Smoke Long

He swung around the back of the yurt, his way guided by the light from his cell phone. He struck a match. The scent of sulfur quickly mixed with the slow burn of tobacco and tar. He inhaled and held it in his lungs, waiting for the buzz to set in. It didn’t come. He wondered if the cigarettes were losing their edge, or if it was he. The moon cast its long shadow of light on the yard, imprinting the scene on his mind, like a negative being exposed. Nearby the soft yowls of a kitten could be heard, its tiny frame being dragged across the concrete in the jaws of some larger animal. He tightened his grip on the cigarette watching it burn down, close to his fingers, until the orange glow faded and went out.