A Transparent Filter

I stepped out into the midday breeze, walking down the sidewalk until I reached the closed shutter of the corner newsstand. Resting against the metal base was a discarded sheet of blue cellophane, slightly crinkled along one edge. I hesitated, kneeling down on the asphalt to smooth out the folds with the side of my thumb. Raising the clear film up to my eyes, the entire street of gray concrete and brick suddenly turned into a deep, electric cobalt world. I carefully folded the plastic around the top half of my miniature phone, turning the screen into a two-tone gradient.