywhere and I thank not only God but Jesus and the Virgin Mary that I am wearing a rain coat.

"Shit!" I exclaim when I see the mess. "I can ruin even this," I groan and I hear Coni chuckling.

"No, no, this is good. Go to the wall and hug it, touch it!" she ushers me to go, giving me a soft push forward and I stumble towards the wall.

My hands are the first thing that touch the wall and it reminds me of kindergarten, what makes me giggle. Then I press my whole body and leave some random stains without a patter whatsoever. I spin around to look at Coni and she's grinning at me.

"Come here, let's throw more but careful this time," she says and I run towards her. We stand side by side and I pick another balloon. It is blue and this time it doesn't explode.

"At the count of three," Coni suggests and I nod. "One… Two… Three!" And we throw them. Mine clashes against the wall leaving a big splashy yellow mark and Coni's a green one, even if she picked a red balloon. I like that the colour inside is different from the one outside.

I grab the next and she does the same but this time she gives her back on the wall and throws the balloon over her head. It barely hits the wall. I try to make something different and pretend to be a baseball player.

Epic fail.

I lose my balance and as I throw the balloon, I also hit the floor, almost kicking the buckets with me. At least the balloon hit the wall.

"Are you okay?" Coni asks me helping me to get back on my feet.

"Yeah, this is my usual self," I laugh and she hesitates a bit before smiling at me.

"You're like him. He blew twelve balloons when we were preparing this. His hands where a rainbow when we finished," she says laughing and I do the same. "Come on, let's continue this."

And we grab balloons again and throw them in different ways. While jumping, while dancing, while running, while falling—that's only me—, while chasing each other. At some point Coni rushes toward the wall and rubs her hands all over the concrete, mixing the colours, creating something.

"Do join me!" she invites me.

And I do and I feel like we are in kindergarten all over again, painting with our hands, trying to draw something. I don't care I can’t draw at all, I make whatever I want. Hearts, flowers and even a horse! I'll take a picture of that and then show it to Moni. She'll die laughing. Coni, on the other hand, makes some wicked tree that I have no idea how it came to life. It's a tree of every colour and it looks so psychedelic.

"That looks amazing!" I celebrate her talent and she smiles kindly at me.

"Thank you! We need to take a picture before it's gone."

"Yes, yes! I have the camera. We have to ask someone," I think out loud and look around. I'm overjoyed so I run towards the closest person and ask him to take a picture of us. He sees my state—cover in pain of every colour—and arches his eyebrows but I just smile.

He agrees to take our picture so I tell him to pick the camera because I can't just yet. I go next to Coni and we pose in front of our work of art. I smile full of energy and happiness. Playing with colours is lovely.

The guy snaps the picture and waves it until the image shows and then lets us see it. It's a very colourful and happy picture. I like it very much.

"Thank you!" we beam with Coni like little kids and then giggle. The guy shakes his head with a smile and leaves the camera and the picture to go back to his work.

"Now cleaning," Coni says and goes to where all her things are to grab a bottle with water and some cloths. However, it's not water, it's paint remover and it has a very strong smell but it works, after a while my hands are clean again and the raincoat is discarded.

"That was really fun," I tell Coni and I mean it. I had loads of fun playing like that.

"It was and now there's only one thing left to do," she comments and I tilt my head to the right, wondering what it is. "The letter!" she exclaims and my eyes widen in surprise. I had totally forgotten about it, that I came here to pick the next clue.

"Oh right!" I laugh, embarrassed.

She looks in her bag for the envelope that she hands to me. "How many letters have you collected so far?" She asks me and I mentally count.

"This is the seventh," I reply receiving the envelope.

"You're very close. They are only ten," she informs me and I breathe out an ‘oh’. "Are you excited?"

"Yes, and nervous… And a bit scared," I confess and she smiles at me widely.

"I can imagine but I'm sure it'll be fine. Keep having fun and maybe I'll see you around here another day," she says and I nod.

"I hope so. We'll create something different," I say and she nods.

"Well, I'll leave you with your post-it guy. Good luck!" She gives me a hug and then collects all her stuff and walks away.

I really hope I'll see her again. She was really fun to hang out with and she's very artistic. When I meet H I'll ask him about her. But for now I have a letter to read if I want to actually meet him.

-:-:-

Did yoy like this chapter? I hope so :D Also, thank you for being so understanding and caring about me. It means a lot that you understand I can't update that often. Anyhow, I want to clarify something and share another thing.

1) I'm writing this story for my friend Maca, she's the main character. Her condition is not based on me or anything like that. I don't have endogenous depression. Some people think I'm writing about how I feel but no. 

2) The sequel will be called "Happenstance" :D

Bel, xx