Overdose Delusion

19

Willow shuffled around her apartment. She hadn't been in here on her own for so long. Hannibal looked up at her bored. "Want to go for a walk?" The mere mention of going out for a walk perked the dog up. Willow pulled on her boots, shoved her keys into her pocket and picked up his lead. "Let's go then, huh?" Leading the eager dog down the corridor, Willow sighed. She was bored. Jonathan was 'working'. It seemed like testing on the random homeless and seedy inhabitants of the slum area interested him. She didn't mind, it was rather sweet if anything that he'd found an interest in testing on other people than herself.

It was perhaps not a wise idea venturing off to find Jonathan. It meant having to avoid all the undesirable people who inhabited the streets. Willow pouted, she didn't want numerous drugs being pushed on her by people who were so off their face they didn't know what they were doing. The walk itself down to this area was hassle free and easy. The first block of buildings, houses, shops, garages, were fine. They looked like any other block in any other part of the city. But after this block, it went steadily downhill.

Boards graced windows, windows were smashed if they weren't boarded. Doors had graffiti on them, or were missing or otherwise kicked down. Eyes and faces peered out from curtains. The people down here lived in fear. Fear of everything. Willow felt sorry for them. No wonder they looked at her like she was a complete idiot. She wasn't ignorant to the dangers down here. She was well aware. But she was not going to let the fear of the darker, more violent people to bother her and stop her from walking around. Kicking a can Willow sighed, Hannibal looked around alert. He'd been down here a few times so far. The few times he had been down here, he hadn't liked it. He was being sensible, unlike his owner who freely wandered down here.

"E-excuse me." A quiet voice said from behind her.

Willow perked up and turned on her heels. Frowning she looked down. "Hello." Willow said awkwardly. In front of her was a scruffy dark haired boy, he looked no older than ten. Willow frowned, she and children didn't get on. Already from the outset she knew this conversation wasn't going to go well.

"Have you seen this man?" The boy pulled out a scrunched up photograph and held it up to her. Willow crouched down to his level and took the picture from his smaller hands.

Frowning Willow bit the inside of her cheek. Truth be told, yes, she'd seen this man. Well, she saw Jonathan awkwardly pull his unconscious body into one of the small rooms in the apartment building he'd commandeered. That was three days ago now. The man was probably gone. Looking up Willow frowned lightly. Big blue eyes stared at her with so much hope. "I've not. I'm sorry, who is he?"

"He's my dad."

"Shall we try and find him, together?" Willow stood up. The boy looked at her hesitantly. Holding out her hand she smiled. "He's Hannibal, you can walk him. I have a friend, he may know where your dad went. Come on."

"I'm Luke."

"Willow."

Luke looked up at her and blinked his blue eyes. "Do you live down here?"

"No. My friend does though." Willow smiled and turned to walk up the steps to Jonathan's new work abode. Frowning, she turned and looked at Luke. "I'm going to borrow this photo right? Stay out here, Hannibal," the dog looked up at her. "Keep Luke company." Willow smiled and walked into the building.

The muffled screaming and banging was evident as soon as she walked in. She didn't want a child to be subjected to this. That'd be child cruelty on a new level she was sure. Reaching a door, which Jonathan seemed to work most in, she knocked. The quiet noises of rustling paper and scribbling stopped. The door opened and Jonathan looked down at her, he wasn't too pleased seemingly by her being here. "Yes, Willow?"