Darell was finishing up the 8th practice duel with his younger brother... the excitement was simply too much he actually had made it to an invitational!!! This could be it he might start getting fans and maybe even a sponsor what if he actually won the prize money alone could keep his family going for a year how cool would that be? Darell was off in dream land again and while he was imagining that prize money he missed a crucial play losing for the 7th time that night.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00bfff">Damn it I will never win if I keep that up.</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#dda0dd">Darell! Language!</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00bfff">SORRY MOM *whispers* you little shit you are taking advantage of my distraction, but thanks, I gotta keep my head in the game today. Now I am going to try to sleep because if I don't I won't be worth anything tomorrow and I'll get my ass handed to me.</span><br/><br/>He messes up the air of his brother and goes to the room all his brothers share. he catches a look out the window the huddled masses around burning garbage bins the sick and homeless littering the street.... At least his family was not out there but he wanted them out of this slum and he wanted to be the one to get them out. Sleep has a hard time coming and when it does he dreams all night of the glory of winning, and the consequences of embarrassing himself utterly.<br/><br/>Getting up early the next day he starts the hours-long journey to get to the stadium. As he walks the miles clutching his deck and invitation least someone steals either he goes over his strategies one last time and tries to think if he should have traded for different cards. No this is the best he could do given what's available and obviously, he is starting to get attention otherwise he would not even be going to this tournament.<br/><br/>As the hovels of the slums turn to apartment buildings, turn to houses, turn to high rises, Darell imagines his family living in each one how much better their life might one day be how much longer they can keep going at the current rate if he fails.... He won't though he will make everyone proud of him.<br/><br/>Finally, he makes it to the Stadium winded and exhausted, the guards begin to give him a hard time telling him that only contestants are allowed in the area's he tries to access it takes a good half hour for them to verify and finally believe that the dirty boy in front of them is competing and reluctantly let him in. He registers his deck and goes to sit down in a prep room to gather his thoughts and try to calm down.... But he has finally made it!!!!