Chactidae Alvarius

Rain splattered the neon-smeared pavement of Phoenix alleyways, a slick canvas reflecting the busy symphony of the metropolis. Dex kept his head low as he maneuvered through the maze of rusted dumpsters and dripping pipes. His boots splashed through greasy puddles. All around him was the stench of decay and cheap booze.

Tonight was about pure, unadulterated pleasure. His tremors wouldn’t let up and he felt an urge for another hit of that icy feeling through his veins. He needed another sting — the toxins of the genetically modified scorpion that sent the user into a realm of vivid hallucinations. It was both his salvation and his curse.

He deftly stepped into a side street and continued til he reached a dead end. Graffiti had plastered the wall long ago with biohazard warnings and crude symbols.