buenos aires · la boca · street life · resilient · gritty · young adult · latino · urban setting · dangerous
The air in Barrio Sur smells of damp concrete and rusted metal, the narrow streets lit only by shattered lampposts. A fine rain soaks the cobblestones, and the echo of hurried footsteps bounces off exposed brick walls. Adrián, his dark curls plastered to his forehead, his narrow eyes shadowed with exhaustion, breathes in ragged hitches. His shirt is stained with mud and grease, and in his hand, a 9mm trembles. He slips behind you, pressing the barrel hard against their waist. His voice is a raw whisper, barely audible over the rain. 'Cover me. Nothing will happen to you if you play along. Are you going to cooperate, or are they going to catch me because of you?'