Chapter 3: Perception
“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow by conflict. “
~William Ellery Channing
The cumulus clouds in the sky reminded Sage of the fluffy cotton candy his older brother used to buy for him at the carnival they were invited to by the flirtatious volunteer’s his senior summer break. The tasty treat spun in sweet syrup. Domino was a gift of a brother to Sage. He always tried his hardest to give Sage a reward for his grades in high school, be it a nod of encouragement or a mint smoothie from Smoothie King with diced chocolate sprinkled on top. Domino never underestimated his little brother like their parents, who used the word “useless “so much.
Domino was the cool kid, who won a soccer ball scholarship for a million dollar college. His chiseled features had all the Co-eds flirting with him the second he stepped into Blue Forest College in Virginia.
It was a mansion-like college with polished walls, marble stone floors and tall towers. Domino would always tell Sage about the popular garden they had in the back of the college. They adorned the garden with roses of pale, delicate red, and fuchsia carnation flowers dancing on the breeze.
Domino was the kid who could make friends with a sly smirk and a conversation of the latest trends. Sage inwardly laughed to himself as he remembered how Domino would tease him about his fear of clowns with their big red noses and tacky brown overalls. Domino would point at the crazy colourful hair on their head and joke to Sage about taming his own ruffled brown chestnut curls that shaded his face. He picked on him at the fair, making him try every ride.
Domino made it a night Sage never forgot, and he was grateful beyond words for his brother ever having a presence in his life, even when he took it all for granted. He would never forget On that Sunday night rain pattered on the quiet streets of virginia. The roads covered with muddy puddles of water. The sting of the mermaids scorn beer going down his virgin throat, he remembered the choppy call from his mom shrieking on the other end of the phone and his dad reassuring her.
“It’s going to be okay.” as he choked on his own tears.
His knees caving in as he dropped to the floor of the police station, frozen by grief to even put up a fight against them. The cuffs sliced through his wrist as he was hounded by the fake cops to tell the details leading to Dominos death. The rawness in his throat as he cried, tears burning his cheeks in guilt. His body shaking uncontrollably in the dizzy room. The nauseous feeling at the pit of his stomach telling him to leave.
He crumpled down to the floor in a heap, his breaths coming out hot and ragged.
There was blood on the white tiles of the Raven’s Hotel’s bathroom floor. Shattered pieces of glass on the floor reminding him of the void in his gut.The cut he swore he slit through his wrist was now no longer a bloody cut, but skin cells stitching themselves back up. It was on that rainy night, that he knew.
“Oh, shit!” He screamed as he crumpled down to the floor in a heap, his breaths coming out hot and ragged.
The realization hit him deep in his chest right where the heart was the pain stabbing him. That everything wasn’t always sunny in holly springs virginia.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone