Etched Imprint

The damp cloth drags across the skin, meeting a gritty resistance that refuses to yield against the stubborn pigment. Beneath the scrubbing, the copper has seeped into every pore like ink into limestone, leaving behind a dark, indelible stain. This mark suggests that each attempt at shedding is merely another layer in a slow descent toward petrified stratification. What once felt like temporary adornment now rests as an unyielding foundation for all that remains.