The Reluctant Messenger

The Reluctant Messenger Part II

The book was adorned with a large cross and I sighed heavily. "Lesha, what are you doing? You're an atheist goddamnit! And you know how I feel about all that 'Jesus, God and Angels shebang' It's not you!" Then I saw the page that she had flipped to. The aged pages of the book were written all over, with diagrams that were so difficult to encrypt. They seemed to show the mechanics of something, but I was unsure. There was a large sheet folded and placed between the pages and Lesha unfolded it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was the most beautiful, most intricately designed tattoo I had ever seen. I had no idea how she was supposed to tattoo something so complicated. I was so drawn towards it despite what it actually was.

I was going to do this, there was no way I could let anybody else have this tattoo and as if she was reading my thoughts Lesha giggled and said "These are one-offs Zo, I have to burn it after we're done, don't worry, nobody else will have it. We'll make sure of that. Tonight I feel, different, this is going to be one special tattoo kid." As she gave me a wink.

"Ha, you're not going to bother getting my 'rents to sign anything or give consent?"

"Zo, I gave up on that after you turned sixteen, and it's not like they're going to be any madder at you for anything else. They love you, you know it and they don't mind who you are now. They've come to accept everything you do as a part of you. So are we gonna do this or what?" she grinned holding the transfer.

I couldn't help but smile back at her as I walked over to the chair while she poured her inks and got set up. I whipped off my shirt and Lesha laughed at how comfortable I'd become to the process.

As I laid myself down Lesha turned up the song she was paying "drawing the devil - drop dead, gorgeous" for some reason I scoffed and she set to work. She quickly transferred the design and let my back dry. As soon as the needle touched my skin I felt the bliss that came with being tattooed, the hot scratching pain and the sense of euphoria that came over me was overwhelming. This time was different, this time I was changing, I had no idea how but the thought of it scared me.

Scared? I'm never scared, what is this? I began to feel flashes of emotion. My body didn't seem to be reacting to what I was experiencing, I was trying to cry, to yell but my body just wouldn't move. The flashes of emotion flickered faster and faster through my mind and soon I was numb. I could no longer feel pain, I had no feelings, I could feel the tattoo in my back, I could hear what was around me, see everything but I was seeing something different all together.

The room began to fill with a black fog, it slowly crept from underneath the door and began to slowly fill the room. I wondered if Lesha could see this, if she was seeing the fog creeping up her legs, swirling around her face, and as she batted her lashes she moved it.

'Holy, Shit" I thought, somebody's drugged me with some weird shit. I looked back towards Lesha and I saw that the fog around her eyes was beginning to pull at her eyelids. It was the worst thing I had ever seen, her eyeballs turning back into her head as she smiled and sang along to the music. I couldn't stand this.

I watched as the fog toyed with my Lesha, how I couldn't do anything about it. But she kept singing, kept tattooing my back and it seemed to her as though nothing was wrong. I felt wetness on my cheek and watched as a single tear of mine dropped to the floor. As it hit the ground the air in the room seemed to rush away and the fog dispersed itself. I could move, I could feel the hot scratch of the tattoo machine and I was glad.

"Hey Zo, you need a break or anything? You're a little quiet down there." She smiled down at me. I simply shook my head and closed my eyes.

My brain conjured up strange images, but this time they were comforting. I didn't dream in stories this time, just lights. Before I knew it I was awake and could still feel the vibrations of the tattoo machine. The room was different, it felt safer, I could see light shining through the blinds and was shocked.

"Lesh? how much longer?" I groaned sleepily.

"God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." She said in a monotone voice as she turned off the tattoo machine.

"What Lesh?" I said, shocked at what she had said.

"Huh? I just said I'm finishing up now didn't I?" She smiled as she wiped off my back and applied some ointment which stung a little.

"Yeah, I guess, I must have dozed off" I replied cringing at the burn of my back.

"Wow kid, high pain tolerance, we just went 7 hours straight, I was on a roll, in a trance or something crazy. It'd normally take me ages to do something like that." she said quietly as she took off the plastic from the machine and threw away the last needle group.

There was the sound of a key in the lock and Isofiel and her husband Nathaniel came through into the studio. She was beautiful, almost 6"4 tall with golden hair that fell to her waist in small waves, the palest skin and eyes the lightest brown which I could have sworn had golden flecks in them. He was just as beautiful with collarbone length black hair and olive skin covered in more tattoos than i. His eyes though, the lightest glacial blue I have ever seen.

"Hello Lesha, hello Zoph," She greeted us with her musical voice. "What's the new ad-" she broke off her sentence and stared with eyes wide open at my back. Was something wrong? Did Lesha mess it up? She couldn't have, my beautiful tattoo, she couldn't have!

"Nathaniel, come look!" She yelled, Nathaniel came racing from the reception and stood beside her eyes as wide as saucers. Then they both began to smile. I walked over to the mirror and my expression met theirs.

It was beautiful.

I twisted and turned, looking at every angle to see how it looked.

To see how my amazing wings looked.