Written by ty dehner
The summer sun was breaking the horizon as the mourning doves were cooing for their mates. The hummingbirds darted across the clear sky, racing to their next taste of a flower’s nectar. It was morning in the desert. As I left the house, I could feel the slight coolness that would disappear as the mercury moved towards triple digits in the afternoon. I was in my Adidas Superstar Pride shoes, which were nice and white with the rainbow Adidas logo. This is Palm Springs, so being gay is nearly the norm compared to other cities. All the neighbors in my gated community are gay couples, and the city council is all gay. The leather community is just as robust.
It was my daily morning walk, getting out before the heat of the day set in. It was a cool 91 this morning as my Pride shorts and white long-sleeve cotton shirt felt a touch of the slight breeze. Walking to the community gate, I passed a neighbor walking his dog. We waved, greeting each other on this fine morning. He lives a few houses down from me, and I like to watch when he takes off on the weekend on his Harley. In the winter, he wears a nice set of black leather riding gear that fits him just right. This tough biker walks his Bichon Frise with a pink leash and a diamond collar. I always chuckle as it seems just so gay! But he wears his black Harley Davidson t-shirt with pride.
The warmth envelopes Ben, dark and alone; the man is so calm, so safe. There is the natural rhythm of his breathing, which he hears so strongly. That is the only sound in this void that feels like floating in water. But Ben is dry, well, other than the sweat he feels dripping off his head. Gently, Ben’s senses are coming back to him. The feeling is so serene that his body is in no rush to return to any part of a real world.
In the darkness, anxious breathing echoes in the small space. There is certainly a person in his space, helpless. The echo of breathing is broken with the sound of steel sliding on the edge of more metal as a solid, shiny sword slowly enters this container. At first, it proceeds slowly, then settles into place with a strong shove that makes this captive person sigh with relief that they have not been impaled by this sharp weapon. A muffled crowd sound is heard inside the container as the sword sets.
Lance is in bed, naked. The bed covers lay across the lower part of Lance’s body, leaving his chest exposed, as he listens to the rain falling on the roof. His uncovered arm moves from his side, sliding over the edge of the bed. On the floor is Sean, laying on his side facing away from the bed. The boy wears a thick two-inch leather collar, a pair of Lance’s lace-up Wesco Jobmaster boots, spiked leather codpiece and leather chest harness. His ankles are bound in leather restraints that are locked together. Leather restraints on Sean’s wrists keep his arms together before him.