I was groggy when I woke; every part of my body felt heavy. I swung my legs off the bed, immediately crashing into something.
"Fuck!" I grumbled, still waking up.
My body stiffened as I recalled the masked man who had burst into my home. Had I done something terrible to him in my past? Did he plan on hurting me? Where was I? How did I get here? Why was he familiar? And maybe most disconcerting, why was I so eager to see him again?
I pictured him in my mind, trying to recall something. Anything. I relaxed, doing my best to focus. Anger, fear, and curiosity started to bubble up through my body. Ok. So I must know him from before. Or at the very least, know of him.
I was pulled out of my trance when my door slammed open, and someone dressed in white armor stepped into my room.
"A stormtrooper?"
I surprised myself as the words slipped past my lips. My mind reeled as it tried to gather more information.
"Obviously, ma'am. Here are your food and some more appropriate clothing. Someone will come by later to collect you for your training."
"What? What training? With who? And what's wrong with my clothes?!" I shouted after him.
He responded by slamming and locking the door. I heard the clink of his steps fade away before growling in frustration. I flopped back onto my thin mattress, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. It exploded, sending feathers everywhere.
"Great. They can't even afford a decent pillow," I said to myself, trying to ignore the fact that screaming should never be able to make a pillow explode.
The strange things that happened when I was stressed or frustrated had to have some sort of explanation. It didn't make sense that I might be the one causing them. Did it? I sighed again, focusing on breathing.
When I calmed down, I made my way over to the food. It didn't look great, and I wasn't sure if I should trust it, so I gently shoved it aside with a crinkled nose. I ran my fingertips over the black clothing, relishing at its soft touch. I glanced down at my attire made from the skins of my past meals and figured I might as well pretend to play along until I could get some more answers. I also didn't mind the feel of the new fabric.
Making my way to the bathroom, I noted the lack of a shower or tub to rinse off. With a groan, I splashed my face with cool water, then changed into my new outfit. The dark material hugged my olive skin perfectly, and I frowned at my messy, auburn hair. I stared back to the piercing green eyes that peeked through the nest of hair cascading across my skin. The soft curls were matted chaos framing the striking features of my face. I tried to remember the last time I had looked at my reflection in something other than water.
Running my fingers through my hair, I made a poor attempt at styling it. When my face was fully revealed, I studied it closely, smiling at the sight. Stretching out my stiff body, I noted how easy it was to move in my new clothing. I kicked my legs around, jumping through the small space. Eventually, I started flitting around the room, enjoying the freedom it provided. With a labored laugh, I made my way back to the bathroom, braiding my hair and tying it off with some leather from my handmade outfit.
I smiled at myself again, enjoying the way the exertion painted my cheeks pink. I imagined that I had my mother's smile and my father's eyes, loving the way they came together so perfectly on my face. For a moment, I thought I could remember them. Their faces were almost clear in my mind's eye. And then the door slammed open again, causing me to jump. Couldn't anyone knock around here?!
I turned and was met with a silver stormtrooper that had a cloak. I wondered what made this one so special, looking around them at the two white stormtroopers flanking them.
"It is time for your training," the voice said, surprising me with the feminine qualities.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"You shall refer to me as Captain or Ma'am," she said coldly.
"Alright, Ma'am. What are you training me for?"
"Clearly we need to start off with teaching you to respect your superiors," she snapped at me. "No more questions. Come."
She spun around, taking long strides. I stood in my room in a daze for just a moment before chasing after her. Her long legs carrying her quickly down a maze of hallways. When I finally caught up to her, I could feel someone's eyes on me. My shoes squeaked against the ground as I stopped, slowly turning to where I could feel them. When I saw the dark mask, I froze. Though I couldn't see his eyes, I knew his were the ones watching me. My heart raced as I felt a pull to him. Without trying, my feet started taking me towards him. He watched for just a moment, and then he stormed off, breaking me free from my trance.
"Ma'am. You really shouldn't lag behind. Captain Phasma doesn't appreciate this kind of disrespect," a shaky voice said from behind a white mask.
I nodded without turning towards him, letting him drag me down the hall as my eyes stared after the masked man.