"Welcome to Kor Emp Tec, a Korean technical employment and training agency; I will be your interviewing agent today; my name is Do-Yun. Please, come in, be seated."
"Yes, thank you for seeing me."
The young woman entered from the doorway, a small roll of papers in her hand, to sit at the chair facing the man at his desk. She had made it this far, against her own wishes; but ... an empty stomach was an empty stomach, a sorry problem only a steady paycheck could rectify.
Do-Yun opened a folder with an application inside it, neatly printed by her own hand to the page. He scanned the details of the form, looking to each of the spaces and reading the girl's perfect penmanship with ease.
"Your full name is, how do I say, Alem-"
He had problems saying her first name; not an unknown problem; but most people had more problem with the surname. "Alemayehu for the first, and Temitope for the last," she enunciated each syllable. "It's African. Each of those names have a meaning, I've learned; the family name, Temitope, is Yoruba or Western African; it means, 'enough to give thanks'. My own name by my father's choice became Alemayehu, which is Amharic, or Eastern African, meaning 'I have seen the world'. If you ask me, my father had a sense of humor ― 'I have seen the world enough to give thanks', or something like this."
She grinned calmly, hoping the humor of the moment would cross over to the hiring agent. This was also to cover her own nervous fear. With his slight frown, she could imagine he wouldn't be so easily hiring her ― always she thought she didn't get a job because of racism or apathy. Her dark African skin tones may be a rare sight among a Korean company; but not an unseen occurrence in its entirety in this city. Or, maybe she did not present herself in the right way. Racism did play a part, in some of the places she'd applied to but had not heard back from ― a long shot to apply here and there. But as she thought many times before, a hungry stomach had to find food somehow.
"I see for current and past residences, you have lived here five years now, and before that in a rural part of northern Africa. Are you well accustomed to this city of South Korea by now?"
She nodded. "Yes; this is actually the second time in my life I have lived in this area. The first was from the age of five, up until almost a month past my thirteenth birthday ... when my family relocated for my father's career."
"Ah, I see. So you have had some friends in the area already; good, good-"
"I-" The woman started, then stopped. Sensing a story behind this, the hirer paused his scanning of her documents, and looked up. She continued. "I had one good friend here, not any others. She ― she died, by a gang action, in the northern slum."
He didn't respond with words; yet his eyes said he already knew of the northern slums, and judged her by her past choice of friends.
"They raped her, and tried on me too. We were both thirteen ― a cruel age to face this horror, her and I. We were pulled apart, I got rescued by a pair of policemen in the area, but when I went to go after her, they held me back! I lost my best friend that day!"
She froze at the immediate explosion of words she evoked; then shrank back in the chair, to exhale. "Sorry. This is not easy, letting go of the past. I don't wish it on anyone, not a single soul, regardless of their race or gender or economic status. Believe me, I want to ... let it go ... but it's part of me."
"I see, I see. It's okay, I know people have their own story. This does not disqualify you for working in this agency."
In her mind, this acceptance from him came all too easy, to her ears. How could they accept it so smoothly? Or, were the others in this agency also so damaged as she was? This ... she could only be calm on the outside, and give thanks her skin tone was so dark, he could not see her flush with frustration.
"So, so. okay. In your past employment section, you list seven jobs, since the beginning of this year."
"Yes?"
"Alema-" He again tripped over the name.
"Please, call me Maya, if it is easier to say."
"Maya. But this is only the third month of the year."
"... yes, and?"
"Please understand, we don't want to hold past jobs against you; but when a high turnover rate in one's career becomes known, we ... keep looking."
"Do-Yun. In my defense, four of those were places with unfair working environments; even you would not stay there. Two jobs were lost due to differences of opinion between me and the boss; for the remaining one, the company downsized before debts took it down, so my position ended."
"I see, I see."
He continued to peruse her writing, while she felt her ears burning at the intense curiosity at what the final decision might be.
"Ah. This looks very complete, and your writing is much desired. It is fortunate you are able to write English, hangul, and hanja well; this is a plus to our company. The skills to read, write, or speak multiple languages puts your application near the top of the pile. If I may ask, are you able to return in two days, at the same time as today's appointment, for a second round of questions? A second interview will be ... more casual than this."
"Yes!" she said, almost too eager. Then, she moderated herself and said it again. "Yes, I would like this, very much."
He nodded and stood, inviting her to do likewise. He gave a slight bow at the waist, and she returned it. To the hand extended, she clasped it, her own warm rough dark-skinned fingers clasped in his soft white fingers.
"I wish you a good day, until we meet again in two days."
She left the business, almost ready to start skipping in time with a musical tune she found catchy, coming from radio down the street. The reaction came on so suddenly, she couldn't help it. Even if the pedestrians half moved away and half looked away. Most of their faces, masked by protective or decorative paper or cloth pads ― these might not show the whimsy or worry of the ones around her, but she knew.
Deciding to splurge, she bought a small bit of street food from a vendor hawking some kebabs. Chewing it down quickly, she moved on ― before long, coming to the scene of ... the place where her childhood friend lost her life, oh so long ago. Half her lifetime ago in the past.
Whispering to the area past the old fence which kept her from the lot, as if the dead friend could still hear her, she told her tale of this day. "Chae-Won, oh Chae-Won, I got a job again! Let's see how long this one can last-"
She trailed off, as it seemed a short distance from her, on this other side, she could hear a voice. A sullen laugh from the hidden place told her, someone was there; some few people were pulling at something or a someone who struggled.
"No! Let me go-"
Maya froze; this other voice seemed to be of a girl ― visions of a young Korean girl, much like Maya's friend had been, grabbed and assaulted, along with her too-
"Stay still, stay silent, I won't hurt you, little girl. Oh, nobody will bother us, but still, stay quiet, it will be done soon. You might like it."
Again, the male voice laughed, followed by a couple more male voices jeering and urging the guy on. This group of men seemed to be not straight across from her, but five meters to the right of her standing place, and maybe about two or three meters out. This is difficult to judge, based upon sound only. They were almost in the same damned place her own friend was, when, held down-
"No ... let me-" the poor girl squealed, interrupted with a slapping sound, a hard strike on the cheek maybe, followed by muffled moans and sobs being physically overpowered and muted.
Whoever was doing this had experience at it; one of the thugs must be holding his hands over her mouth, to dampen any screams or crying. A sharp memory ― the same thing happening to her and to her friend, of the one guy slapping hard, that day, brought back the bad dreams ― but she was awake! The sound of a zipper coming undone pushed the hopes she was only mistaken out the door of her mind-
Maybe in this flashback to her childhood and of not being there to the end, to stop what would come ― from one heartbeat to another, she felt spurred to act. In a second she ran to a pile of trash ten meters back, using it to vault over the wooden fence ― to stare down an incredulous team of four men. Two men held the girl stripped, dirtied cloth dress yanked up and the once white panties at her ankles, and her nether region exposed. One man had his own blue jeans and boxer shorts at his ankles, his penis pulsing; and the other guy ... rushed at Maya now.
Only too late, she realized the simple but cheap business skirt and shirt had somehow ripped in her vault over the fence, to expose part of her side and up to the armpit. To the armpits? No, it showed she didn't wear any bra (because she couldn't afford one). If she turned to present a smaller profile and her stronger side, they would see the side of her breasts; and yes, her skirt was slipping or loose on her waist now. At least, her panties held in place for the moment.
"Hey girl, wanna join us?" called the nearest guy, apparently the lookout. "We would like to share the fun. That's right, this is our adventure game club, just bring yourself to us, and we provide the adventure and the game."
Maya didn't know lots of martial arts, like none at all; but she did know the starting stance, so this was something. In a moment being outnumbered, she could only look at the now naked girl being deflowered, to see her own friend's same state at what she must have been going through, those many years ago.
For a mere second, Maya's thoughts froze; but she recovered and whispered a plea.
"Chae-Won, help me-"
"Get her!" called the thug without pants, who knelt to a new position. The little girl struggled more, but this was a futile effort to these men.
This was ... hands down, the worst mistake she'd made, in, ever. She'd had good intentions of rescuing someone, after the flashback to her past; but in its execution she had goofed on the jump over the fence. Jump? No, nothing so well done; she had to flip herself onto and over the tops of the wood board fencing, just to get to this scene. She had felt clothes snag at ... whatever stuck out on the board ends, maybe a nail or splinter ... something which caught and ripped her cheap garments, but she thought nothing of it. Until now.
In her own imagination, she might have imagined she put up a better fight; some attempt to turn her defensive stance into a chance to actually do something heroic. But from the beginning, her fate was in the hands of bad people with bad intentions. A rough pair of hands reached for her, but she could not resist once they had clenched around her own arms brought up in defense. Their way was one of force: take by force, ask for no permission, just take as they could. Worse; she'd just stood there, and ... let them grab her.
She could not save the girl while protecting her chastity or by running; she could not run or protect her chastity once the lone guy grabbed her with raw force. In her defense, she did kick him in a place where it hurt, but he recovered sooner than she could flee his range; even if she wanted to run, now she could not. And so this one man forced her down, to where his threats promised how soon he would 'take care' of her in this way.
In mere seconds, a rough hand covered her mouth; one guy holding the upper half of the girl left his spot to grab Maya; and thus they denuded her too. The torn skirt was torn further as it ripped away by his force; the shirt similarly got pulled off, buttons popping like confetti. Not the first time she was this bared before a man; but this scene was shameful for the violent way they took this from her. Somehow ... she managed a rough leg kick to connect to one or both of their privates with a renewed attempt and got free. A second later, one guy rang out a bellow and a maddening, "Knock the black demon bitch out! Knock her out!"
She took a hard thump to the back of the head, and couldn't focus so well for this, no chance to fight back; her situation grew desperate, like it almost had once. This power over her was all the two needed to shove her into position while managing their own positions. Her panties were nothing to them, and were ripped off too like nothing but tissue paper. And then, the one man with a wild eyed glare dropped on top of her, his full weight across her now.
She cried through a mouth covered hand when the first one entered, penis to vagina, and took her special something; even she had not let anyone do a thing more than finger play in there. The guy cried out in fast surprise to the other men. "Hey, this black demon bitch is virgin!" She cried more from the pain of the first penetration and the pain of his continued thrusting; but also cried due to the sheer abuse or horror of her fate. No way to stop this, not her body's reaction, nor theirs; when one was done, another took his place while the former held her upper half down and mouth shut.
The tears would not end; she kept crying past the end of one and the start of another, as one after the other used her like a dirty sock. Throughout this time of terror, she found herself calling out to the memory of her friend, from those thirteen years ago ― but Chae-Won did not answer, could not give a reply. Between Maya and the unfortunate near catatonic little girl, Maya got the worst of it ― but the other girl cried more for the more frightening point of view of her youth, and it broke Maya's will with this sense of helplessness.
In tears she tried to stand, even if to run away from here, but a fist hit her, hard, and her head hit the fence. Blood now streamed across her forehead, but yet the fist hit again.
"That's for kicking me in the fucking nuts! Black demon bitch! Get out of my country!"
"Jae-Seong, don't hit her again," came the voice of one of the partners to this crime. "It's too much. I think she's already done for. If you do it means murder, and my father will not cover for you once more. Let her get away-"
"Like hell she can! I wanna beat this black demon bitch!"
"Jae-Seong, let her go, it's enough, she's done-"
"Aah! Enough words! Hold her for me, I'm not done yet!"
"... I'm going then."
And fist after fist hit the girl Alemayehu Temitope, until she could not feel, until she could not breathe, until she could not think. The last thought she felt in her sorrow, at least neither she nor Chae-Won nor the other girl would hurt any more in this mortal life.
And then, the last of the cruelty was done; she gave up the last of her breath and thoughts.
Maya slept cocooned for some time, no desire to move, no urge to think or feel or even breathe, lest the pain would return ― not realizing at first the pain was gone. Gone, but a memory in this place-
Only as a slowly increasing light shone from one side and her sight in this space increased, did she think to 'roll over' to take a look. What she saw, drew her breath at last.
A halo of light around an angelic aura showed a minute form hovering a short distance away ― either this, or she saw in crisp detail an angel from incredibly far. Either one of those might be the real way she saw this; she could not know which was true. The halo part seemed to illuminate only a small bit past the angel, giving the impression of a cherubic, childlike form made of light, or emitting light from the skin. The body of this angel glowed brightly; yet for all the light, it diminished and vanished to darkness at the boundary of this haloed zone.
Drew her breath into her body, it did ... even though she somehow felt this was not a 'breath' she took, but something more ... innate, part of her soul.
"Hello, dear soul. Welcome to the Soul Translation Society-"
But the voice was not angelic, as much as 'past bored'.
"I, I'm dead ... right?" she asked without pause.
"Yes, this is so. I am sorry, you have passed outside the realm of the world called Earth already, and cannot return to it-"
"Fuck. That's okay, I don't want to go back." She spoke out in a sudden splat of words, a final admission of how she felt for the old world now. Even if this being would beg her to go back, she would not.
"Eh-" The angelic form paused for a mere second, then resumed. "Well then; for the sake of your soul, I have available for you-"
"I want a new world, somewhere where I can deal with the danger directly, and a life and career which allows me a better survival rate. And I want to be a virgin again, until I decide who I want to give it up to."
"Um." This entity sighed before it continued. "This is odd, very odd indeed; this is not the first time the script has been interrupted. Lately I have been interacting with far too many souls who already know what is coming. Perhaps, have you been reading a particular form of novel which-"
"Novel? Nope, don't care; what does a novel have to do with this? I just expect if you are a deity or angel or spirit, either you are here to send me one way or another. If I can give an input to my new destination, it would be these previous things; either that, or to ensure I have a leisure life, because the last one was tough."
"Ah. With my apology, the whole number of leisure destinations for souls such as you are ... filled." The entity seemed to tap at a small stone slate in its hands, mumbling all the while. "Oh, um. This here, 'deal with danger' she said; and then here, um, 'better survival rate', and press Search; and ... huh? That's ― um boss? What now?"
A deeper rumble from behind this odd creature would mean a verbal exchange outside of this local realm just began. Whatever. She would receive whatever they could give her ― if it in any way matched her requests, this she would appreciate. If not ― then she would see what sort of existence her new life would be.
"But boss, the number on this panel shows-"
A new blare of deep rumbles cut short the other's words.
"I don't think she can handle it," came a blunt challenge from the little light backed thing. "Look at her, all the emotional damage, what can she do in this next world but cry-"
"Yeah well maybe you have never been fucking raped to death, or had someone take your life," she shouted to the oblivious creature. Fine, he would not listen, so for now she'd just relax.
A sharp back and forth ensued between the entity she saw, and one she did not; the cherubic one being anything but, while the voice held a firm resolve for its choice. The cherub seemed to resist whatever of the choices were being made out of its control, but also seemed forced by a higher power to 'go with it'.
Maya, on the other hand, just sat back ― in a figurative sense ― and watched the show, er showdown, between the two forms who held her fate in their hands. This should peeve her to no end; it truly should, but she had seen too much, done too much, had too much done to her in the last life to put much weight to it. And for this bit of her ease, she could enjoy for a moment how the lesser being was getting his priorities set to what it had not been.
But at length, the angelic entity turned back to Maya with a resigned look on its form.
"Okay. Sorry for this ... a mere technicality. Somehow your new world has been already matched to you; which is odd, because the search I did just a moment ago also matched the world you were matched to, too-"
"What."
"Previously matched. The system which assigns potential new worlds for souls who come our way, it worked to suggest your destination. But as I too tried to search for an alternate world, based upon the words you spoke, it seemed the same world also came up as a match, arranged previous to your death and arrival in this place-"
"What does that even mean, matched, arranged, assigned?"
"Oh dear-" The form spun in place, rattled off words to the deep voice and got a lengthy response, returning to face Maya in time. "Listen. It will take too long to explain it, though I doubt you will understand even one tenth of it-"
"Hey! Fuck you, that's rude-"
"-so I'll just shunt you off this semi-mortal coil of existence and into the next place, with your memories, where you will receive a better introduction. And no need to be so vulgar. Or ... you would have an introduction, if any deity were there to meet you-"
"So I just get dumped in the world with no clue-"
The little cherub looked down once more. "Oh. Correction. It may have a possible goddess, of sorts. But anyway; off you go."
"Hey wait, what about my v-"
She tried to interrupt the process with a necessary query, but it felt she voiced it too late; she vanished from this space in a pop of energy around her.
Waking up or appearing in a new place for the second time in such a short period, Maya looked around. She felt of her own existence, she now stood naked. Yes, all of her body was exposed. But in the knowledge she had already died, she thought maybe this was normal, 'par for the course' as her father once said. Maybe a person here could provide her some clothes soon, or at a later time?
But ... deeper than just being here, and nude. The small gift of restored health while in the last realm must have stuck ― she had no broken bones, no bruises, and she thought maybe even her precious virginity was restored now too. She could check later, to be certain; but all of it felt right, a precious blessing for any female who'd had such personal things taken from her.
Straight in front of her stood a white skinned (tanned) female, like the Koreans she had lived among, head bowed and slightly glowing, but not so over powering as the previous little angel. The local setting seemed to be of a Roman style villa, clean and well decked out in its extravagance. This brick and stone terraced patio sat attached to the villa and overlooked a Roman style estate which went on around and behind her. A fair presentation of royal blues and reds and purples gave it a regal feeling.
She sensed something of this scene looked familiar, but could not place it. Somehow, this place meant something to her, or to someone she knew. But, who?
Even this woman, goddess or not, seemed to wear the Roman style of toga ... with a few non Roman accessories to mix up the theme. A goddess here clearly influenced by Roman styles, maybe; but including other bits and pieces from elsewhere ... or did Rome get its style from her, or from here?
The staff at held at the woman's side, one rounded tip held on the stone paver stones they stood on, was one such thing. The bottom tip seemed like a white metal, polished to a high shine; while the top of it fanned out, metal spikes extending a dozen centimeters to each side. Above was a glowing orb of nearly half its width. A shaft, not of wood or plastic, it did not seem like a metal either ― some smooth composite material? Like the movie where a wizard falls, only to come back with a whitish staff ― but this one did not look in any way so cheaply made for a scene. This had to be the real deal.
At one end of the courtyard, a diminutive servant type of being, no, it looked like a goblin from some fantasy game ― but why was it also wearing a toga in the same way? Is this the default clothing preference of such a place? And turning, at the other end of the courtyard, a dwarf in its own toga, too-
"Um, hello," called the being, head still lowered; more than just shaky, the voice almost asked for her patient attention. "Sorry to bring you from your life somewhere, but-"
The voice she heard was calm, soft, and sweet sounding, and maybe even familiar, a voice from in her past; but she pressed on past this, to look at more detail around where she stood. This person here must also love the fantasy genre of stories or games from Earth maybe ― a kind of "another world fantasy" which she'd read. Funny, Maya ― she'd played a trick on the cherubic entity and said she hadn't read those novels, when it was easy enough to assert her wants without spilling such a personal joy.
With furtive glances, she began to notice more and more things which she had somehow, at some time, come across in her past ... but when, and how ... or why? Why could they be seen, here?
"-I have called for your help. Welcome to my world, named Juno-"
Aah ― Juno; this word tripped a flux of recalled research of classical folklore, literature, and mythos, all learned in her school years on Earth ― in the South Korea she knew. In Roman myths, the wife of Jupiter and queen of the heavens. Also a protector of marriage and women. The goddess of finance, and maybe in some sense, prosperity and wealth.
"-which is dedicated to youth. I, who have called for and summoned you, am to be your personal goddess and guardian for as long as you live here; and my name is-"
Slowly, the goddess straightened up from her deep bow, to approach the apex of standing more erect to face Maya, who got to see the face.
Without a clue how it could be, not sure if she should trust her eyes or not ― both souls looked at each other. The face who looked back, in all her glory, also came to open her eyes, and looked back to this woman who she had just summoned. And, with shocked recognition, a drawn out open mouthed smile crossed the white skinned face, to result in this scene-
The goddess only spoke her confusion. "-a, Alemayehu Temitope?"
And Maya, also shocked and confused, could only respond in kind, to the one who so closely resembled her friend. "Chae-Won Choi?"
Another further hopeful term of recognition squeaked out from those lips and this mouth, as even the face cheeks bulged in the grin. "Maya? Is that you?"
Then from Maya back to the woman. "You ... Shay?"
Tears appeared on both faces, as the two forms hurried to each others' open inviting arms. She would not even worry for being naked; this was a meeting of friends, beyond all else ― and if this woman was Chae-Won, they had already seen each other naked.
In a mountain cave camp hid on the north side of a mountain range south of the equator which spanned sixty million square kilometers, a leader walked with practical step. Passing slowly amidst the ragged tents, she heard men, women, and children coughing; she watched the hard gaze of the few guards she met but ignored the pleas begging for water.
'Poor fools; we do not have clean water in this place. All we have is a defensible position ― any water here must be brought from outside.'
She did realize, they could not be at fault to have The Cough; this plague grew too fast, too far into the colony. This cave, as good a colony site as this was ... they would have to abandon it, the rock entrance sealed ... with those who had the disease left behind. Her own lover, one of them who'd get left behind ― good thing she'd not formed a bond to any of them; she would have no pain to take with her. Such was the sacrifice of a flawed but wise leader; knowing when to cut one's losses and maximize one's assets, such a critical role for a general in this cursed world.
She passed out through the cave entrance, looking and listening to the left and right, to then up to view the night sky. All the stars were visible and twinkling, right there for anyone to see. She took in the whole night sky view, exhaling her tired mood from the time inside the cave. Nearby, a new guard snapped to attention, just as he'd been trained ... maybe sloppy on the delivery, but at least he was prompt.
"Rugg ― your salute is weak! Do it right!"
The boy shook off the rebuke, to stand even more straight to attention. "Yes, um, Major Karon, sir, uh, ma'am-"
A low moan from the underbrush indicated one undead creature ― likely a zombie ― came this way. Whether allowed in the area from the boy's lost attention or from her stern retort, the thing was a danger. Even alone, an undead could be a source of infection into an already dying settlement.
"Behind you," she growled, drawing her own weapon.
Rugg was too slow, as this pestilent zombie made a leap from his direction. It clamped down on the boy's neck, and she pulled the trigger to feel the mana packed bullet launch and hit the creature, and saw the dropping of the entity. Behind her, more guards came at a run from within the cave, as she ― and her grandfather the general before her ― had trained them to do.
The boy ... did not know he was already dead ― he just didn't know it yet.
"Uh, thanks boss; can someone get me some gauze and healing potions? This kinda stings-"
"Do it," she whispered to a guard by her side, then turned away. One last thud of a lead pellet later, and the mess was dealt with. Too bad the blunderbuss just fired one mana shot per blow. "Retrieve my bullet, sanitize it, and give it back to me," she ordered, returning inside to hide her disgust at this scene.
But, back to the thoughts on leadership, and leading the people. Her own grandfather had taught her this, in his life before and through The Plague, and the damnable nosy goddess who stuck her face in things, trying to save all life. Hadn't the old general once said this? 'The creatures may love you for leading them, but to a proper general they are merely cattle to be lead; the wisest leader knows when people have outlived their usefulness.'
Well; if living sentient mortals can outlive a usefulness, could not an immortal but worthless goddess also outlive her usefulness?
And if she did ... how exactly would one go about removing such an entity? Without, of course, dying in the act, oneself?
"Shaughnessy! Mind where ye steer yer wagon!"
"No you mind yer wagon, O'Rourke!"
"Eanid ye cow whore ― I git prior'ty! I got th' foods in my wagon! Whatchu got Shaughnessy, fuck'n furs?"
Two women fought over the right of way in a narrow alley. All in for a shorter path across the city where trade was all. In this quarter, a cross flow of foods met with furs, and sometimes clashed when two wagons tried to fit through the thin alleys. Food coming in from farms to the northwest met small critter fur farms from the south and southeast. At least this made sense; but the path through this city made not a whit of sense to the people in this trade.
In any direction, food going on a path was always so important; for in this world, unless you were a goddess with infinite power, the dangers in a world full of The Plague and The Cough made the efforts of growing crops, oh so bitter.
Farms had to exist outside of the cities and towns, and the farmers had to hire their own mercenaries to clear out the undead. Thus, any food product was valued; for all too likely a farm could fail to produce, or even the undead scourge could overrun it. Or, mercenaries might overtake them, for the immediate food instead of the surety of continued food production for all.
Both sides knew this; but still, in these tense times, neither one wanted to back down to save their life. Later, they both might join each other for a pint and a gab; but in the heat of it, both sought to make the other back out.
"Mum, let's just back-"
"Shut yer yap, Corena. Eh ... fine, ye win, O'Rourke!"
A good ten minutes later, both were on their separate ways; Corena dared ask a question. "Mum, why so tough on her? Ain't we kin with the Shaughnessy clan?"
"Kin yeah, second cousin once removed; but she once tried to steal yer pa from me." The mother spat to the side, nearly hitting a pedestrian serf. "Mind this, Corena; when in yer time ye get a man in bed ta drive ya wild and give ye yer own kin, keep him close in what twixt yer legs, er he'll go for the next set o' legs to tempt him."
"Ma!" the girl gasped, face lit up in red. "I ain't e'en bleedin' there yet! Sech talk ain't a way ta help me-"
"Corena. It do help, just you mind. These times, we women do not hold off on the courtin' an' matin' an' birthin' parts. Since the Plague days started, we're on a duty. The only duty to last. E'en afore ye bleed, note the boys an' men's round ya. Thet, yer duty, to find one and git him ta yer bed."
"But ma, I ain't in no hurry fer that."
"Ye will be, when the need comes to call in yer body."
They rode on, with the girl thinking some more. "Ma, say again what ye say afore, what of the days afore the Plague?"
"Aah, the days. Much easier. Simple life, the way my ma and nan told me. Maybe a noble lord to serve, let the noble make yer choices, ye just plant 'n' reap 'n' barter, an' gives him the taxes. Now, all gone t' heck cause they's undead all round. No place in the world not find them. Worse; bad peoples used the bad scy-unz or teks in them days, what makes life worse. Mind them words; someone tries to sell scy-unz as way to solve problems, ... no good. Nope, jus' birth them wee ones an' sech; this, all ye need."
"Ma ... all this talk ... my tummy hurts-"
The mother peered at her daughter, but saw no sign of the feared Plague. Instead, she asked a few other questions.
"Feel like ye been kicked in the gut? Like ye bein' squeezed in yer lower parts? Ye gotta pee but cannae?"
A slow nod from the girl indicated a chance of what she suspected.
"Aye. Afore long, ye will see yer first bleedin' from down there, I reckon. Corena. Ye let a boy go ta touch ya yet, er ya touch a boy yerself?"
"No," came a pained word. "Ain't in any hurry fer-"
"S'kay. Ye will; I did as I were yer age. Lookin' at the boys then? Any boys?"
Corena winced, part from stomach pain, part from her ma's digging.
"Cousin Lachlan ... he's a bit nice, an' gives a funny laugh. Spends lotsa time out to tha sheep pens tho-"
"Yep. Nice ta looky see; not so big in the noggin."
"He gives me a big smile-"
"Yer in luck; if big things are what yer after, his ma's saying he's got a big'n. Enuf ta stretch ya down there."
"Ma ... it ain't e'en bleedin' there yet."
"Ye will, dear. Ye will."
