Blood and Stars - Episode 6 - The Needle

Piggy wasn't being very cooperative, but the thick leather straps kept the worst of his thrashing around in check. It was this jerking about which forced my hand when it came to designs, anything delicate or complicated had to be reserved for the back and torso because they could be immobilised more effectively. The limbs I usually leave until last, the subject has passed out or died from shock by the time I get round to them. A pity really, tattooing the top of the foot was exquisitely painful, the screams a symphony of agony.

I slapped the piggy again and returned to pricking out my design on his torso, the colours were building up well, firework flowers were exploding across piggy's chest and abdomen. They were rather large but then piggy provided a considerable canvas so it seemed wasteful not to use as much of it as possible. I would add the trails later, piggy has a weak heart, he would not last much longer.

I stopped briefly, ever the critical artist. I would have to use the mechanical needle to fill in the night sky, a pity really, I didn't like to use it for my subjects unless it was essential, one step removed. That was part of the pleasure, being so close to the unwilling canvas. With piggy being so large though, and my schedule being out of sync thanks to Sherri's interference, it would have to be that way. There was the advantage of consistency when covering large areas when using the electric needle. I sighed. And piggy was such a large area to cover.

Piggy had been silent for a while now, I looked up and his lips had begun turning blue. He was dead, how very annoying, He would have particularly enjoyed piggy's screams as I decorated his feet, especially the soles. A low rumble came from piggy and then a foul odour, yup piggy was dead alright.

“Oh you are a dirty piggy.”

I sighed again.

“Piggy's going to have another shower, pity piggy is silent for this one.”

I blasted him with the hose again, blood, skin and small crusts of ink swirled into the central drainage hole. Piggy's bodily fluids were also washed away, and the smell also reduced in intensity. I left piggy to drip dry for a while, I turned on the extractor and whatever stench remained vented outside.

I would leave finishing piggy for a while, I wanted a swim and something to eat.