The Craving was back again. A dull ache at the back of my mind. An unsettled feeling of vertigo. The world moving in strange directions while I stood off balance. It made me feel sick. I stumbled out of my quarters and ran to the camp latrines. The other legions taking a piss looked at me askance as I vomited noisily. I needed to get rid of it. Get rid of this Craving.
As soon as my stomach was settled I made my way out of camp. Trying to look natural as I made my way into town. Nothing to see here. Just an off duty legion going into town for some RnR. I tried to smile as if there wasn’t a worm of unease gnawing at my insides. I couldn’t get to The Pits fast enough.
Legions were warned off from going to The Pits. Didn’t look good for legions to be into vices. Cock fighting, card gambling, slots. The Pits had everything. A vice for everyone. But I wasn’t here for one of those games. No those weren’t my vices. If only they had been, a stern officer might have beat those out of me. No. I was here to kill my Craving.
I made my way between the card tables and slot machines to the back. Jim was there. Big burly security. An ugly man who was even uglier when he smiled his rotten tooth smile. But I needed Jim and he knew it, smiling that ugly smile of his as I walked up.
“Come to get your fix, kid?” He said, opening up a curtain to a small alcove. “Third time you’ve been here this week.”
“Just feeling a bit off balanced with the camp work. 30 minutes is all I need.” I said pushing past the curtain. Jim grabbed my arm.
“Hey! Payment first.”
I pulled what I had left of my paycheck out of my pocket and slapped it into Jim’s hand.
“More like 30 minutes is all you can afford.” Jim grumped. “After your times up, get out. I don’t want to see you back here again before payday, we don’t take promises as payment here at The Pits.”
I brushed past him into the dark alcove. As the curtain fell behind me the gentle green glow of the Green Rupee filled the alcove. Oh how I missed this. It had been too long. I picked up the Green Rupee and placed it against my forehead. As the cool smooth surface touched my skin, I focused on the sparkling gem and fed it my feelings of unease and vertigo. It seemed to slurp them up, attacking them with a voracious hunger. The worm of unease in my stomach was scraped out and eaten alive. I felt a deep sense of balance, harmony, equilibrium. I was one again with the universe. Magic coursed through my veins. I was a god, in tune with all creation.
And abruptly I was mortal again. I lay sore in the dirt outside of The Pits wondering when they had tossed me out. That was the last time. I won’t do that again. Maybe this time the Craving will stay away. I tell myself comforting lies and ignore the building unease in my stomach as I head back to camp.
