Fresh off finishing Guilty Mind, I shifted my focus to a ghost story. However, this time, instead of exploring a shade with a note, I wanted to explore Lucas’s past. Similar to Darren Gilbert, I created Lucas to satisfy a writing prompt. Despite the time since Tattooed Home, I still remember wondering how I could craft the story while focusing on getting a tattoo. Thankfully, my mind satisfied this conundrum by connecting several concepts, merging them into an alchemist that can create homes for ghosts in his body.
Those initial two hundred and fifty words left me with a character that I yearned to explore, so I continued writing mini-exploits. Yet despite the enjoyment from writing these micro tales, I yearned to give Lucas a bigger stage to explore his past. After sketching out a rough history for him, I focused on when his mentor gave him permission to create his initial home for a shade. Despite this story’s initial block, I could coax it out of the depths of my mind.
Sit down with your popcorn and witness Lucas’s journey in creating his tattoos.
While Lucas finishes creating the specialized ink to anchor shades for his mentor, Rosa, he wonders when she will allow him to start…
Lucas glanced over his shoulder and studied his mentor. As a sigh rushed out, Lucas ran his hand through his hair, muttering, “I can’t wait until she lets me capture my first shade.”
“Is everything okay, Lucas?”
“I’m fine.” Lucas picked up a small glass vial and tipped it over his cauldron, allowing the thick and dark substance to drip from the bottle. Lucas rubbed his neck and twisted it to crack some of the stiff joints. When the fifth drop of the viscous fluid tumbled out of the container, Lucas returned the stopper and placed the crystal tube beside the rest.
Rosa stepped up behind Lucas and squeezed the man’s shoulder. “Don’t forget, at this stage the slightest thing could ruin the entire pot.”
“Do you have to hover over me every moment?” Lucas raised a spoon and eased it into the bubbling liquid. With a handful of strokes, Lucas worked the special ingredient into the mixture. “This isn’t the first batch of this ink that I’ve made for you.”
“There is a difference between knowing how to accomplish something and the ability to achieve the act.” She lifted a small vial beside the cauldron and whacked it against Lucas’s nose. “How many drops did you use?”
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