Biting down on the thick bark-like medicine, Iona sighed through sloppy chews. Her back had stopped hurting two months ago, but the bark, they called them Redoaks, had a nasty habit of getting their users hooked on them.
Most apothecaries sold them, so while the addiction was a nuisance it wasn’t particularly expensive where access to modern medicine was prevalent. But those in more rural areas unlucky enough to have required them to continue living after a bad accident or crippling illness would see themselves at the mercy of the black market, or the occasional travelling merchant hiking prices up.
Iona was stuck in that second category, unfortunately. She worked in the north Cochwyn Iron Mines, and lived in the mining town nearby, that was nothing more than housing, a pub, and a few small general goods shops. The nearest city was by boat: a three-hour trip that would see you miss out on at least one day’s pay, and potentially lose you your job. Uppity foremen couldn’t resist flexing the power the landlords had bestowed upon them, much to the chagrin of the miners.
She popped another stick in her mouth and lifted her pickaxe over her shoulder. She hacked into the wall of the mine once more, the rhythmic action lulling her into a meditative state. Before long, the withdrawal symptoms had begun to kick in again. A red itchy rash on the neck and shoulders, a splitting headache, and brain fog, to name the most common. Iona flicked open her small packet of Redoaks. It was empty.
Today's prompt: access
This week's worldbuilding prompt: drugs and crime
If you'd like to participate too, the contest/prompts can be found here:
@worldbuilder/worldbuilding-prompt-276-availability
@mariannewest/day-1667-5-minute-freewrite-monday-prompt-access