I Stink at Titles

Chapter 2- I Get a Tattoo and Nobody Notices

Chapter 2

Thank goodness yesterday was Friday. I wouldn't have to sit through classes, impatient for the bell to ring.

One problem: The leaf pile wasn't there anymore. Obviously. Some animal probably destroyed it last night, or the wind. 

I looked around, hoping that something would stick out. The thing that freaked Destiny out couldn't have been that small. It would have left some trace.

I squatted on the spot where the pile had been, shifting through the blanket of leaves. Ugh, this is why I didn't like autumn that much. The leaves start going everywhere and ruin other people's investigations.

Eventually, after a lot of prodding and poking, my hand caught on to something soft and smooth. It was a piece of purple fabric, about the size of my hand, with little sparkly bits all over, and it definitely wasn't glitter. It looked woven into the fabric, but wasn't thread. Did that make sense?

And in one corner, there was a brown stain that definitely looked like blood.

I closed my eyes. Des was in a yellow dress yesterday, no backpack, and it didn't have any visible pockets or decorations. She couldn't have had this. Maybe there was someone else?

No. Judging by her look and reaction, I caught her by surprise. There weren't even sounds of a person running away when I got near.

Then where did this come from? It couldn't have been from someone else, or something a random animal picked up or dropped because I've never seen this anywhere before, and my oldest sister, Mel, was an expert on fabrics. I've seen everything from polyester to cashmere to silk.

I pocketed it, maybe Mel would know. 

There really didn't seem to be anywhere else to look, so I started going deeper in. Ravens Hill was full of hills (no kidding) and trees. I had a hard time trying not to trip on my feet.

Sun. Red and yellow. Bark. Some insects (ew). I nearly gave up before something caught my eye.

It was a dark circle, with white squiggles in the middle. I squinted, and noticed that it was shining, but not from the outside. It reminded me of the times Trudy would shine a flashlight under some blank paper, making it glow. Her face softened as she mentioned how lovely it looked. Like...like...

I shook my head, trying to forget that thought. I'm terrible with similes, and metaphors, and anything that involves pretty poetry. They usually end up either horribly boring or gross. Probably best not to try it.

Anyway, the thing didn't look like it was made by anything natural or human. I took out the piece of cloth, and compared them to each other. Yeah, the shine was similar.

I put it in my pocket again, and got closer, holding my finger out. I know, I know; touching unknown stuff is a pretty dumb thing to do, but then I'm a pretty dumb person, so whatever.

My fingers grazed it. Rough bark met skin. I was about to press harder before a blinding pain went up my arm and into my side, causing me to stumble back and fall.

"Agh!" I grunted, grabbing my arm. Hot. Searing. Is this what being burned felt like? As if your entire arm was being cut off with dull scissors, slowly-

More stabs, this time to my skull. Not top. Bottom. Bottom of the skull. Poking. Breaking. I barely felt the sticks digging into my back and scalp, the dirt molding into my hair and skin as I writhed on the ground. Only the dark-AGH-

I gulped down large amounts of air. There. The pain was going away, until nothing hurt anymore. 

I sat up, gingerly shaking the dirt off, then touching the spot that hurt the most. There was a numb feeling. I stumbled to my feet, leaning heavily against the nearest tree, and took out my cell phone. I turned the camera to front-facing, lowered my shirt's neckline, and looked.