"Huff-"
A young man walking down a narrow street took a deep breath of fresh air.
The sun's rays of light which usually shone like beams of hope, were lackluster; signifying night's imminent approach.
"Haah"
Breathing out, a gust of wind tousled his wavy black hair as he continued on his stride.
'Another boring day:'
The young man thought as he walked up a flight of stairs, pulled out his key, and opened the door to his apartment. A strong scent of ramen and cupped noodles assaulted his nose, reminding him of what he'd been eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for months.
'This can't be healthy.'
Thinking this, he sighed, stepping in. He placed his keys and bag on a counter after moving empty cups and wrappers of cupped noodles out of the way and into the trash. Finally walking over to his couch, he sat down, closing his eyes looking peaceful.
'A break, thank you god for giving us the weekend!'
A small smile appeared on his face, his eyes still closed, like an old monk who had just reached enlightenment.
"KNOCK, KNOCK."
After around two minutes, loud knocks came from the door interrupting his little moment of peace.
"Sir!"
An aged woman's voice came from the other side.
'Ugh, maybe If I wait for a while she'll go away.'
"I know you're in there, I saw you walk in!"
'Well there goes that plan.'
Cyril, opening his eyes annoyingly got up to answer the door for the woman.
With a wide comforting smile, he opened the door. A short Asian woman with a jet-black bob entered his sight; she was his landlord and she was very to the book about her job.
"Hello, Mrs. Chen! What brings you to my humble abode?"
He spoke as politely as possible to this landlord of his, a heavy contrast to the way he got up and answered the door.
"I need the rent. I can't wait any longer!"
She shouted again, not putting up with him any longer.
"I know, I know. Give me another week I promise I'll have it."
"You said that last week!"
The woman's anger could visibly be seen due to the large vein on her forehead.
'I did say the same thing last week…'
Cyril responded with silence as he truly didn't have anything to say, he felt bad for taking advantage of the lady but he just didn't have it.
"Haah, listen I need you out of here by tomorrow. I have painters coming in to redo these walls."
Mrs. Chen said after calming herself down, the vein in her forehead fading. As she prepared to exit, ending the conversation, she was stopped.
"Wait, I'll paint them. Just white right? I'll paint them so please let me stay for another week I swear I'll have it by then."
He pleaded, closing his eyes and putting his hands together.
The woman stood silently, before finally answering.
"Fine, next week or you're out. I'm serious this time Cyril."
Mrs. Chen, agreeing to his request, left just as quick as she came, walking back to her room upstairs.
'Didn't expect her to let me slide with the one-week thing…mm no reason to question blessings, just need to paint the walls.'
With these thoughts in his head, Cyril walked back to the kitchen, he noticed a small white bag on the counter with a tag attached to it; picking it up, he read what was on the tag.
"LLD, maybe I should try it out…"
Chuckling, he remembered something weird that happened a few nights ago.
---
----
"How is there nothing to drink in here, do I drink that much?!"
Cyril shouted, ravaging his poor refrigerator in hopes of a beverage.
'The store isn't that far but it's 10… fuck it I'll go'
Grabbing his wallet and putting on a pair of sweats, He left his apartment with a quick jog as the store closed around this time. Arriving in about five-ish minutes, he bought his favorite drink: blue lemonade.
"Thank you for shopping at QuickyMart, have a good night sir." The half-sleep store clerk thanked him as he exited the store.
"Yeah, you too man."
Opening the drink and taking a sip, he walked back to his apartment with a satisfied smile.
Cyril's eyes slowly lifted towards the vast expanse of the night sky, transfixed by the shimmering stars that twinkled and danced above him. The sight was so breathtakingly beautiful that he couldn't help but stop and stare in wonder and amazement.
'I should take outings like these more often.' He obliged.
Suddenly, An older man in a black hoodie appeared before him, interrupting his little star gaze sesh.
The startled Cyril fell on his ass, spilling his drink in the process. Frustrated, he quickly got back up and shouted.
"Where'd the fuck you come from?! Do you know how late it is you can't scare people like that!"
Cyril shook his moist, sticky hands as he cursed the guy out.
"Sorry man didn't mean to scare ya, thought people liked surprises." Grabbing his chin, the man wondered why his abrupt greeting didn't work.
Cyril stared at the man in silence, in literal awe.
'My lucks got to be in the negatives only I run into the crazies man.'
Sighing, Cyril prepared to walk away before being stopped.
"W-wait man! I didn't stop you for nothin, I have something that'll get ya goin!"
Smiling, the man pulled out a small white bag and held it up like a trophy, earning a weird look from Cyril.
'So he's not just crazy, but a junkie too?'
Even though he thought this he still let the guy speak; seemingly amused.
"Behold! This product is the first of its time, something millions would die for, something-"
Before he was able to finish, he was cut short.
"Skip the intro and just tell me what it is, I'm already pissed enough."
Cyril said as he gestured towards his damp hands and clothes.
"A-ahem, inside this bag young fella, are LLD Pills; they can bring you to places of your wildest dreams. Best part about em' is that they're harmless!"
Wrapping up, he handed it to Cyril signaling for him to take it.
Staring at his hands, Cyril's pondered for a moment.
'Taking something from a random old dude on the street wasn't on my to do list for this little stroll but…' Thinking this, he shrugged his shoulders.
"..Price?"
The old man trembled when he heard this.
"Free ninety nine my friend!"
He hurriedly handed the bag to the surprised Cyril and with a blink of an eye, vanished with the same abruptness he had when he appeared—leaving Cyril dumbfounded and alone on the street.
"I know this motherfucker didn't just leave like that."
"STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF AND FIND A SHELTER OR SOMETHING, SHIT!"
A man in one of the nearby complexes shouted angrily from his window.
"Hahaha, I got to be dreaming…" Cyril laughed hysterically, continuing his walk to his apartment.
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---
Completing his stroll down memory lane, he sat back on the couch with the bag in hand, tossing it up and down in his palms thinking about the pills' effects.
Taking them out of the bag, he placed the bag back on the table and stared at them. They were a hot, loud, shade of pink; taking a short sip of water he shoved two pills down the hatch; closing his eyes, he braced himself.
"..Gulp"
Swallowing the pills, Cyril's vision blurred as abstract colors appeared instantly like he was in a trance. The pills hit him like a tidal wave and he suddenly collapsed, slouching down from his already seated position and falling on the floor. Still conscious, he looked up for some reason, noticing a word on the bottom of the bag that he hadn't seen before.
"Test Sample? so this is how I die huh.. well, lord put me in a interesting world next time."
Those were the last things he could blurt out before falling unconscious, his body stopping its jittering and twitching as it laid lifeless on the ground.
Death to overdose would be whats put on his autopsy, as the young Cyril's short life of 22 years came to an end.