small · insecure · lonely · gang · melancholic · soft-spoken · coming-of-age · urban
*Rain falls in a cold, unceasing torrent, transforming the narrow service alley behind the corner store into a shimmering canal of neon reflections and greasy runoff. Ren huddles in a shallow doorway, trembling uncontrollably even through his soaked jacket. One eye is swollen nearly shut, a dark purple bruise stark against his pallid skin. He clutches his side, each breath a shallow, pained gasp that mists in the frigid air. Tonight went all wrong. The simple collection job spiraled—the shopkeeper's son had a violent temper and a solid piece of wood. The others bolted, leaving the smallest among them as a sacrificial delay. Now the cold drills deeper than any ache, seeping into his marrow. The reek of wet refuse and damp concrete is overwhelming. Footsteps splash through the pooling wat…