"Come on, Luke! We won't be long, it's just a drink." yelled Leo.
"Yeah I'm coming, just washing the coal dust off my face." I called back.
We had just finished at work and pulled out a record amount of coal, so we all got our bonuses. Leo and the mates wanted to spend it on drinks down the pub, and put it like this, I didn't disagree.
The pub in question was a rickety old building from the 1900s and was decidedly illegal. Illegal but ignored as it supplied the only alcohol for miles. The smell of old wood, cigarette smoke and alcohol hit me as I stepped through the doorway. It wasn't unpleasant and was somewhat familiar.
"Right boys, what can old Bernie do for you this evening?" called old Bernie from behind the bar.
Leo walked over to the bar after checking that we would all have the usual. While he was gone, I noticed a new customer. She sat at a table all by herself and I could see no beverage in sight. She held my gaze and it was powerful. Her eyes blue and sharp and enchanting. Her hair was not blonde, but a tarnished unwashed colour. It did not look bad but the state of her clothes suggested that her hair was what it appeared to be and that she was a traveller.
There are a surprisingly large amount of travellers about. Their parents are dead for genetic defects and they are orphaned. The government does not care for orphans, whose parents were not pure. Whenever I see a traveller I always thank my lucky stars that we can look after Mark.
Bernie caught me staring at her. "Go over, I offered her a deal that she could give half price tattoos to anyone who had bought one of my drinks. Go over, I shouldn't think she'll bite you!" he joked easily.
Leo shoved me over towards her and I almost fell onto her table.
"Sit down, what can I do for you?" her voice must have been the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.
"Erm, well, introductions are always good, right? So I guess my name is Luke. I work in the local mine."
"Oh yeah, well my name's Sky. I am a tattoo artist and as Bernie," she inclined her head towards the bar where my mates were talking to Bernie "said I am here trying to make a bit of money."
"You going anywhere specific or are you just drifting?"
"I plan to get to the Shetland isles. I have family there, and they said they would help me out. I hope they keep to their word because I am in a tight spot So, you want to get inked?"
"How much?"
"For you, 5."
"5!"
"Well, journey, food and clothing ain't goanna pay for itself love."
"What are you going to do? If I like your idea I'll pay you your ridiculous sum. If not, you'll just have wasted your time." 5! I couldn't give her 5! That's a whole week's worth of pay, minus bonus. I bit my lip, a sign of contemplation.
"Well, Luke if you let me go straight on to your skin, I'll ink you for free. Deal?"
I sighed and then it occurred to me. "You know what, yeah, why not? I feel reckless and you can only be 17, right? We are both under the drinking age for this pub at this hour. You want to travel half the country to get to a group of people who might not even take you in. I'm working in a mine to help provide food for my family. A dangerous mine that could collapse in on itself at any second. You could starve on the streets. We are both risking our lives for the high. Correct me if Im wrong of course? But I'm not, am I?" Silence and a wicked grin on her lips. "See? And besides tonight is the youngest we are ever going to be. Do it."
"That's what I like to hear. Take your shirt off."
"What?" Well, that had caught me off guard.
"Just do it. You're a miner, right? Youre probably in perfect shape."
I reached for the hem of my shirt and held her gaze, daring her to look away. She didn't so I shrugged and yanked it over my head. I shook out my hair, blond and tangled and catching the light. I caught her eyes roaming over my body. She smiled a flirtatious smile at me. God, that girl had guts.
"Turn around so you are sitting the wrong way round on the chair."
I did as she asked and jumped slightly when her cold hands touched my back.
"You know, if you relax it will feel a lot less painful." It was only meant as a suggestion but I could feel her invitation.
"You wanna help me out with that?" She laughed in response but her hands settled on my shoulders and began to erase the soreness in my top line, slowly working down my back. She leaned forward and whispered into my ear, "You mean like this?"
"Mm-hm." I sighed appreciatively.
"This will hurt."
"Do it."
When she said it would hurt, I wasnt expecting this. It was if someone was scraping the corner of a metal triangle over my skin again and again. I sucked in a gasp. "Shush, youll be ok. I know it hurts but by the time I have finished wish you, you will look amazing." Her voice was soft and comforting and I could hear and feel the rawness and concentration in her tone. She continued, "Imagine your skin a blank canvas and I am putting something special on it. It will be there until you die and every time you see it, you will be reminded of me."
"I trust you Sky." Was my only reply.
The hands on the clock had moved around several hours before she had finished.
"I am going to bandage you up now. You are going to have to change it every day and try to keep it as dry as you can."
The tattoo covered my entire back, shoulders and the beginnings of my arms. It also wrapped round my abdomen and covered a lot of my chest. I don't remember half of it. All I could barely register was the dull thud of pain. Bernie, sauntered over.
"Luke, have a shot on me. You look like you need a slight pick me up."
Bernie sauntered back to his bar. I swallowed the contents of the glass in one gulp and winced.
"Ohh God... Sky, I hope it looks good." I could barely speak.
"It will, trust me. Here let me help you into your shirt." As she was buttoning the shirt up, her hands rested lightly on my chest and she paused a moment. Her eyes met mine.
Something inside me clicked, this was right and beautiful and real and happening and her. All her. I dont remember but I grabbed my coat and pulled her outside. The night was cold and clear and fresh. It tasted alive and beautiful the stars shone and it was snowing lightly. A flake landed on one of her eyelashes. Her eyelashes were long and beautiful and my thumb, oh so gently, brushed over her eyelid and travelled down the side of her face.
It rested cupping her cheek and my pain was forgotten. My other hand held her by her waist and we stood like that for god knows how long, sharing the spark between us. "I know a club that is open at this hour were you could probably make a lot of money." A question in her eyes. "Tattooing. Drunk people are more likely to spend money."
"Lets go."
