Short Story : It Costs an Arm

Illustration by Gabriel Vasconcelos.

Paul was a fan of the singer ***. Like millions of people around the world, he followed every move the artist made online and was willing to spend hundreds of dollars to buy items that had been used by the artist, who had turned his private life into a marketplace.

Unfortunately, some artists shine too brightly too soon, and carried away by their momentum, they burn out prematurely.

The singer’s death was a shock to the entire world, an artistic tragedy and a financial orgy. Everything that had belonged to him in life, and that fans possessed, flooded the art market and other auction networks. Money was flowing everywhere, it was madness! No one could have predicted such fervor.

Certainly not Paul, the evening he walked into a tattoo parlor that was surprisingly open so late. He was a little drunk, having spent the evening drinking at a bar with his friends. It was the alcohol that helped him reconsider an idea he had had as a young man — to get a tattoo of an axe, supposedly the family emblem, on the inside of his arm.

The tattoo artist agreed to make the design, having nothing else to do, as he was an insomniac.

While Paul was taking off his t-shirt and the tattoo artist was preparing his ink and tools, a man entered the parlor. It was none other than the singer ***, who was also surprised to find a tattoo artist open at this hour. Drawn in by the light, he had come with an idea in mind.

Astonished, Paul abandoned his idea of the family axe and, in a fit of madness, dared to ask his idol to sign his arm with the tattoo artist's needle. It was a unique idea that immediately captivated the artist. In just a few minutes, and with some awkwardness, Paul’s arm became a minor work of art.

At the singer's funeral, the tattoo artist was in his parlor, watching the live broadcast with a client. He remembered that night of insomnia and shared it as a nostalgic anecdote with one of the most talkative people of his generation.

Initially a rumor — the story of a man tattooed by the singer’s hand — it became a reality when Paul’s identity was revealed on social media. He then became the prey of thousands of fans eager to trade a limb for his. Some tried, and others kidnapped him to attempt to cut off his arm. The police had to intervene several times to ensure his safety.

Paul eventually came to realize the value of his arm and was tempted by the allure of money. Despite the astronomical sums he received, Paul never wanted to part with his arm. One of the buyers offered that he keep his arm, provided he no longer used it, to avoid damaging the artwork.

Amid his newfound wealth, Paul’s arm began to show signs of weakness. Quickly, its vital functions deteriorated due to inactivity, and amputation became necessary to save Paul’s life and the life of the artwork.

Paul's arm was resold again, and then someone had the idea of cutting it into small pieces and selling them as relics.

As for Paul, still alive and almost whole, he retired. He bought a house by the sea and is taking several courses to learn how to live with a prosthesis. With advancements in the field being remarkable, Paul says it’s as if nothing ever happened.