(Note: Welcome to Hell! I'm quite proud of this series. While I have never been a huge fan of Horror I'm discovering I like to write it, even if I don't read or seldom watch a scary movie. To prove that I have to tell you I only began this series on the last few days of December and all through January I've written up through Chapter 16. So...this series will be Monthly for at least a year or longer. Trust me this series gets insane the more I write. So...without further ado...I give you...RAVEN NEVERMOURN...careful of her lap dances. LOL! Enjoy! )
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Not a happy birthday...when it arrives...no cake, no candles, no hope!
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"Interesting birthmark. I never noticed it before."
"Excuse me?"
"Your beauty mark. It almost looks more like a tattoo." An African American teenager pointed out from her side of the showers.
A second girl who was much younger, Caucasian with short brown hair who stood next to the black teenager looked out of instinct and confused their target even further. "When did you get that? No tattoos allowed!"
Raven Eileen Moore stood beneath a hot steamy cascade in her Orphanage's communal shower rinsing her lengthy, just beyond the shoulder red hair. Across the shower room the young black girl who had asked about it cocked a curious brow awaiting an answer. The three young women had been here at the home since infancy so knew one another somewhat well even if some were younger than others. Either way it was uncommon for the girls to become so nosey under the circumstances of hygiene nudity. Raven simply shrugged it off as last day harassment, turning 18 in a few hours she was being let go in the morning. Most likely they were jealous and goofing off. Raven knew quite well that she had no tattoo or birthmark, so did not seem to have a clue what they were getting at other than teasing. "I don't have any birthmark or any tattoo."
"I've showered in here with you for years now and I've never once noticed it before now." Young Sheridan Proxi pointed to the mark right above the shallow crest of Raven's perfect softly tanned butt cheeks, natural tan even though she was a ginger. With Sheridan's nail informing her where it was located Raven jumped at her touch. "Sorry! Just letting you know where. How could you not know? Come on I want one. Who did it?"
The first girl Vondia Holmes concluded her own shower and began drying off. Walking over she leans down to get a closer look. Raven becoming wierded out by their attention so close upon her person reacted by swatting them away. "Hey! Not so close. I'm not that way."
"What way?" Sheridan who was only 15 tilted her head. The orphanage had many children as residents, some like Raven never adopted. Turning 18 in a few hours this was her last official night at Crowley Manson's Home for Girls. Such an odd name, almost morbid and cruel. To the community on the outside it was referred to as Satan Sorority considering the founder's name a mix of Aleister Crowley, and Charles Manson, coincidence but still a seriously rough designation.
"Come on Raven there's no way could you not know it's there." Vondia at 16 years of age looked puzzled, then scowled. "Seriously go look in a mirror if you don't believe us." She then smirks, "It's kind of cute. I want one too."
"Quit looking at my butt. Go do your thing, both of you."
"We're not getting funny Raven." Sher said then changed the subject, "Are you glad to be leaving here in the morning?"
"Kind of scary actually. I have nobody out there. I get some Government money and a pat on the back, but not enough to survive more than a few weeks. No job. No home. I'm excited but kind of numb actually."
"I don't understand why you can't stay here until you find something." Sher pouted, "I'll miss you."
"Awww thanks! I'll miss everyone here too. I'll be fine I just need to figure things out on my own. I'll drop by and visit now and then."
"You better!" Vondia pouted, "We'll be in your shoes in a few years. Nobody wants us bitches at our age."
"We should all be roommates when we get out of prison." Sheridan teased.
"If I'm around I'll keep that in mind. Who knows I might get lucky and find me a rich boyfriend." Raven ended her shower and began toweling herself off. She being taller than the other two girls at 5'6, 120 pounds she knew she had the body to get a man, once she got over her shyness. Not having any real contact with boys stuck here in captivity she simply had her fingers crossed. The area Sheridan touched did itch. Discomfort sitting in she scratched the area a bit then dried her back. In bringing her towel back around she found an unexpected sight. "Am I bleeding?" She whirled to let the other girls look again.
"Whoa!" Vondia bulged her eyes, "The tattoo is bleeding all the way around the circle. It has to be fresh. Did you have someone here put that on you?"
"Circle? What the heck?" Raven was becoming more convinced the girls were actually seeing something. Edgy she stepped from the showers and went to the bathroom sinks. Mirrors above them were too tall to see by so she climbed up on her knees and glared at herself over her shoulder to see the bleeding circle. "Holy Moley! I do have a circle. What's inside the circle?" She winced but couldn't see it clearly.
Sheridan grossed out by the blood watched Raven dab at it to clear up the visual of what was within. Unable to venture a guess Vondia toughened up, nudging Sher out of the way and leaned over to look at the mark. "Girl you have weird tastes in tattoos."
"I told you it's not a tattoo. Come on you know it's against the rules to defile our body's. How did I get that? What is it?"
Vondia thought about how to explain it and hopped up to sit behind Raven on the sink's counter. With steamy mirrors she traced a circle in the mirror then shot glances at the mark for reference in drawing it in the steam. Once completed Vondia looked at her artwork and shivered. "It's like...a pentagram...but not."
Turning in her seat Raven explored the sketch and puzzled over it. "That's really what's on my back?"
"Tramp stamp!" Vondia sighed, "Good thing you're leaving in the morning or Mrs. Drewbeck might punish you."
"For something I didn't do?"
"Someone did it. That just doesn't appear out of thin air." The notion that it might be a possibility Raven swallowed and looked at her friends. "Right?" Vondia shrugged a single shoulder.
"If someone had tattooed me I'd have screamed. I hate needles! How?" With more girls coming into the restroom Raven jumped down and tied her towel around her body. Vondia thinking fast wiped away her drawing in the mirror and climbed down to avoid questions that spooked them as much as Raven herself. Eye contact made between Raven and her timely allies they agreed to keep it quiet. Some birthday present!
With the towel bloody Raven walked backwards away from the incoming girls and carefully got dressed. Worried blood might seep into her jeans and t-shirt she had Vondia grab toilet paper in wads and patch her circle up until she could figure out what to do. Panic was settling in. All she had to do was hide it until morning then leave this place forever.
Fully dressed she and the girls walked out together and down the hall. There was an in house Nurse named Winona Beasley in residence but she was not in her office to ask for band-aids and gauze, likely outside smoking. Door unlocked Raven and Vondia snuck inside while Sher kept watch, on her knee acting as if tying her shoelace in case anyone showed up. A quick thievery of supplies they took everything back to Raven's shared bedroom. Luckily her bunk mates were out in the recreation hall. Patching Raven up tight they tried to figure out what to do with the towel.
"Just say you started your period." Sher offered wisdom.
