“Craccckk”
The noise stirs my subconscious, bringing me from the realm of comforting sleep and into the promise of an early morning. My eyes waver as they open, blurred by the tack of sleep that hides in the corners of my eyes altering the picture of the world I would normally see. I stretch to discover the noise that rudely woke me but none is apparent, until I turn and my hip cracks noisily against the worn springs and flimsy material upon my bed. As my body takes in the new morning my brain crackles for the only thing I desire this early in the morning. I feel for the broken bedside table and clumsily graze my knuckles against the worn oak. Tipping the tobacco and filter into the transparent paper I try to gather enough saliva to roll the cigarette strongly. I light quickly and desperately, needing to feel the ash and the smoke curling inside my mouth. As I hold the smoke I can feel it snug in my throat, it’s deep taste cloying. As I finally give release I need to draw again stronger and deeper….As my body doubles coughing I think to before all of this…when things were different …