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After about ten minutes, I slow down to a walk. My crying has stopped, but I still feel like I’m dreaming. I’m living this nightmare that never ends, reminding me once again that not all dreams are good. I know this better than most Earthlings.
That’s why I hate when people make those weird wishes about their dreams coming true. Who really wants that? Some dreams are nightmares. Even if you think you know what you’re asking for, you don’t. Not always. Not even usually.
My running has brought me close to town, near to where I brought the herbs. I haven’t seen any animals yet, which is unusual. Usually there are at least a few stray dogs running around. Sometimes there are even cats. Despite my tears, I manage to calm down long enough to wonder where the animals have gone.
Why aren’t there any around?
Instead of heading to the city center, I veer around the outside of the village. I notice the lights coming from just beyond the edges of the dilapidated buildings.
There used to be a school and some other things in this area. Maybe even a government office. I’m not sure. Now it’s just used as a landing area when aliens come to Earth. Still, we aren’t getting any of those again, so why is it lit? There shouldn’t be any lights over here.
There shouldn’t be any people.
Curiosity starts to overtake my emotions. Instead of feeling extreme pain my heart, I’m feeling something else. I’m calming down and now, instead of heading for the village, I’m walking toward the light. I duck under the barbed wire fence that goes around the old school building. It’s falling down and wouldn’t keep a mouse out, let alone an intruder.
Around the back of the building, I have a clear view of a large, hovering spaceship. Lights are shining all around it, although less than there usually are.
What the hell?
Slowly, cautiously, I approach the ship. Why is it here? Is this the Taneyemm ship? Surely it can’t be. I know all about that ship and I know that more than anything else, the Taneyemm ship was supposed to leave yesterday. We all thought it did, so why is it here? All thoughts of my father vanish as I wonder – stupidly, perhaps – whether there’s any chance I could get on board.
If I stay on Earth, I’ll wander around until I kill myself or starve to death. There is no one here to look after me, no one here to care for me. There’s no one here to make sure I’m eating or drinking water or staying alive. Everyone is so busy looking after their own that the best damn thing I can do for my village is to die.
There are people moving between the ship and the ground, loading large boxes and cargo. I peek from around a boulder, my eyes prying into the darkness. There are 10 or 15 humans walking around. One has a clipboard and appears to be checking items off a list as the others move
around, taking and giving orders.
I’m about 30 yards from the entrance to the ship. Right now, there’s no chance I’d be able to sneak onboard undetected. Without a plan, without money, without hope, how am I going to get on?
Earth is dying and I don’t want to die with it. My father is dead. Gone. Even if I’d been willing to leave him before, there was no chance we could afford it, but now? Now I’m a desperate woman and freedom is within my grasp.
I watch for about half an hour. Suddenly, the man with the clipboard says something in a language I don’t understand, and most of the group heads on board. Two of the men don’t. They walk over to where I’m standing, and I scurry back behind the boulder. They stand on the other side, facing the ship, and start speaking.
This time, I can understand them. I think they’re eating something or smoking something because a sweet scent wafts in the air, but I don’t recognize it.
“I’ll be damn glad to leave this planet,” one man says. The other one makes a noise that sounds like agreement. “Two weeks is long enough. I can’t believe Hal shorted us a girl.”
“Fucking Hal,” the other man agrees, and my ears perk up. They’re missing a girl?
“I mean, I know it’s sad and all. Don’t get me wrong, but uh, in case she didn’t notice, her planet is sort of trash.”
“What did Hal say the problem was?”
“She decided to stay. Didn’t want to leave her family. Now we’re one short and we were already running behind. He needs another girl, a young one, within the next four hours or that signing bonus he promised? Gone.”
The second man makes another noise and I get the distinct impression he’s a man of few words. What did he say, though? They need a girl. I glance down at myself, realizing I’m nothing to look at. My faded leather slippers are worn and dirty. My dress is really just a plain brown shift that’s quite ordinary and nothing special, but my father always told me that my eyes are nice. Maybe they’ll think the same thing.
Maybe I could be the girl they need.
I don’t know what it is they need females for and to be honest, I don’t care. If it means getting off Earth, isn’t that enough?
“We need to get back before Jenika gives us shit,” the first man says again, and I hear a shuffling sound. This is it, I realize. It’s now or never. I need to speak up, stand up, or my chance will be lost.
“Wait!” I cry out, more softly than I had intended to. Still, they hear me, and they both turn around as I run over. One of them drops whatever he had been smoking. Some sort of pipe. It clatters on the cracked pavement, but they both ignore the sound and stare at me as I scurry over.
The men are both taller than any humans I’ve ever seen. I’d guess they’re at least six feet tall, maybe taller. I know humans used to be taller, but these days? These days I’m considered a giant at five-and-a-half feet. Their eyes are bright and sparkly, even in the dim lighting that surrounds the ship. I wonder where they’re from. Are they from Taneyemm or somewhere else? Are they natives or were they recruited to come here?
I can’t help but feeling very, very small as I approach the men. I come to a quick stop in front of them, and they both just stare, open-mouthed at me.
