AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Another one?” She raised her eyebrows. Eli had gotten more tattoos than she could count. She had gone with him once and it had made her nauseous to watch as the artist had tapped ink made from berries into his skin. Little dots over and over and over again. It was an extensive process. If he felt any pain, he hadn’t shown it.
Eli nodded excitedly and lifted his shirt to show her a new design on his rib cage. An image of a black bird engulfed in flames stretched across his flesh.
“Did it hurt?” She reached out to touch it, and he flinched when her cold fingertips brushed his skin.
“Nah, I was high on gray.” He chuckled when she shook her head. He was referring to gray grass, a plant that grew naturally in the area that altered the mental state. It was most similar to alcohol, but distilling alcohol wasn’t a luxury they could afford in Andus. Gray grass was readily available and despite its ugly appearance, it made a delicious tea.
He brought his shirt down and grabbed her hand to help her cross over some rubble. The closer they got to home, the more debris appeared. It was a strategic design. It made their village look like a dump, a graveyard, to outsiders, but sheltered in the middle were a few homes and a communal area. Their ancestors who settled here had left the exterior stones for natural protection and used the ones from the middle to rebuild houses camouflaged into the demolished structures.
The town of Andus had a population of a little more than fifty, made up of only a handful of families. It was hard to sustain a population much bigger. It wasn’t much, but they were one big family to Ali. It was the only home she’d ever known.
Friendly faces greeted the two of them as they entered the main section of town. Eli grabbed her hand, a show of affection and pride. He loved to show her off, and she let him. The way he adored her made her heart hurt sometimes. She only wished she could return those feelings. She squeezed his hand and let him bask in the moment. The smile on his face was worth putting her own feelings aside.
Dinner was already prepared by the time they arrived. It was always served in the center of town. They each grabbed a bowl full of rice and fish and sat around the fire pit next to their neighbors, who chatted merrily.
“What did you two get into today?” asked a middle-aged woman named Sasha. Her hair was slowly turning from auburn to gray and her skin reflected her years, wrinkled from sun exposure. Her hands were permanently dyed from working with clothing and other rags in Andus, taking bland fabric and turning them into vibrant shades with natural elements. She was an artist in their otherwise bleak village.
“Not much,” Eli responded. “Just running around in the woods with this one.” He nudged Ali’s shoulder with his elbow.
“Ah, to be young and in love,” Sasha mused. “I remember when my husband and I used to spend our time doing nothing at all. Just enjoying each other’s company. Those are the moments that make life worth living.”
Sasha was a widow now and had been for many years, but her words of wisdom were appreciated by everyone around the fire. She carried on with stories of her love life, all the lessons she had learned, the moments that brought a smile to her face and the ones that made her blush. Every single face around the fire pit turned to listen, entranced by her. They ate up her guidance like starving vultures. Sasha had always been a skilled storyteller, and her tales were laced with lessons to learn.
Her words made Ali feel a bit more at ease. Perhaps she could love Eli like that. Didn’t she enjoy spending time with him? Doing nothing at all, so long as it was with him? She looked up at Eli’s face and took a moment to admire him. The kind and caring man who always put her first. Why was she so hesitant to return that kind of unconditional love?
The crowd groaned when Sasha stood to leave. “You’ll have to forgive an old woman. It’s past my bedtime.”
Eli turned to Ali, his arm now wrapped around her shoulders while she nuzzled into his side. “I’m ready to go when you are.”
His eyes bored a hole through her. It wasn’t natural, the amount of yearning he felt toward her. She didn’t know if she could ever return that intensity, but she resigned to pretend until it became real.
“I’m ready.”
***
Chapter Two
“Let’s get matching tattoos,” Eli said as they drank their morning coffee outside his front door. They sat on the one rocking chair he owned, her on his lap. It was chilly, but he had insisted they sit outside. She wore his sweatshirt and a pair of leggings and had pulled his heaviest blanket over the top of them. He held her close and used his own body heat to keep her warm.
“Didn’t you just get one?”
“You can never have too many.” He looked at her like this was obvious. Ali didn’t have any tattoos, so she didn’t understand just how addictive they could be, but Eli couldn’t get enough.
“What would you get?” she asked timidly. He could tell she was nervous about having a significant amount of ink covering her skin.
“Something small and simple. It’s your first one and it’ll probably hurt like a bitch.” His eyes sparkled. She hadn’t said no, and that only encouraged, leaving the door open to possibilities. He was dying to share this experience with her.
She released a heavy sigh. “Maybe.”
“I’ll take it!” He finished the remains of his coffee, down to the last sediment of ground beans. Then he tapped her thigh lovingly. “I’m going to shower before we head out.”
She stood and allowed him to head back into the house. Without his body heat, she followed him in and sat at the kitchen table.
“Where is your dad this morning?” she asked, her voice elevated as he disappeared into his bedroom.
Eli tore off his clothes and threw them into a pile in the corner of his bedroom. Then he wrapped a clean towel around his waist. “He went out to chop wood. Our stockpile and the neighbor’s is getting pretty low. Does your mom need some, too? I’m sure they’ll come back with extra.” His dad was always the first to lend a helping hand. If anyone in the town needed something, they knew to ask Jack. He was always happy to assist.
“I’ll ask her.” Ali’s voice came from the kitchen.
