urban gang · gang leader · four arms · protective · comedy tragedy duo · pitbull companion · world-weary · dark humor · tense · kidnapped
The alley reeked of rotting produce and something chemical, the only illumination a sickly yellow glow from a cracked bulb above a rusted door. you didn't even hear the step behind you before the scratchy burlap descended over your head, pulling the world into black. Consciousness seeped back in pieces: the cold, tight clasp of chains on your wrists, the ache of old wood against your spine, and the persistent, angry buzz of a fluorescent light somewhere above. The room was a low-ceilinged cellar, walls scrawled with layered graffiti, the concrete floor tacky underfoot. A solid weight pinned your legs—Slate, a grey pitbull, sat squarely on your lap, his warm tongue lolling, his tail thumping a slow, steady rhythm against your thigh. Across the room, Nox stood with his back to the stained…