Cinderville: Vigilance

Untitled Part 4

Lily pushed through the door of the old pharmacy, the bell above it tinkling faintly in the silence. The place was nearly deserted, the shelves half-empty, lined with expired products that no one wanted anymore. The air was thick with dust, the smell of antiseptic long since faded. She kept her eyes forward, scanning the room for any sign of movement, but the place seemed as dead as the rest of the city.

Behind the counter, an old man sat slumped in a chair, his eyes half-closed and glazed over. A junkie, just like the rest of them. But Lily didn't care about him—he was harmless, more of a ghost than a threat. She stepped up to the counter, her hand already sliding into her pocket, fingers brushing the cool metal of her knife.

The man stirred, his eyes narrowing as he noticed her. "What do you want?" His voice was raspy, worn down by years of smoking and drugs.

"Whatever you've got," she replied flatly, her voice devoid of emotion. She didn't have time for niceties. The shakes were back, her skin crawling with the need for a fix.

The man looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on the bloodstains that streaked her clothes. "You got money?"

Lily met his gaze, her expression hard as steel. "No. But I've got this," she said, pulling the knife from her pocket and holding it up, the blade catching the dim light.

The old man let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Figures. You're all the same. Desperate, broken..."

"Just give me what I need," Lily snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Or I'll take it."

For a moment, the man hesitated, sizing her up. Then, with a sigh, he slowly got to his feet and shuffled over to a small cabinet behind the counter. He opened it, revealing a stash of various pills, powders, and syringes. He grabbed a few items and placed them on the counter in front of her. "That's all I've got left. Take it or leave it."

Lily didn't waste any time. She grabbed the pills and a small bag of powder, stuffing them into her backpack. The man watched her with dull eyes, not bothering to argue or fight back. He knew better. In this city, survival came first, and trust was a luxury no one could afford.

She held up a syringe, it held the darker, murky substance that was the unrefined version of Malikia's new drug. She stuck it into her arm giving herself almost the full injection to stifle off the shakes, then emptied the rest on the ground.

As she turned to leave, he muttered something under his breath. "This stuff... it'll kill you, you know. Sooner or later, it'll get you."

Lily paused at the door, glancing back at him over her shoulder, with a soft half faked smile. "Mister, hell doesn't want someone like me."

And with that, she stepped back out into the night, the cold air hitting her like a slap to the face. The drugs in her bag were a temporary reprieve, a way to keep the demons at bay for just a little longer. She knew it wouldn't last, knew that she'd be back here again soon enough, or somewhere worse. But for now, it was enough.

The streets of New Alton stretched out before her, dark and unforgiving, and Lily disappeared into the shadows once more, her footsteps fading into the night.