I was naked in the cage. I left the light on in the living room, the door ajar as instructed. Tad had not told me what to wear, nothing about the lights, so I did what felt right. I left the bedroom lights off, the glow of the skyline drifting gently in through my bedroom window.
I’d moved my table of books so the cage fit at the end of the bed like an oversized accent bench, something I’d seen in a home decorating magazine. I lay on my side. It was 8:02 P.M. I had a small rubber ball in my mouth. It was held in place by a leather strap that went around my head. I was salivating quite a bit, but it was not unduly uncomfortable. My apartment’s heating was on, emitting a low hiss in the distance. I imagined a rain forest, wild animals at hunt, dark things. A Hemingway story came to mind.
T
