365 Ficlets - Day #278 ~ "Ink"

The icy blue cast of the light in the waiting room struck Jennie at once as she stepped through the door. As she closed the door behind her a rather surprisingly twee bell announced her arrival.

“Be with you in a few moments!”

The voice had emanated from behind a brown curtain that at first glance looked as though it might be leather, but on a second look was plastic made to resemble leather. After the voice, Jennie could hear the low hum of a tattooing machine, and occasional quiet gasps, presumably from the recipient of the work being done behind the curtain.

The waiting room was not like the waiting room of other tattoo parlours, there were no stock designs on the walls, no piles of tattoo magazines, and no other punters. Certainly it was dark outside, but it was only four o’clock, and though Jennie was not surprised to see the waiting room empty, it would be an odd detail to anyone else, she thought.

The curtain was thrown back, and Franklin stepped out, looked at Jennie, and nodded at the unoccupied cubicle.