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Hiding in the branches of the tall tree, Shrignold saw the interaction between Yellow, Red, and the Duck. He couldn’t believe what Red said to Yellow, that he loved him? That couldn’t be possible, they don’t know what love is. Yellow was blind to believe what Red said. But Shrignold thought he could enlighten Yellow on true love. So he followed him back to his home.
He lurked around the windows of the house, peaking to see when Yellow was most vulnerable. But at almost every time he was around the annoying red mop or the duck. He was never alone, at the kitchen table he wasn’t alone, in the living room he wasn’t alone!
Days went by, and not a single chance was he alone. Eventually Shrignold grew frustrated, so he figured out how to open the door. Of course it took some time, and it was hard to get the door open with his frail butterfly body. But he was able to do it.
He remembered their schedule that they followed. They woke up, they went into the kitchen, they talked, maybe ate, they went into their living room, they did some extra activity, then they would go back to bed. They followed this pattern every day.
Shrignold was prepared for what he was going to do.
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It was a day like any other, Yellow followed his routine. But during the middle of it, before Yellow could enter the living room, he felt a small hand on his shoulder. “Where are you going friend?” Yellow recognized that voice, quickly he turned around and backed away from the bright butterfly.
Yellow shook his head, “No! You’re not real!” His voice shuttered, “Oh but I am, and I’ve come to take you back. You haven’t finished learning about love, come with me to my family and you’ll be filled with love.” Shrignold’s smooth voice said enticingly. Yellow screamed at Shrignold, “No! No! That’s not true love! I know what love is but not because of you!”. Shrignold was taken aback by his tone, but grew angrier, “And how do you know what true love is! There are only three people who live in this world and you’re one of them! You have no examples to follow. In my world we’ll show you pure and true love.” Desperation laced his last words.
Yellow didn’t listen, “I’ve seen true love, I don’t need to join you!”. Shrignold lunged at Yellow “You little prick!” He then grasped at Yellow’s blue hair, trying to pull him outside. “You’re going to join my family! You’ll get a special one, and then I’ll get the red monster and weird duck a special one as well!” Yellow grabbed Shrignold, “But they already have a special one!” He then threw Shrignold to the ground.
Shrignold didn’t react as he hit the ground, too surprised by what he heard. How could the red one and the duck one have a special one, there is no one around that would be suitable for them. He questioned Yellow on this “How is that possible? Who is their special one?!” “Each other, they are each other’s special one.”
…
Disgust spread on his face, how could they be each other’s special one? That love is impure, “That isn’t right, that love is unjust. Don’t you remember? ‘He’s made for her, she’s made for him.’ That's how it is. Those two things are misguided, they need Malcolm’s teaching-”
Yellow cut him off, “You are wrong, if you look at them you’ll see their love. They love me too but they have a special love for each other.” Yellow then walked into the room and sat in his seat, he stared into space.
Shrignold, barely composing himself, looked around the corner to observe the two. He saw the affection and caring look as they glanced at each other, the silence filled the room, no one breaking it. Yet the love between those two was clear, the ‘loneliness’ he saw in Yellow’s eyes wasn’t there between them, just love.
Shrignold thought and thought, was the teachings wrong? Was Malcolm’s version of love wrong? Was everything he knew wrong?
He got up, left through the door, and didn’t come back.
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Yellow was relieved, before that day he always seemed to catch a glimpse of something at the corner of his eye. Now it no longer happened, he didn’t feel like someone was staring at him anymore.
Today was a new day, and they had planned to play a board game later. Hopefully nothing goes wrong.