Kevin and Eli were bound together in a relationship of pure passion. Eli had never felt something so great – the way in which their relationship toyed with his emotions and the way he enjoyed it was beyond words. With a gentle smile and sweet words Kevin could get Eli to do anything he wanted. He was completely under his spell.

   For Kevin, there was no-one but Eli in his sights. The muscular figure of the man had to only so much as breath to get Kevin hooked. The trials before the start of their relationship were few; Kevin and Eli wanted each other. They were not afraid of what they had become, nor did they care for the critical words of others. They boldly held hands wherever they went, enjoying the skinship and ignoring what anyone else thought. They were proud of one another and knew each other to a level that could not even be achieved by each individual.

   So it became that, on the day of their one year anniversary, Kevin knew something was wrong when Eli did not show up at the arranged time. He checked his watch. He checked it again. The stubborn hands would not wait for Eli to arrive, they just kept ticking time away. Kevin worried. He called and called, but to no avail.

"Sorry, the number you have called is not available at the moment. Please try again later."

   The message was repeated to Kevin so many times that he felt himself saying the words alongside the machine. Why isn’t he answering?

   Slightly panicked, Kevin gathered his things from the restaurant table. To the onlookers, it appeared as though Kevin had simply been stood up, but he knew it was more than that. Eli, the man he loved, would not do such a thing. In the past, if he had ever been running late, he would call straight away, full of apologies. As soon as he did arrive, Eli would fly into Kevin’s arms and present some sort of rushed gift, purchased at some nearby store, as proof of his sincerity.

   Kevin walked the path that Eli would have taken to meet him. The streets were crowded much more than usual. Kevin felt his slight frame being carried with the wave of people who were all travelling in the same direction. If Kevin had not been so distracted by Eli, or the lack of, he would have found this strange straight away.

   The group gathered around the one area with shocked gasps and hurried whispers. The hushed voices surrounded Kevin. He looked for an escape from the wall of people. Every time he tried to push his way through his body was met with a much stronger force. Suddenly, he felt himself driven to the ground by a change in the movement of the crowd. Already on his hands and knees, Kevin used this opportunity to crawl his way out. He weaved his way through the forest of legs, and his fingers were stomped on occasionally, but he eventually found his way out.

   Kevin took a few more strides, to ensure that he was clear of the crowd and able to stand. As he did so his hand suddenly came into contact with a thick liquid of sorts. He lifted his arm to inspect it. The red blood dripped from his hand, returning to the pool from which it had come.

   Kevin jumped up, horrified. The people stared as he tried to wipe the blood from his hands. The f