She stumbled into a dark cave, her breath clouding into the cold mist of the room. As she slid down against the moist rock, a grumble echoed from behind her. A yellow glow filtered into the darkened room, uncovering not one, but two hydras nearly snout to snout with each other. Their eyes slid open as they glared at each other. Blackened pupils wrapped around amber slits speckled with green. Their breath exploded suddenly, filling the cave with deafening roars and flames. Gasping, she turned and ran toward the exit. Flames surrounded her, fanned toward the ground. As she turned for one final glance, a large bird, aflame with crimson and honeyed feathers rose from in between the two hyrdras. The cave opened as the bird stretched and grew, furiously feeding upon the fury between the two battling wyrms. Extending it’s eyes upward, the bird continued the skyward flight, desperate to escape the chaos and carnage. She stared, unable to stop watching even as the flames swallowed her whole.

Sitting suddenly in bed, heart seizing and breath breaking, she gulped deeply of the life still fighting within her. Stumbling to the bathroom, she glanced in the mirror. Resting upon the whole of her back and wrapping around to her hips and shoulders, two angry dragons birthing a spectacular Phoenix caught her eye as she passed the mirror in the hall. She smiled, finding refuge in the brute force impregnanted just beneath her skin.

This post inspired by today’s Write on Edge prompt – Tattoos. The above describes the tattoo I have planned for my entire back, hips, and upper shoulders once I hit my goal weight. I’ve wanted this tattoo for several years now and cannot wait until I finally have it inked on my skin. Given everything I’ve been through, this tattoo will be extremely powerful and meaningful for me. Want to read more stories about tattoos? Go check out the Write on Edge prompt today.