Chapter 4: NARROW ESCAPE

All seemed to be going well before the day I came to my room wrapped in a towel after a shower in the morning. Unfortunately I had left the door to my room open so my mom had entered in.

I was almost half-naked because I had only covered the lower part of my body.

I wasn't aware that my mom was in my room, the moment I entered, she saw the tattoo on my back and screamed surprised.

"Wh-what happened to your back? What's that I have just seen?" She asked standing up and coming closer to me.

I tried to turn around and hide my back but it was too late to do anything. I started to panick because I knew trouble has come my way and I didn't noticed that I had started crying already.

"How did you get this on your back?" Mom asked with a harsh voice.

I didn't know or have what to say. I just shook my head.

"What do you mean by that?" She was really angry with me. But why? I wondered.

"I don't know how I got this mother, trust me please." I cried when I noticed she was thinking of sharing this with Dad.

"I have to tell your dad about this. This is impossible and I can't believe you in this." She said while leaving my room.

My heart was bouncing inside my chest instead of beating.  For a moment I felt so much pain in my back, the tattoo was itching so much. Maybe it has just seen how mother scolded me for it's sake.

" Unbelievable! This is a tattoo, it doesn't have ears to hear anything." I kept questioning myself as I replied to myself as well.

I ran to my mirror to check on it, it was glowing without producing flames. I couldn't believe my eyes so I went back to my washroom where there are two mirrors in opposite sides. Still I saw that my tattoo was glowing.

Shock put me down on the floor. I wasn't able to think right but my mind reminded me I was still half-naked so I went back to my room to dress up. 

After putting on my trouser, Mom came in and told me to cover my breasts that dad is coming inside.

I felt like I had fainted but I was still well standing before my mom, after a moment,dad entered in with an angry face. I knew he has come to finish me.

"Show me your back right now." He commanded.

I immediately turned around but still with my back covered with my towel. I was imagining how rough he would be to me after seeing it but I had no other choice but to show him my back.

I closed my eyes and then removed the towel on my back. I stood there waiting for slaps to hit my face.

"How is this possible?  I saw the tattoo in form of a bat on her back a few minutes ago. I can't believe it's gone." Mom's words interrupted me from my waiting.

"What are you saying. Have you lost it?" Dad asking mother.

This was hurting because I knew mother was telling the truth but I had no choice but to defend myself as well by denying the truth.

"I swear I saw it. Do you think am a crazy woman to imagine things here." My mom tried to stick to her words but dad didn't listen as he hasn't found the tattoo on my back.

I myself was wondering how this happened. I guessed my mom was also finding it strange and hard to swallow.

After father has left, mom asked me again about what has just happened. I told her I knew I had a tattoo on my back but I didn't know how I got it and where it has just disappeared to and why.

When my mom left, I went to witness by myself. For sure the tattoo wasn't there. Something was scaring here.

Still wondering how all this happened, I fell asleep and got into a dream. I saw my friend Bat. He was alone this time.

"I know you must be wondering how your tattoo disappeared all of a sudden. I remember I told you it's not just a tattoo, it's a magical one.

It can hear, see and talk when angry. And I also remember I told you I won't let any harm come to you but it's like you never trusted me. I saw how your mom was heartbroken after seeing your tattoo and then guessed she might tell your dad about it and bring trouble to you. You are my best friend, protecting you is my pleasure. So now wake up and have a physical look at me. Find me in your washroom if you really want to see me." 

After like a second, I woke up. I ran to my washroom because I really wanted to see my friend Bat becauseit's been so long since I last saw him physically.

To my surprise he was indeed there hanging from the ceiling upside down.

When I entered the room, he came to me and landed on my shoulder. I didn't bother to brush it off because I had missed it so much. Brushing it off would mean that am chasing it away. 

I got it from my shoulder and carried it in my arms, and then pecked its wings. 

He really saved me today.

I kept it in my room till night.

The next morning, my friend Bat wasn't there in my room. Maybe it has gone back to the jungle, I thought after looking for it everywhere and couldn't find it.

I knew it could take good care of itself so I didn't mind so much about it.

I still wanted to check for my tattoo on my back. Coming in front of a mirror, I saw my tattoo. I felt happy to see it again. I loved it, not because it was magical but because I always wished to have a tattoo on my body. It was my wish come true.

I didn't care how I got it or why did it disappear last time. All I wanted was to always see it on my back.

Two days later, my mom felt weak and unwell. I was the one to be blamed for her sickness but my luck was that dad never believed whatever she said last time but I felt guilty about it.

"Mother I know you are shocked after what happened the other day. But please forgive me because I also have no idea how all this happened and why. And am sure you know I can't do something like that to you. I didn't mean to let you seem like a crazy woman to dad." I talked to her in private.

"But I still don't understand how that tattoo disappeared all of a sudden. Show me your back again." Said Mom.

I then showed her my back without hesitation. My tattoo was still there but this time it wasn't glowing. 

"I can't believe my eyes anymore. How did it come back?" My Mom wondered. I saw I was making her uncomfortable so I covered her and left her room.

I was the one to prepare meals since mother was ill.

Standing in the kitchen, everything seemed new to me. I couldn't remember how I used to prepare meals so I went to ask mom how I could prepare Chinese rice." What's wrong with you my darling daughter, is anything bothering you? Am sure this isn't you because the real you knew how to prepare every meal. I can't believe you are asking me how to prepare Chinese rice." Mom replied trying to get up from the bed.

"Easy easy mother." I helped her to sit upright.

"Don't even touch me. You are not my daughter. You are just her illusion."she said reaching the knife that was in the fruit basket that was on the nightstand near the bed.

"Who are you and where is my real daughter?" Mom asked holding a knife to my throat.

"Don't kill me mother. It's me Artie, your daughter." I cried.

"No. You are not my daughter. You are someone or something else. I can't believe you." She has started to hurt me with the knife. I had to do something to prove it was the real me but how since she had me in her arms already. I then remembered something. We used to blink our eyes three times repeatedly so I did that and my mom recognized me. She dropped the knife and hugged me so tight while crying like a little kid.

"What's happening with you my child? I still can't believe what am seeing. How did you get this tattoo and when?" She asked.

"You are again talking about the tattoo? Can't you find something else to talk about." Dad interrupted as he came in the room.

We wiped down our tears and faked the smiles.

"I told you you were imagining things but you can't believe me. This is going to be the last time for you to talk about this. Let Artie show you her back for the last time." He said.

This felt like a razor blade cutting through my heart. I felt I was done for when he asked me to show mother my back.

" Like last time, I closed my eyes and removed my blouse on my back. I stood there waiting for Dad to scold me but he didn't. I thought that maybe my tattoo has again disappeared but no, I still had it on my back but instead both my parents had become statues.

"Mother, father please come back to normal. What has happened to both of you?"I cried as I didn't have any idea of how I can revive them.