Smoke Me.

Chapter 4: Moth to a Flame

The sun was setting, so I ran. Well, my body moved. Half my mind was left scattered in front of his building.

An anxiety disorder would make sense.

My groceries made strange sounds, but I didn't bother to check if anything broke.

No. It's a panic disorder...and addiction since he probably continued to ask for pills. Or maybe he had an overdose in the past?

I stared at the sky but all I could see were his parted lips.

If that is what his brother meant then he's using grass to self-medicate? The wind was getting stronger while the birds were flying in circles.

And it's not working.

"Grandma, I'm back! You awake?" I dropped everything at the door, untied my shoes, and went into our room, panting. And exhaled a deep breath that I didn't realize I was holding. Prepared to face her.

That was until I saw that she was still asleep. Before I got to her bed, I heard someone knocking at the back door. and I felt anger rising inside me as a forest fire would rise from a single-lit match thrown into the wrong place.

"What the hell? Who...?" Before I could even finish, I locked eyes with a heroin user who was hard to forget, since he only had four teeth left, Jeonell.

"You're the other one, aren't you?" He asked.

I closed the door behind me fast.

"The other what?" He seemed as if he was trying to control his body's tremor. The only light source was a poor suspended bulb that was currently being attacked by moths.

"Dealer." He mumbled.

The light struck his eyes in the dark of the night, making them appear as if they were completely red.

"Oh, do you want me to call him?" I barely touched my pocket as he stretched out his hand quickly in an attempt to stop me.

"No, I'm late with the pay... he probably knows..."

"Well, I don't know how else I can help you, man." I smiled nervously and thought of how I could get him as far away from my home as possible.

How did he find out my address is the real question.

"Do you have some?"

"Some... what?"

"You know, my fix." The mere thought of it made him unconsciously smile, uncovering his dirty teeth.

"Nah, I don't deal with your type of stuff. Sorry." I was telling the truth, but his disgruntled expression made me think he didn't believe me.

"How come?"

Too risky and I have zero security. I thought.

"Fred won't let me," I said.

"My friend told me that you do. Occasionally..." At that very moment, I heard something move in the bushes.

And suddenly, I felt like I was a puppy being cornered by rabid dogs.

"Yeah? Is he here? I'd like to see some proof." I spoke loudly.

And thought: Maybe it's because I'm worried about my grandma... but he doesn't blink much, does he?

"I don't like liars." I heard him say as I watched a man in torn clothes slowly approaching us. I thought I should call the cops but then realized that it would put me in more trouble than it would them. Then I thought of Fred and how he wouldn't get here fast enough unless he'd decided to randomly drop by today and was already on his way. That only ever happened twice though.