Tatoo

It just showed up one day. It slowly creeped up my arm in an array of colors. In it I could see all of my pain and frustrations I felt inside. The reds took over as it began to take shape. Looking closely you could make out the semblance of a face, her face.  The face of forbidden love and mind numbing pain. A harsh reminder of mistakes made and promises broken.I looked and the perfect replica of her mouth smiled at me as words began to entangle themselves in her hair “I’m not okay.” Three words that held every feeling from my past and struck me to the core igniting a fire inside of me. I was hit by a wave of agony hands trembling and my lips began to tremble and I bit down hard. I fought to hold back the tears that crashed into me as memories collided with me like a freight train.

I remembered the way her nose crinkled when she got really happy and tried to contain her laughter. How when she was sad it was as if her eyes changed from hazel to green. I could still feel her soft skin and smell the mix of orange and mint. She was and intoxicating. The eyes on my arm seemed to blink at the same pace as mine as the painful memories hit. The sound of windows shattering and metal on metal; the smell of fire and gasoline and the stale blood that trickled down both of our injured bodies. I swore to her that I would protect her and never let anything hurt her.

The buzz of the needle stopped as he covered the spot on my arm. I stood exiting the parlor scared to even glance at the reminder that was just created.I got into my car planning to simply head home but it seemed to glide down the familiar avenue, going to the same place I seem to be at every time. In my mind all I could hear were the sirens that rushed towards us. It was a drunk driver that took her away from me, he was so stupid and somehow he left the accident unscathed. One second we’re singing along to My Chemical Romance as they blasted on the radio and the next everything stopped and was never the same. Those were the last three words I heard her say “I’m not okay.”

I approached the grave that bore her name, Annaliese Perez. The name now permanently etched onto my arm. I knelt placing a hand on the granite tombstone. “ A.P. I am so sorry.” I said the words I had repeated multiple times. “It shouldn’t have been you it never should have been you. I will never forget you, how could I? You were my everything and I hope you know that I will keep you forever. I got it -- the tattoo, I think it came out nicely and I want you to be the first to see it.” I slowly peeled off the bandage turning my left arm toward her grave. There she was in all of her beauty. My A.P. I smiled down at it as if it were truly her knowing she was there too smiling and trying not to laugh.

Reviews

[Rain W. Shine]

Nice. ;) In depth and eerily suspenseful.

[Lila Baumann]

Okay I just cried. The third paragraph is really something. And the My Chemical Romance reference feels so personal. Wonderful.