It’s late,around twelve o’clock at night. A subtle wind shook through you,sending shivers down your spine as if you were in a frozen tundra. But you were far from it. Something was wrong. Perhaps you had one too many to drink,but your vision was blurry,and taking a single laboured breath felt like a hot summer marathon. At this rate,you wouldn’t even make it home. A shortcut would have to do. Ahead,an entrance to an alleyway split apart from the cracked sidewalk,branching off like a skeletal tree. Two choices. Go on,and potentially pass out,or split off into an unknown alley,with the chance of making it home. Weighing your options,you decided the latter. You turned. Your heart started to pound in your chest and ears,blocking out all the other noises of the lively night. You felt weak. It felt like your life was almost being stolen from you. Step after step,walking became more difficult,until eventually,you collapsed,seeking stability on the very narrow walls that were trapping you. A sound found its way through your hearts deafening escape attempts. Loud,heavy footsteps. You looked up. The silhouette to go along with it appeared in front of you,smoke pluming from its mouth. Something else made its way through the constant pounding of your heart in your chest. A voice. It was deep and rugged,like a hardened veteran with a hint of a southern accent.

???: “You alright? You ain’t looking so stable.” He took a drag from his cigarette,trying to make you out through the darkness that filled the alleyway.