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| The Lost Key |
The Lost Key
People bustled up and down the crowded sidewalks of Kaschar in the fading evening light.
Most citizens of the industrial planet were too concerned about getting home to their dinners to notice the dirty adolescent who loitered near a busy intersection.
The disheveled teen could not have cared less if anyone looked her way; she was too busy gauging the traffic, waiting for the perfect time. Repulsor craft of all types sped by in a blur.
There! She spotted one. It was going fast; too fast to slow down for what she had planned. The time was almost right, just a little bit longer...
NOW!
She started to jump..
So intent had the girl been watching the speeding vehicles that she hadn't noticed a young man, standing near the corner, watching her.
He had arranged to meet friends in front of the hotel and had been pleasantly "people watching" when he noticed her. A slight, dark haired figure whose shabby clothes made her stand out in the well dressed crowd. He knew what she was planning. If anyone could understand her feelings, it was him. But he couldn't let her do it.
With one, mighty, yank, the man in black jerked the self-destructive girl back onto the sidewalk.
She turned toward the man, wanting to hurt the person who had stopped her; hurt him as she hurt. How DARE he? It wasn't fair. It was no one's business what she did! It was her life. If she wanted to end it...
All her anger focused on the stranger. She glared at him, narrowed eyes widening in surprise. He didn't release her, didn't move away. Instead, a faint tingling spread thru her mind. The girl shook her head, confused, almost scared.
The young man, himself, was not unaffected. Her crude attempt at mind control surprised him. Now he was curious about more than her actions and motives. Countless questios were forming in his mind.
"Who are you?" It was the first and most obvious question that came to mind.
"Take your hands off of me!" The girl snarled back belligerently. "What do you want?" Her anger, barley held in check, lashed out at the stranger.
"You tell me who you are first and then you'll get your answers." Was the calm reply. She could see the smile he tried to keep from his face and for some reason decided to answer.
"Perr. Now answer me."
"My name is Luke." The blond man replied. "Why do you want to do this?" He said as he motioned toward the busy street? "I can help."
Shock was on her face. One for me, he thought. She was visibly shaken.
"How...?"
"I'd have to be force blind not to know. We are not so unlike, you and I."
"Your crazy." She snapped. But there was fear in her eyes. "Now let me go, your hurting me. I'll scream, 'This is an assault...'"
"This is a rescue." Luke corrected simply. "And you do lie nicely. Do you normaly lie?"
That confused her. This young man knew her thoughts and pain and cared as on one had before. She wanted to trust him, but she had been battered and misused for so long, she found herself unable. Battling against him was futile. She desperately needed someone. Maybe he was the one.
Sensing her surrender, Luke loosened his hold on Perr's arms. Campassion overwhelmed him. He had experienced the very same pain, but he was fortunate enough to have had good friends to help him overcome it.
"I would like to help if you would only let me."
Her battered pride could take no more and a tear escaped to slide down her check. People brushed past the young couple as though they didn't exist.
"I don't know if you could." Perr Challenged. Defeat was evident in her voice, but she lifted her head higher and squired her shoulders.
That's right, you don't and the street is hardly the place for a demonstration. Come on, I'm hungry, how about you? Let's find someplace to eat. How about there?" He indicated a modest eatery nearby. "Come on, I'm buying. You can tell me what got you here."
A smile brightened Perr's smudged face. Probably the first one in years, Luke thought.
The establishment they found was crowded with locals, a good sign that the food was decent. There were a few empty tables, and seats at the bar, but Luke noticing Perr's unease chose a table away from too many people.
A waiter promptly appeared, took their orders and sniffed his snout at the human girl's shabby appearance. A cold look from Luke sent him scurrying to the back kitchen. He appeared soon after with their food, hurriedly set the table, bowed his head and left the two curious humans to themselves.
Luke'quietly watched the girl gobble her meal down as he chewed a piece of Baruc steak. Swallowing a large piece of meat, she nearly choked. Then, noticing him watching her, she smiled shyly.
"I don't mean to be rude," Luke apologized, his napkin to his lips, "I'm just enjoying watching you eat your meal. Go ahead, finish. But do slow down or you'll make yourself sick."
She nodded and attacked her meal with gusto, but taking the time to savor each bite. It was just that Perr couldn't remember eating such a good meal. In fact, she couldn't recall the last time she had eaten her fill. When she had eaten all she possibly could.When she was finished, Perr leaned back in her chair and smiled shyly at Luke.
"Thank you. It was very good."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He smiled back. "Now, since we're both too full to move, why don't you tell me about yourself."
Perr moved uneasily in her seat.
"There really isn't much to tell. In fact it's quite boring."
"But I am interested. Don't be afraid."
Perr felt herself relax and began to tell of her childhood.
" I don't remember much as a child." She began.
"Oh? How old are you?"
"Sixteen." Was the short reply.
"So young for so much pain." Luke said, as if to himself. "Go on."
She looked at him questioningly, about to comment, but changed her mind. How could he know?
"I don't remember much until I was about six. Before then it's sort of hazy. I remember being scared a lot.. oh, and I remember my parents the same way."
"What happened to them?" Luke encouraged.
"I don't know. It's like they went out one day and never came back. It scared me so. But then, this funny little man said I was to leave. It was like... in a dream. Stupid, huh?"
Luke loked at her for a moment before he replied. "No, not at all. Sometimes things are just that way."
Perr smailed and found herself tellig her whole life story to the strange man.
"The next few years were pretty bad." Perr continued softly. "I joined up with a group of kids that were orphaned by one of the wars. I didn't stay long though..."
At that point Perr hesitated.
"And why not?" Luke prompted.
"Well... some strange things happened and the other kids got scared of me. They made me leave."
"What kind of 'things'?" Luke's eyebrows lifted slightly as he sipped his wine.
"Um... I could move things just by thinking really hard about them. If I really wanted to, I could make people do what I wanted them to do. It wasn't so bad at first.. not until other people found out about it. Then it was like I had the Kivi plague or something. Other kids would throw things at me, call me names and stuff. The stuff thrown at me wasn't so bad. I could make it bounce off me with out it touching me. But the name calling was the worst because I couldn't really stop that and I could't get angry because I was scared of hurting people. Every time I tried to find a place to sleep people would run me off. I just got tired of it. I thought I was a freak of nature, so I decided to end it all. I had it all planned ... or I thought I did.... I never counted on someone like you coming along to stop me. Well, that's all there is to tell, you know the rest."
Perr stopped, looking expectantly at Luke, hoping, praying he wouldn't draw away from her as all the others had. He surprised her once again.
Luke smiled. A plan was forming in his head. To reassure her he reached across the table to grasp her hand.
"Perr, I find your story very interesting. I understand a lot now."
The young girl smiled, her strength in spirit regained.
I also have a surprise for you, but first I have some friends I want you to meet." Luke continued. Han and Chewie were waiting impatiently in front of their hotel. "I'm sure you'll like them."
Luke'held his breath, waiting for her response, andexhaled it again as the frightened girl nodded her head.
Perr's grip on Luke's hand tightened as they rose from the table. They headed toward the door in silence. As they stepped out into the cool evening, Perr sighed in relief. At last, she realized, she had found the key to unlock a new life and it was just waiting to be explored...
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