Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

more words. Just another strike and then another and another.
    Ty's wrists were screaming, his arms begging to be lowered. His legs were shaking but Ty wasn't sure if it was because they grew tired or because he still tried to move out of the way though he knew he couldn't. And he didn't even want to.
    More.
    And more.
    And more.
    Not even the sound of the flogger anymore. No lashes, no silent whistle as the leather strands flew through the air. Just the collations of skin and leather and then again a palm against his beat surface. And it was the hand that raked the shakiest sounds out of Ty. The only thing telling him Chase was still there, because Ty couldn't even feel him anymore. Couldn't smell him, his skin or his hair. Couldn't hear his steps or his breath or his voice. Nothing. Just the hand that hurt even worse than the flogger and it became too much. Much too much.
    "Please stop…" Ty dithered. Another strike. Another plea. And another and another. Quiet and then loud. Shaky and angry and hollow and proud. And the next touch of that tool was like a cut right through Ty's soul, clawing somewhere inside him with sharpness, burning the shards of the shape he knew as his own into a pile of stigmatized need.
    "No more…I…please…" Begging. Tears burning in his eyes and even bigger ones pushing through his mind. Nothing around him. Nothing, just black and suddenly too cold and silent. No response, not a word. The flogger turned into a means instead of an aim, bringing him closer and closer to the bottom he was now abruptly terrified of. And the word, his, shouted in his head. Begged to be said when Ty felt like he was drowning, losing all air and all feeling and gravity, the pool he was sinking in full of snakes and venom. Biting, stinging, swirling around him, around his throat and his hands and his body. Killing him, poisoning every corner of him. And still he couldn't say it. Couldn't let it out, didn't want to say it. And the one who could let him go, let him out, was suddenly talking again. Telling him it was okay and he was fine and he could do it. Just do it.
    The strikes were gone. Every one of them. All gone. Slow strokes that made Ty moan took more and more of his skin, and the snakes turned into ropes and the ropes turned into silk. And soon there was nothing in the pool with him, until something shifted, threw him upside down and he felt like he was floating on top of warm water. His body halfway beneath the surface, his ears covered with water and every sound got smothered by the liquid. Transformed them into something strange and dreamlike, subdued and softer. He could hear his own heartbeat, his own breathing. Heard his thoughts that were like whispers now instead of that scream. And he felt weightless. Frail and fragile and warm, held though he couldn't quite feel anything holding him. No floor beneath his feet, no leather around his wrists. Nothing covering his eyes now and still he couldn't see.
    And he never wanted to move again.
    ****
    The room was completely silent. Only one light on and that wasn't anywhere near where he was sitting on the couch, wrapped inside a thick blanket. All that was exposed was his head and probably some part of his neck and his right hand but other than that he was secured in the warmth created by his own body and held in place by the blanket.
    Ty remembered something had been asked of him but he couldn't remember what that something was. He wasn't sure if he had answered either and he only faintly remembered a touch being brought against his hand, inside his palm but that felt like years ago. He knew he had drunk water and he knew some moisturizer had been spread on the burning parts of his skin. And he knew that all of that was done by Chase, who was now sitting on his heels in front of Ty and the reason why Ty's right hand was uncovered, was that Chase was doing a really good job in rubbing some warmth back in to his skin.
    "Feels better already…thank you." Ty's voice was quiet, a little frail and he was too tired to look away when Chase's eyes shot up at him. The man looked at Ty while his fingers still worked on Ty's skin and then he slowly let go of the hand and gestured towards the other one. Ty tucked his right hand under the blanket and pushed out his left one and Chase took it in his and stroked the faint reddish rim running over Ty's wrist. "Does this hurt?"
    Ty shook his head and moved his fingers when Chase told him to do so.
    "How are you