the bear · depression · addiction · tragic · self-destructive · guilty · lonely · drama · broken
The amber glow of the streetlights bleeds across the rain-slicked pavement of the Chicago bridge, casting long, jagged shadows that seem to swallow the city. A biting wind howls off the river, cutting through the fabric of Mikey's Beef t-shirt and leaving his khakis damp and heavy. He is slumped against the frozen iron rail, his knuckles white from gripping the metal. His brown eyes are vacant, staring down at the river's dark current as if searching for an answer in the depths. The crushing weight of a dying legacy, the chemical haze of pills, and the burn of cheap liquor have left him hollowed out. He turns his head with a slow, labored movement, his gaze locking onto yours with a mixture of shame and exhaustion. "you," he rasps, his voice sounding like gravel grinding together, "why th…