Forbidden

Rey

The images of flames and storm troopers disrupted my focus. I dragged myself through the sand aimlessly, my mind wandering off here and there. BB-8 nudged at my feet, bringing me back to reality.

"Sorry," I mumbled, "Just thinking."

He beeped at me, rolling faster down the hill.

"What--Hey! BB-8! Wait! Where are you going!?" I shouted at him, running down the hill. With the speed of my legs and the downward motion making me go faster, I nearly collided into something. No, not something. Someone. I fell back into the sand, hands sinking into the hot grains. My eyes looked up at a figure standing over me. As my eyes adjusted, I took a good look at the person. It was covered from head to toe in garments, with a stick poised in its hands above its head, looking like it was ready to attack me. I gulped, backing up in the sand.

"Stop!" It said. I blinked. It sounded feminine. It took of its mask, revealing a sweaty girl. "Who are you?"

I swallowed and pulled myself up from out of the sand."I'm Violet." I whispered.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, helping me brush the sand off of my clothing. "You're miles away from the nearest village."

I hesitated to answer, but BB-8 did it for me. I kicked him, only resulting in hurting my own foot.

"Shut up!" I hissed at the droid, "You don't just go around telling strangers your personal stories!"

She suppressed a smile, looking down at BB-8. "So you're lost?"

He beeped some more. I sighed and rolled my eyes. It was pointless fighting with him. The girls face hardened and looked at me.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. The First Order is horrible." She spoke softly. I shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, we'd best get going, though I'm not sure where to," I trailed off.

"Well, I suppose you could stay with me. I can't let a little girl wander Jakku on her own, it's dangerous. How old are you, 12?" She said.

I shot her a look. "I'm 14," I grumbled, "I'm not that little."

"I'm sorry," She apologized, "I'm Rey, by the way."

I scrunched my face for a moment, studying her. I knew that name. She looked at me, confused.

"Are you okay?" She asked me again.

I snapped out of my trance.

"Um, yeah. I just-- Oh never mind. We should get going, the sun is starting to set." I muttered, shaking the memory from my head. She looked at me oddly, bu proceeded to lead me and BB-8 to her house. It was an old AT-AT, sunken into the sand.

"You live in an AT-AT?" I breathed in admiration.

"Yeah," She said, "How'd you know what it was?"

"I studied this kind of stuff all the time before-" I clamped my mouth shut.

She stopped to face me. "Before what?"

I sighed. "My life story is all over the place. It'll take a long time to explain, trust me."

She sat down in the sand, leaning on the side of the AT-AT. "I've got time." I sat beside her, BB-8 at my feet.

"When I was little, a lot of things happened. I don't remember too much of it, though. All I remember is that when I was 3 or 4 years old, I was separated from people. Family, I presume. There was a man and a woman and they were taken away on a ship. There was a girl, maybe 9 or 10 years old, who was dragged away by a storm trooper. I was dragged the other way, and I never saw any of them ever again. The trooper dropped me in some village where a couple took me in. I grew up with them, and they loved me very much. They taught me everything I needed to know. I even learned how to use a lightsaber, and my papa told me all about how the force works. But the First Order came to that village a few days ago and killed everyone. BB-8 and I somehow escaped, and we ended up here with you." I explained.

She stared at me, a mixture of sympathy and confusion plastered on her face.

"What an odd thing to say," She muttered, "When I was 9 I was taken away from my family and younger sister. She was only a toddler, maybe two years of age, three tops. Do you remember your sisters name?"

I shook my head. "I was only little. I barely remember what she looked like. What was your sisters name?"

Her face turned a light shade of pink. "I don't remember, either," She admitted, "But I remember that I was always jealous of it. She had the prettiest name, and I was stuck with Rey. I used to beg for us to get them swapped." She laughed lightly at the memory.

I smiled. "I'm sure whatever it was, it was lovely." I looked at the sky. "The sunset is so pretty today."

"Yeah," she breathed, "Yeah it is."