Lost in the Shadows

1

"Danielle, you're getting one with me right?" Jessica cheered as she tipsily walked down the crowded streets of New York City. I tried to keep up with her pace, but the neon lights and flashing billboards kidnapped my mind out of the real world. I should be used to it by now, yet here I am getting distracted by bright lights like a moth drawn to a flame.

"No Jess, I already told you I do not want a tattoo," yes, a tattoo, she wants a tattoo. And usually I would tell her that she's not getting one due to the fact she's had a few drinks. However, she's been talking about this for months and honestly the idea of tattoos Infatuate me. Not that I want one. It's just the idea of something so painful can be permanent and there is no going back. Whether the canvas likes it or not, they have to live with it for the rest of there lives. How can such a decision be made?

We walked into the tattoo shop and instantly the smell of marijuana filled my nostrils. I pause for a moment while Jess talks to the lady with the rainbow hair. I felt a bit (a lot) out of my comfort zone, however it interested me. It felt like a museum. There was a black wheel chair in the center of the lobby, baby doll legs hanging from the ceiling, costume panther heads nailed to the wall, neon lights scattered across the room, and strange symbols in graffiti scattered around the walls.

I get pulled out of my trance as Jess yanks my arm, "she told us that Wes would be perfect for my design and he's on the third story," I nodded as I followed her up the flight of stairs. Walking up the stairs was my favorite part due to the display of art and posters positioned unevenly on the walls. I couldn't stop my inner horror movie fanatic side from getting excited by seeing art work of Jason Vorhees, Hannibal Lector, and even Frankenstein's monster. Everything was so unorganized that it looked like someone statistically places them there.

We eventually made our way to the third story room, which was just as much as a museum as the rest of the shop. I looked over at Jessica and she smiled obviously eager to get her third tattoo.

As we walked further into the room, an older man 50s maybe, looked at us way too long making me way too uncomfortable. His eyes landed on me and it was almost as if he was looking through my soul. I felt extremely uneasy, and started getting sweaty. Jess shouted, "keep moving perv!" Causing him to take his eyes off me, smirk then leave. And once he left we both busted out in laughter.

Just as I sat down I saw Jessica start to blush and as soon as I turned around to see what she was looking at, my heart instantly skipped a beat.

A man with arms full of tattoos and shoulder length curly brunette hair walked in the room. "I'm Wes, this is the design I just whipped up."