9

At night, the Parc de la Villette was a study in contrasts. Beams of vivid lights pierced the darkness, both drawing people in and pushing them away. Mathieu was sitting on a granite cube in the middle of the Leitner Cylinder, a sound tunnel about thirty feet wide. Water flowed in ribbons along its sides, which reverberated with electroacoustic music. The whole effect exacerbated the young man’s unease and sense of isolation; there was nowhere to look but up. Mathieu shivered. He was starting to get creeped out.

He felt a hand on his neck. Someone was slowly kneading the muscles. Mathieu steeled himself. A man leaned over his face and shoved his tongue inside his mouth. Get it off right here in the Leitner Cylinder? Why not? Mathieu forced himself to control his desire. Why hurry? His companion pulled him up. He ground against his back and buttocks while licking his neck. Hot and incredibly sexy. The guy yanked his collar, uncovering his shoulder before nipping it with pleasure. He knew how to take charge. He slipped his hand under his jeans and massaged Mathieu’s penis. Now Mathieu couldn’t hold back.

“You little slut,” the man breathed in his ear. Mathieu’s blood turned cold. Being teased was one thing. Getting insulted by a stranger was another. He loved the thrill, but he wasn’t into kinky.

“You thought we’d fuck and that would be it?” The man sounded angry.

The man squeezed Mathieu’s penis—hard—and sank his teeth into his shoulder. Mathieu cried out in pain.

“Let me go!” he shouted.

The Leitner Cylinder felt like a prison now. He had to escape. But the aggressor’s arm was wrapped around him, keeping him from moving. Mathieu felt something sharp plunge deep into his abdomen. A searing pain gripped him. The bluish lights in the cylinder began to dance. Then the fountains quieted, and their murmurings faded away. The electronic sounds were now a baleful song. He collapsed.

The last thing he saw was a man who looked sullen and disgusted. He was holding a knife.

“Mama,” Mathieu moaned.

Icy darkness fell.