by Erin Lee
“You whore! I saw you look at that guy! You are as much of a whore as my sisters! I’m telling Ma. She’ll fire you. You’ll be out of a job, and then what? No one wants a three-titted stripper.”
She would plead with him and beg for him not to hurt her, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. As usual he would smack her around, leaving marks on her back and her eye swollen and bruised. When he got worked up, his sexual need would take over and he would force himself on her. She could do nothing more than take it, like she had so many times before.
For the rest of the night she tossed and turned in fits. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t sleep for more than an hour or two tops before the nightmare began again. Remus. Little Anus. Remus. It wouldn’t stop happening.
Neptune had never been so grateful for daylight to come. She was convinced the universe and Goddess hated her. She gulped her coffee down at breakfast as her roommate asked her what was wrong.
“I knew you were having another of your bad dreams, but that one was bad. I wanted to wake you from it, but didn’t know how you would react if I did. I’m sorry, girl.”
Neptune looked at the petite black woman and apologized.
“I’m so sorry Rose Ann. I don’t know what to say.”
They got their scrambled chicken eggs and toast and went and sat at a far table. Not far enough for total privacy, but enough for everyone else to not overhear their conversation. Neptune kept her head down as they spoke, hoping that the others had their ear microphones turned low.
“I know it’s none of my business and you can feel free to tell me so, but it was bad wasn’t it? Your man. He beat you a lot, didn’t he?”
Neptune looked up at Rose Ann and hesitated before opening up. She had been sleeping beneath her bunk for days and they had only shared polite conversations on scattered occasions. She didn’t think she had anything to worry about with Rose Ann though. By the look of a few scars she’d seen on her once before when she was changing clothes, it looked like she knew what pain was all about as well. She wanted to help her. After all, she was known as the poster child for women’s rights on her home planet now. Neptune nodded in answer to her question.
“He was bad. Only when he drank though.”
“How often did he drink?”
“Everyday.”
They ate their breakfasts without more words, but when they walked out of the dining hall, Rose Ann pulled her to the side.
“I admire your courage of getting away from him. I don’t know where you came from, but from your accent it ain’t from around here. I know what it feels like to be hurt by someone who is supposed to love you. Whatever you do, don’t stop fighting for your right to live...For your right to be happy. We all deserve that.”
Goddess. It happened to her with only two boobs. Neptune wasn’t sure what to say other than to thank her again and tell her she was hopefully not going to be back at the shelter anymore. She felt bad, leaving Rose Ann after they’d finally opened up to one another. But she’d learned a long time ago that you have to put on your space mask first before helping others out of the ship. It was a matter of survival and something all aliens had been warned about especially when it came to earthlings.
“I really appreciate your support. I hope things get better for you, too. I might be moving into a real Earth—urrrrrr—real earthy home. A friend I work with helped me find a place in Boulder. I have to go there today to look at it and meet the couple that own it. Hopefully, it’ll work out.”
“That’s good. I hope it does. If I never see you again, I wish you the best.”
“Thank you, and to you too.” Neptune rested her hand on Rose Ann’s arm, reminding her it was one big universe. She didn’t know why, but Neptune felt the surreal need to hug the earthling woman. So she did. And didn’t feel awkward about it like she should have. Something is changing in me.
Afterwards, she went to her bunk and got what she would need for the day. She wanted all of her possessions with her, at least until she knew for sure what was going to happen at her meeting with Sue and Raymond. Personal service device. Check. Oxygen mask for better sleep in the smoggy earthling air. Got it. Customized holsters. Check. Binders. Yep. Diary. Got it. Paperwork for harassment case. Yep. Court dates. Check. Rocket tickets for return home for trial and back. All set. She had a good feeling about it; something she hadn’t experienced since the day she met Al and Lottie at Ellie’s Diner. Outside, thick and heavy flurries began to fall from the quickly darkening sky, but the bad weather didn’t darken her mood. Instead, the sight of the falling snow lifted her spirits. She looked up into the sky and smiled. Everything’s going to be all right. You’ve got this. She waved toward the moon, hoping people from her home planet could somehow see her now.
AS NEPTUNE WALKED DOWN the street from the bus stop toward Raymond and Sue’s house, she made sure to take in her surroundings and she liked what she saw. From the directions she had written down, she was pretty close to their home. It was a quiet, safe neighborhood, but also close enough to town that she wouldn’t be too far from everything. It’s perfect, she decided, reminding herself not to get her hopes up. Too late for that.
There was a large grocery store within a all strip directly behind the bus stop. Across the street was a restaurant. Several businesses’ windows displayed “Help Wanted” signs and she couldn’t help but feel guilty that it might be time to give Al her notice. Or, she could do both. Maybe, she would get a part time job closer to her new home for extra money. She’d need it for her trip back to the home planet to attend the harassment and stalker restraining order trial. She knew she didn’t really need to go back. It wasn’t like the freak who followed her around was going to manage a trip all the way to Earth. But she needed to. She wasn’t just a single star floating alone in the universe anymore. Because of Rim Job and his sidekick, she was a voice for change on the home planet. Yes. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll work two jobs. I won’t be ungrateful or act like Stardust. Besides, it will teach the earthlings what appreciation is about. I can do this. Hell, I left my home planet and am managing to fit in in a whole other universe. What can’t I do?
By the time she arrived at the right house, she was breathless in the best of ways. She walked up to the front door, held her breath, knocked, and waited. Seconds later, she was greeted by the smile of a greying woman who she assumed could only be Sue.
“Neptune! Please, come in out of the cold.”
Inside, warmth blanketed her like the Milky Way over a dying star. The living room was decorated in simple furniture. A heavy-set man, who looked remarkably like the earthlings’ legendary Santa Claus who Neptune had read about in an eBook through the intra-galaxy unlimited program, grinned at her from the doorway on the opposite side of the room.
“This is my husband, Raymond,” Sue said.
“Good afternoon, Neptune. Very happy to get to meet you,” he said through his full white beard. Its tangled mats reminded her of Rim Job’s hair. She decided not to think about it more.
“Thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet both of you as well. May I lay my coat here?” she asked and motioned to the couch.
“Oh, yes, of course. Pardon my manners,” Sue apologized.
Neptune almost laughed when she reacted that way, but held it back. It was something else she wasn’t accustomed to on Earth just yet: Manners. Not exactly an attribute of most earthlings she’d encountered. But here, on their own home planet, they seemed somehow nicer. Maybe, she decided, she’d judged them too soon.
“Come on into the kitchen and have a seat,” Raymond said. “Sue just put on some coffee and lunch is almost ready.”
“Thank you.” I can’t have them serve me. I’m the one who is supposed to do the serving. This is awkward as fuck.
They sat around the mid-sized oak table on the far end of the kitchen. Seated, she quickly took it all in and found no complaints with anything about the couples’ home. She spotted two walls lined with large cabinets, a gas stove,
a refrigerator, and a dishwasher beside a double sink. There was more counter space than she was used to at Little Anus’s place and behind her was a sliding glass door that led to the backyard.
“Do you drink coffee, Neptune?” Sue asked.
“I do, thank you. I can fix it. You don’t have to serve me.”
“Oh, please stop it,” Sue chuckled. “I’m used to getting it for Raymond anyway.”
“Hey, now you make me sound like a slave driver,” he joked. Neptune could swear his cheeks had lit up and his belly jiggled in a way that made her happier than she’d felt in as long as she could remember.
Sue joined them, grinning. It was sort of a silly moment, but not uncomfortable. As they drank their coffee and waited for the chili to finish warming on the stovetop, the couple told her about themselves and the proposed living arrangements.
“We don’t ask for too much. We both know how hard it is out there nowadays,” Raymond told Neptune. “The rent we would like to ask for is five hundred a month, but that includes electricity, cable, the phone bill, and of course washing your clothes and use of the kitchen and living room. We want you to feel completely at home and as comfortable as possible. We don’t expect a deposit, but can you pay the five hundred all at once? If so, that would be nice.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. Five hundred a month? No deposit, and all of this? With the exchange rate from her home planet, she’d practically be living free. One purple coin from there was $100 here. She was close to tears and unfortunately it showed. Sue looked at Raymond, her face contorted in confusion, and reached for Neptune’s hand.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Sue asked worriedly.
Neptune covered her mouth, nodded, and got control of herself.
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m great. Yes, I can pay the five hundred today. I just need to find a bank.”
“Fantastic!” Raymond grinned.
“Of course,” Sue told her. “Come on. I’ll show you the room and everything else. Raymond honey, can you stir the stew so it won’t stick, please?”
“Of course.”
Neptune walked around the two-story house with Sue as she chatted with her. As she showed her where both bathrooms were, the washer and dryer being in the downstairs one, and her room, Neptune learned they also had a son.
“He’s such an amazing young man. He’s close to your age too, I believe. How old are you dear?”
Quick. Think. Seventy-five light years times the infinity of a star divisible by three. She touched her microchip, pretending she was brushing her bangs out of the way. “I’m twenty-eight.”
“Oh, yes,” Sue nodded as if she was approving. “My Frank is turning thirty next Thanksgiving... Oh, do you have plans for Thanksgiving? You don’t have to eat here if you already have plans. We would never want you to feel obligated and I’m sure you have family. At the same time, the offer is there.”
Shaking her head, she admitted, “No, I don’t have plans. I might have to work at the diner though. I don’t know if they will close or not.” What the hell is Thanksgiving?
“Oh well, whatever works, dear. As for Frank, you’ll meet him soon. He will be here for the holiday.”
A holiday. So Christmas. They just call it something else. Thanksgiving. Funny. But reindeer. So cute! I can do that. Flying sleighs are nothing. I’ve seen those cruise by the third moon of Swanzey. “Thank you. I can’t wait to meet him,” Neptune said, shocked by Sue’s hospitality.
They proceeded to look at the rest of the house and her new room. It held a full-sized bed, already with sheets and covers, a large dresser, a desk, a walk-in closet, and a window that faced the street. She walked to the window and looked out at the view. Outside, kids were playing with the fresh snow in the street.
Over the next hour, Neptune enjoyed Sue’s delicious earthling strew—a concoction Raymond swore was his own creation. Sue rolled her eyes and Neptune laughed. Later, after she converted coins at the bank and paid the first month’s rent, Raymond even offered to drive her back to the shelter to get her things.
“I have everything I own in this backpack right here,” she said, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of green as the couple looked at one another inquisitively, but didn’t ask questions.
“Well, that certainly makes it easy then,” Raymond said. “Welcome to our home, dear.”
“Thank you. ...Truly.”
NEPTUNE GOT UP EARLY on her day off. She had plans. The snow was melting, even though it was still brisk out, but cold weather was not about to stop her. It was her first day off since she’d moved into the house with Sue and Raymond. God, how she loved those two. It’d been barely a week and she felt as if she was a part of their family. She hadn’t met their son, Frank, yet, but was sure she would love him too.
With Thanksgiving three days away, Al and Lottie had agreed to give her the day off. Reba and one other girl had volunteered to work in her place, saying they needed the holiday pay. In a way, she felt guilty about it, but she was grateful at the same time. She looked forward to having a real Thanksgiving dinner with people she truly enjoyed. Still, she couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just call Christmas what it was. Oh well. Thanksgiving, Christmas. No difference. It’ll be fine. Raymond and Sue were so much different than the people at the eatery. It was a good thing.
She thought about Little Anus and what he might be doing. Is he upset with me or does he even care? It’s been weeks. Is he already with another woman or is he still looking for me? She hoped he wasn’t trying to find her. Honestly, she wasn’t very worried about it. The way he treated her, he was probably happy to be rid of her. Then again, she could be gravely mistaken. It was a small universe in 3069, after all. It could be bad. Stop thinking about it. Today is a good day. Today is a day to do something fun.
The coffee gurgled and she poured herself a cup before heading into the living room and taking a seat on the couch with her legs folded beneath her. She turned on the television, but muted the sound, wishing her ear microphones weren’t so sharp in a denser atmosphere. There had to be a way she could adjust them but she couldn’t afford to lift her hair. If they saw....
Sue and Raymond’s room was on the second floor directly above the living room and she didn’t want to disturb them. They’d told her to make herself at home so that was her plan. After a quick search through the channels, she settled on TVLand and watched cartoons. She laughed softly at the silliness of it all. My Goddess, I’m like a kid again. It feels good being able to laugh so freely. Little Anus had hated cartoons. He had always been so serious; he never could have fun.
Plop.
Plop.
Plop.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
The heavy sound of Sue’s feet on the staircase alerted Neptune to make sure her ears were covered. She wanted to cover them anyway. The earthling sounds were still too harsh at times – the hardest thing about being here so far. All four ears just ached. Seconds later, Sue turned the corner from the direction of the stairs, still half asleep. She whispered “good morning” as she hobbled into the kitchen. Neptune smiled when Sue returned with her own cup of coffee and plopped down in the chair across from her. She didn’t say anything but winked at her and joined her in watching the early morning cartoons. When the show was over, Sue motioned for Neptune to join her in the kitchen.
“How are you sleeping? Is your bed comfy?” Sue asked her over her mug.
Nodding, Neptune answered, “Oh, yeah. The bed is great. I am sleeping better than I ever did in the shelter. How did you sleep? You look well rested.”
“I always sleep well. At least, once I block out Raymond’s snoring I do.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that now. My roommate snored too.”
A moment passed and Neptune could tell Sue wanted to ask her something. She waited patiently, but had a feeling she and Raymond were curious about her past.
“What’s on your mind?” Neptune asked, unable to sit with uncanny human silence any
longer. “You look like you want to talk about something.”
Sue asked, “Am I that obvious?”
“A little, but it’s okay. I’m all ears.” Four, in fact. Want a spare?
Sue took a sip of her coffee and looked over Neptune’s shoulder into the backyard like she was trying to think of how to begin. Neptune was patient.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind sweetie, but Raymond and I were talking last night in bed, and...well, we are curious about you. I mean, don’t take that the wrong way. Oh, my goodness, this ain’t coming out right!”
Neptune couldn’t help but laugh. Humans who aren’t rude? Who knew?
“No, no. It’s okay, really,” she paused. “I’m ready to talk.”
Sue gave her a comforting smile and took her hand in hers.
“I’m not rushing you. We are only curious about who you are. We really like you. Raymond told me last night that he really thinks we got lucky when you walked into our lives. I totally agreed with that.”
Neptune felt a meteor in her throat and fought back tears that were forming in her hazel eyes. She didn’t want to cry. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell anyone about her own family; how she’d been horrible to them for years because Little Anus hadn’t wanted her to be around them. She didn’t want Sue to think less of her for blowing off holidays, always making one excuse or another, just to keep her abusive boyfriend happy until they finally just stopped inviting her.
“I honestly feel the same way.”
They laughed and Neptune stared at her hands while Sue watched her patiently.
“He used to beat me,” she finally whispered.
“What honey?” Sue asked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.”
The tears won. “He beat me,” she repeated, looking at Sue through hazy vision. “My boyfriend. He would beat and rape me. He got drunk every night and made my life hell. Made my family hate me and just, well, threw me off my orbit entirely. ...In the end, it was all my fault. I let him have that control. I just –”