Eyes Full of Stars

Chapter 4

Rey was in a dark room; she could barely see anything. She is backed up into a corner, surrounded by shadows.

A door creaks open in front of her, and a figure stands at the door. The room returns to black when they step inside.

For a few moments, all is quiet.

There is a movement to her left, the sound of heavy breathing fills the room.

Low murmuring echoes throughout the room, hissing like overlapping thoughts. The sound overwhelms Rey; she can't comprehend what she is hearing. A dark feeling is all that is left.

"Lumos!"

Headmaster Skywalker illuminates the room in a hushed whisper and stands before a bed. He does not seem to notice Rey lurking in the room.

The lit wand has cast a shadow over the wizard's face making him look almost sinister. A look of cold determination is plastered across his face as he raises his wand towards the bed.

Rey is about to turn towards Skywalker's victim when his spell misses its target and lands against the wall. Another spell quickly follows the first but not by Luke.

"Expelliarmus!"

It was Ben.

Rey pushes off the wall in surprise, knocking over a bottle of ink on his desk. She can't help looking at him and mirroring his hurt expression.

The look of pure shock and pain is all Rey can see when she looks at him.

And then he turns towards her.

Their eyes locking on each other, Rey gasps aloud.

"It's you."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Rey wakes up out of breath. The dream had felt too real, yet she could not have conjured up such a story.

Staring at the wall her bed is pushed up against, Rey marks the new day. Adding to the tally marks that have begun to decorate her wall. This childhood habit has allowed Rey to ground herself in the routine, assimilate to this role without fully committing. Counting down to freedom.

Rey begins to turn herself over, relishing in the quiet morning.

It's too quiet.

She starts to feel something lingering at the back of her neck, almost like soft huffs of breath.

Rey freezes in her movement, trying to figure out how to avoid the inevitable. The anticipation of confirming her thoughts has Rey reeling with emotions trying to decide if she wants him to be there next to her or hoping it's nothing at all.

I could just lie here until it's all over. But I really have to get ready, and I can't just spring out of my bed. Oh, I'm just being ridiculous; it's probably just a draft.

Rey finally does turn, after successfully talking herself down from her worries, but then she is faced with a sleeping man next to her.

It's him. Ben.

She almost let out a gasp but stopped herself, too scared to make a single noise to disturb him.

He looks so young.

She stayed there for a moment, completely still, just gazing at him. Taking advantage of their closeness, Rey was able to count each mole that marks his face. And, of course, the scar she gave him. It had lightened in color and lays almost flat against his cheek. She follows it down to his collarbone, but she does not allow herself to look any further.