Bella Notte (11 page)

The sun was bright-
like once we left our protective bubble, the sun was able to shine.
Every reflective surface was like a mirror of glare. Nothing was as
bright as the neon flashing purple signs trying to lure people into
inkings or piercings. I was sold at the giant bat on the sign
boasting the name, “Dracula's Dungeon,” with the cute
slogan of “we'll slay ya!”
I
couldn't have hoped for something better.

“
Isn't it
awesome?” I asked as I stared open-mouthed at the beautifully
black building with tinted windows.

“
I don't know,
Em. It gives me the creeps. Don't call me a baby. Maybe my sense of
survival is better than yours.” He smiled at me but his eyes
held the caution that his voice expressed.

“
So, you don't
want to go in?” I sighed.

“
I know
better. Besides, you'd go without me and I'd never hear the end of
it.” He grabbed the door handle and opened the door for me.

The cool conditioned
air shot out the door and seemed to slap us in the face. I looked at
Mike and caution seemed to cover his entire face now. I stepped
inside the florescent haven. Everything was either black leather,
blood red velvet, or a shiny metal surface.
I
love it!

“
Oi, what can
I do fer ya miss? Oh, it's you. I suppose ya want yer family crest.
Yer pup is lookin' a lil' green around da gills there.” The guy
was tall, pale, had a Mohawk ... and
fangs!

I stared at his
teeth as I ran my tongue over my own set of fangs. “Um, my
family crest? I don't understand.” My mind seemed to float on a
cloud of confusion.

“
Well, ya
turned eighteen- that be da time when y'all normally get it. Was
there somethin' else then?” He raised his perfect pierced brow.

“
Eh, yeah. I
want to get a bat silhouette on my wrist- what's this family crest?”
I looked up into his violet eyes.
Wow.

“
It's yer
family markings. Look, obviously they didn't tell ya yet- but I
believe all things happen for a reason. I'll put yers on ya under ya
bat, okay?” He nodded for me to follow.

“
Hey wait.
What does it look like- this crest? And what about Mike's tat?”
I asked as I shifted my weight on the glass topped counter.

“
Here. That's
yer crest. This is mine. And we don't usually tat them- but since
he's with you, I'll do it. Whatcha want kid?” He turned those
bright eyes on Mike as he showed me his wrist.

Wow this is
awesome.
The elaborate lines that formed the two crests were beautiful and
intangible. At the bottom of the sheet of paper it said,
“Hutchinson's.” It was utterly frightening and amazing at
the same time.

“
I want to get
the silhouette of a wolf baying against a full moon,” Mike said
as though he didn't even hear the pun about his kind.

“
Right, mate.
I suppose ya want yer family's pictograph as well?” His brow
arched once more.

“
My family's
what?” Now Mike's brow shifted up as well.

“
Wait, do you
mean my runic symbol?”

“
Yep.
Apparently someone told ya something. But you're older right- at
least a year. It'll happen soon- ya know- fer both of ya.” He
smiled as he reached for another sheet of paper.

It was different
shaped- more primal or tribal. But it was still elaborate and
beautiful.
What's
he talking about?
At the bottom of this paper, written in elegant and spidery script it
said, “For Michael O'Shanold- should be with Emma Hutchinson.”
Weird.

“
Did my mom
drop this off?” The shock was written on his face- he certainly
recognized the writing.

“
Yes, da lady.
Don't worry I'll get da other guy to do yers. He can show ya his
marks as well. Oi, Pat- da O'Shanold boy is here!” he shouted
to the back as a well inked, bald giant of a man came out.

“
Thanks, man.”
Was all Mike said.

I followed my guy
into the back as I watched Mike follow Pat into another room in the
back as a girl walked to the front.

“
So, little
princess- why da bat?” He smiled at me and his fangs glinted in
the light. “My name's William- please call me Will.”

“
Hi Will. I'm
Emma- but you already know that, right? How might I ask by the way?
And to answer your question, I love the creatures of the night and
such, so I thought I'd get a bat. Do you think it's a bad choice? Is
Mike going to be okay?” I asked as I looked at the door.

“
He'll be
fine. Mike's in gentle hands with Patrick. Yes, I know yer name- Emma
Mary Hutchinson. I can't tell ya exactly how I know as I know they've
not told ya anything. Da bat I feel is apropos.” His eyes
smiled and shined bright.

“
Okay, I'll
accept that, as I get it a lot. Thanks Will. Let's get started.”
I smiled.

I watched as he
pulled the cold metal tray close to the place where my arm rested-
palm up. He placed a paper towel on the tray and removed several
instruments from their sterilized homes. The blue and clear films
broke away from the tools that were both alluring and deterring. I
watched as he squeezed globs of KY jelly onto the tray to hold the
smallest paper cups I'd ever seen. He filled one cup with black ink
and the other with red ink. He quickly traced out a bat silhouette
with my family crest under it. He held it up briefly for me to nod in
approval. Then he placed a sheet to my wrist and when he pulled it
away there was a purple tracing of the designs left behind on my
skin.

“
Will it
hurt?” I asked as I chewed on my bottom lip.

“
It might feel
odd and ya might be getting a twitch in an odd place- don't move. I
don't know whatcha did while ya was younger but it feels like
scrapin' a safety pin across yer skin. Eventually it just becomes
numb. Yer a tough girl though.” He smiled as he assembled the
tattoo gun and tested it. Each pulse of it seemed electrifying and
scary as Hell.

When the needle came
down on my wrist, I managed to keep still as my mind was screaming at
me that I had some serious problems.

I felt the hot burn
of having the bat etched into my skin with ever deepening black ink.
Each wipe he took at the bat more of the purple was replaced with
swelling and angry black lines. Eventually he finished with the
shading and minute details and the bat appeared carved into my flesh.
It's
beautiful.

“
It's perfect”
I squeaked as he switched the needle for a new one to use with the
red.

“
Ah, little
princess gettin' all emotional over yer first ink.” He smiled
at me.

The family crest
seemed to magically appear on my skin. It didn't seem to swell as
much as the other. The red against my pallor seemed to glow for a
minute and then settle into place. I stared at it in awe.

“
They always
do that in the beginning and don't ya be askin' me why as I can't
tell ya.” He looked at my crest and then at his.

He smeared some
jelly onto my wrist and then covered it with plastic cling wrap,
which he taped into place. “Now, leave that on til' ya get
home. Here are the care instructions and some goop to help it heal,”
he said as he handed me a small tin and a sheet of paper.

“
Eh. Thanks.
How much do I owe you?” I reached my left hand into my purse
and immediately felt the intense burn of the tattoo being pushed
against.
That's
nauseating.

“
Easy there-
yer lookin' a lil' pale. Here- sit. I'll make up the receipt as it's
already been paid fer.” He nearly pushed me back into the
chair.

“
Alright,”
I mumbled as I felt my stomach begin to settle itself.

I stared at my newly
bandaged arm in shock and awe.
I
wonder what they'll say?

Once everything
focused and the pain dulled back to a simple pulse, I got up and
walked back to the front. Mike was waiting for me.

His same wrist was
similarly wrapped and I could see the yellow moon, black wolf, and
green symbol mixing with his blood- it was very similar to the
bracelet image I had given him. He looked paler than earlier, but
well at least.

“
Thanks,
guys!” I smiled at the two tattoo artists and I grabbed Mike's
arm and headed for the door.

The hot air
assaulted every ounce of my being. The heat also seemed attracted to
the cling wrap and quickly caused my tender flesh to sear under the
now oppressive sun. The car was hot and the black leather interior
burned all skin it could come into contact with.

“
Okay, so now
I'd be grateful for a little cloud covering. How you feeling?”
I wiped the sweat from my brow as I found the right air conditioning
setting.

“
Damn, it's
hot! I'm okay. Wasn't that bad. Shouldn't we put the top up?”
He looked at me and my struggle with the stupid air conditioning.

“
Left it at
home. No rain suspected this week,” I sighed as the high blast
of cold air hit me in the face.

The drive back was
silent. I could only guess that we were both thinking about what had
happened and how our families would react.

The heat died away
the second we reached the county line. The sky was filled with thick,
fluffy clouds that acted as a filter for the sun. Even in the lightly
filtered sky, Mike's house didn't look as foreboding as ours did. His
house always seemed to be a mishmash of pieces- but it wasn't. It was
a perfect 1870's second empire style home. The angles and windows
gave it lots of space and light. But it still seemed like it held
secrets- just like our house, like my family has from me.

I pulled up to his
gates.
Always
open, unlike ours
.
I leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek when he turned his head
and I caught him square on the mouth.

“
Eh, right.
Have a great evening. I'll see ya tomorrow.” I grinned stupidly
at him.

“
See ya, Emma.
Make it home safe okay?” He smiled at me and hopped out of my
monster.

I watched him walk
up his drive and get greeted at the door by his mom.
Sometimes
I wish someone cared enough to meet me at the door, worried.
I sighed and drove home in silence.

To my surprise, when
I pulled into the driveway my father was waiting for me.
Man
he looks pissed- good!
I got out of my Jeep and put on my tough face.

“
Emma,
darling, I need to talk to you about that piece of art work you got
on yourself today.” He sounded strangely calm.

“
What, Dad?
It's just a bat and the family crest, or something. I never knew we
got our family crest tattooed on us. Why didn't you tell me? Do
Grandpa, Grandma, and Mom have one?” I lifted my arm to show
him my cling wrapped wrist.

“
Emma, yes, we
all have one. We have the ability to mask ours. I do wish you would
have waited for the right time. You're always so quick to do things
when you get an idea.” He sighed.

“
I might wait
if anyone ever talked to me. All of this mysterious crap is beginning
to annoy me beyond words. And if you think that I've forgotten my
birthday Dad, you are sadly mistaken!” The knot in my stomach
tightened, my fanged teeth bit down into my lower lip, and I knew my
eyes were burning bright in rage.

“
Emma Mary
Hutchinson. I will not tolerate such behavior from you! You will be
told what you need to know when the time comes. I will not be
bullied, by my own daughter, into telling you things that you would
not understand. And as for your birthday, Dominic has been
reprimanded for his behavior and he is quite sorry. He was only
trying to help- after all. Our families are very close and nothing is
going to dissolve that relationship.” His voice was
frighteningly calm now, but his eyes seemed to glow with his temper
and, where his sleeve was rolled up on his left arm, the family crest
appeared on his wrist and seemed to glow dimly.

“
What do you
mean? I'm not going to be some sacrificial lamb for you to serve up
to ensure some family friendship. That is just damn nonsense.”
My temper was raising and I wanted to break something.
Has
he forgotten what that stupid guy almost did?
The mirror in the garage cracked suddenly.
What
is going on?