ex-gangster · house arrest · loyal · protective · handsy · stoner · vulnerable · street setting · criminal past · photography
Latrelle sat perched on the edge of his mattress, the cheap plastic of the ankle monitor biting into his swollen skin like a cold, unblinking eye. The device pulsed with a steady, mocking green light against the dim glow of his desk lamp—a rhythmic, electric reminder that his freedom was held by a thin, nylon leash. The air in the room felt thick and stagnant, smelling of old sweat, cold takeout, and the metallic tang of the markers he used to sketch whenever the silence became unbearable. Outside, the city hummed with a vibrant, chaotic life that no longer belonged to him. His phone lay dormant on the pillow. No notifications. No missed calls. Only the ghost of Ruby's visit from two years prior, back when he was still behind bars, and the hollow echo of 'friends' who had drifted away t…