The Dying Generation

Chapter Eight

I limped up to the sleek reflective wall, my ankle groaning at me in a little pain but luckily lately I have been able to put a little more pressure on it. But I couldn't completely stand on it or be on it long.
I looked over the girl who mirrored me in the wall, seeing Alton standing behind her. It looked almost like I was looking at a different reality. I could feel Alton's presence behind me, waiting for me to say something. I scanned over the mirror, at myself. Instead of the blonde hair I always had, it was a bright, vibrant red. It was beautiful. I slowly lifted my right hand up, running my fingers through my now extra soft hair. It felt like my hair has been renewed.

A smile forced it's way onto my features.
"I, love this.."
My smile grew even bigger uncontrollably. 

I could see Alton huff in the mirror, trying to hide a very small smirk.
"Glad I finally did something right." He came even closer, setting his hands on the counter behind me.

"Yeah, y-you're really good with hair. A-are you looking to pursue it as a career?"  I turned around to face him but instantly backed down seeing him so close. Having to tilt my head all the way back in order to see his face. I took a few steps back for a better view.

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm looking to be a tattoo artist."

"Oh." I looked down, then turned my head back to him.
"T-then do you have any art I could see?"  I kept trying to balance myself on my other foot more since my other ankle was still hurting me.

He didn't say anything at first, he just stared at me for a moment like he was debating what to do. Then his hand came behind me, pinching the back of my dark red shirt. I couldn't help the little startled yelp from me leaving the counter the way I was taken. He flipped his hand around so I could sit more in his hand with his fingers ever so slowly closing a little around me. I winced in discomfort from the little pain in my middle.

But I watched Alton as he grabbed a dark red binder out from behind one of the dressers that was in his room and throw it down onto the bed. I stared up at him, catching his eyes flicker my way about two times and then keep them ahead of himself. He carelessly plopped down onto his bed, shaking me a little too roughly. I flinched in pain at the sudden shifting of my body from being shaken around.

He brought me to the bed, dumping me off of his hand, not even bothering to wait for me to get off. I caught myself before I could face-plant into the bed, slowly going into a sitting position to attempt not to irritate any of my injuries further.

He dropped the gigantic binder in between us, causing me to push away in surprise. The force of it shook the bed a little. My eyes went back and forth in between of Alton and the binder, after a second of me not doing anything, Alton's hand appeared above me again, it's shadow casting over me. I shrunk back little ways in response to seeing his hand, his index and thumb pinched my sides, I grabbed his fingers that held me up to help steady myself a little better. I struggled a little in discomfort from the way he was holding me. He quickly brought me over and set me in between of him and the binder.

When he set me down, I instantly went into a sitting position. I tilted my head all the way back to look up at him then brought my view back down to the binder in front of me. I reached down to the corner of it, grabbing the very thick cover, filling my entire hand that I had to bring my other hand over to help turn it over. I pushed the cover to the other side to open the binder, it was filled with a bunch of doodles and sketches. Carelessly taped in and most on lined loose leaf paper. I brought myself onto my knees to better see his art.

I rubbed at my chin while I scanned over the pages. He was good, needed a little more work but good. I turned the page to see more art. The next picture was of a type of dragon, sharp and long horns, teeth like razors, nostrils were inflamed, smoke coming from it's mouth.
My eyes took in every detail of the creature.