The sun hadn't quite risen in the sky yet, but Raisel's black combat boots trampled down the few sagging stone stairs as he exited his first story apartment. He glanced up at the clear grey sky and shuddered as he caught sight of the metal stairs that led to the upper apartments. The landlord tried to offer him one of those. Cheaper than grizzled man said. Raisel didn't care. He'd never live in a place like that.

Raisel unlocked his motorbike from where he parked it and slipped a helmet over his grey-blue hair. He had on his usual black leather jacket over a a grey shirt whose v-neck cut low across his chest. After stashing a squarish object wrapped in a cloudy sky decorated bag, he headed for the park. By the time he arrived at the lake that took the center point of the park, the dawn light already streaked heavily across the grey and blue sky. He set up the small tripod and took his camera from the canvas bag in time to catch the buttery orb of the sun rising over the lake horizon. He took shot after shot until he lost track of time and the morning sun settled comfortably in the sky.

He was fully aware that he had a chemistry class at eight that morning. This being his second time in the class--not that he even knew he was registered for it the first time--he couldn't afford to fail again. Especially since he planned to graduate at the end of the year. It wasn't Raisel's fault he wasn't built for classroom studies. Never had been, never would be. He just had to survive until school was over with then it would be just him and his camera again. Settling his materials back on the bike, he headed to campus with his child awed smile fading into a scowl. His camera and the sky were the only realities that mattered.