Wednesday 1 May 2013

Tattoo

by John Xero


This was my great undertaking: to catalogue all the demons of the Abyss, and so bind them.

But mere paper and ordinary ink could not match such a task, when even the tamest of names might burn a hole through wood. And so I made an ink of my own blood, with my skin to serve as paper.

In burnt crimson I wrote hell upon my soul.

And bind the beasts I did. But not to banishment.

They walk the Earth in me. And for my great sin I must watch while their evil rides my body, guides my hands.




Author bio: John Xero is a bookseller. He knows the real power of 'mere' paper and 'ordinary' ink. It can conjure entire worlds, make heroes of cowherds, it can change a man's life, time and time again.
xeroverse.com | @xeroverse


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12 comments:

  1. Peter Newman1 May 2013 at 10:06

    Euw. Great idea. Although anybody that thinks writing demonic names all over their body is a good thing probably has it coming...

    (Clearly he's never been a roleplayer!)

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    Replies
    1. John Xero1 May 2013 at 12:01

      Ha ha! Yeah, it does seem inherently flawed, doesn't it... ;)

      Thanks, Pete. =)

      Delete
  2. Anonymous2 May 2013 at 03:52

    Ooooh. Shivers! Fantastically, eerily written.

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  3. Scott Dingley2 May 2013 at 15:36

    Another brilliant story, suspenseful... atmospheric... chilling - a world conjured up in 100 words (well, 101). Awesome.

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  4. Anonymous3 May 2013 at 13:22

    So one big bad instead of many smaller ones? Not sure if that's better or not! Could ride on how much fight he's got in him..

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    Replies
    1. John Xero3 May 2013 at 13:36

      Good question. I can see a lot of ways to go from here... None of them particularly great for us... ;)

      Cheers, Jack. =)

      Delete
  5. Sulci Collective3 May 2013 at 15:10

    Loved the idea that the demons' names burned themselves out and could only be preserved in blood.

    I had to do Paradise Lost at school and used the names of devils and demons to make a list for a Dungeons & Dragons scenario I was setting up. Now I do similar with Hispanic Baseball players for names for use in a work of fiction. Funny how that works.

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    1. John Xero4 May 2013 at 07:40

      It's part of a writer's life, isn't it, finding names? Especially when you write a lot of short and flash fiction... you need new characters all the time!

      Thanks, Marc. =)

      Delete
  6. Shelli3 May 2013 at 18:05

    Beautifully written, almost poetic. It has a Christic feel to it, kind of, taking upon him the evils of the world. Nice!

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