A Prayer's Consequence

         Swirling a scotch on the rocks by the bar, I looked dismally down into the ice, thinking deeply as if the glass might contain tea leaves at the bottom to provide my fortune. Depressed as I had been those two weeks, I was spending my late nights at the Clever Fox gay nightclub hoping to run into a man who might just be the partner of my dreams. I would even settle for the best sex of my day dreams too at that point. I was feeling miserable after the breakup I just had with the love of my life since high school, Jake. Jake left me after his deep guilt for cheating on me one night at another club in the city. Separated as we were, I was hoping to forgive him, for Jake to also forgive himself, and to get back together one day.
         I was still having difficulty bringing myself to flirt, so how could I just mope and hope that Mr. Right would just come and tap me on the shoulder? Well, my shoulder wasn’t exactly the place he tapped me with his beautiful hand as he greeted me at the bar. Mr. Right was tall, tan, built like a brick shithouse, sparkly eyed, and undeniably handsome.
         “Well, I guess I can’t buy you a drink until you finish that one, but by the looks of it, the ice is just about to be completely melted. Not one for scotch, huh? Well, what can I get you…”
         “Maurice,” I said with a suggestive smile that had undertones of boyish innocence.
         “Ah, Maurice. Sexy name, sexy man. What will it be?”
         “I guess I’ll have Bacardi and diet coke, thank you…”
         “Lawrence.” The bartender mixed my drink as Lawrence ordered a vodka and cranberry. Sipping our drinks led to downing them as we introduced ourselves further and discussed our occupations, lives, and all the get-to-know-you kind of talk. Around us, half naked men danced wildly to techno.  The pumping of the synthesized, terrible music measured evenly with the beating of my engrossed heart, and also with the limbs of the gay men throughout the Clever Fox. He was charming, and each second made me feel hornier by him, and as I inched closer, he took my chin and lead my mouth to his in a passionate kiss. It was all so surreal that a man I had just met would want to sit and talk to me, to kiss me tenderly. Usually the beasts of the Clever Fox would grope you further, pull you into provocative dance, and fuck you later; only to leave you feeling lonelier after their departure.  Normally, I’d be okay with that; I am male for heaven’s sake, but on this particular night I felt a strong desire to engage myself in romance as if the womanly half of my brain controlled my every thought.
         My thoughts were interrupted as the kiss ended, I had a growing erection, and I clumsily spilled my rum n’ coke all over the tabletop of the bar. Bending over to wipe off my precious Italian leather shoes which had been a little soaked from the drink, Lawrence ordered me another, and in my half drunken daze, I thought I saw him reach into his pocket for something, and he was toying with something above me. As I rose to meet his gaze again, he smacked my ass and I knew I was ready for some sex back at my apartment. But first, I took a long drink from my liquor and he guided me out onto the dance floor. Holding me in a tight embrace, we danced so closely and so sensually that I could feel him there and ready through our clothes. I was starting to feel dazed when he handed me a little pill and instructed me to take it for a wild ride. With my head spinning, I hadn’t a care in the world anymore, and I agreed, trusting him.
         “You’re so fucking cute. How shy you were at first dancing, but look at you now! Come closer, sweet one.” I obeyed. His hair was soft as silk. His body, toned smooth felt heavenly to the touch. His kiss—sweeter than honey. I saw his dark locks forming ink puddles, flower petals. His eyes were as clear as pools of melted chocolate. His body was more appealing than any I had ever seen. Through the door we left, I, guided by his hand, following him like a lap dog with my tongue out. I saw someone from the corner of my eye watching me, or so I thought, but I let it go and submitted to Lawrence’s guidance. The stars above the city seemed brighter than usual, and the moon was abundant and full of light.
         Like a parched mouth for fresh springs, our mouths sought each other in the alley he led me to. Utterly alone we made love while desperately clinging to one another. Excitement rushed throughout my being and all my nerves, and I let Lawrence slap me and bite, and thought nothing of it…nor could I in my state of mind at that point. The sex was the best I’d had in a long while, and as I came, stars and violet waves crossed my sight, and I felt euphoria. But my euphoria only last a few seconds longer, until the violet waves turned grey, and then black, and resembled incoming clouds. Those clouds stormed my vision, and brought upon a terrible ache in my head. That was the last thing I remembered seeing before I blacked out.
                                                 ~
When I awoke, Lawrence was on his knees over me, and I was lying naked and flat on my back. He held a long bladed knife, and he was making incisions in my flesh in the shapes of x’s or crosses. He had a sick, sadistic grin on his face, and I’ll I could feel was an intense wave of fear swarm me. My heart pumped and I had to mentally kick myself to stop for letting out a blood curdling scream.
         “What…stop, please, please…”
         “You sick little fucking bitch faggot! Look what you’ve teased and tempted me into doing! And to think, you little cock sucker, that I had walked into that club casually, ready to leave, and there you were sitting there enticing me, like Satan himself. You deserve this punishment, during death and after in Hell.”
         “Bbbut, you…and then…and please, if you want money I’ll give it to you. Just let me go. It doesn’t have to be like this, I never meant to…”
         “Just listen, and listen well, faggot. Homosexuality is one of the most abominable sins a man or woman can commit. The impurity, the shame, how can you stand yourself?  I despise myself for my attractions. Keep it quiet, keep it under the rug. But now, you’ve been like Eve to Adam, and so now it’s time for your eternal damnation as it happened in Genesis. I’ll let Christ decide for you.”
         “No, no, please, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, forgive me, just let me be!”
         “Our father, who art in Heaven, hallow be thy name…” chanted Lawrence as he lifted a pistol to my head. I was then sobbing like a fool, and I feel ashamed to this day to look back on how cowardly I acted as death stared me in the face.
         “Say goodbye, little fag…” but just before Lawrence could pull the trigger, someone came up stealthily behind him, kicked him with full force in the back of the head, and Lawrence was down and unconscious. The man quickly picked up his gun and shot him in the head so that he could never wake up and cause harm again.
         “Jake!!!”
         “Oh, Maurice, Oh my God!”
         With heavy breathing and my sobbing, Jake took me in a strong, passionate embrace in his arms, and there we remained for a few minutes in silence, just holding each other and thanking every god imaginable for our lives.
         “Father Lawrence, the priest that lives in the apartment next to mine, that’s him,” said Jake quietly with dazed calmness and disbelief, “I never thought he was living this double life, never imagined he was this twisted. Well, I guess I’m glad I’m not a religious man.”
         “He was a demented priest? Ahh, my head ow!” I yelled, “I’ll just have to put all the pieces later when the after effects of the drugs he fed me wear off. Holy shit, I almost died!” I sobbed, falling back into Jake’s loving arms.
         “How did you know I was here?” I asked.
         “I was dancing at the Clever Fox, and I thought I saw you so I started to well, follow you, as he led you out. When I got here and you were having sex, I was…well jealous and angry, so I stormed back into the club. But as I left, I came back to look at this alley, figuring you two had left, and that’s when, well you know.”
         “Wow. Why don’t you call the police now?”
         “I will.”  Jake dialed 911 and by the time the police headlights came to them, they found the two men lying there; looking haggard, kissing as if the end of the earth was coming.
         “There’s hope for us yet,” I said with a simple, genuine smile as the police officer came forward to the crime scene.