When She Carry His Mark on Her Nape and Found a Friend
1140 Words
"Oh my God, what was that?"
My mother frowned as I walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator to grab the milk.
She didn't look up at first, but the tension in her shoulders told me something was off.
I paused and glanced around nervously.
Everything looked... normal. Back to the way it had been yesterday. No trace of the strange events from last night remained.
"What... what is it?" I asked, hoping she hadn't seen anything that would make her question me.
Her gaze locked onto my face, sharp and suspicious.
"What?" I asked again.
She narrowed her eyes. "Lift your hair."
I blinked, confused by the strange demand, but slowly obeyed.
A gasp tore from her lips as her eyes widened in shock.
"Mom?" My voice trembled. Her reaction scared me more than I wanted to admit.
"You've got a tattoo on your nape!" she shouted, furious.
"WHAT?!" I yelped.
I sprinted to the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My mother was right. There it was.
A tattoo.
On the back of my neck?!
A strange, intricate symbol—circular, ancient, otherworldly.
My stomach dropped.
"Oh God..."
My mother leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, eyes blazing. "Why do you look shocked? I should be the one freaking out. You got a tattoo without telling me?! Without asking permission?!"
I scrambled to think of a plausible excuse, even as the image of Him and his whispered words last night flashed through my mind.
"Um... I... I thought you’d be mad if I told you," I lied, weakly.
She sighed and shook her head. "I am mad."
Shit.
"But," she continued, walking into the bathroom and studying the mark closely, "it’s done. What can I say now?"
She squinted at the design. "Looks like some kind of demon's symbol."
I forced a nervous smile. "Yeah... probably just edgy teenage art."
She shrugged. "I was young once too. Did stupid things. Had this wild phase when I dyed my hair pink and almost got a nose ring."
I managed a small chuckle.
She pointed a stern finger at me. "Next time, talk to me before you do anything crazy. Got it?"
I nodded quickly. "Yes, Madam."
She laughed and left me alone in the bathroom.
The smile slid from my face.
I turned back to the mirror.
That symbol...
His mark.
The mark the vampires had spoken about. The one that bound a human to him.
But why now? Why had it only appeared four years later?
"Reveal... you no longer need to hide it."
His words echoed in my memory. That’s what he meant. The mark was meant to surface. I was branded now, undeniably His.
What happens next?
And why me?
"C'mon, Luna! You're gonna be late. I'm not lending you my car today!" Mom called from the kitchen, snapping me out of my spiral.
"Coming!" I shouted back, quickly pulling my hair down to cover the mark and rushing out.
Please, God, let today be normal.
Though if I’m being honest... it had been a long time since I felt God was listening.
----------------------------------------------------
The school hallway buzzed with the usual morning chaos. I walked toward my locker, trying to stay invisible.
I noticed Nathan and his usual gang hanging out nearby. The moment they spotted me, they nudged one another and started laughing.
One of them leaned casually against the locker next to mine.
"Hey, Luna," he purred, brushing my hair aside to sniff it. "You smell amazing, baby."
I shoved his hand away, disgusted. "Don’t touch me."
"Oooh, the freak shows her claws!" someone jeered.
Laughter exploded around me.
I folded my arms, masking my fear with annoyance. "Really, guys? Bullying? That’s so tired. I thought you were better than this."
They quieted a little. Even Nathan raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed.
Then he sneered. "Yeah, we are. Too good to waste time on someone like you."
As he walked past, he deliberately bumped into me, knocking me to the ground.
Laughter roared again.
"Look, she’s got a tattoo!"
I scrambled to cover my neck, but it was too late. They’d already seen it.
"What? Never seen ink before?" I snapped, grabbing my books and bolting down the hallway.
I burst into an empty classroom, gasping for breath. My heart raced. My palms were sweaty.
Please... let them just think it’s a regular tattoo. Please don’t let anyone recognize it.
I leaned against the wall, trying to calm down.
The first bell rang.
"That’s a good tattoo you’ve got there," a voice said.
I gasped.
A girl around my age stood in the doorway, watching me.
She was stunning. Caramel skin, long wavy black hair, and warm brown eyes. She wore a white tank top, a flannel shirt tied at the waist, and fitted jeans with sneakers. She looked effortless.
I straightened up and cleared my throat. "Yeah, it is."
She stepped inside. "But... I’ve never seen the real mark of Lucifer on a human before."
My blood ran cold.
She knows?
"What?" I gasped.
She shrugged and pulled up a chair, sitting down like we were already friends.
"My grandmother was a gypsy. I see things most humans can’t. That mark? It’s not ordinary."
I hesitated, then sat beside her.
"How do you know?"
"You radiate an aura," she said, gesturing around me. "A kind of... shield. I noticed it the second I walked in."
I looked down at myself. I didn’t see anything.
"A what?"
"It’s a sign. You’re not ordinary. You’ve been claimed."
I swallowed hard. My voice was quiet. "He bit me. When I was twelve."
She met my gaze and nodded solemnly.
"And now the mark has surfaced," she whispered.
Oh no. "What can I do to get rid of it?" I asked desperately.
It was the first time I had admitted the truth to anyone. The first time I had someone who might understand.
She looked at me with pity and shook her head slowly.
I sighed and slumped back in the chair.
Maybe she can help me, I thought. Maybe she knows a way to stop him.
"Of course not."
I jumped, gasping.
His voice.
In my head.
Again...
The girl tilted her head. "He talks to you, doesn’t he? In your mind."
I stared at her, stunned. "How do you know that?"
She smiled gently. "Because you flinched. Same way I did the first time."
My jaw dropped.
She held out her hand. "I’m Zafrina. But you can call me Zafi."
I shook her hand, dazed. "I’m Luna. Nice to meet you... Zafi."
She leaned forward, eyes serious. "We need to talk. There might be a way to weaken the connection."
My heart leapt.
For the first time in years...
I felt the faintest spark of hope.
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- Writer
