Taken

Taken

This story is still a work in progress...Thank you to all who commented with tips and ideas!

         The sun had just drew back the last of it's dying rays as it withdrew from the evening horizen. The moon took it's throne and radiated it's calming glow over the park where my partner, Jake and I, were walking hand-in-hand. The cement sidewalk welcomed the moons glow and allowed the illumenescent glow to cuddle the shadows on the ground that I was, for whatever reason, attracted to. It's warming for me, to see two men in love. Two men sharing their feelings in the open. As if they were straight. As if they were the norm. I love that, for I do not like to think of myself as different. Yeah, echoing the words I'm gay in my head makes a smile creep through, but it doesn't mean anything really; except, I don't prefer the usual tastes a heterosexual would.
         We walked ever so slow, every now-and-than glancing at each other, smiling and looking down or forward through the dark. Nineteen and already in love. I love this. We've been through so much, Jake and I, just to have each other. With my dad being a pastor at the Canyon Bay Church, and his dad being a homophobic macho caucasion-loathing black man, and both coming from the same small town unaccepting to anything different and unique, it's been a battle. It's night's like this though where we have each other and nothing else matters. We are able to somehow throw all the troubles that the world seems to pile on us, and just lose ourselves in each other. It's love. It didn't take the three years we've been together to find that out. It didn't take breaking up and getting back together with not just a rekindled flame, but a god damn torch lit inside us, to realize that we were in love. It didn't take the sex, which was sacred, but the most sensual sex a nineteen year old could ask for, to realize that. I really don't know how he or I know, but we do. We were meant for each other. Our hands, his black mine white, looked much like the ying-yang sign when together.
         We passed the playground, where during day hours, would've been flooded with kids laughing and playing. Flooded with the sounds of tears, screams and giggles. Now was only the only sound was the silence. The echoed ghosts of the day sounds seemed to linger in only memory.
         We walked up to the swingset on the playground, and sat down on the sun baked rubber that made the swing. He looked at me, and despite the darkness, I could see his beautiful brown eyes peering into my soul. With only a smile on his face, I couldn't help but to wonder what was going through that boys head.
         "I love you." He said to me as his lips slowly creeped up his cheeks to show me his full-fledged smile. The same smile that I find so attractive, and wins my heart over every time I see it. I responded back with the usual, but never faded, I love you too.
         He wrapped his arm around me and pulled my swing closer to his. I love when he takes control, and makes me the submissive one. He pressed his warm lips against my chilled forehead and ever-so-gently kissed me. He held his lips remained hovering over my skin as he told me exactly what was on his mind.
         "It's amazing to me, that through all we've been through, we're still together." I could feel his arms hold me just a little tighter. "And it's even more amazing, that every day I grow more in love with you than the last. That every time I see your face or hear your voice, I know, that this is the man I want to die with. This is the man I want to be with for the rest of my life."
         I didn't know what to say. I mean, I feel the same way too, but really, what's a good response? Oh my god, you feel that way too. We are like, soooo much alike. Nah, instead I kissed him on the lips, and let him take that as my response.
         "You are so damn beautiful! I wish you could see it. I wish you could know what it feels like to have your breath taken away by such beauty." You could not only hear, but feel the warmth and seriousness in his voice.
         Okay, gotta keep my cool now. He said beautiful. I'm sorry, but out of all the words in the Webster's Dictionary, the word beautiful is the only one that can make me melt. The only word that can make me feel like such a little girl inside. God, I love this man.
         "Actually, I do know." I said, trying not to sound totally queer; but I think the tears that were pooling in the inner corner of my eyes were giving me away. He pulled me tighter again.
         Silence came back in between us as we both soaked in the moment. But it didn't stay long. There's something about Jake where he can't stay in one mood too long. I don't know if he gets bored with being in the same mood for an extended period of time or what. He stood up and pulled me up out of the swing, and onto my feet. I could see by his face what mood he was in now. The grin gave it away. He wanted to play. It's funny about this man, at times he can act so damn serious like a soldier in basic training, and then in the spur of a moment, he's five years old and playing-
         "TAG!!" He tapped me on the shoulder and ran through the grass field that surround the park.
         There was no sense in argueing. The romance at this moment was on pause. But I know, from lot's of experience, once he get's tired, it's lovey-dovey all over again. I chased him through the field. He always outruns me, but hey, I still put up a heck of a fight. I ran up to him.
          He dodged my hand and ran. He was fast. I was slow. It really didn't help me when my foot fell in a gopher hole, and I tripped. I landed on my face. How embarassing. I stood up real fast to play it cool, like I did it on purpose. I'm not good at it.
         I looked around the park, like a radar scoping it's surroundings. Missing target. I couldn't see him anywhere. Suddenly I didn't feel to warm. Just cold and scared. Knowing him, he's probably hiding behind a tree waiting to jump out and scare me.
         "Babe, come on. I give up." I yelled through the empty space. Nothing. No movement, no sound. God, he's such an -
         Then I heard it, up ahead. A distant mumble. It could be him. I started cautiously walking towards the trees, where the muffled voice came from.
         Just then a sound broke through the night air that I don't think I will ever forget. "Danny, run!!" I've known him for three years, and heard the many voices he's done, but never this one. This was a voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, made my heart beat so fast I thought it was going to leap from my chest and fly away.
          You know, you might think to yourself, okay run already! But when this happens, there are so many things keeping you from running: the sound of the man I love most scared, the curiousity of why, the cold metal of the baseball bat flying towards my face knocking me unconscience.


***



"I love you."

I tryed to life my head up, but no success. My body and my head seemed to have been made out of lead, giving in to the earth's gravitational pull, and holding me down on the ground. Everything was spinning so fast. I could feel the blood run down my face. So much pain.

I managed to shift my head, and focus hard enough to catch a glimpse of Jake. He was lying next to me, with what used to be his beautiful face, staring right at me. I couln't help but to start crying. I hardly recognized him. Under the forgiving moonlight, the blood and torn skin from his face seemed to glisten with such agony. I could see the trails through the blackened blood where tears have travelled. I could see the pools of salty teardrops shimmer in his swollen eyes. I suddenly felt no pain of physical nature, but the deepest pain of emotional nature arose making my head spin faster, and my breaths harder.

I looked into his eyes, and let my focus direct on him, so all else but us was spinning at that moment. I stared into his eyes and I could feel his worry for me. "I'm alright baby." I whispered to him.

"I love you," he said in all the voice he could work up. New blood started draining from his mouth making it's way through the path of all the dryed blood, to the ground.

Just then, a dark sihlouette rose from behind Jake. I started to feel a sense of hope, until-

"You fucking faggot!" The silhouette barked as he brought the bat down to Jakes face. I tryed to scream, but the emotional pain became so dense inside me, no sound would come out. I brought my head up, and pushed myself on all fours, in attempt to diverge the attention from Jake to me. It worked. I felt myself plunge back on the ground from the force of the bat slamming into my upper back. I could feel bones inside me break, but the pain still didn't overcome my fear for Jake.

"Don't worry, you'll get yours you little cocksucker!" The silhouette said. His voice. It sounded so familiar. My ears were ringing too loudly for me to register a picture with the voice. I turned my face towards Jakes. His eyes were closed.

Just then I heard the sound. A sound I never thought I'd be so happy to hear. The sound of sirens. Either my ears were ringing in such way, or someone had seen what was going on, and called 9-1-1. Judging by the way the silhouette ran away into the trees and out of sight, I knew it was the sound of mercy.

I tryed to get back on my fours again to make my way to Jake, but my back gave in like an overcooked noodle, and back to the ground I went. I looked back over at Jake, his eyes were still closed, and his head looked caved in. I attempted again, only this time I threw my arm out and pulled my way over to him.

I layed my head on his chest and grabbed his hand.

"Hold on baby." I screamed as loud as I could. I felt his chest inhale and exhale under my head, but it didn't sound good. I could hear a crackling sound coming from his lungs everytime he breathed.

I grabbed his hand tighter.

"Hold on!"

I felt his breaths growing slower and slower.

"Hold on!"

Everything became so fuzzy. I knew I was starting to slip unconscience.

"Hold on!"

His breathing stopped.

"Baby, hold-"

Everything became dark.