Written in Life

(Chapter 5)

"What?!" I said. The man sighed.

"Don't worry. I'm not dangerous," he said in an annoyed, monotone voice.

"I'm not afraid your going to hurt me. I thought I was the only one," I said. He looked at me with disbelief and doubt." Wait, you mean to say..." he said, knowing what I had meant, but I guess he had to hear it from the person who claimed it.

"I'm Inked," I said, finishing his sentence for him. He smacked his palm against his forehead and smiled.

"Right! Of course your Inked!" he said sarcastically. I crossed my arms and frustration and annoyance burned inside me." If you don't believe me, why don't you ask the assholes that threw me in here?" I said. The man looked into my eyes as he walked by and knocked on the door I had just come through. A metal plate slid out of place and a pair of gray eyes appeared." What'da ya want?" a low, hoarse voice asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, can you tell me why I have a girl in my inkwell?" he asked.

"You two are both the same disgrace to our Page," he answered and cast a glance in my direction, sliding the metal back into place, refusing any more talk with the disgraced. The boy looked back at me and I shrugged." I know what I am," I snapped and turned around, examining my surroundings a little more. The man ran his hand through his hair and sat down." What's wrong with you?" I asked. He sighed and looked at me.

"I just don't see how it's possible," he said.

"What?" I asked, sitting next to him.

"There's only supposed to be one Inked every fifty years," he said." It's not possible to have two at once."

"Well, it's possible now," I said." What is this place?"

"An inkwell. It's where they put criminals when they disobey the Page," he explained.

"Then why the hell are we here?" I asked. He looked at me like I was mental.

"Cause we're Inked," he said dumbly. My hands curled into fists and I looked at him with narrowed eyes." I meant what's the purpose? What's so wrong with our kind?" It felt weird cutting myself out of all the other Drawn. I've only ever known the Drawn. My best friend was one.

"You tell me," the man said, holding his hand palm up. A black swirl came out of his hand and formed into a shape that wasn't familiar to me until color started appearing on it surface. The man threw it up in the air and caught it, holding it out to me. I looked at him, unsure and he shook it in front of my face, growing impatient." Don't worry it's fine," he assured me." It's harmless." I took the ring and took the one the General had given me off, comparing them. They were exactly the same. I looked at the man.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"Ink," he said plainly." It flows through our veins. That's why we cry it," he said, pointing to my cheek. I rubbed it and a smudge of black appeared on my hand.

"Well, it's not like you'll have to worry about crying over arranged marriage," I said, placing the two rings on the seat beside me. The man sighed.

"And you won't have to worry about going through all of the procedures I've been through," he said.

"Procedures?" I asked.

"That room with the tools and table is where my story takes place. I'm nothing but a lab rat," he said. I wondered why he was telling me this without hesitation. How he could trust me so easily... then again, I'm probably the closest thing he can compare to. I might as well return the trust since I had a feeling I wasn't going anywhere but here for a while.

"Well, I bet that beats being sold like property to a drunk ass rapist," I said." My story takes place in the army, and right now I would describe myself as a damsel in distress." The man nodded and an apple appeared in his hand.

"What's your name?" he asked. I just stared at him and waited. He nodded again and chuckled." I see. Not ready to tell me that yet," he said." Name's Cody. I'm nineteen." He turned to walk away.

"Seventeen," I said. He turned and looked at me." Bernice." The man smiled and held out his hands.

"Welcome to your new home sweet home for the rest of eternity," he said. I didn't know if he was trying to scare me or if it was a joke.