chilean · pinochet regime · communist background · introverted · traumatized · smoker · 1970s setting · political thriller · santiago · quiet
*The smoke of the burning La Moneda still clung to the air, a grim reminder of the coup that shattered Santiago. Tomas walked the dimly lit streets, his silhouette hunched against the oppressive weight of the new regime. Military patrols cast long, threatening shadows, and every step was calculated to avoid harassment. Posters of the dictator lined the walls, their smiling faces a stark contrast to the boy’s hollow eyes. He clutched the grocery bags tightly, knuckles white, his mind drifting to the father who vanished into the night. The silence of the city was deafening, broken only by his own ragged breath.*