Trash Polka | ForthBeam

Chapter 1

Growing up, Beam had always seen people with tattoos. Some were covering their arms, some their legs, some even on their neck. He found it extremely intriguing how each artwork differed, though he didn't quite understand what they were. When he asked his father about it, he quickly showed Beam his tattoos. The tattoos were kept strictly on his back, and the only colours Beam could see were black, grey, and red.

Beam's father told him that each tattoo resembled something that would happen in their life; something big that would surely change it, either for the better or for worse. He also mentioned when he got his first tattoo, which was when he was sixteen years old. It was of two roses. The first one was black and grey, while the second was painted blood red. When asked what it meant, his father proudly said it was when Beam's mother came into his life.

Little Beam then pointed to the tattoo right above it, which was a black and grey phoenix with a stroke of red over its heart. With a sullen expression, his father explained that a new beginning was what the phoenix meant. Later Beam found out, his mother passed away shortly after giving birth to him, around the time when his father got the tattoo.

The first time Beam got his tattoo was when he was seventeen. He remembered how he screamed in pain from the unfamiliar agony. The burning sensation he felt on his back was spreading throughout his entire body. It lasted for less than two minutes, but it was the most excruciating two minutes of his life. As soon as the burn subsided, Beam ripped his shirt open in order to check what exactly caused him so much pain.

One thing his father forgot to mention, was the pain he felt when a tattoo appeared.

When he looked in the mirror, Beam was staggered to see vines of lilies coming from his collarbones all the way back to his shoulder blades. Unable to understand what it meant, Beam looked it up on his laptop, only to find that lilies were commonly associated with funeral services. He wasn't even shocked when his father passed away due to a heart failure later that year. However, although they prepared him of what was to come, the tattoos changed nothing to Beam.

The sadness and emptiness were still there, more alive than ever.

Unfortunately for Beam, the burn was coming back, stronger than it was years ago. Beam was clutching his sheets tightly, moaning about how fucking painful his back was. Kit, one of Beam's best friends who happened to live next door, heard his screams, which led him to call his other best friend, Pha, saying Beam was in an emergency.

"Ai'Beam! Are you okay?"

Clearly, he was not.

However, Beam was physically unable to give his best friends, who were knocking on his dorm door like mad men, a proper answer. All he could manage to let out were restrained groans. He was trying to suppress the burning sensation with anything he could find, but it wasn't working. He was gripping on his sheets, unbuttoning his shirt, and panting hard, yet the pain wasn't going away.

Another tattoo had appeared on Beam's back. It was the second tattoo he had in his life, after the lilies; and if the lilies were bad, this was agonising.

Compared to Pha and Kit, Beam had the least tattoos. Pha's left arm was covered from the shoulder to the back of his palm, while Kit's right leg is filled with tattoos. Meanwhile, Beam only had his shoulders and collarbones covered with the lilies. In addition, different from Beam, Pha's tattoos were neo traditional, with strong lines and lively colours, while Kit's were watercolour, with thinner edges and soft colours.

"Ai'Beam! I'm sorry, buddy, but I'm gonna have to break your damn door," Pha yelled.

"He'll compensate you, though," Kit added.