It was hours after the burying of Emery Bentley. Estelle's mother, the only person to show her true love. The sun was setting and Estelle tried so hard to keep her tears at bay.
The colors blending and mixing through the blurring of her tears. Painting a sunset of satire sadness.
The small town, located in the middle nowhere Colorado had been Estelle's only home. Loveland's only amusement was the small bar, tourist shops, and tattoo parlor near the ending of the road.
Wiping the wetness from her rosy cheeks, Estelle shook from the coldness of the night.
The small stockings she had worn to the funeral were simply nothing compared to the temperature of the falling night sky.
'Estelle, beautiful, just like the stars, my love.'
Something Estelle's mom would have told her if they were outside gazing upon the endless universe.
The small black dress fell above her knees, the white sweater was a bit oversized. Waves of dark brown hair fell into pools of messiness on her shoulders.
Swallowing hard, Estelle shivered as she approached the shop building.
Laces, the tattoo parlors' name was twisted into a neon logo. With shaky steps, she reached for the entry door. Pulling the door open, Estelle's heart increased its rapid growth of a response.
"Leave. We are closing." A deep voice cut the silence between them.
Estelle glanced quickly at the clock. It was only 9:00 pm shouldn't they stay open until later than that, she thought. Who gets a tattoo so early in the evening?
The man was tall, and overly buff. The tattoos told that he was either a fan or an artist. So Estelle tried to do what seemed to be the only hope with the mean man.
"S-Sorry. Can I g-get a tattoo? It's very small and it w-won't take long!" She tried to explain, Estelle needed to do this for mama, at least that's what she kept telling herself.
Estelle's heart clenched in her chest at the desperation in her voice.
"Didn't I just tell you we are closing, get out. Are you even old enough to get a tattoo without mommy or daddy?" The man asked mockingly, if only he knew. Estelle was old enough, she had just turned nineteen last month.
His words reminded her that she was alone now, Sucking in a jagged breath. The surrounding air cooling the burning wave of anxiety in Estelle's chest.
"I j-just want a s-small one-" Estelle's voice cracked in a painful way. Causing her to shrink into herself, pressing and twisting her jacket.
"Get your ass out of here, now!" The man raised his voice and Estelle had bursted into tears again.
"P-Please." She begged, Estelle just needed this one thing tonight.
She just wanted this one thing for her mama. The stress of everything Estelle had suppressed in that day was hitting her like a train wreck.
"No how many-" The yelling was cut off by a new and deeper voice.
"Nathan, is there a problem?" The new man asked the mean guy. His body moved from stairs that seemed to lead up to somewhere else.
The new guy had tattoos, but they were much better and prettier. He was tall, the black shirt he was wearing stretched over his strong arms. He looked like he could throw Estelle if he tried, but something told her he wouldn't.
