Duane, August 22nd (Cough Syrup)
One young, conflicted boy returns to the memorial pole. Even though he was no longer a Player, Duane felt he could seek guidance and peace of mind here. It’s almost been a week since the end of the Game…since he asked for more time…
Duane looks down at the pictures adorning the memorial and bites his lip. “If you could give me some clarity…one more time…I’d really appreciate it,” he murmurs.
He felt so sure during the Game. Everything about the UG felt so absolutely right to him. The music in his soul, the power he could summon, the feeling of being unlimited by anything or anyone…and he knows he would give anything to fly or turn into a Noise animal on top of that!
….but then the thought of home hit him as he reflected this week.
Sure, being a Reaper would make him so much more than anyone at home– with all that he could do, he’s in so many leagues ahead of them! All of his theater friends would be so jealous of the cool things he got to pull off! They never in their lives would form the most totally awesome band ever and also summon a giant storm or a phoenix with said band! …though he would never get to tell them. Or see them again.
Duane shook his head and thinks, he’d be much more of a success than Brendan ever would be! Ciara would be told stories of how Duane was the best older brother, not Brendan…the one who left and abandoned them…
…like Duane was considering now. If he stayed in the UG, he’d be forced to give up his family forever…and would that make him any better than his brother? Knowing his parents, Ciara wouldn’t really grow up with good stories of how much harder Duane tried, how much more he worked– he’d only be painted as the one who ran off to Tokyo and died before he put in any value for the family.
Duane feels a painful dry lump form in his throat, and as he swallows, salty tears prick at his eyes.
“It’s not fair.”
He starts to sing… and hot tears roll out of his eyes, down his cheeks.
Life’s too short to even care at all oh, I’m losing my mind losing my mind losing control These fishes in the sea they’re staring at me oh, oh A wet world aches for a beat of a drum Oh, oh If I could find a way to see this straight I’d run away To some fortune that I should have found by now I’m waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down Life’s too short to even care at all oh, I’m coming up now coming up now out of the blue oh, These zombies in the park they’re looking for my heart Oh , oh A dark world aches for a splash of the sun oh, oh If I could find a way to see this straight I’d run away To some fortune that I should have found by now And so I run now to the things they said could restore me Restore life the way it should be I’m waiting for this cough syrup to come down Life’s too short to even care at all oh I’m losing my mind losing my mind losing control oh, If I could find a way to see this straight I’d run away To some fortune that I should have found by now So I run now to the things they said could restore me Restore life the way it should be I’m waiting for this cough syrup to come down One more spoon of cough syrup now, oh One more spoon of cough syrup now, oh
Duane wipes at his eyes and looks up at the sky. In his heart, he knows what he has to do. What he has to choose. He walks away, stuffing his hands in his pockets, back towards Jean’s apartment.