𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱)

Track 33 | 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵

My thumb repeatedly held down and released the button of the lighter in my paw, over and over, as the flame ignited, then went out, then reignited, then went out again.

Shielding myself from the cold wind, I sat with my body cradled into a little ball, my arms wrapped tightly around the knees of my folded-up legs, and my chin resting on the backside of my left hand. With my right, I held the lighter close to my face, feeling the subtle burst of hot air on my nose with each short spark of the flame. 

"Shit," Ari quietly scowled.

I quickly refocused my attention from the lighter to the canine sitting beside me with his legs hanging over the ledge of the abandoned building's roof. He was struggling to roll a joint as the heavy wind almost blew all the ground-up weed out of the rolling paper. Retracting from the fetal position I sat in, I also partook in dangling my feet over the edge and proceeded to remove my jacket. Gripping it by the collar, I held it in front of Ari, cloaking it over his paws, in order to block the breeze, allowing him to work more efficiently.

"Thanks," Ari scoffed, licking the paper and successfully folding it into a proper joint. He carefully took more cannabis out of the pill bottle it was stashed in and packed it into the roll with a twig we found on the floor, twisting the loose end and sealing it with perfect expertise. He was almost a natural.

I shoved my arms back through the sleeves of my jacket as Ari suddenly fit the crutch-end of the joint between my lips. 

"Oh—" I flinched in response. 

He then stole the lighter out of my hand and gave me an alluring smirk as he ignited the flame, lighting the end of the joint. His other paw gripped my chin and held my face still in the process, sending shivers down my spine. He dominated every feeling and sensation that I received.

"Thank you," I attempted to speak through my shut jaw, nodding as I sandwiched the blunt between my middle and pointer fingers. Ari flashed a playful stare at me before turning away and grabbing his phone. After a short inhale, I removed it from my lips and breathed out the smoke like a dragon. I rocked my head back and watched as the smoke dissipated into the night sky. 

A song began to play from Ari's phone by some band that he enjoyed. The grungy and drunkenly-paced tune set the mood, filling the night atmosphere with an intimate, yet calm and leisured tone.

I could already feel the high taking effect. My body wasn't that immune to it, considering how often I smoked. Its ability to protect myself from the effects of the weed—and the temptation of it—has drastically worn down over time. I know how bad the consequences are, but I've come to a point in my life where I just don't care about my own physical health anymore. Depressing, but true.

The high spread from my lungs to the rest of my body. The sensation was warm and numbing, like a head-first dive into a heated jacuzzi. I shut my eyes and exhaled deeply, allowing the feeling to take full control over me.

"That's nice..." I mumbled incoherently, the breath escaping my lips. 

Without looking, I raised my paw and offered Ari the joint. I could feel him take it from my grasp, followed by the sound of him inhaling it as well. 

Unexpectedly, he began to cough and sputter viciously. 

I opened my eyes and frantically jerked my head in his direction, seeing him bent over, puffs of smoke shooting out of his muzzle as he coughed. 

"You good?" I questioned anxiously, scooting in closer and patting his back as Ari began to laugh in-between coughs. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good..." Ari chuckled, clearing his throat and handing me back the joint. I rested my paw on his shoulder caringly, worried for his health. "I don't smoke much."