I inhaled deeply. Fuck. I took a heavy step forward through the circle and then another. And one more. I could do this. The pain was tolerable. I was lying to myself, as I held onto my side. If I let go, if I stopped putting pressure on the wound, I would bleed out. This was unbelievable.
“Run!” a shriek came from behind me and I bolted into the woods.
Grimacing through the pain, I stumbled over rocks and roots, falling every few steps. I could hear their laughter and screaming as they taunted me.But they were blindly confident.
I was grabbed a few times. My shirt was ripped off, a knife scraped down my back. Enough to cut but not to kill. I was kicked and shoved, too.
Finally, I saw the decrepit building in sight. All I had to do was get inside and tumble down the stairs. Constantine would save me.
“Ah, perfect,” Dave called as I pushed through the doors. “Actually, it’s really good. Are you filming this?” he asked one of his minions. “It’s like a homecoming. He spent his childhood here, and now, he returns to die.”
I stumbled to the stairs, and having no strength left, collapsed, and rolled down them, feeling every single one.
“What the—” Constantine came from another room and found me at the foot of the stairs. He stepped over me and looked up, seeing all the film crew in their masks, staring down at us.
Constantine laughed dryly, pulling his knife from his boot. “Well, this is convenient.”
Rule 61 - Eisley
Get to know who you’re dealing with.
"Hi, does Boogie have time for walk-ins today?"
"If you get here in an hour."
I took a deep breath and took in my reflection in the bathroom mirror. "I'll be there." I gave her my details over the phone.I grabbed my car keys and flew out of the house.
I’d spent all morning fuming and rewatching the video of Therese coming into my house and destroying my most prized possessions. I wanted to go over and kick her ass, but I knew it’d do no good. She was just like all the others. Her family had connections, and despite it being her that had committed the crime, I would be the one who ended up in jail.
So, I needed a distraction.
When I reached the parlor, a pretty woman with a pixie cut and a chain hanging from her ears to her nose came from the back and smiled kindly. "Eisley?"
"That's me."
She went behind the glass counter and reached for her book. "Right on time. I'll go grab Boogie and see what he's up to." She marked something on her book and then turned to go back.
I went to the counter and looked at all the jewelry underneath. Lots of hoops and studs, along with plugs. I'd always wondered what I'd look like with stretched earlobes. I raised my hand to my ear and rubbed it.
"Are you wanting your ears pierced today?" The woman returned with Boogie behind her.
"They already are. I was looking at all the plugs."
"We can help start the stretching process." She extended her hand to me with a wide grin. "I'm Laurel, the piercer."
"She's really good," Boogie said.I scrunched up my mouth.
"Maybe."
She cocked her head. “Well, think about it, and after your tattoo, if you're still up for it, we can do it. It's pretty painless the first few sizes.”
I thanked her and then explained what I wanted to Boogie.
"I can do that."
I was sitting in his chair within the hour, pulling my shirt down, and closing my eyes to let him work his magic.
"Boogie says you're married to Constantine. They're good friends," Laurel commented, coming to sit with me.I nodded tightly. I was still not comfortable with the sharp pain of the tattoo machine digging into my skin.
