Chapter 1: 1. Desolate

=::= Danni's PoV =::=

I picked up my coffee for a sip and realized it was stone cold. With a sigh I set the cup back down on my desk and glanced at the time. Just past two o'clock, Wednesday afternoon. Thanksgiving was two days ago, and the shop had been all but dead lately.

We had a surge of business back at the end of summer when they lifted the last stage of the lockdown, but since then it was quiet. Dad always acted optimistic but I was worried. Especially because the business was going to be mine in another year or two.

I tried not to be too negative, but I found myself questioning not just the viability of the business but also my commitment to it. I started working with dad part-time when I was sixteen. He taught me how to do piercings, he taught me tattooing, and he taught me how to manage the business. After high-school I did a two-year college arts program, then came back here and I'd been working full-time with dad ever since.

And working for yourself or for a little family business like ours, it took up a lot of time. We were open seven days a week, I usually only had one day off and that was it. I hadn't really had anything like a vacation until the pandemic shut us down, then it wasn't a vacation it was sitting around the house being bored and isolated.

Isolation was another issue entirely. I hadn't had a girlfriend in half a decade. I spent so much time working there really wasn't time to go out and socialize, and when I did find time to go out I had trouble finding any queer girls who were interested. This was a tourist town, but the locals were all fairly conservative.

Now I was looking at putting even more time into the business to try and save it and rebound from the losses of the pandemic, which meant even less time to try getting out and meeting people. Meanwhile I'd be turning thirty soon...

I let out another sigh. I knew it would break dad's heart if I abandoned the business, but I couldn't help thinking I might have better luck with both work and my social life if I moved to the city.

After another minute or two I picked up my coffee for a sip before remembering it was cold.

That led to yet another sigh, and I considered closing the shop for a few minutes, to go down the block and grab another large latte at the chain coffee shop. Before I could make my mind up, the door opened and a potential customer came in.

I looked up and found myself staring at the girl as she approached the counter.

She was young, she couldn't have been more than sixteen. She was wearing a knee-length short-sleeve black dress and a pair of black mary-janes, and short black socks. Her hair was jet-black and perfectly straight, and hung part-way down her back. Her eyes were an unusual blend of gold and green, and her skin was a perfect alabaster. She sort of reminded me of Wednesday Addams, right down to the serious expression on her young face.

What stood out as strange was her hair and her lack of a coat or jacket. Outside it was typical blustery mid-October weather. Overcast, not quite raining, but with a cold wind coming down off the lake. Except she didn't have a hair out of place, and I'd have expected her arms and legs to be cold from the damp autumn air.

I pushed all those observations aside for now and smiled as I greeted her, "Hello there, what can I do for you?"

The girl was looking around quietly as she stood across the counter from where I was sitting. After a few moments she responded, "Hello. I'm interested in getting some piercings. I've heard you do a very good job."

I could smell the incense on her now, and realized she had to have come from Selene's shop. She wasn't acting like one of Selene's typical customers though. They were usually all smiles or giddiness. In a word, they were usually happy. Something about this girl seemed off. I tried to ignore all that though, if she was a customer then I sure didn't want to turn her away.

"You've come to the right place," I told her with another friendly smile. "However, there are some age requirements. If you're eighteen or over, I can pierce or tattoo just about anything you want. Sixteen or seventeen and all I can do for you is pierce your earlobes. Under sixteen and you'll need a parent to come and sign a waiver for you. And I will need to see some ID."

The girl looked thoughtful, then she reached up her right hand and placed an ID card on the counter. I picked up the card and frowned at it.

The picture matched her perfectly, like as if it was just taken a few minutes ago. That was the first thing that struck me as odd. Normally people's ID photos always looked at least a little off, sometimes a lot. Next I looked at the date of birth, and that was definitely off. According to her card, this kid was born in nineteen-ninety-six. The card looked legit though, it had all the correct security measures, including the hologram in the corner.

I raised an eyebrow, "It says here you're twenty-five years old. That seems..."

My voice trailed off for a few moments, then I asked "Sorry if this is a strange question, but did you just come from the occult store next-door? Did Selene help you?"

She smiled slightly, "Yes and no. I did come from Magic of the Moon, but Selene didn't help me. Not the way you're thinking, at least. I work there, part-time."

"Really?" I asked, and I couldn't hide my surprise. I didn't think her shop was ever busy enough for her to need help.

The girl still had that faint smile on her lips as she replied "Yes. Sorry we've never been properly introduced. I only work occasionally nowadays, and I've never had a shift on days when you've visited to speak with Selene. I've seen you come in though. I know your name is Danni, I'm Skye."

Her smile widened slightly and she added, "When I'm not working I usually keep Selene company, but I tend to look a little different."

My eyes widened as I glanced at the card again. Sure enough the name on there just said 'Skye'. There was nothing else, no middle name and no last name. For a few seconds I was speechless. I'd heard Selene mention Skye a few times but I always thought she was referring to her cat. Then the girl's comment about looking different hit me, but I couldn't believe what she was suggesting.

I handed her health card back to her as I shook my head, "You're joking. Are you trying to tell me you're..."

I couldn't bring myself to say it. I couldn't just ask this girl if she was Selene's little black cat. The cat who sat on her purple cushion on the end of the counter. The cat who'd never changed or grown in the past nine years. The cat who always stared at me whenever I was there talking to Selene. The little black cat with the gold-green eyes...

Skye's gold-green eyes almost seemed to sparkle in amusement as she asked, "So, can I get my ears pierced? I don't think I'm ready for anything more adventurous than that yet. I'd like little rings, like you have there."

She pointed to a couple CBRs at the bottom of my right helix.

"Those are half-inch diameter fourteen gauge captive ball rings," I said. "We don't normally use those for starting jewelry. We usually pierce lobes at sixteen gauge, but I can do fourteen. It's only a slightly larger needle. But barbells are a better choice for starter jewelry, they're better for healing."

"I understand," she replied calmly. "But I'd rather have those. Healing won't be a problem."

I hesitated, but I really didn't want to turn away a customer. Her ID said she was twenty-five, but she looked sixteen at most. The ID seemed genuine though. I debated with myself for a few more moments before I decided to give her what she wanted. If there was any trouble, at least I could say her health card looked legit.

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"Ok Skye," I finally replied. "It's sixty dollars for the piercings. Normally that comes with the sixteen gauge barbells, but I'll throw in a pair of fourteen gauge captive ball rings for another ten? They're normally ten each."

The hand that took her card back reached up and she placed five crisp new twenty-dollar bills on the counter. I figured she must have a hidden pocket in her dress or something, she didn't have a purse or handbag or anything else with her. I rang up the sale, and as I started counting out her change she shook her head.

"Keep the change. I understand I need to fill out a waiver?"

I nodded and gave her the form and a pen. It only took her a few minutes, and I noticed she listed her home address as Selene's shop. It all seemed in order though, so I filed it away and said "Ok, come with me."

I led her into the first little piercing room on the right, and she got comfortable on the chair. I washed my hands, then it took me a minute in the back room to get a sterile tray and needles. We had some sterilized CBRs, I checked the dates to make sure the sterilization was still valid then I took out a set of sterilized tools. Odds were I wouldn't need them but better to have them ready. Captive ball rings sometimes needed spreading or tightening, so the spreading and closing pliers might come in handy.

Finally I set the tray down next to where Skye was waiting, washed my hands again, then put on a pair of gloves.

The procedure was pretty straightforward, though the rings made it a tiny bit more challenging as new piercings. Skye was completely calm and quiet. I made the marks on her lobes and she nodded her approval after checking them in a mirror. There was only a very slight flinch when I pierced her right ear, then it took a bit of fiddling to get the ring through after the needle. I got the ball in place without the pliers, then repeated the whole process with her left ear.

I was just starting the clean-up when I heard the front door open as another customer came in.

"Excuse me a moment please," I said to Skye, then I stepped into the doorway of the cubicle to address the new arrival. "I'll be with you in a moment ok?"

I did a double-take as I recognized the teen girl who'd just come in. I did her earlobes about a week and a half ago. I couldn't see anything wrong with her ears from where I stood, but she didn't look great over-all. I didn't think she was sick, but she definitely looked stressed.

"It's Emily, isn't it?" I asked her. "Are you having a problem with your new piercings?"

She shook her head "No they're fine. I'll wait till you're done, if it's ok."

I nodded and turned back to check on Skye, and found she'd already got up out of the chair. She was standing before the full-length mirror on the side wall, inspecting her new bling. I quickly finished cleaning up, the used needles went into a sharps bin, the garbage went in the trash bin, and the tools and tray were left on the counter for now. I'd prep them for a run through the autoclave later on.

Finally I moved closer to Skye and asked, "What do you think?"

She was still looking at herself in the mirror, and as I watched I realized there was no sign of any redness or swelling. No hint that they'd just been pierced less a minute or two ago. In fact they already looked fully healed.

"I like them," she replied with a slight smile. "If you don't mind, I'm going to stay here for a few more moments to look them over."

"Ok..." I nodded slowly as I stared at her. I finally tore myself away and moved out to check on my other customer. I returned to stand behind the counter and asked, "What can I do for you Emily? How are the ears healing?"

She moved to stand at the counter opposite me. She still seemed anxious, but I couldn't see anything wrong with her ears. The lobes looked like they were healing well.

Emily hesitated, then leaned closer and spoke in a half whisper as she asked "You know stuff, right? You know about Selene and her store, you know the stuff she does? You... You know who I was, don't you? Who I used to be? Do you remember the first time we met?"

I found myself staring as my eyes widened slightly. In the sixteen years I worked here I'd lost count how many new piercings I'd done for people who came out of Selene's shop. It was rare but every now and then I'd recognize someone. Folks didn't usually come for tattoos or piercings before seeing Selene, but sometimes people came in here to ask directions because they hadn't realized her shop was around the corner. Then a few days or a week later someone very different would come in smelling of incense and looking for some bling, and I'd just get a feeling.

And maybe I'd gotten a little too casual about the whole thing. I'd smirk or smile or be otherwise amused, give them the odd knowing look or something like that when I knew or at least suspected they'd just received a miracle of their own.

That's what I did when Emily came in a little while back to get her earlobes done. I saw that name on her waiver and just knew a few days earlier this cute young teen girl was Detective Collier. But I never said anything. I never actually mentioned the tall annoying cop who'd been in here snooping around a few days before the smiling happy teen came in for some bling.

And never in all my years had I ever had someone directly ask me if I knew who they used to be.

"Please Danni," she looked and sounded almost desperate. "Please tell me you remember? I need to talk to someone, and I don't know where else to turn. Nobody else knows, nobody else remembers."

Looking at her I couldn't help wondering what happened to the smiles and the happiness. It was only ten days ago, but it felt like something had gone drastically wrong in that short time.

I nodded slowly, and replied in a half-whisper "I remember."

Emily let out a sigh of relief. She was about to say something else when she looked past me and her eyes widened.

From the doorway to the piercing room, Skye asked "Is there something wrong Emily? Why wouldn't you tell Selene or myself?"

I glanced back and forth between the two teen girls. Skye had a slight frown on her face and her head was tilted to one side just like cats do when they're curious. Meanwhile Emily's eyes stayed wide and her face had gone pale. She looked shocked, and she seemed like she was on the verge of tears.

Emily gulped as she stared at Skye. "I... I didn't want to seem ungrateful. And I was afraid, I thought if you found out you'd... Maybe you'd just undo everything."

Skye sighed, she actually looked sad as she moved from the piercing room and approached the counter. "I would never do that Emily, neither would Selene. If something's wrong, please let me make it right?"

I finally asked, "So I take it you two know each other?"