a purposeful past | s.s

Chapter Twelve

Domino surveyed the street, an arm draped loosely over the bandage still wrapped around her abdomen, searching for someone willing to buy a pape from her.

Specs had already sold half of his, while she'd only sold three or four. She was falling behind, she knew, but she still couldn't stop herself from thinking of Race. She'd heard that Lane had been taken by Frisks and her army of Refuge kids only after the fact when she'd returned, and worse still, without Race.

She didn't know what to do.

From across the street, she spotted a girl who seemed bored out of her mind, fiddling with something on her wrist. Eyes narrowing, Domino gripped her sack of papes and started off in that direction.

"Hey, where's ya goin'?" Specs called when he realized she was leaving him.

"Think I saw someone who'd wanna buy a pape," she called back. "Don't go too far, I'll be right back."

She could tell that Specs was opposed to the idea, probably scared that she'd pass out or something of the like, but they both knew the importance of every single customer. It was vital to sell all of your papes before the day was over if you wanted a bed to sleep on.

And so she went after the girl, who had already withdrawn into the shadows of the alleys. Domino didn't let this stop her, though. If anything, it made her more determined to catch the girl. She could've easily been a friend as well as a foe.

She'd failed too many times to let this opportunity slip away from her.

"I'm sorry," she suddenly heard, before the girl came into her line of view with her hands raised, looking scared. "For a lot of things, really. But I'm not a threat. I came to help."

Domino slowly lowered the rolled up pape she held threateningly over her head. It was a shame she'd left her frying pan back at the lodge, but Specs had made her part with it. Something about learning how to feel comfortable without a frying weapon in hand. "Well, if ya wanted ta help, you could start by buyin' a pape."

The girl smiled sheepishly. "I actually don't have any money to give you."

"Oh." Domino frowned at the news. "Ya ain't missin' anythin' good, if it makes ya feel bett-ah."

"That bad, huh?"

She huffed. "Same as every oth-ah day."

"Hopefully tomorrow will be different," the girl said brightly. Domino couldn't see how she could be so positive. "I mean, it's easy to forget just how quickly things can change."

"Yeah," said Domino. "I guess it is."

The girl sent her a small smile, wrapping her arms around herself to block out the cool air in her thin coat. "Don't beat yourself up over what's already happened, alright?"

Domino blinked. "Huh?"

"He'll be okay," she continued, before slowly backing away. "And... once again, I really am sorry."

"Wait!" Domino called, but was suddenly thrown off balance as her sight shifted. Perplexingly, it was as though the whole world was at full brightness, the vibrant blow putting too much strain on her eyes all at once.

As she fell onto the ground, gasping shakily for air, she turned back to where the girl had stood, but it was certainly purposeless. She'd already known the girl was long gone.

The world slowly returned to normal.

"Dom!" From the corner of her eye, Domino spotted Specs running her way. "Hey, what happened? Ya looked fine earli-ah. Did someone hoit ya?"