A Test of Two Strengths

A Test of Two Strengths

Walking down the halls of Kulima High School, to Dominic Elzix, it was just another boring, yet normal day. Shaking out his dusty-brown hair, he looked with his cool, ice-blue eyes at the board where his chemistry teacher, Mr. Crams, drones on about the chemical formula for sugar or something - boring. RIIIIING. Finally, free at last! "Hey, Dominic!" yells Ivan, Dominic's best friend. "You down for the party tonight?"

"You know it," Dominic replies enthusiastically. "What drinks you got coming?" Just as Ivan is about to answer, Dominic's phone goes off, the ringtone telling him it was his mom. "Ugh, hang on a sec, man."

Answering the phone, he hears his mom speaking, "Dominic, I know you have plans for Ivan's party this weekend, but they're cancelled for you. Get to the hospital as quick as you can; it's Felix."

His world now spinning, Dominic tells Ivan he won't be able to make it to the party after-all, "I'm sorry man, I don't think I can make it. Mom says there's something wrong with Felix. You know I gotta look out for family." Taking off after hearing Ivan tell him it's all good, Dominic rushes to the hospital to meet his mom.


"They don't know what's wrong with him. he woke up not feeling well, so I let him take the day off school. He seemed to be doing alright until he just suddenly collapsed. He's been coughing up blood since," Dominic's single-mother, Sasha, tells him in a monotone. "At this rate, they're not sure if he'll make it, but they're starting him on broad-sprectrum treatment."

Shaken, Dominic sits down on one of the hard chairs in a hospital waiting room. Felix is sick, and even if doctors figure out what's wrong with him, Mom won't be able to pay for treatment for long; not since dad died in the car accident eight years ago. Pulling out his phone, Dominic punches in Ivan's number, Cant make it felix is sick reads the text message he sends Ivan. Take care of felix its all good maybe next time reads Ivan's reply. Relieved, Dominic leans back, closes his eyes, and lets the time drift by.

Two weeks pass by, it turns out that Felix has tuberculosis and is getting better. Then the bad news comes. Not only does Felix have TB, but when doctors scanned his chest to make sure his only issue is TB, they found the start of lung cancer as well. "Oh, we'll never be able to pay for both of this!" sobs Sasha. "Our health care plan was cancelled a few months ago, and these treatments are several thousand dollars each."

Not good. Felix has tb and lung cancer. to expensive for us to pay out of pocket and no health care Dominic sends to Ivan when Sasha breaks the news to him. "Isn't there anything I can do to help us pay for this, Mom?" and at her reply of no, "No, I don't believe that. I'm going to find some way to save Felix, Mom. I don't care what they say, I'll find a way to pay for him."

Getting to work, Ivan and Dominic go around the school, asking people for donations, small amounts, big amounts, doesn't matter. Every penny counts. "Sixty dollars, out of about forty thousand. We're screwed at this rate, man," Ivan glumly announces. "Oh, damn. Why don't we do a fund-raiser in town, we could make some more money that way?"

"Ivan, what would I possible do without you?" Making posters, with vibrant green and bright red, saying "Help us pay for Felix" and parading around the town collecting donations from the townsfolk. By the end of the week, Dominic and Ivan have raised nearly a thousand dollars, "This still isn't enough, Ivan... What will we do if we can't raise enough to pay for Felix? TB costs at least thirteen grand and treatment for lung cancer usually costs at least twenty-five grand."

Isn't there anything else I can do... I've gotta find something I can do to help Felix, Dominic thinks to himself on a Thursday night.  Turning on the TV, even though it's one in the morning, Dominic finds that Breaking Bad is on. Trying to remember what the story is about, he remembers that it's about a former chemistry teacher with terminal cancer, and no life insurance so be begins making and selling money for his family after he dies. Hey, it's just a TV show, but if he can do it, why can't I? I could sell and make money for Felix.

Learning about the rules of the drug trade, Dominic decides meth is far too expensive and dangerous to try to cook and sell. Tooling around on the web, he comes across a web page claiming to have a recipe to make LSD or acid out of everyday items. Calling up Ivan, "Ivan, I need a favor. Can you get me some red wine? I'll pay you for it, of course."

Two days and sixty dollars later, Dominic has the red wine and is ready to try the experiment, just after one more small job. Knowing a small amount about drugs and LSD, he knows he'll need blotter paper to put the LSD in for the high. Pretending to be an artist, Dominic orders blotting paper online, shipping it to a PO Box he's renting.

After making the supposed LSD, Dominic goes to his buddy, Shane Hayner - who loves to get high on anything - and tells him he might have some LSD and asks Shane if he wants to try it. "Oh helll yeah, you know I do!" Shane whoops in response. Forty five minutes later, Shane is gone. "Dominic, man. I love you, bro. I'm trippin' some major balls," he slurs.

"I'll give you five more strips, free of charge, if you point me at some people who'd be interested in buying, and how much to sell for," Dominic offers Shane.

"Jackson, Sid, Casey, Jordan, Mary," is the reply. "And after this trip I'll bring you downtown to meet a few friends of mine who'll buy. Better make a lot, cause this was good stuff. We'll buy at fifteen per strip, good deal for both of us."

"Sounds good, Shane. Thanks for hooking me up, I really need this." Pulling out his phone, Dominic sends Ivan a text Gonna need a lot more of that wine if you can and Ivan's reply Damn! You already finished the first bottle? Ill get you more same price but dont go alchie on me bro.

Lying down on the soft green grass, under the warm sun with the fair weather of springtime, Dominic hears someone sit down next to him. Not bothering to open his eyes, he simply says "Hello there," to the newcomer.

"So, Shane says you got some good stuff," says the feminine voice. Alicia? "Says it's LSD. What do you say, want to hook me up?"

"Fifteen per strip," he tells her(?), still not opening his eyes, or even moving at all except to speak. "How much do you want?" Sitting up then, and opening his eyes, Dominic finds that it is in fact Alicia. "Wait, wait, wait. Why are you buying? Aren't you supposed to be a goody-two-shoes?"

"Supposed to be," she retorts. "Alicia Lekins, the supposed-to-be good child has a deep, dark secret to hide. Blah blah blah, boring stuff. Now are you going to sell to me still, or not?"

"I'll sell, I'll sell. I can't judge, after-all, I'm dealing, aren't I? Anyway, price is fifteen per strip. How much are ya buying?" With six hundred dollars in hand, Dominic heads home. Placing the money in his mom's jar of money for Felix, now holding nearly twenty thousand dollars, Dominic heads downtown to the dark streets, to deal to his new-found friends of Shane.

When he gets there, he find the tension to be thick, almost enough that you could grab it right out of the air. Walking down the alleyway where they usually conduct their meetings, he finds a group of Shane's friends waiting already. "And here I thought I was early," he announces, trying to break the ice and ease a little of the tension.

"Gabe is dead," one of them tells him. "OD'd on your product, had a massive seizure and heart attack."

"Not my fault if he was stupid enough to OD on LSD. HE was a druggy, he should've known what would happen if he took too much." This isn't good... "Are you guys still buying or am I out? If you're done,t hen that's it. We don't know each other. If you're still buying, price is twelve per strip."

Making a circle around him, another boy said "He's dead because of your product. You really think we still want to buy?" Others nodding in agreement, their eyes now turned ice-cold, looked very dangerous.

"Then I'll leave and that's it. I'll walk and leave you boys alone. I don't know you and you don't know me." Just as he finished speaking, the others said it wouldn't do. "What's wrong with that? Come on guys, you're scarin' me now." Sweating now, he feels the chills run down his back for not realizing how dangerous and close-knit this group of friends is.

Just as he tries to back away, one of them pulls out a small little hand or something. Pressing a button on the side, the blade shoots out - switch blade - not good. "Hold him," the guy with the blade commands. Just then, two of the men grab his arms. Struggling to break free, Dominic is scared beyond belief now. "This is what you get, for selling us bad product, product that killed Gabe. Now it's your turn," he tells Dominic.

Still struggling, Dominic is realizing he can't break free and this is where he'll probably die. At least mom has life insurance he thinks to himself. At least in the end, I'll still be able to save Felix. Just as soon as he thought that, Johnathan, Dominic remembers the guy holding the knife is named, is about to stick the knife into Dominic's ribs. Leaning back, and kicking, Dominic nails Johnathan right in the face. Now leaning forward, he reaches his arms forward and slams his elbows back into the two men holding him, hitting each in the stomach. Feeling their grip slacken, Dominic sprints past the now bleeding Johnathan and his stunned friends, deeper into the complex alleyway system.

Making blind and random turns hoping to lose Johnathan and his groupies, Dominic races through the alleys. I hope this works, I really hope this works he thinks to himself. Five quick minutes later, he finds himself backed into a corner - dead end. Turning around, hoping to make it before Johnathan catches up, he makes it out of the alley and finds himself stuck. Johnathan with two guys on his left - going deeper into the alley, and two others on his right - leading to the street.

Making a break for the group without the knife and towards the street, Dominic rushes at them, hoping to catch them off-guard. Expecting him to make this move, the two men grab him. Holding him tighter this time, they patiently wait for Johnathan to make his way over. "You dirty little bastard. You actually kicked me in the face and made a run for it," Johnathan hisses. "But not, I'm going to guy you," he finishes. Done talking, he saunters over, pulls the switch back out. Laughing in Dominic's face, he slides the blade into his ribs.

Leaving Dominic there to bleed out, the group splits now, not wanting to be seen there with a just-knifed teen. Holding his side,w here the knife went in, Dominic slowly crawls to the edge of the alleyway, barely getting onto the street before he collapses. His vision darkening, he knows he's passing out from both blood loss and pain. This is where I'm going to die... he sadly thinks to himself. Not somewhere nice, but on the ground in some back-alley slum, with no one around. As his life slowly leaves him, Dominic realizes he is content with the way things have happened. Felix will be saved, and he's always said he would do anything, even die, to save someone he cares about.

When the officer knocks at the door, Sasha Elzix is wondering who it could be. Dominic would have a key, Ivan knows where the key is, Felix is still in the hospital, though he's getting better, and she isn't expecting any visitors. Opening the door and seeing the officer she immediately knows. "Ma'am, I hate to be the one to tell you this... but we believe your son, Dominic, was found murdered downtown. he has a single knife wound, but it was deep and severed a major artery in his chest."

Breaking down and sobbing, Sasha had just lost her son. "What was he doing downtown?" she sobbed. "He knew that area is dangerous and full of criminals and druggies, and all kinds of things."

"Ma'am, we found LSD on him. We believe he was dealing to these criminals and druggies. We also found about $200 on him."

Making the connection, Sasha now realized where all the extra money had been coming from. She knew Dominic was getting it from somewhere, but didn't know where and didn't want to know where it was coming from. He had been dealing, getting involved in dangerous and illegal activity to help Felix. "Thank you, Officer," she told him. "I think I'm going to need to go to the hospital now. I have to see my other son, Felix."

Breaking Felix the news, his golden eyes brim over with tears and he listens numbly. Dominic is gone? How could this happen? Is it his fault or is this just a cruel joke? "Is he really gone, Mom?" he barely audibly asks his mother. At her reply, the tears splash over and Felix cries for the first time, since before he'd gotten sick. Dominic is really dead.

With the money Dominic had earned dealing LSD  and money from his life insurance, Sashsa has enough money to pay for all of Felix's treatments. I've lost one son, I won't lose both, she thinks to herself. While Felix is getting better, the school makes an announcement about Dominic's death.

Stopping by Sasha's place later that day, Ivan is in a state of shock. "He's really dead... Can I still come by sometimes, Mrs. Elzix? You guys are like family to me." When she tells him yes, "Thanks Mrs. Elzix," he numbly replies.

It's been six months since Felix had gotten sick, and he's finally recovered. Walking down the halls of the school where he was supposed to spend his year, he realizes nothing will ever be the same without Dominic. He's welcomed back on his first day, but it's obvious how much Dominic will be missed. There's a depressed mood about the school, even if they're trying to be happy that Felix is back and healthy.

Sitting in the park with Ivan, Felix leans back, closing his eyes, enjoying the blissful weather. "I guess he got what he wanted in the end," he says aloud. "He managed to get enough money to pay for me."

"Yeah..." Ivan replies. "I guess he did. C'mon let's go visit his memorial site." So off go Felix and Ivan, to pay their last dues to the late Dominic Elzix - known as a hero to his family and friends, for doing whatever it took to save his brother. Placing flowers at his grave, Ivan and Felix walk back to Ivan's house, glad to know that Dominic is a better place, still watching over them.