POTN 10

POETRY  |  FICTION EXCERPT

Mark Of The Dreamer

by Tippi N. Blevins, art by Janet DuPuy

Dragon felt the hunger surge as he went to her, hand outstretched. He had been running, sucking cold air into his raw lungs for twelve blocks. His hand shook with tremors of hunger, but still she did not flinch when he pressed the backs of his fingers to her neck. He had to blink away visions of rending her flesh, of peeling away the skin of her shoulder, of sating his long-suppressed hunger once and for all.

"Is this it?" he asked, trembling. "Is this the mark? Are you the dreamer?" Blood tattooed his knuckles.

She shook her head and smiled. She reached up and touched his mouth with her thumb.

Pressing his face into her open palm, he fought to keep from burying his teeth in the soft pink flesh. Pulling her hand away, she showed him the blood on her thumb. He stared, and understood what she must have meant. "I'm the dreamer?"

Nodding, she thrust out her right hand, palm down, where the name 'Justine' was tattooed. She bent her wrist back and showed him her index finger: And you?

He blinked, marveling at her ingenuity. Tattooing had always been art to him, but to her it was obviously so much more. A way to communicate. "My name is Dragon."

She nodded and went to close the blinds on the shop's two windows. He noticed the sign in the door had already been turned to show "closed" to passersby.

She had been expecting him.