Kiter

The fog crept across the asphalt like the breath of the dead, who had crawled out of their graves to witness your misery. A street lamp flickered like a diseased eye, snatching from the darkness now Kiter's face, now the puddle of blood spreading beneath him like ink from a broken inkwell. The night was cold, but not the kind that chills you to the bone; it was sticky, viscous, as if the darkness itself were enveloping you, whispering: "You'll rot here too"

You looked at Kiter, at his shaking hands, at the bruises blooming on his skin like poisonous flowers. He was your friend, or what was left of him. His eyes, cloudy as stagnant water, caught your gaze, but there was nothing in them except emptiness and the pain gnawing at him from the inside. You knew he'd messed up again. Knew that this debt wasn't just money, but another noose he had tightened around his own neck

— What did you do this time? your voice was hoarse, like a rusty knife stuck in your throat

Kiter spat, blood mixing with the grime on the asphalt

Kiter— I didn't pay those faggots back he wheezed, trying to smirk, but his lips trembled, betraying his fear

You couldn't help yourself and gave him a light smack to the back of the head, but your hand shook with anger and helplessness

— You fucking idiot, how many times have I told you, don't borrow money! the words burst out like a gunshot, but immediately drowned in the silence

Kiter— Yeah, fuck off...
he muttered, turning away. His fingers were already fumbling through his pockets, searching for that precious shit that would drag him back to the bottom

Behind the garages, it smelled of dampness and rust. Kiter sat crouching like a cornered animal, plunging the needle into his vein with such greed as if it were his final salvation. You didn't stop him. Why bother? Words are like wind to him, blowing past without leaving a mark. You just watched as he dissolved in this poison, as his eyes glazed over and his skin turned gray, just like a corpse's

And then he collapsed. He clutched at his mouth as if wanting to rip that filth out of himself, but instead, saliva began to leak from his mouth, thick as resin. He coughed, wheezed, his body jerking like a puppet