Chasing Dragons

J is about to relapse. So is his neighbor. And that might save them both.
J doesn't need rehab. They're well clean of the hard stuff, the soft stuff, and the things in between that helped them bury their fear that they aren't entirely comfortable in their own skin. A group of thugs think otherwise, deciding to beat the freak out.

J is left to brood at home while the newborn next door wails through the walls at regular, insomnia-producing intervals. They aren't sure how much sobriety a person can take. Until the wailing stops and the silence grows even more deafening than the whispers of craving.

That's when J steps outside their comfort zone, and begins to realize just how bad an idea it was. Because now there's more at stake than sobriety; the fragile sense of self they've cultivated is at risk...

(Originally Titled Anomaly)