We Look Up at the Same Stars and See Such Different Things ☆ Kylo Ren

☆ Chapter iii ☆

"And who. Are. You?" He said quietly. I sensed some underlying anger hiding just below the surface; just under his shiny exterior.

"I'm Madison Vogel. I'm from... Texas." I wanted to slap my forehead. I'm from Texas? What was I thinking?

"Texas... Texas? Huh, planet Texas. Never heard of it." Rustling from deeper in the ship interrupted. He stiffened. "You know what? I have other things to attend to." He threw up his hands and trudged away toward the sounds. I heard rustling too, but closer. I moved towards it, stepping over guns and bent metal littering the polished floor. Suddenly, a dark figure slid into the doorway in front of me. Before I got my bearings, my heart melted. He was tall, probably 6'2", and wore a dark cape. His raven hair was swept back and effortlessly curled, just brushing his shoulders. There was a stream of deep red blood spilling down his forehead and dripping from his eyelashes. His face was long and pale, and his eyes were like polished marbles. I could fall into those deep brown eyes. As he squinted in the light they changed color; I saw flashes of hazel and green in them as he looked around. Just standing there in front of me he exerted his power; his shoulders were solid and he was alert. He had a commanding presence, one that made me demand more from myself. I puffed my chest and plastered a serious expression on my face, trying to radiate courage. His eyes, (oh his eyes) met mine. I thought I saw a sparkle liven the darkness in them. Oh boy, I could already tell I was blushing. He wiped the blood from his eye and flicked it off his hand. I blinked hard and shook my head. Alternate universe. In the desert. Arm bleeding. Don't know where I am. My thoughts slipped away again as he pursed his lips.

"Are you... okay?" He asked, choosing his words carefully. Dang it, I guess I wasn't radiating confidence after all. "You look like you're going to punch me, or throw up on me or something." He squinted at me and his arm stiffened. He readied his hand like it was his weapon.

"M— Maybe I will?" I tried to sound casual and badass but I just sounded like a fool, scrambling for words. A door slammed and the red-headed man reentered the room. I could tell he was looking for the man in front of me.

"Kylo." He sighed. They didn't seem happy to see each other. As I searched Kylo's face I saw his emotions change. His face hardened, his mouth a straight line. He furrowed his brow and raised his hand towards me. Before I knew what was happening I was slammed against a control panel. Knobs were digging into my back and glass sprinkled down on me as my head smashed a computer screen. I couldn't move or breathe, it was as if my heart, my lungs, everything had stopped in it's tracks. Blood hung dormant in my veins and my nerves went dead. I felt paralyzed and dominated, numb.

A gust of wind swept in through the open doors, pushing wisps of my blonde hair over my face. I had a flashback of the ivory light illuminating my dorm room this morning. Just this morning... I was lying in my bed! I held my quilt and looked at myself in the mirror. Emerald green eyes, messy blonde hair, light skin, me. How could that change so quickly? How could I be here and there all in the same day? My chest grew hot as I harbored the frustration I felt. My warm blood coursed through me once again, making my skin tingle. I narrowed my eyes and stared at Kylo. And him, how could he change so quickly? Even I sensed the pressure that he felt to prove himself in front of the red-haired man, to be who they wanted him to be. He sure was hands-on when it came to proving himself.

Oddly enough, though, he wasn't touching me. He didn't touch me, yet he had me pinned here like a stuffed deer head on a plaque. Another thing to add to my *I DON'T UNDERSTAND AGH* checklist.

"What are you doing to me?" I said, through gritted teeth. I could barely move my mouth. Kylo, with his hand still raised, bent down and swiftly grabbed a helmet near his feet. He placed it on his head in one motion, and it locked into place. "Good," I thought, "it should be easier to focus now."

"Do you know this girl, General Hux?" a deep voice boomed from the mask, even deeper than Kylo's original voice.

"No — Um, no, sir I don't. I found her on the ship after the crash while I was looking for you." Hux's plastic facade cracked as he stuttered; he wasn't perfect after all. He was intimidated by this masked leader.

"Who are you?" The mask turned towards me. I could barely make out my reflection in the silver lines on his helmet.

"That's a good question," I thought, "Who am I?"

"Who are you?" He asked again, the words hanging heavy in the stale air of the ship. The temperature rose as the desert heat seeped inside.

"Madison Vogel. Maddie." I said, barely having the strength to develop the words. Whatever he was doing to me, it was sucking up my energy.

"Could she be of any use to the First Order, Lord Ren? If not, just kill her and move on with it!" General Hux tapped his foot impatiently, suddenly having the courage to boss Kylo around again. Kylo hesitated. It was short, for a split-second, but I saw. I saw everything pass through his face. The feeling that he probably should kill me, be rid of me; that I wasn't useful and I was just another blip on his radar. Then, something deeper took over, perhaps curiosity. He wanted to see who I was, what I could do. He wanted to keep me.

"She has to be good for something." He said, trying to pass as nonchalant. A smile crept to my tight lips. Oh right, I'm still pinned against the wall. With a wave of Kylo's hand, I crumbled to the floor like a pastry, smashing my cheek on the cool ground. "Oh my gosh, she looks terrible. I'm going to put her out of her misery." He approached me until his black boots were right in front of my face. I flinched and tried to scramble to my feet. All I could muster was a slight kick of my foot. "Relax," he smirked, "you'll feel better when you wake up." The last thing I saw was his gloved outstretched hand, then the word went dark.