The End Is Here

Chapter One

I walk into work smelling the usual scent in my tattoo shop pot, cigarettes and tears. I smile and put my bag on the  big desk to sign up for a tattoo or sign in. I turn on all the lights and set up my satiation for work. I hear the door open and I look up to see my secretary Margot walk in. "Morning!" I yell to her, she replies with a quiet good morning. She starts setting up for the shop to open. "Have you seen the news, the disease spreading around on the news hun?" I ask. Margo walks out towards my station and sits on the chair. She nods and looks into my eyes.

"The world is ending Ash." She says with tears rolling down her cheeks. I chuckle and hug her. I laugh in serious situations, I can't really help it.

"The world isn't ending it's just a disease spreading around. Don't worry Margot, It's fine." I say hugging her tight. I let go of her and look at Margot. I wipe her tears and look into her eyes."It's will be okay." I tell her again. I don't understand why she's thinking it's the end of the world, it's just a disease. Only 2 have died and the news said their finding a cure. Margot smiles and says a quiet thank you. She gets up and starts getting back to setting up. I continue to get ready also.

5 hours later
~~~~~~~~~~~

     I start coloring in a ruby red rose on my client's left foot. I see that she clenches her jaw in pain. "The coloring always hurts the most." I say to her. She smiles and nods. "When I got my first tattoo it was on my shoulder, two stars and a moon, When my buddy was filling in my stars,  He told  me to stop gripping his arm so tight." She chuckles and continues zoning out. Margot comes to me.

"Aslynn your sister is on the phone and she seems very upset." I nod and finish up the petal than tell my client I'll be back. I go to the desk and pick up the phone.

"Lori, you okay?" I ask panicking. She never calls me, My sister Lori and I gt in a fight a few years back. I had an abusive  boyfriend who use to beat me up constantly. Lori use to say runaway but I was to scared to. Lori yelled at me and told me to lighten the fuck up and never talk to her again. Three months later my neighbor heard my screams and called the police on my boyfriend. Then the police hauled him off to jail. I told Lori, two days later and told her but she just hung up the phone. I took that as a sign tat she didn't care.

"Hey ashlynn," She says sniffling. My heart drops, why is she crying?

"Are you okay, Why are you crying Lori?" I ask fanatically.

"Ricks been shot." She chokes. I gasp, No, Not Rick. "He's alive but in a coma he's at the hospital," I instantly think about my little nephew Carl and wonder if he knows. "Can you come over after work please?" She begs.

"Yeah, Yeah, of course, I get out after this tattoo, I'm almost done with it. I'll be their by four, You still at the last place you lived?"

" Oh thank god and yeah I'm still here."

"Okay, I'll be there soon for you and Carl soon."

"Thank you so much, See you soon, Love you." My heart stops, She loves me, She really does love me!

"I-I-I love you too." I hang up and go back to work. "Sorry about that." I say to my client while smiling.

"It's fine, It gave me a minute to relax wit the pain." She chuckles. I smile and sit back on my stool. I pick up where I left off and color in the rest of petals the ruby rose colors. After a good hour, I finish up the petals.

"Want to look?" I ask reaching for my hand mirror. She nods fastly, I pass her the mirror and she places it near her foot.

"Oh my god I love it!" She squels. I smile, I love my job, I love peoples happy faces when they see the finished product. I take off my rubber gloves and throw them into the trash bin. I put plastic wrap around her foot and tell her instructions how to take care of it. "How much is it again?"

"With coloring it comes to hundred dollars, You can pay the lady at the desk." I inform her. My client pulls out her wallet and puts a ten dollar bill in my tip jar. I start cleaning up my station and telling my co-workers that I have extra ink they need any. My buddy Jason takes the extra red and black ink. I finish up cleaning and then I walk to the desk and sign out of work. I grab my bag and walk back home to pack. I take out my phone, put music on and put on my earbuds in. Once I reach my apartment building I unlock the front door to the lobby and walk into the lobby. I go to the elevators, hitting the up button and wait for the elevator. I really hope that Lori is okay, and Carl. I remember when Carl was born Lori and Rick were on top of the world. Last time I saw them they were all happy, I know that Rick and Lori we're perfect together.

    The elevator opens and I walk hitting the number three. As I hit the third floor I jump as the elevator stops, It makes me feel like I float for a second. I've been doing that since I was a kid, It's still my favorite thing for me to do. The elevator's doors opens and I step out. I start walking towards my apartment , taking out my earbuds and turning off my music. On my way to my apartment, I hear two of my neighbors having sex with each other and another neighbor having the TV on blast for me to hear clearly. I hear four more people from died of the disease spreading around. Wow, this disease spreading around fast. Hopefully it's not infectious. I get out my keys from my pocket and unlock my door. I walk in and close the door, I instantly take out my pony tail realsing my Sky blue hair.

My dog Baxter, A German Shepard with green eyes and plain black ears, gives me his ball and I smile. I grab it and throw it through my dark blue apartment hallway. Baxter instantly starts chasing after the ball since I have hardwood floors, Baxter sides on the floor and grabs his ball. I smile and walk into my room. I go into my closet, grab my duffle bag and throw it on my bed. I start going through my clothes and picking out outfits. I shove them into my duffle bag and I zip it. I grab Baxter's leash and call for him. "Baxty! Come on want to go for a ride?" He jumps off his doggy bed and rushes towards me. I attach his leash on his collar and we began walking out of my apartment. I lock the door on my way out and began walking towards the elevator. As I reach the elevator I hear my phone go off. It was the tattoo shop, I answer it while hitting the down button. "Hey Margot, What's up?" I ask.

"Your sister Lori left her phone number for you." She informs me.

"Oh good, What is it?"I ask while I quickly grab a pen from my back pocket from work when I was done sketching a tattoo for a client.

"705-6638." I quickly write it down on my wrist and tell Margot thank you. I put the number in my phone while I walk out the elevator. Baxter and I go out of the apartment complex and go into the parking lot. I call the number while opening the door for Baxter to jump into the car. Someone picks up the phone.

"Hello?" says a women voice.

"Hey Lori, It's me Ashlynn." I say while getting in my car and starting it.

"Oh hey, Are you on your way?"

"ya, I'm just leaving my apartment now. Oh hey is okay that I'm bringing my dog?"

"That's fine, Carl will love a dog hanging around the house." She chuckles.

"Okay sweet, Oh hey does Carl like video games?"

"Ya, he plays Xbox why?"

" I'm thinking about buying him a racing video game or something."

"Awe sis, he's going to love that, You can get him whatever just make sure it's not to violent please."

"Of course, I'll be at your house in fourty five minutes or so."

"Okay see then."

I don't know why it's so weird for me to talk to my sister. Sure we haven't talked in awhile but when we we're kids we were super close. I start driving to a video game store and go inside, leaving Baxter in the car with the window opened cracked halfway. I go into the young gamers section and buy mortal combat. I played this since I was a teen, It's not the violent. I go to the counter and pay for it. I go back to the car and start driving to Lori's house. My stomach starts filling up wit butterflies. I start taking a few breaths and focus on the music on my speakers. I pull into the driveway. I turn off my car and look at Baxter. "Ready Baxter?" I ask him and her cocks his head to the side. I get out of the car and see Lori with a boy with short dark brown hair and a slightly red face from crying probably crying earlier. I take out my bag, the bag with the video game for Carl and Baxter. I smile, Lori and Carl, My family, What could go wrong?