Heroin

PROLOGUE

The girl glared into the grimy mirror, furrowing her brow at the cracked surface. She noticed a faint hint of blood and catpiss, and the odor wafted up to her nose like an unwelcome neighbor. Slowly her bloodshot green eyes traced the pattern of the bruises on her arms, and the way their veiny tendrils snaked down to her wrists. She pressed lightly on one with her finger, wincing as the abscess pressed against her finger. The light flickered, before the dim light went out.

"Fuck," Onyx whispered and batted at the metal string, pulling desperately to turn it back on. Despite her feeble attempts the stubborn light stayed off.

She grasped around in the dark before reaching the cool metal door knob and pushing the door open, and stumbling into the hardwood floor of the hallway. Grime pushed against the bottoms of her bare feet as she walked to her room over broken glass and spilled drugs. Kicking open the door at the end of the hallway she fell into her messy room. With her face down on the hardwood floor and a pain in her nose she looked up at the room. God the only thing there was a dirty ass mattress and a dresser with many speaker chords dangling from their bare shelves. Clothes and scraps of cloth cluttered the closet floor, probably covered in resin and yard saled drugs.

Onyx crawled weakly to her bed and huddled into a ball, the sick pressing against her brain and stomach, a feeling so intense all she could do was sit there and wait for it to be over. Unless someone brought her what she needed the most.

The door seemed to scream as someone pushed it open. "Oxi?"

"Don't fuckin call me that," Onyx groaned, pulling her arm over her face to look into the brown eyes of Crow, who pushed his shaggy black mane out of his eyes to meet hers.

The crow upon his bony shoulder that gave him his nickname seemed to be judging her as her lips curled up in distaste seeing the bird. Crow - the boy- pulled out a small pipe and offered it to her.

"I know you're sick from something else but this might help," His big doe eyes gazed at her through thick dark lashes.

Her cracked lips pulled up into a small smile, and she felt her cheeks tighten as they hollowed even more against her skull. "Sure."

He sat down and shooed the bird away from him, before reaching for the torch by Onyx's feet. He flicked the torch around the bowl inhaling the sweet poison from the bulb, blowing out a fat cloud before passing it.

Onyx reached for her lighter quickly. She grasped the pipe in bony, shaking fingers, pushing dull black hair out of her eyes which held a maniacal expression. Fixated on the way the flame licked the bowl, and the curl of the sweet acid that would soon scorch her throat. The crackling sound made her shiver as she started twisting, and finally brought it to her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut with satisfaction as she inhaled, the gentle soothing smoke making its  destructive way into her lungs. Her eyes opened as she took the pipe away and let the smoke out. Onyx's eyes traced the smoke watching it leave her lungs wishing she could keep it prisoner in her body forever. Her eyes flickered down to the pipe and she reluctantly handed it over to Crow.

He produced a small baggie with black blotches in it, and handed it to her. "Forgot I had this." And with that he left.

She salivated at the sight of the Heroin, and hurried to grab a needle. She pulled out a clean from her kit and a metal bottle cap, held the cap by the paper clip attached to the side and set the heroin inside with a small amount of water. She cooked it slowly, experly, her pale face sweating and her brow furrowing with anticipation. Slowly she placed the cotton down with the needle cap and sucked the drug up through its filter, flicking the side to get out the bubbles, and pushing the plunger down. Onyx checked for hitchhikers and grabbed a small piece of twine which she twisted around her arm and over her foot to create the right amount of pressure. Lightly, she pressed the tip of the needle against her arm, feeling the vein jump away from her. Inhaling sharply she pressed again, breaking skin on the vein this time. She pressed in, pausing occasionally to register and make sure it was still in the vein. When she got it down she pressed down lightly, feeling the gelatin tease her vein with its sweet taste. She started going faster feeling the gel spread in her veins pumping to the tourniquet. Feeling felt a sharp pain she paused, looking at the needle horrified. In her haste she had forgotten that she packed three shots in one. Carefully she pulled the tourniquet tighter and pulled out the needle, pressing to the wound with one finger.

"Crow!" She screamed in a panic, feeling the loss of feeling in her fingers start, and the heroin start to leak into her blood stream.

The small boy poked his head into the room and almost fell back in fright at the sight. He quickly scooped her up and ran out of the door into the night.