Send a Prayer Up Above

Chapter 8

There was a mahogany round table in the middle of the spacious room and everyone turned around to see who had opened the doors. There was a blonde woman, Hux, and an old man with dead eyes deep in his head with terrible scarring on his right cheek. He had an air of authority around him and I presumed that he was the boss called Snoke. They all watched me now, observing, judging. 

The room was dimly light by a chandelier and the windows were covered with heavy, moss green drapery. There was a painting of a man above Snoke, dressed in all black and sitting in the same seat which Snoke now occupied. I guessed that must've been Kylo's grandfather. He seemed to stare directly at me and I felt my hair stand up.

Hux's face lit up by amusement as he clearly took in the marks on my body. I crossed my arms behind my back, to at least hide the wrists a bit. I had red and purple bracelets imprinted around them, and my t-shirt displayed the additional purple fingerprint bracelets above my elbows. But I couldn't hide for long, Kylo shoved me toward the table, sat down next to Snoke, Hux on his other side and the blonde lady sat next to Hux. I was left standing and I played with the hem of my shirt behind my back. The boss looked at me and I got the sense that those eyes had been the last sight of many people. His eyes traveled on my body, assessing. Then finally back into my eyes and I just wanted to bolt out the door behind me.

"So, you're the girl." Snoke croaked. "Rey was it?"

"Yes," I said, assertively. Better to establish now that I wasn't some desperate addict looking to make money to get my next fix or whatever. If I had to, I could, and I would defend myself.

Snoke chuckled. "Fiery one. Looks like that doesn't work well with Kylo." He motioned toward my neck with his hand.

"She tried to escape. But learned her lesson." Kylo leaned and he had the darkest little smirk on his lips. "Didn't you, Rey?"

I shivered. Best to just nod, my voice would reveal my distress. Kylo leaned back into his chair, Hux of course seemed to enjoy all of this. The blonde lady was expressionless.

"Very well", Snoke said, crossing his fingers on the table.

"Lift your shirt, Rey," Kylo said, nodding his chin toward me. My eyes widened, his lowered to glower at me under his brows. "Show your mark."

I swallowed. Then lifted my shirt up from the left side, to reveal the now almost healed symbol of the First Order. Snoke nodded, Hux had a smug look and the blonde leaned on her elbows on the table.

"You may leave." The don said, and the double doors opened as if magic behind me, and I stumbled out, unsure of what had just transpired.

The doors closed again, by some lower level gangsters with holsters. The last thing I saw was Kylo's empty stare on me. I didn't know what to do. I looked at the front doors. Open . . . Tempting. Freedom on the other side. Well, not really. I wouldn't be free as long as I was indebted to Kylo, that much had become clear. I settled to sit down on the bar, order a beer – I was truthfully amazed they even had beer – and then rested my head on my hands, propped up on the bar table, waiting. A beer bottle was placed in front of me as I looked outside. The rained tapped the black awnings violently and I took a sip of the cool liquid. It felt calming down my throat, easing away a bit the nausea in my stomach. The bartender's eyes on me, not so much.

"Aren't you afraid of someone catching you looking at me?" I asked, leaning my cheek on my hand. The young man cast his gaze down, focusing on cleaning a wine glass with a rag. He was perhaps my age. With chestnut hair and a little bit of a beard with concerned cobalt eyes.

"Are you one of them?" He asked, curiosity flashing within the blue.

"I—", Was I? "I . . . don't know."