Ink in the Blood

The anonymous narrator of 'Ink in the Blood' has long been fascinated by tattoos. As an artist who makes his living by drawing illustrations, the narrator starts making designs for Dmitri, a skilled tattooist, who eventually decides to undergo the process himself. He chooses a Latin phrase in the form of a cross: vulnerant omnes, ultima necat, or, 'they all (the hours) wound, the last one kills'. But once it has been done, his whole being seems to change, his feelings about himself, and, especially, his attitude to women. Soon, however, the first two words of the tattoo fade and 'ultima necat' becomes a threat dominating his life.