Far, Far Away

A Very Good Place To Start

Two young girls stand in a desert, torn from the comfort of their parents beneath the bright light of a mid-afternoon sun. The younger of the two wails, reaching for her parents and held back by the elder of the two. The younger's brown hair whips in the wind, tears reddening her dark eyes and causing her hair to stick to her face. The ship hovers above the ground for a moment before taking off. The elder take's her sister's hand, wiping the tears from her eyes before they reluctantly follow the creature they were left with. Sold to, the eldest reminds herself. They reach their small home, a fallen ship, a remnant of the last war. The creature leaves them with a few belongings, a small package of food (which should only last a day) and two flasks of water. The creature hobbles away, new cattle in tow as he heads back towards the village. The elder sister sits beside the younger's bed, singing quietly as she wipes away the tears beneath her eyes. When she finally drifts off, she tucks the blanket beneath her sister's chin, leaving her alone in the silence of the ship.

After a few years, the elder sister is finally able to get away. She plans to leave her sister with enough resources to last her a year and means to get by while she figures out how to survive. She's been slowly teaching the younger how to pick scraps from the nearby wreckages and sell them in town, and the little girl is learning fast. She doesn't doubt she'll be alright. Night falls, the elder tucks the younger into bed, singing her favorite lullaby while she drifts off. Tears stream down her face as she tucks the blanket beneath her chin and sets out food for the morning, alongside the letter she's leaving behind. She knows her sister won't follow. She shuts the door silently, turning and sprinting, her feet barely hitting the sand. She slows her pace as she comes over a sand dune, pulling her hood to cover her pale hair and skin, hoping it'll protect her from the relentless sun the following day.
She reaches a new town by dusk, stopping to rest, eat, and drink before continuing her trek across the sandy terrain. She mutters little stories to herself to pass the time, occasionally glancing nervously across the endless dunes. Tonight, she huddles in a barn, beasts of all kinds in the stalls around her. She shivers beneath her shawl, listening closely to approaching footsteps and preparing to run or fight. A young girl opens the small, looking about her age. A friend stands beside her, a young boy. The two stare for a bit until the boy offers his hand, helping her up.
She was right about them being close in age. They're only a few years her senior and they converse on their way to the girl's house. The elder sister stays in the village with them for a while, friendships blooming among the trio. Feeling sure she'll be safe this time, the girl remains in the village longer than anticipated. She tells stories of her travels to her newfound friends, making up some aspects (as one would expect from a child) but they're her story nonetheless.

The creature she had belonged to eventually traces her steps, and the girl hears of their presence on the outer ring of the village. The friends help her board a ship, using her hard earned currency to reach an unknown destination. Then again, it was a large galaxy and she didn't expect to learn the names of every new planet by her twenties, but she's promised herself she'll at least try. She doesn't seem to care about where she's going, only mournful that she's leaving so soon and so much. The ship carries her away from her short past, away from the wretched creatures chasing her, and away from her sister.