The White Room
A hauntingly lonely tune fills the white room. The song resonates within the four walls. It has lyrics but it is in a language that the young girl cannot understand. She glances at the music box that’s been playing the tune for hours.
There, in the middle of the floor is a young girl perhaps in her teens. Her undulating black hair is spread out as she is lying down on the floor. She stares at the ceiling with her lifeless black eyes. If anyone sees her, they would mistake her as a bisque doll with her frilly raspberry dress.
“Are you awake?”
She glances at the radio on top of a table and she recognizes the raspy feminine voice from the other side of the radio.
“…Yes,” She replies timidly.
“Slept well?”
“…Yes,”
“Liar, I’ve been watching you all night.” The feminine voice rages out in a growl and the young girl shivers but kept her monotonous face. “I can’t believe I’ve raised a liar!”
“…I’m sorry,” She blandly says and gets up. The young girl hugs her knees in fear of the woman on the radio.
“You’re forgiven.” The woman immediately changes her tone into a sweet one. “Oh, my sweet, sweet girl.”
“…What is curiosity?”
The woman sighs perhaps in frustration or agitation, the young girl doesn’t know.
“It is a bad feeling,” The woman calmly explains, “If you feel it, then I will hate you forever,”
The young girl widens her eyes and immediately goes to the radio.
“Please, don’t hate me!” She desperately pleads the voice, “How will I know that I’m having this curiosity???”
“That happens when you try to go outside of this white room,”
“I promise, I will stay in this white room,”
“Good. Now turn on the TV,”
The young girl gets up and turns on the widescreen TV. The screen flashes to life and images of soldiers killing one another come to her vision. Sounds of canons and bombs resonate; screams of agony and pain complement the bombings. She watches the whole happenings with her knees trembling in fear. Even though she always watch the same thing every day, she still feels dread welling in her chest.
“The outside world is really ominous, don’t you agree?”
The girl nods, her eyes glued to the screen.
“Every day there are wars happening. No matter where and who you are, they will mercilessly kill you.”
The black-haired girl gulps, her hands trembling as she watches someone taking someone’s head off.
“No one will spare you. And if they see that you’re beautiful, they will rape you,” The woman laughs when the young girl hears tantalizing screams from the television.
“No, no!”
The young girl covers her eyes when she realizes that the girl on screen is being gang-banged by men who are laughing boisterously. She feels her heartbeat racing and her knees wobbling.
“Do you understand now that the outside world is bad?”
“…I do,”
“Good. Read the books,”
The black-haired girl gets up and goes to the bookshelf in the corner. She takes some books and sits on the ground once again. She carefully feels the spine of a violet hard-bound book before opening it. With a timid voice, she begins reading a passage.
“Long, long ago there was a young girl who disobeyed and went outside of the white room. As soon as she went out, she saw the whole world stained in crimson red. Everywhere her eyes trailed, there were corpses. Soldiers shoot everyone they see whether they’re young or old,” The young girl gulps but nonetheless continues.
“The young girl, still having hopes of the outside world, ran away in hopes of seeing the so-called “beautiful sceneries” in this world. However, no matter where she went all she saw was smoke and damaged properties. There was nothing beautiful in the outside world. She hears her stomach rumbling and this was the first time she felt hunger,”
“However, no matter how much she pleaded no stranger gave her food. Her feet also became weary and she longs the comfort of the white room she once hated. The girl decided to go back, but no matter what path she takes she simply cannot find it,”
“And now, she’s standing in the middle of an unknown city, completely regretting the choices she made. She cried and cried but no one came and saved her. That is until someone shot her and she died on the spot with bitter regrets,”
The young girl finishes reading and hears the woman clapping by her magnificent reading skills.
“Do you understand what this means?” The woman asks, perhaps a smile gracing her lips.
“I understand that the outside world is very cruel and the only safe place is this white room,”
“Very good! Now, read the other book,”
Obediently, the young girl reaches out for another book and carefully opens it. She clears her throat and once again read it out loud in a bland, monotonous voice.
“The white room is the heaven of men. It comprises of things that we only need. In here, men can achieve the peace and solitude it needs. There will be no fighting and bloodshed as long as they follow the voice on the radio,”
“The white room is peace. It shields us from the abominable world outside us. It is something that will help everyone grow and be educated. Yes, the white room is where we all should be. However, even though it is for men, few can only enter and remain here,”
“Why? It is because the white room is only for the obedient ones. It doesn’t take disobedient men. The white room is a sacred room only for deserving people,”
“Now what will you do for the rest of your life?”
“Stay in this room forever because the white room is what gives me solitude,”
“Very good. Continue reading those books and we’ll talk again tomorrow,”
The very next day, or perhaps it was night, the young girl doesn’t know. There she is, reading a book that tells about how men will lie and steal for their own gain. Disturbing her peace, the door to the outside world flung open.
She widens her eyes, curious thoughts fill up her mind. She looks at the radio and she expected the feminine voice, but no one spoke. The young girl stares at the opened door and this is the first time she doesn’t know what to do.
She closes the book, still staring at the door; she gets up and walks toward it.
She questions about the books she read and begins to imagine what the lies beyond this white room. A smile creeps in her features when she realizes that she’s going to be free.
Freedom is within her grasp and all she needs is to walk outside of the white room. As with every step closer to the door, she thought of the possibilities, the people she might encounter, or what she looks like.
All throughout her life, she doesn’t even know her name. Hell, she doesn’t even know the prospect of having a name. The young girl wants to understand what the different emotions are or what does curiosity even means. Furthermore, the young girl also wants to know who the person on the radio is.
Yes…everything will be answered if she walked out of door. And finally, she’s standing near the doorframe and excitement and curiosity fills up her chest. The young girl smiles of the thought of adventure.
And then she closes the door and resumes reading her book.
A/n: This was an assignment but I really liked this so I thought of sharing it to y'all