“Hey, girl.” A putrid voice hurled toward her. Ten spidery fingers wet with acid spit reached up, picked at her loose dress, and skittered up and down her bare legs. “Come down here and join us. We got some nice toys for you to play with.” The one who spoke licked the blade of his knife while others snapped their belts and threatened her with tight fists.

Male laughter fought through her ears and set off her stomach. Bile churned, threatened to surge past her teeth and coat her body in sick. She rocked back and forth, silently chanting a spell of fading protection.

Ten fingers still touching.

I will be okay.

Stomach still falling.

I will be okay.

Bodies still threatening…I will be okay…taunting…I will be okay…waiting.

She was “punished” for being different. It was “fun.”

I will be okay.

Above.

Above.

Above.

“Don’tcha wanna see what we got waitin’?”

Lick. Snap. Pound.

No, go away, go away. “I’m fine up here.”

“Aw, come on. It’ll be fun.”

Lick. Snap. Pound.

Help! Go away! Help me! “No thank you. I’m fine.”

“Whoo, boys! Ain’t she cute, so proper.”

More spiders bit at her legs, filling her with poison. Daring her stomach.

“Rheena!” Her birth mother paused the girl’s hell. “Oh, hello, boys. Shouldn’t y’all be gettin’ ready?” Rheena unpinched her eyes, stomach relaxing. “Well then, pick up your jaws and get goin’.” They smirked hexes toward the girl and were gone.

For now.

“Ugh. You need to learn to stop distractin’ them from their duties. Whore.”

With one arm she ripped Rheena down from her seat of dreams and let her topple to the mud below. “It is almost time for the kill. We must prepare them to go. Above.” She thrust one glowing shoulder toward the heavens, scrunching with fear and disgust; the last word a whisper. Her celestine blue eyes flicked, aware of the commotion around them. The hunters gathering their killing tools. Rheena could not see into the dark that engulfed them. “Come, girl. Wipe yourself off, you’re always so filthy. I’ll never get why you sit up there near the sun and risk bein’ seen by one of them Others.” Again, a whisper. As if speaking their name would tag those Below for death. Rheena smiled inside, hoping so. “It’s morbid, Rheena. Revoltin’.” She followed her birth mother’s rant, dancing around pale bodies that shuffled about heavy and quiet with angst, until the opening of their cave was reached.

“Umm, excuse me?”

A sigh hissed past her birth mother’s lips as she turned toward Rheena. “What is it now?”

“Could I go Above, with the men? Just once?”

“You are such a stupid, stupid girl.”

Rheena was made to stand outside the mouth of their dwelling, invited in only when her father could be bothered with the sight of her. She nervously watched glowing figures buzz in and out of the openings of their hivelike residence. Don’t leave me alone. Out here. With them.

“Do we really have to do this shit every single month?” The familiar speech from her birth father could be heard booming from outside their den where Rheena waited.

Always waiting.

“You women do not go Above, especially to hunt. It’s men’s work. Part of bein’ a man. Why does that girl keep havin’ to ask? She’s gotta know that my answer’s gonna be the same. No!” He paused, but as with all of the men Below he did not expect or want his wife’s response. “Now bring her in here and I’ll tell her. Again.” The creak of his large wooden chair signaled that he had sat, exhausted and repulsed by the girl waiting outside. Like the months and years before, she tensed, waiting for her birth mother to shove her back inside to be greeted by her father’s mask of hate and disgust.

But this time, something changed.

Rheena’s birth mother cleared her throat; her voice shook with hesitation. “Should we actually stop her this time?” No answer. “I mean, she desires the Above so bad she will probably kill herself just tryin’ to go up there. Shouldn’t you just let her go?” The birth mother hurried along, allowing, hoping for no interruption. “No one’ll ever pick her to breed, and she can’t see good enough to even do simple tasks that need to be done around a house and for a man. We’ll be stuck with her and everyone’ll always look at you and me like we’re no better than them that never grow. Really, you have done everything you can for that girl. So, I’m gonna ask again, should you stop her?”

“No.”

One word decided fate.

One word proved love.

One word: free.

Her birth mother, the inventor of Rheena’s new end, tore out of their cave, wrenched the girl’s arm from her side, dragged her down a musty corridor, and thrust her into a large hole beneath the earth. With hateful satisfaction, her birth mother left the glowing inhabitants of the massive area firm instruction: “She is to go Above with your men as they hunt. She is not to return.” Rheena received nothing from the woman as she left.

Surrounded by hunters.

Surrounded by fear.

They waited for the final curve of the sun to set. There was no threat from the Others when night rose. The towering creatures were unable to survive in the absence of their sun. For stepping into the moon’s time, the dark, awakened the Reaper.

The men Below began their ascent herded together. The mass grew hot with testosterone and killing fantasies. Rheena was groped, pushed, tripped forward as they marched

up

up

up

out of their hole.

Ants.

Crisp air still sprinkled with sun swirled around the girl birthed from the earth. Hunters scattered as she stood, motionless and thankful.

At last.

Inexperienced and young, she had no plan.

Only hope.

Always hope.

“Rheena.” Her earth name floated, kissing the sky, murmuring good-byes. Home. Have I found you?

Light from the rising moon rubbed the dark of her hair. It shone onyx appreciation. The nameless looked around. Her old tribe shot arrows of annoyance and hate into her alien figure. They knew she did not join them for the hunt. The care she used when maneuvering through the thick grasses made their anger boil. How could she respect the Above? The grass tangled her new limbs, threatening to pull her back to where she was filthy stupid fun. She looked up as they looked out. She stood with arms outstretched as they crouched in hiding, waiting.

Always waiting.

They sank deeper into the tall grass, camouflage. Neglecting her Above as they had Below.

Except one. A man’s ten spidery fingers wet with acid wove silent promises into her soul.

I will hunt you.

Find you.

Kill you. Lick you dry.

Freak.