Daily story, July 18, 2025

It was the packaging that set it off. The little see-through plastic case looked so appealing; the way the leads slid out of the little opening, one long enticing stick of graphite at a time, would have called to any kid in any sweet shop. The shiny grey on his teeth and in his spit did something for him, too. It felt like smoking cigarettes or drinking black coffee, neither of which he had ever been able to handle. But there were problems, too. Mostly when he needed to write something down.