Beneath the Surface Storm

Previously

…Jill’s voice, though strained, cut through the fog of Billy’s addiction. “The reality, Marcus, is that we’re lost. And you’re just making sure we stay that way.” She took Billy’s hand, her grip surprisingly firm. “We’re not taking it, Marcus. Not today.” Billy looked from Jill’s determined face to Marcus’s predatory grin, the baggie still held out like a serpent’s lure. The children’s laughter seemed to fade, the city’s rumble grew distant. In that suspended moment, the world narrowed to the three of them, to the choice that would define their existence. The crossroads had arrived, and the path ahead, shrouded in smoke and desperation, was far from clear.