The wind blew dry and cold across the city, sending people hurrying inside to avoid the beginning of the storm. Rain was brewing, and it promised to be a cold and dreary day, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the young man walking briskly on the sidewalk. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jacket and he buried his chin inside the swell of the fabric, but a smile brightened his face as he hurried home from school. His uniform scratched and rubbed in the most annoying of places and his backpack was heavy with the reading assignments his instructors had given him, but there was a spring in his step as he traveled. The clouds opened and loosed their heavy load down into the walled city, soaking through his jacket and forcing him into a run to try and make it inside before he got too cold, and yet his heart soared with joy. Nothing could bring him down today.   It was his sixteenth birthday.   "Umma, I'm home!" He called as he stepped inside the door of his small, white walled home. Everything in the city was either black or white; the government said it kept order. He didn't mind so much, though he did keep in his pocket a small green stone he had found, for good luck. It was forbidden to have anything colored, though, and his parents very strictly kept to the code. He was always nervous they would find it, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to get rid of the shiny bauble. It was something different, and therefore exciting.   Hanging his black coat up inside of the closet, he closed the door and headed for his room. The entire house smelled of baking, and a smile painted his face as he pushed open the door to his small white bedroom. Everything inside was white, except for the wooden furniture, which was black. Even his school uniform was white, and though he couldn't wait to get out of it, it wasn't for the color; he was used to it. All of his clothing was in those two shades. Quickly changing out of