Kisses from Hell

One

Earth.

She sits in her belly, swallowed by dirt,

desolate

bruised

broken.

Part of the world no one desires, entombed among creatures that slime and bloat with waste.

She is a tree root stuck below:

suffocating,

twisting to break

free.

Whispers from those that surround her tell

“you are safe

held in a warm embrace

Below.”

She is a virgin of safety. Always intimidated, attacked, tormented.

No air. No light. No possibility or wonder, joy, love, protection.

Home

she has not found you.

But Above…

The thought tickles her heart and makes her tan skin melt, sticky and warm. Her daydreams float images of happiness Above.

Above, she can be alive.

Above, she can be safe.

Anywhere is better than Below.

From her perch Below, she stares up. Her hair, the color of fallen leaves in dry season, falls down the back of her fur garment. Her neck muscles tight with dreaming. A crack in the hollow earth glistens with heat of a setting sun. Its width and length greatly reveals the blue Above and the possibility of looking upon

the Others.

She waits, searching for a glimpse.

Shaking with anticipation, excitement, her body sips shallow, noiseless breaths. If she reached up, her fingertips could play peekaboo with the floor of Above.

There! An Other! Heading to shelter, its home in the trees, as its sun fades. Its sweet smell drips through the cracks of her cocoon. Shattering fear.

They, the Others, are high-reaching and jointless. Their skin, barely covered by the hides of their kills, the dark of wet earth. She matches them, the Others. She too is dark skinned. Not the shiny brightness of stars like the ones Below; their pupils large, sucking light from the nothing.

She is unique, evolved, brave.

Her difference, the seed of abuse.

She touches, sees, hears, smells, tastes, wants…different.

Alone in a pit of ancestors who have forever grown Below. Who have forever grown afraid of the light and the Others Above, created strong and deadly, who survive by it.

She has been exposed to sixteen years of fear and hate, warned of the murdering Others that stalk Above, waiting to suck out bones of those Below who are captured. Their skin sacks left to ooze and twitch on mounds together, eyes left open to watch the flies hatch families of their own.

Still, she is forever in awe of the openness that is Above.

Sitting, staring, waiting, she dreams of an escape from Below, from her torturers who eat at her soul like grubs. A new life, name, family, home. To touch the sun’s warmth and drink the moon’s calm rays.

To love and be free.

To love and be wanted.

To love and be avenged.

Two

“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.

Three

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.

Four

She separated, nameless. Her cord cut.

Alive.

A broken spirit, she gently toured the mossy forest floor wide eyed, happy. She greeted the trees with her palms and poured her bare feet over their roots. She could feel the remnants of heat left by the summer sun and thanked the skies for their breeze.

The hunters were still close. She had not yet escaped the proud, primal outbursts of the kill. A wounded animal’s cry shattered through new friends’ trunks. It frightened her bruised body and flipped her down on the crunch of leaves.

The fall

soft. Deceptive.

What sat in wait under,

betrayal. Always waiting.

An Other’s trap of rope had sprung. The nameless girl hurled back. Her friend’s rough, thick frame proved unforgiving. Black spotted before her eyes, wordless beetles.

Five

The sun awoke and knocked on Sol’s open window. Without its presence his sleep was a coma. It tickled his neck and danced in song on his bare ebony chest.

Wake up, sleepyhead.

Do not go straight back to bed.

It’s time to rise! It’s time to shine!

It’s time to open your trap and dine!

Music, passion. Wove jingles from nothing.

Open your trap and dine? “That is correct. I should have one from Below waiting.”

Waiting?

Captured, hooked, snagged.

Hostage.

Murderer.

The Other wrung his mantis fingers, cracked his giraffe neck in preparation.

Ritualistic.

His kill. His feelings. His movements. All planned. Forever the same.

Murderer.

Sol opened the front door, calm.

Murderer.

Eyes closed, arms opening to embrace the scream that would engulf him. Part of his present.

Murderer.

But nothing. His gift echoed no noise.

Murderer.

“Nothing?” Sol deflated. Eyes cracked open. “Wait.”

A something.

He robotically approached.

“What are you?”

The rope and leaves released, spilling the nameless. A young woman. Wrong color skin. He yearned for cloud white.

Wrong. All wrong.

Birdlike, he twitched fascination, curiosity. No emotion, never any.

She is unseen, alone, new.

He carried her inside. Placed her in his bed.

Effortless power. Strength of the gods. Speed stolen from wind.

Was this act compassion?

No. Never any.

This was wonder. Emotionless.

Six

With the sun awake, watching, he stayed hidden beneath dead leaves, dead bark, dead dirt.

Separated from the other hunters. There could be no witnesses.

Coward.

“Whore thinks she can run away and we’ll just forget about her. Fucking freak.” Psychotic laughter fell off worm-wet lips and wrapped around the knife. His knife. “No, no, no. We weren’t done playin’. I say when it’s over, an’ it ain’t over yet.” He slept with the stink, waiting for the moon.

Killer. Coward.

The torture tool whispered, sadistic. Craving. Happy. Kill her.

We will kill.

Bleed her.

Bleed her, taste her, lick her dry.

She asked for it. For us to kill.

Born a freak.

Kill kill kill kill killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill. Yummmmm.

Seven

The girl awoke to touchable sounds.

And sun.

Thick vibrations twisted in its heat, comforting waves uncovered consciousness, washed over her body, healing, empowering.

Black pulled back from her eyes, revealing alien surroundings. She sat up. No words could roll from her mouth. A mind sinking heavy and blank. The music that had pulled her back to life ceased. Allowing pain to drill holes, invade from skull to spine. She winced, teeth grinding, reality fading, sleep racing to catch her. It was interrupted, cut off by deep molasses.

“You are safe here.”

Emotionless wonder.

Safe. You, girl, nameless, unwanted, abused, discarded. Are safe.

She turned to him, corking pain. Every beat of her heart matched a blink of his eyes, eggs dipped in emerald mystery, suspended in a face smooth and unlined. Below could be consumed, wither in those eyes.

Sol nodded and continued to play.

Music. But this was different from the harsh beats from Below.

This was passion.

The Other’s smooth black frame melted into the female-shaped string instrument, becoming fluid. Ink plucked off the pages he played from, constructed as man.

His music choked her insides.

Reshaping.

Making new.

Tears pricked her eyes, jumped from her chin, slid through her neck. Seen by the sun. Nude. New. Exposed.

His song ended and his eyes toured the wet face. Innocent, beautiful.

Beautiful. You, girl, nameless, unwanted, abused, discarded. Are beautiful.

“I have upset you?”

Pause

only the leaves rustled in reply.

“You need not be frightened. I will do you no harm. You are too…changed.”

Emotionless wonder.

The girl blinked slowly, pushing doubt from her eyes. He was next to her. An Other.

Five feet took only a moment.

Cold blew from his smooth frame. Sewed chills through her arms.

“Well, I should be afraid, but…”

I am too changed?

“But I’m not.”

Pain from the journey upward, to protection, sprang active. Her head burned hot, angry.

Eyes closed

she coiled her legs to her chest.

Sinking again

into opaque sleep.

Sol caught the nameless new girl, kept her from crashing.

A mistake?

Their species was not destined to feel without murder. Not designed for natural emotion.

With her touch he now felt all.

Sucked hurt and burn from her body

filtered through him

leaving shadows of emotion.

Green crystal eyes shook with her pain

her wants

her needs.

Let go!

She is unique.

The Other looked at her

alone

unsure

beautiful.

Not knowing what happened.

Wanting more.

Wonder fled.

Desire consumed.

Eight

She had felt the connection.

Her life, a puzzle.

Pieces hidden.

One found.

The Other blinked, stood. Again empty of emotion.

Rational.

“I am Sol.”

He wanted her touch. Not her words.

“Oh, umm…”

Peeling her eyes from his,

she searched for a new identity,

not wanting to be tied to the harshness of her given name.

“Aurora. I am Aurora.”

She pointed toward her chest as if forcing the name within her heart. A cool, sun-scented breeze played with the ripe auburn of her tangled hair as she looked around the small room. Her eyes lifted to the windows, and she could see that she was no longer near the earth. Aurora jutted her neck forward and rushed past Sol to the line of windows opposite her.

Her body tense with excitement and wonder.

“How did I get here?”

Her dangerous journey to his place in the trees had warped memories.

“I caught you. You were unconscious, so I brought you in here and waited with you.”

Rational.

Emotion?

Never. Not any.

Except

with her touch.

“You caught me?”

She turned to him. Her positivity turning to annoyance and fear. Pictures of her past becoming clear.

Could this be the end?

No. She had felt something. They had felt something.

A beginning.

She believed what he had said. She was safe. There. With him.

And

she was too changed.

Aurora let her question, her doubt slide out her ears

down her shoulders

out the window.

She wanted nothing to get in the way of what she was feeling.

Finally feeling.

Finally trusting.

Finally happy.

But still, curiosity lingered.

She crossed the room. Back to him.

“Tell me why you kill. I want to understand.”

Nine

He had listened to her words, but could only focus on her lips.

They had barely moved

yet said so much.

Sol wanted to press his close to hers and feel. Block out words and let bodies rush together.

He let his fantasies mellow before speaking.

“Come with me.”

He led her deep into his home and gestured for her to sit at a table covered in papers. Musical dots and tails flicked across the pages.

He took a seat across from her.

“The people you are from, their bodies are luminescent, their pupils consume and reach out for light. That light that courses through them gives us something here, Above.

Something that we must drain.

Something that we must drink.”

His lips parted. A row of teeth revealed. All the same.

He pushed his eyelids together.

Wait.

Two, different.

He had released his canines. Carved to points. Sharp. Deadly.

And gone.

“I do it for this. My music. What you heard, what awakened you, I cannot create

alone.

Without your people, their brilliance

I cannot imagine.

I, we are absent

of feeling, touching.

Of having

true emotion.”

Sol fluttered his fingers toward her, daring himself to touch.

“I do not need it to live;

I need it to be alive.

But you, Aurora, you are extraordinary.”

Her heart crept toward her throat. She wanted to pull him to her and sob thank-yous into his chest.

Am I home?

“Your touch can fill me with the same life I would have had to kill for.”

Aurora knew she should, but could not be disgusted by him and could not fear him. She had felt the same hooded emotions in her cell Below.

Those are not my people now. They never were.

Without thinking, she slid her hand on his. It was cool stone beneath her fingers.

His eyes began to roll back and he closed them, inhaling.

“What do you feel?” Aurora whispered.

Sol smiled and opened his eyes. Aurora sat before him, waiting for approval.

“Everything.”

She is beauty.

Sol reached across the narrow table and led her face to his.

Warm lips touched, pressed. Exchanged new feelings.

Warm lips pressed, parted. Connecting secrets.

He had circled the table without leaving her and now tucked her body within his. He kissed her deeper and felt his fangs jut out.

He pulled his mouth from hers.

His first time

embarrassed.

Aurora smiled and slid her finger back and forth across the points of his teeth. “It’s okay.”

She accepted him, wanted him completely.

No more waiting.

She pulled him back to her.

Music, his music, fell through her body.

Desire loosened her hands as she fumbled with buttons, zippers, ties. She had never wanted, never meant, never felt so much.

Love, home, she has found you.

Ten

Night awoke and stirred sleeping promises.

Moonlight crept into the hidden two.

Killer. Coward.

Wake.

You must wake.

We must hunt.

The man sprang up. Fueled by the decay of his bed and sick, sweet pictures of a blood-covered girl.

Killer. Coward.

He scraped his drool onto the knife, charging it for its upcoming task.

Find her.

Killer her. The freak. The whore.

We must kill.

Now now now now nownownownownownownownow-nownownownow. GO!!!!!!!

He skittered across the floor of Above. She would be easy to find. He knew her voice. He knew her smell. He knew she was close.

Eleven

Sol lay next to beauty, love. Staring into her as she spoke of her past, her dreams, hopes, wants, needs, love.

Not touching.

Still feeling.

She had changed him.

He had emotion without her touch. Within her, he had found himself.

Twelve

“Of course, the first thing she’s gonna go do is hook up with one o’ them Others and be some murderer’s slut. But he can’t protect you now, no sir. He can’t protect you at all.”

His deranged rants were heard and answered:

You must teach her.

She needs to learn a lesson.

Bleed her, taste her, lick her dry.

She asked for it. For us to kill.

He slithered up up up. Tearing clothes, scraping flesh. Unaware of pain. His knife calm, waiting nestled between wet teeth.

Killer. Coward.

He had reached her. Rough bark stuck to his hands, sweaty with desire, anticipation. Night cloaked him, but he still stood in shadow, drinking in the moments before he was realized by his prey.

She asked for it.

Kill her.

He released the blade from his mouth and painted his lips with its excess spit.

Kill her.

His breath quickened, revealing his presence. She quickly turned and his body began to tingle.

“Let’s see what’s under that blanket, girl.”

Before she could scream, run, fight, feel, process, he was on her. She landed with a thwack on the wooden porch. Her blanket torn open as he sat on her twisting bare stomach. Four spider fingers fought past her teeth and pinned her tongue.

“Shh, shh, shh, don’t cry. It’s gonna be fun.”

Thirteen

Sol awoke to find the space next to him empty and the sun silent.

Every room.

Vacant, alone.

But the front door

open.

“Aurora? Are you out there?”

New feeling flooded.

Panic, misery, denial, anguish tore from his stomach, splashed at his feet, and bought Sol to his hands and knees.

“Nononononononono.” Whispers.

He crawled to her.

Innocent, beautiful.

Her mouth, eyes open. Her body, too white.

Too changed.

Only two colors:

Dirt.

Blood.

Brown and red fingerprints painted morbid petals across her slashed frame.

So much blood.

Too much blood.

And a word.

He saw it as he bundled her back in the blanket.

She looked so cold, alone.

She looked so cold, alone…dead.

A word carved.

A word carved into a cheek.

FREAK

He touched the leathery lettering. She had left him one last gift. Images flicked through his mind.

Of a man.

Of a knife.

Of Below.

A new emotion began to breed beneath his skin.

Rage?

Yes.

Always.

He tucked her into his bed.

Keeping her safe.

And robotically exited his home and stepped off the edge of the deck.

Dry leaves crunched under bare feet as he landed.

Blood, her blood, had dripped a trail of success that led to Below.

Sol followed. Feet so fast, he flew.

This man was no more. This lover, friend, companion, shelter, home

no longer in existence.

He had died with her.

I will kill you all.

Fourteen

Where the hunters exited, Sol entered. Only one man on guard. Eyes closed, feet propped, watching.

The tall black figure twisted the guard’s head.

Off.

Surprise.

No noise.

Only rage. Always rage.

The Other proceeded to the doorway, feeling along the walls as he went.

Blind. This is how she felt.

His throat began to descend to his stomach, and he forced it back.

Only rage. Always rage.

He reached the corridor. No one. This was their night. Their time for rest. He possessed too much power, was possessed by too much fury for their sleeping numbers to affect his plan.

I will help you rest. I will kill you all.

The nightmare drifted from cave to cave. A twisted shadow stealing life.

Collared by loss, led by wrath.

As he coasted through Below searching for more to extinguish,

he smelled it.

He smelled her.

The creature rushed the scent and was greeted by a ticklish laughter. “I knew you’d come. I could feel it. Just like I felt her.”

The glowing figure twirled a blade in his hands and pressed its flat surface hard down his

nose

lips

tongue.

Eyes rolled back with every lick. “That freak.”

The word was barely finished, yet the creature had pounced and pinned its prey. The wall of dirt, hard beneath the man’s shoulders.

Laughter kept falling.

“It

was

fun.”

The Other’s grip on the glowing’s shoulder squeezed tighter. Thumbs pushed past flesh, muscle, struck bone. “And so is this.” The Other unleashed his teeth and tore down the man’s face. He ripped through his neck.

Shucking skin.

No more laughter.

Only loss.

Fifteen

Blood, death, loss, anguish, rage boiled acid in his stomach. He purged, needing to be empty, and blindly dragged himself back to the opening from where he came.

He again reached the entrance.

It had set her free and now confined him.

The sun was fading, but to this creature, his light was already gone.

He had nothing

and yearned for everything.

A whisper. A name. Floated from the moon and kissed his heart.

Rheena.

Sol stepped into the night.