"Side effects from taking Nutrica may include: dry lips, vision loss, joint sensitivity, hair loss, hemorrhaging, ulcers, renal failure, heart failure, strokes and multi-fractal hallucinagenic symptoms."
Wringing her knuckles to alleviate the tenderness, she moved back from the tv. She had been sitting fairly close to try to eliminate the halos of light that blurred her sight. How was it possible that she started to feel these side effects only after cleaning up her Nutrica addiction? Absent-mindedly, she felt her back pocket. Her fingers lightly traced the outline of a business card beneath the denim material. Why had she kept Nurse Nutter's card? She was too rational to use it, but too anxious to toss it.
Biting her lip, she immediately regretted it. The taste of warm metal flowed over her tongue as she nursed her cracked mouth, sucking the skin gently. No amount of balm had been able to keep her mouth moisturized. The futility of the situation and the fear of the unknown brought tears stinging to her eyes. As she wiped the tears away harshly, she cringed at the pain that surged through her fingers.
"Damn it!" Grabbing her house keys, she sprinted to her front door. The pharmacy down the street had to stock something that would help.
Rushing had taken its toll. Her ankles, knees, and hips throbbed after her short journey, but now she would fill a basket with items promising relief. In aisle 4, a commotion disturbed her search.
"Leave before I call security."
"PLEASE! It burns and I can't - CHANGE! Just a few cents for - SEE, everything is red - BREAD!. Just a few coins!" The woman's head was a patchwork of straw-like hair, and bald, scabbed scalp. She jerked her body back and forth, as if she was possessed. Like two separate identities battling in one person, she fought to control the demons struggling to get out.
"Come to Aisle 4 please." The young manager touched the red button on his radio to ask for assistance.
"I'M LEEEEEEEEEEEAVING!"
It was more the shriek of a banshee than the cry of a woman. As she hobbled down the aisle, her face contorted in pain with each step. The blood red eyes of the woman were horrifying, but that's not what held the girl's attention. It was Nurse Nutter.
Visibly shaking, the girl paid for the items in the basket, praying silently that they would bring healing to her body. The sound of the exit doors whooshed open, but before she stepped out onto the street, her eyes blinked rapidly. In one eye, she saw the street before her. Her focus changed to the other eye, and she was back in Aisle 4. She jerked her head as if to clear her mind like an Etch-a-Sketch. Her two eyes focused once again on the street before her.
This has unintentionally become a series of indeterminate length from the freewrite prompts. If you'd like to see the previous parts -
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
As you requested, here is your tag @enginewitty and @krazypoet. Not sure if there will be more? Waiting for the prompt to lead ;)
If you enjoyed this little 5 minute freewrite, why not come join in the fun with @mariannewest and @freewritehouse! The prompt today was : dry lips