Spring Face by: Rose Dobson, Ceramics, 2015.
Patient Z
by: Jenise
Beauty in society is seen as the most important thing anyone can have. Of course they mean outer beauty, he was no exception. But he was extraordinary in his thoughts pertaining to society’s important views.
Men have never been known for their attention to that which is pleasing to the eye. Many are blinded by forged fairness from both men and women. Yet this man was different. He saw beauty not in people’s appearances; instead he saw beauty in the shape of zebra patterns.
His mind was obsessed with zebra patterns of all kinds. That was the elegance he searched for in others. He himself was so obsessed that, somewhere along his search for the perfect pattern in a human, became trapped in a world of illusions.
Day after day he searched; he scavenged the streets bent on finding the perfect pattern. People worried about his health. But nothing could be done.
Upon seeing his reflection one day, his delusions over took all sense he might have had. He wondered around the slums of town until he found a fix to what he so desperately scavenged for.
There in neon light, under the dark of night, shown a shop. Tattoos, it read, Patient Z wondered in. Without much protest the tattoo artist listened to him rant. Money was no object, nor was time.
The man went and sat down into what was soon to be his dream come true. His desire, find a human with beautiful patterns that resembled that of zebra stripes, but his search was in vain.
“Man, are you sure about this?” The heavily tattooed tattoo artist asked. Without second thought a nod was given and hours … day … of pain and labor began.
Head to toe the man was covered by black ink tattoos of intricate styles that matched his wanting of a zebra pattern. He left content.
Children were hidden from the man as he walked down the streets. People shunned him, for he was not the idea of beauty that everyone knew. But inside his mind, he was gorgeous.
Time went on. The ink faded and his obsession had only grown worse. Mentally the man was gone. He had begun to embrace the lifestyles of a zebra. Eating grass, challenging those who threatened his lifestyle, he even greeted people as if he were the stallion of a pack. People knew him as the human zebra.
Everything was perfect in his mind until the day someone ridiculed his fading elegance.
“Those tattoos are terrible, who would ever think of such an idea. This,” He showed off his sleeves of art to the zebra man. “Is what quality tattoo art looks like.” Hurt the man became angered. He grabbed the man who had spoken cruelly about his marks and tortured him.
Slowly, he carved into the others mans skin the patterns that had overtaken His mind. Screams erupted from the victim. Agony covered his face. But the stallion committing the act felt as if he was god.
“Beauty is this.” Eyes crazed he carved the man’s skin with wonderfully intricate patterns.
Strips of skin decorated the man’s home. The body of his creation lay limp crying in pain.
“Beauty is this.” He repeated to his creature.
“Beauty is what I choose to think is beautiful.” He took the knife he had used to sculpt his master piece and began on his own restoration.
Patient Z died of infection, before his death he made three others. They also died of infection. Each one was covered in a pattern that was not like any other, unique and morbidly beautiful.
Patient Z was unstable but, he knew that beauty is perceived by everyone differently. Beauty is the cause of death for those who obsess over it.