[ WP ] When someone is murdered , their name appears on the skin of the killer . You wake up with a name on your arm and no knowledge of how it got there .

Mom always told me not to wear long-sleeved shirts. I obeyed, of course. 
 It would always make people talk when they saw a name on your skin. They would n't ask, they'd just whisper. 
 
 When I traveled to Guatemala, I saw a police officer with his arm covered with people's names. I would later learn he was a war hero. 
 
 This was normal in my world, of course. Somehow your occupation would justify the number of people you shot in the head. I'd imagine it were the same in yours? 
 
 In one of my college classes, someone broke down as the word `` Lily'' slowly etched into his skin. She was the girl he had accidentally given the wrong medicine to. How was anyone supposed to know she was allergic to Advil? 
 
 There's a different group that handles these cases. You make your plea and they investigate. If they decide you were innocent, you would be given a special tattoo over that name, a white rose. My dad has one over granddad's name. Gramps wanted it. The machines were more of a nuisance for him. 
 
 Dad taught me how to file a pardon. You would have to download a form online and fill it out then mail it to them. They'd get back to you 3 days later. 
 
 I wrote his name down under the'deceased' blank. I sighed as I looked at my left arm, the skin just hanging limply on the bones. *John, I'm so sorry. * Cause of death: overdose. 
 You'd have to fill in the rest, write a narrative of your side of the story. 
 
 My fingers were shaking. Tears filled my eyes. *I loved him too much. * 
 *I did n't know what to do. * 
 *I wanted him all to myself so I gave him more. I kept on giving because I knew it was why he'd come back to me. * 
 *I did n't know this would happen. * 
 
 There were white lies and white lines. 
 I looked at my bedside table. The clock said 8:30 PM. John should have been here. He'd get the rows on right, and mine would be on the left. There was no John anymore though. 8:31 PM. I'll see you in a few, my love.
