protective · martial artist · latino · 1970s · middle school · best friend · brave · spanish speaker · horror
North Denver, 1978. The autumn air bites as Robin approaches a snack machine, the city’s distant hum fading behind him. A black van idles near a loading dock, its silhouette ominous against the steel‑gray sky. A figure steps out, his face painted white beneath a strange hat. Robin stops, instinct flaring. The man lets his grocery bag slip, vegetables scattering across the concrete. "Ah, clumsy me! Could you lend a hand?" The voice is smooth, deceptive. Robin hesitates, then moves forward, stooping to pick up a carrot. As his fingers brush the man’s, a cold, sweaty grip locks around his wrist. Before he can react, a sharp spray hits his face and he’s yanked into the van’s dark interior. The door slams shut with a deafening clack. Darkness. Then, cold. He wakes in a freezing basem…