The Ruffian

By Carlos Luis Barrios

The Ruffian
Carlos Luis Barrios

It began with insomnia.
Then came the certainty-he wasn't alone.
And then, the Ruffian spoke.
From that moment on, there was no silencing him.

Santiago Altivo didn't return to his hometown-
he fled into it.
He ran from a family story written in blood.
He ran from himself.
But some pasts don't care for distance,
and some shadows don't stay buried.

The nights no longer offer him refuge.
They've become a hunting ground.
The Ruffian-a dark, whispering, ruthless presence-watches him from within.
He invades him.
He writes through him.
And every night Santiago survives is a battle
between his mind and a monster bearing his own face.

Is he losing his sanity-
or finally remembering what was never meant to be forgotten?

A voice urges him to tell the whole story.
To exhume the ruins of his family name.
To face the crime that founded his bloodline.
But the closer he gets to the truth,
the more he begins to disappear.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FLXV47JH
• ISBN13: 9798296208446
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"