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Tattoos

Short story - Teen Fiction

Words: 956

I was four when I first learned where my mother got her tattoo. She never really wanted one growing up but it turns out she really didn't have a say in the matter. She says it just appeared on her skin while she was at school one day, a tiny dark blue anchor on her left ankle. I didn't believe her for a while, but then I kept hearing stories of similar events. People who just felt a sudden pain and woke up one morning with a new tattoo somewhere on their body. I asked my mother why it appeared and she said: "Because your daddy got it, so I did too." I still didn't fully understand until I was older. I was just too young.

I was sixteen when I got mine. It was ten thirty-four at night when the pain first hit. I was just reading and then all of a sudden this buzzing, sharp pain at my collarbone. I screamed, not expecting. My parents rushed into the room while I sat on my bed, clutching the now bright red area. My parents held me while I waited for the pain to pass.

When it finally did, I ran into the bathroom to see what had happened. I moved my hand and was left stunned by the two small colourful fish that now graced my collarbone. Small and yet so beautiful, the tiny red and blue fish swam over my pale skin, coiling around each other. I couldn't believe it. I was sixteen, the minimum age to get a tattoo in my hometown.

My parents sat me down and really explained why I had this new artwork on my skin. Someone somewhere got it and now I am forced to live with it as well. "It's okay," they reassured me. "He's your soulmate.It will help you find each other." I slowly took in the new information and simply moved on afterwards, thinking that was the end of it. I covered up my new art and went to bed. Little did I know that this would not be the only tattoo I would have on my skin in my lifetime.

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I got more used to the pain the more it came. By the time I was seventeen, I had five tattoos in various places around my body. Four from my mystery soulmate and one that I chose. Whoever he was, he had given me two fish on my collar bone, a black and white arrow across my left forearm, and a small black tree on my right rib just under my bra. I grew to love each and every one of them as time went on.

The more I got, the more I wanted to get one for him. I wanted him to know that I saw them, that I liked them. I thought about what I would get for weeks until I finally settle on one idea. I went to one of the many tattoo shops around my town at seventeen and got my first tattoo. It wasn't as scary as I thought. The atmosphere was light, the shop clean, and the people friendly.

The pain was minimal and only lasted a short while compared to some of the other pieces on my body. It was on my left inner elbow. It was simple and clean, just like the all the others that littered my body. 'Heart over mind' it said. I loved it and I couldn't help but hope that he did too. It was only a few days later that I got my answer.

I was sitting in fourth period English class when the familiar pain started on my right inner elbow. I didn't cry out this time, I just waited patiently for the stinging to stop. Why he always chose the most random times to get these tattoos, I did not know. Late at night, four in the morning, and during fourth period English. Once the pain fully stopped, I rolled up my sleeve to see the words 'Courage over fear'. I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face at the moment.

The rest of my day was spent showing off his response to my tattoo to all of my friends. It was at this moment that I knew I would love whomever it was that kept leaving these works of art on my skin. I waited and waited but, I never got another tattoo after that, of my choice or otherwise.

I met Matthew when I was eighteen. I was walking around the bookstore just a few blocks from my house. I was in the teen fiction section glancing at sci-fi novels when I noticed a guy only a few steps away from me. He was wearing a white tee shirt with a black and white wolf design on the front and dark blue jeans. His brown hair was cut short and he had a book that I had read a few years ago in his hand. None of that really mattered to me once I looked at his arm; a familiar black and white arrow.

I slowly walked over, rolling up the sleeves of my red hoodie. I was nervous but I would never forgive myself if this was him and I didn't say anything. "Nice tat. Why'd you get it?"

He didn't look up when he answered, "Just like arrows, I guess."

"Cool. I have one too. I don't really like arrows though..." I said softly, my voice fading off at the end as my nerves grew. He glanced up at me with dark eyes and then at my left arm which was now visible to the outside world.

"Got any others?" He questions, now looking more interested in the conversation.

"Oh yeah. A bunch of them. I have some fish on my collar bone, a tree on my ribs, and these..." I pull up my sleeves even further and turn out my arms. My 'heart over mind' and 'courage over fear' tattoos are in full view now. He quickly looks at them and smiles.

"I'm Matthew." He says holding his hand out.

I slip my hand into his and smile back. "Luna."

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Tattoos