From Chapter 1
Leah let her mind wander as the needle did the same. She had just bought the gun the other day- a strange find. Always a fan of the odd and the out-of-the-way, Leah had been wandering the shops and stalls of the People's Market down on Fourth street. Held every Wednesday, it had a charming gypsy quality that she could never quite ignore. It had been sunny that day, too, and that had drawn out a bigger crowd of shoppers than usual. The press of bodies, and the overly loud sound of mingled haggling, shopping, and busking musicians had fed her sense of adventure. Slipping off the usual concourse, Leah had let her feet lead her down some of the attached alleyways- also lined with stores and vendors, although the slightly less commercial ones. Across from her favourite vegan cafe- George's sister's business, actually- she had stepped into a little bookstore with a charmingly chipped church-style front door.
The shop had smelled of old books, leather, coffee, and something warm- cat fur, maybe. Like a cat that had been napping by a fire all day. The books were welcoming to her fingertips, warm as well, and the old cast iron grates in the floors sent welcoming gusts of heated air up her pant legs and coat sleeves. Along with reading material, the little shop offered a selection of random antique objects, scattered amongst the shelves, and also arranged in a glass fronted cabinet. That's where the tattoo gun had been napping. She had done a double take when she saw it, the lazy heat and the slight ripple in the glass giving the cords of the gun the impression of being a little green snake, curled and waiting. Despite the age of the gun, something from the 70's most likely, its package was unopened, and contained a full set of brand new, modern pigments and sterile needles.
Until this point, Leah had always borrowed guns from her friends. The idea of having her own at hand filled her with a little thrill of excitement, and her hand trembled slightly as she opened the creaking case and pulled the gun and it's attachments out. The price was low, although not alarmingly so, and it was little more than a not-too-guilty splurge to tip her rent money out onto the counter and head across to the cafe with her new buddy tucked into her haversack. |