Mike trudged home from the Theatre club, the evening air nipping at his cheeks. It has been another great rehearsal for this weekend's show. He had managed to hit his mark perfectly and recite every word without mistake.
Mike walked through the quiet downtown street, his white short shorts and crop band tee exposing his midriff contrasting with the cool evening air. His bleached blonde hair caught the soft glow of the streetlights as he passes the construction site.
As he passed a construction site, the skeletal frame of a building loomed over him, scaffolding reaching toward the darkening sky. Hitching the small black backpack he continued on his way. The rhythmic sound of hammering and clanging metal echoes from within, but it's distant, almost muffled in the quiet of the evening. He barely noticed the noise--his thoughts were elsewhere.
Tonight's rehearsal hung heavy in his mind. He's been preparing for weeks, memorizing lines, working on his character, and feeling the weight of the production on his shoulders. A mix of anticipation and nerves settles in his chest. He's ready to bring it all to life, but the pressure, the fear of not living up to expectations, always lingers just beneath the surface. As he walks, he reflects on the small moments from past rehearsals--those little breakthroughs when everything clicked and he felt truly in the moment.
Mike stopped at a long green bench where a bus sign stood erect. His body seemed to respond instinctively to the music in his mind. It was one of his favorite pieces from the evening's rehearsal. He lets the beat flow through him, his hips swaying in time with the invisible rhythm. For a few seconds, he lost himself in the dance, the world around him blurring into the background.
The sudden, harsh shout of "Fag!" from behind him shattered his reverie. He turned to see two burly figures standing from the shadows of a construction site. Cody, a beefy man with a thick beard and tattoos snaking up his neck, and Leo, lean and tall with a sneer that rivaled his friend's.
Mike took a breath and turned back to the street. This was hardly the first time he had heard the phrase. He could hear one of the men chuckle behind him even at the distance he was away from him.
A low, menacing sound. "You heard us, faggot! You don't belong here."
Mike's body went rigid, the lightness of his steps turning to stone as he heard the slur from behind. The words cut through the air, sharp and harsh, the voice unmistakable in its intent. For a moment, his skin prickled, and his heart skipped a beat, the heat of anger and the cold of humiliation mixing inside him.
For a second, Mike considered walking to the next stop, but something in him refused. Maybe it was the exhilaration from the evening's practice. His breath steadied, each inhale deeper, filling him with a sense of resolve.
Squaring his shoulders, the gay man turned to look at the two men in the rocky debris of the beginning of another apartment complex, "And you do? You're just a couple of bullies hiding in the dark."
"Ohhh the fairy can bite!" Cody laughed and shouted.
"Fuck off!" Mike retorted, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm not in the mood for your shit."
Leo chuckled; his eyes gleaming with malice. "You think you're tough, don't you, little theatre queen?"
Mike's steps falter slightly as he approached the construction entrance, the noise of clanging metal and the hum of machinery swallowing the silence around him. His heart beat a little faster, nerves creeping up his spine as he walked through the gap in the temporary fencing, the harsh lights of the site casting long shadows. What was he planning on doing? He wasn't even sure.
Leo's eyes narrowed. "You wanna go, queer?"
Mike could feel the adrenaline surge through him. "Maybe I do."
Cody circled around Mike, leering at him. "Yeah, let's teach him a lesson he won't forget."
Mike's heart raced, and a flicker of fear ignited in his chest as Leo and Cody closed in on him. The construction site felt smaller now, the air thick with tension, every noise amplified--footsteps on gravel, the distant clank of metal, the rhythmic pounding of hammers. His pulse thrums in his ears, louder than anything else, drowning out the quietest whispers of his doubt.
"Come on, you think you can talk back to us?" Leo's voice is low, mocking, as he steps in closer, the two of them circling around Mike like sharks. Cody smirked, his posture relaxed, like this was all some twisted game. The scent of dust and sweat hung in the air as Mike tried to stay calm, though his body was betraying him, his legs trembling. He didn't know why he thought coming down here was a good idea. In the distance, he watched as the bus he had been waiting for came and went.
Mike opened his mouth. Maybe he could explain his way out of this. He wanted to say something--anything--but his words got lost as Cody shoved him hard in the chest. Mike stumbled backward, the sharp pain in his ribs taking him by surprise. Before he could recover, Leo landed a punch to his stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs in a painful rush. He gasped, trying to steady himself, but the world was spinning just a little too fast. He could barely breathe, let alone think. One of the two men grabbed the small backpack from his shoulder ripping it to the ground.
Cody stepped forward, sneering, and shoved Mike again, this time harder, sending him crashing against one of the steel frames of the scaffolding. The metal was cold against his back, the impact leaving him winded and disoriented. His vision blurred slightly, but Mike forced himself to focus, to not let the pain cloud his thoughts.
"I'm sorry... please..." he muttered before Cody grabbed him by the hair and shoved him back, past the pillar.
Stumbling, Mike felt his ankles give out and his hit the ground rolling down a small mound of rocks and debris. Quickly he tried to gain his composure, but it was too late and the two buff men were on him again.
They took turns, each blow landing with a sickening force. Every punch, every shove, it all blurred together until the pain became a dull ache, a constant throb in his ribs, his head, and his chest. His arms felt heavy, useless. He tried to hold on, trying to stay on his feet, but the world seemed to tilt with every hit.
"Thought you were tough, huh, faggot?" Leo taunted, his voice dripping with cruelty.
The world spun violently as Mike's legs buckled beneath him. The pain lanced through his body with every movement, and his vision darkened around the edges. He could barely make out the mocking faces of Leo and Cody, their figures blurred by the haze of pain and disorientation. His chest heaved with each strained breath, but the world felt heavier with every second. His knees hit the ground first, followed by his hands, scraping against the rough gravel as he tried, desperately, to stay upright.
Without warning, Cody's' work boot collided with his chest knocking him to his side. The gay man looked up at the two burly men desperately. His pale skin was already bruised. Small trickles of blood ran down his face from the scratching of rock and gravel.
Cody looked down at him, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You know what, faggot? I think we should teach you a lesson. A bigger one."
