Salvation

Chapter 8

Rey walked through the woods where she had crash landed. They had fixed the clearing she made several weeks ago after she crash landed but they told her that they saw some boxes inside the small ship and didn't want to inspect anything without her consent. She didn't mind going through it anyways, it's not like anything was hers.

It was easy to find her way since she just had to follow the open space through the trees. After several minutes she found the dented banged in ship with door missing from when she kicked it out.

She ducked her head and walked inside. It was a really tiny space that was meant for maybe two people at most. The worst some boxes that were scattered on the floor. She bent down and investigated and saw that most of them were food rations, they appear to be like little bars. To her they look very unappetizing. But she knows what it's like to go without food so therefore she tried her best never to appear picky or too good to eat anything no matter how it looked. So she gathered them up and prepared to take them back when one particular box caught her eye. She turned and saw a little wooden box that was wedged behind the driving seat of the ship. As she walked closer, the box became more familiar to her and a chill trickle down her spine.

She seen this box before and the last time she opened it and touched what was inside she did not like what she saw. After hesitating for a few moments she scooped a little box up under her arm and picked up the food ration boxes and hurried out of the ship.

She handed the ration boxes to one of the women inside one of the food taverns and explain to them what it was and that they can do whatever they wished with them. They thanked her and she went back to her little hut that she called home.

Walking inside, there was a window and a small cot underneath it. She was given a mat that was woven together buy some of the children and women in the village that she saved. She enjoyed using the colorful mat to sit and meditate. Although she didn't get to do that very often because she spend most working with the guards or sparring alone or training with the instructor Eckhart.

She had a small dresser that contained most of her clothes which was all training attire. She gave the women the clothes she arrived in to wash but when they gave it back to her she decided against wearing them. Since the last time she wore them it was a very awful day and she really didn't wish to relive it. So tucked way in the bottom and in the back of the dresser she had wrapped those clothes with bindings and tucked them away. On top of the dresser where the black and white and shiny blue paint that was given for her to paint her face. She actually didn't quite enjoy this as much as everyone thought she would because she thought she was bad at it. The men gave themselves smooth lines of white on one cheek with a thinner black line that went underneath the white. Then a shiny blue thick line went on their chin vertically from the bottom of their lip to the bottom of the chin and the same blue made a curvy line on the other cheek. They left their eyes black around them. One woman showed Rey how to do it and eventually she got the hang of it. She didn't mind the look of the black around her eyes but the lines were bothersome. But still it made her feel like she was a part of something.

She wishes they didn't have to be so uniformed sometimes. But that's a thought she kept to herself. This wasn't her place. She made a new home here but it's only been a short time and she's still a guest technically. She moved the paints aside and placed the wooden box on the dresser.

She remembers finding the box on Maz castle and all these visions overwhelmed her at that time. They came to her when she opened the box and touched the lightsaber that was inside. Lukes original lightsaber.

How?

She was puzzled. How did this box end up with her on the ship? Had it been in there this whole time? She just jumped for a random ship she can find. She didn't look around inside she just had went straight for the controls and left. She was too emotional to handle anything.

I"m such a coward...I can't believe I abandoned everyone.

She started to squeeze the top of the dresser at the horrible memory. But she looked up at the box and straightened her thoughts out. She slowly opened up the box and saw it. Yes, it was definitely inside. The lightsaber was with her. Here on this planet.

This whole time? It's impossible.

She took a deep breath and with a shaking hand, she touched the lightsaber slowly. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

The last time she opened them she was in another world, visions of the Knights of Ren surrounded her. One warrior lunged for her in the rain and before he can strike her, Kylo slayed him with his lightsaber. She had stumbled back and with fear running in every inch of her body she turned and ran and suddenly has been in a snowfall woods. She had thought she was losing her mind. She was confounded and lost, her breath seen in the frigid air. Then the sound of clashing lightsabers are loudly heard. She starts to move through the woods toward the sound. She ran, heart pounding, when Kylo Ren emerged from behind the tree. She stopped in her tracks and screamed, falling back into the real world.

Reys body tensed at the very real memory. It felt like she was going through it over again. She held her breath and opened her eyes. Her hand on the saber, her eyes darting from side to side to see her surroundings. She was still in her hut. Nothing was amiss. She breathed a sigh of relief.

But in that same instant, she felt she wasn't alone. She turned her head and sure enough, Kylo, unmasked was standing in her hut with her! Was he really here? Was this another vision?

"Can you see my surroundings?" He asked her.

Her face twisted in rage. He was somehow here but not really here. How was this happening? Was he doing it?

"I can't see yours." He spoke again.

"Monster!" She spat at him through her teeth.

"Just you." He ignored her insult.

"Treacherous snake." She spoke again.

She wanted to bash him over the head with her staff. Or better yet slice through him like he did his own father. She suddenly glanced over to the dresser at the lightsaber. He looked over in her direction and back to her. He couldn't see what she had been looking at and can tell she was concerned.

"As I said, I can just see you." He reassured her.

Without taking her eyes off the saber she spoke low "Get out."

She closed her eyes and waited for his presence to fade away. She looked back to see if he had gone. Looking around she saw she was alone.

She couldn't explain his sudden apperations appearing to her. She couldn't help but notice that he appeared when she was under a lot of stress inside her head. Like her anger the night David told her about the murder of his wife and now the overwhelming feeling of fear and loss he appeared again. She noticed that he too seemed confused by it. By him asking her if she can see anything about him she knew that this wasn't his doing. Since he had told her he can only see her it also meant that her apperation appeared wherever he was. She wondered if anyone else can see him if he appeared when she was near people.

If he appeared again. How long will this happen for? Is this permanent? She tried so hard to stay away from him and her friends. She didn't want anything to do with it. If she was going to see anyone she rather see Leia, or Finn or.... no. She felt herself thinking about that time and she had kneel down, grip her head and shut it out. This is her life now. She can't handle the hurt anymore. She had loss and misery her entire life and she didn't want it anymore.

She held back her tears and held back the urge to scream. She silently rocked until she was ready to leave her hut. Eventually she rose up and stormed out of the hut.