Sodium

11

Na

[Ne]3s¹

Sodium

The street light on the corner of University and Edenfield automatically turned on as dusk turned into night. The light glowed with its yellow hue caused by the low-pressure sodium oxide used for efficiency. Two teenagers walked up to one another, just beyond the yellow glow of the street light.

“Dude.” Trey held out his hand. His golden hair hung over his left eye.

“’Sup.” Dylan slapped Trey’s hand and gave him the usual hipster handshake. His dark complexion and dark eyes contrasted Trey’s light features.

Both teenagers wore their pants way too low, exposing their plaid boxers and annoying everyone else. The pair met in the same spot every Tuesday, just after the street lights came on.

“Man, that was some good shit you sold me last week. My clients loved it.” Trey referred to the heroin and marijuana he bought from Dylan each week.

“How much do you need, man?”

“Double of what I bought last week.”

“Dude, how are you selling so much? I thought people in the hood were poor. I mean, look at this shit hole.” Dylan waved his arms around the hood.

“I know it’s shitty out here, but there’s all those nice houses on the river in that gated neighborhood just around the corner. That’s where I sell, man.”

“Wanna try this new shit, dude?” Dylan asked.

“Nah, man. I don’t use, just sell. What’s that saying? Oh yeah, ‘Don’t try your own supply.’”

“I get it, man.”

“My clients will probably like it. It ain’t that new shit that’s cut with elephant tranquilizer, is it? I hear that crap kills people.”

“Nah, man. That shit is up north somewhere.”

“Good, I don’t want my friends dying. Not cool, dude.”

Trey and Dylan made their illegal exchange in the dark.

“Later, dude.”

“Later, bro.”

* * * *

The following Tuesday night, Trey waited for over an hour under the yellow-glowing street light. But Dylan never showed. A few days later, Trey heard the horrific news—Dylan overdosed on heroin cut with animal tranquilizer.