Soft delicate sounds spreading like tiny water drops moving along with the wind reach her ears. They can be barely heard unless you focus and ignore the coyotes howling far in the background. They are tickling her eardrums pleasantly, gently caressing her skin with feathers. The wind chime hanging on one of the beams supporting the wretched roof is the source of these noises. It has probably been built from some tubes found in a wreckage, which are swaying along with the light breeze. It is a nice early morning and the sun is just about to start heating up the soil.
Rey walks up the wooden stairs that make a creaking noise everytime you stand on them. The porch is covered with sand and it crunches under the girl's feet. She opens the door after pushing away the net one. This hut looks the same like every other one in Jakku. You can only live in some of them as the frequent sandstorms have targeted the buildings that may not be as sturdy. Those that survive the storms are often occupied by scavengers who live far from Niima Outpost. They do not have separate rooms except for a bathroom, which should be called a room with a toilet. Usually, to the right, there is a kitchen area with a stove if the person living there was lucky enough to acquire one. On the other side, there is a blanket or an old mattress on the floor acting as a bed. A sofa or a table is considered a luxury, let alone a dresser or a bathtub. Mrs Elena's house is not different, but it has a cosy feeling.
The elder lady is quite eccentric. She is also lonely. Rey is pretty sure the woman has been dwelling on this dessert for many years. All of this time has obviously altered her personality. She has her little quirks that may make others feel uncomfortable, whereas Rey does not mind. The woman has lots of photographs in brown frames standing on crates and shelves. They all depict a young man with fair hair. There are some strange trinkets lying around along with the blankets the woman has knitted.
Rey visiting Elena has become routine now. The girl has been coming to the woman's house to take a look at the generator, the clock, or the fan. Some days there was nothing to fix so Rey would then sit with Elena and just chat.
Today is one of those days. As Rey enters the hut she is met with Elena sitting in one of her mismatched armchairs. There is a jug standing on a barrel between the chairs with a couple of shallow metal cups next to it. The woman stretches her thin lips in a half smile.
"You know, I've heard some idiot crashed his car around the Sinking Fields," she mutters under her breath.
"Really?" Rey answeres, excited. A thought about checking out that vehicle crosses her mind, but it quickly dies. It has probably been pulled into the sand and is now gone.
The woman hummed while stirring the tea in her cup and the girl smiled. Nothing thrilling ever happens in Jakku. The news of a newcomer arriving in the town seems much more interesting to those living in the area than they would to an outsider. Although Rey does not care much for gossip she is the one to talk for the rest of her visit. The small talk seems to please the elder lady because she has closed her eyes and her expression looks serene. Suddenly, she reaches behind her to pick up a small bundle and an envelope. She hands them to Rey.
"I have a favour to ask of you."
The girl opens the package when she is in her truck, driving to Cratertown. It is a rather small loaf of light bread and half of a red fruit wrapped in cloth. She guesses the food is some kind of payment for taking the letter. She tears a piece of the bread and shoves it in her mouth with a satisfied sigh. She has not eaten since last evening. Those rations she received after bringing the junk to Unkar are hidden away in the box buried deep in the soil. The girl has only used one of them, she likes to save up her resources.
After a while, she spots a shape on the road ahead of her. At first, it looks like roadkill, but it starts to move. It turns out to be a dog and it is trapped in a net, trying to free itself. She is so focused on the animal as she presses on the brakes, she does not notice a man running onto the road. His body slams against the hood and Rey stops the car abruptly. The man looks up with a terrified face.
With a wildly beating heart, Rey gets out of the truck. The guy seems to be fine so she goes to kneel next to the dog. It starts to bark loudly at the man but calms down when Rey touches its neck gently.
"Would you stop- barking at me?" the man manages to say breathlessly.
Rey frees the poor creature from the net and it thankes her by licking her hand. The girl turns to the guy. He has propped his palms on his knees while attempting to catch his breath. His dark skin is wet with sweat. He is wearing a black turtleneck and a brown leather jacket. Definitely an off-worlder, she thinks amused.
"Are you alright?" she finally asks.
He straightens his body. "Yeah, uh, I'm fine. Sorry about-," he points his thumb at her truck.
The girl cannot help but lift the corners of her mouth up at the sight of the guy's genuine apologetic expression. She pets the dogs head once again before standing up. It is growling while looking at the man and he shifts uncomfortably.
"Need a lift?" He nods so she moves toward her car, the dog following her closely. "What's your name?"
The guy blinks, frowning. "Uh, FN- Finn. I'm-I'm Finn."
"I'm Rey," she replies softly.
They sit quietly as the car moves closer to Cratertown. Finn's posture is stiff. He is looking out of the window with his chin in his hand and his left leg is shaking. He is tense for whatever reason. The girl suspects it might have something to do with the fact that she has almost run him over. Without much protest, the dog has managed to squeeze itself between the driver's and passenger's seat. It is now happily breathing with its mouth open. His golden yellow fur is turning messy because of the wind.
Rey is not sure if she should say something. Finn is obviously not in the mood to have a conversation. Even if he answers her, she figures he would not say much, maybe mumble something inaudible half-heartedly. Still, Rey is curious and cannot help herself so she finally speaks up.
"So, you got raided by a Teedo? He just wanted some parts. They have no respect for anyone."
"Huh?"
"Your dog. It was trapped in a net." Finn sent her a confused look. "It is yours, right?"
"Well- Kind of. Not really."
Rey let out a quiet resigned sigh. This man is a riddle. He is undoubtedly not just another off-worlder passing by. He does not look like a typical smuggler, he is not a soldier either. Maybe he has got tangled up in a gang war? Either way, Finn did not come to Jakku out of his own will.
He clears his throat. "It's my friend's. We got separated so I'm taking care of it."
The dog growls, but he ignores it and continues to speak. His voice does not waver with a hint of uncertainty this time. He looks sombre, his features are twisted with regret and something else the girl cannot pinpoint. Thoughtfulness, perhaps?
"We were on a trip, drank too much. I ended up in some bar alone."
"A trip to Jakku?" Rey asks with a hint of amusement in her voice. "That's an interesting destination."
"N-No, no. We weren't going to Jakku," he stutters. "We were only passing by. You know, from Nevada."
He averts his eyes and the conversation ends. They arrive in the town. It is very small and it should not be called a town, really. Cratertown is more of a settlement of a few buildings, which were carved in stone. They are joined together, forming a huge block with tiny holes acting as windows and entrances. There is a market where you can trade goods for food, a well with clean water and Ergel's bar. Whoever wants to drink some fine southern alcohol goes there. The only evidence that technology was once present here is a phone booth. No one actually uses it because there is simply nobody to pick up the phone. It also requires coins and those are extinct in this part of the world.
Finn is looking around with a frown. He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand just to feel more sweat drip onto his eyelids. He blinks a few times, huffing. The man has never seen a place this miserable. Everything is covered in sand, there is no greenery. The cruel sun rays have been slowly but surely killing every sign of life here. Even the people look apathetic like wooden dolls that move stiffly with their limbs attached to strings.
"I'll be over there if you need anything," Rey states, jerking her head backwards. "The phone is around the corner-yeah, there. Just behind that stand."
The girl notes with a warm smile that the dog has picked to follow her. There is a heavy feeling in her chest that she cannot ignore. She looks back and sees Finn's figure become smaller and smaller until it disappears behind a building. He is truly a strange man with a strange story.
The post, as it is commonly called, is a person, not a location. Specifically, it is a man with a speeder. He comes to Jakku and other towns in the area once a month. Anyone who wants to send a letter comes to him. The man is standing next to his vehicle just like he always does with his arms crossed over his chest. He is given the envelope and the fruit from Elena, and that is it.
The dog and Rey watch the man drive away. She has knelt next to it started caressing its head. The animal shakes its fur in response causing her to laugh quietly. She has only seen canines in the books she was able to acquire from damaged houses. The girl hears a jingle. Deeply hidden in the dog's fur, underneath the bandana there is a grey collar with a name tag.
"You're called Bebe?" she asks. "It's too bad you have to leave so soon."
The dog barks.
"I know. I like you, too," she says back. "You're not very fond of Finn, are you?"
Bebe makes a sound again, but it is not directed at her. He is looking at something behind her. Suddenly, it jumps up and runs off. Rey turns around sharply, calling after the creature. She notices what has made the dog so angry in the first place only after getting up.
It is Finn. He is walking backwards with his arms up as if he is surrendering. Then a couple of men appear from behind a builder. One of them is pointing a machete at Finn while yelling something in rage. Rey is about to run, but she freezes. Her muscles are tense and it is hard to stay unmoving. Her lungs are burning from the lack of oxygen and her legs are shaking uncontrollably. She hears the sand crunching again, a pair of feet shuffling.
The first blow hits the person behind her in the thigh. The knife Rey has pulled from its sheath is stuck in the man's leg and he cries out in pain. He tries to grab her arm, but she has already turned around. The girl's foot forcefully kicks him in the injured leg, causing him to fall to the ground. Rey quickly moves to stand behind the man to wrap her arm around his sweaty dirty neck. He begins to claw at her skin, leaving crimson marks with his nails. She sinks her teeth into his hand and he lets go. When the thug sags in her hold, Rey notices a faded tattoo on his palm. Gang members usually have those.
"Hey, are you alright? Oh-okay. You're fine."
"What the hell was that?" The man drops down onto the soil face down. "Who are you?"
"Woah, listen! I don't know who these guys are either!" Finn shrugs. His nose is bloody. "They must've followed me or-"
"Who are you?" Rey repeats dryly, picking up her knife.
Finn opens his mouth, but he says nothing. His shoulders sag and defeat marks his round face. Rey can almost hear him thinking, 'I want to tell you, but I can't'. She scoffs and turns on her heel. The skin on her arm is stinging, but she ignores the unpleasant sensation. The girl is walking toward her truck hurriedly to get away from the mysterious man as quick as possible. She is cursing at him, her kindness, Elena, the emptiness in her stomach and dryness in her throat. Rey can hear Finn yelling and Bebe barking. He eventually catches up with her.
"Rey! I'm not a bad guy, alright? I've just had a really bad day!" he croaks. "I-I just need help and preferably a glass of water. Yeah?"
Rey pretends he is not there.
"And-and that stupid phone doesn't work! The lady said-"
She turns around and stalks toward him in a few quick strides. Bebe is growling. She can feel his nose poking her leg. Finn's eyes glance at the knife she is holding tightly.
"Which lady?" she hisses.
He shrugs. "You know, the one with red hair?"
No one is really paying attention to either of them. The thug that has attacked Rey is still lying on the ground unconscious, the other two are crawling toward the rock caves. A couple of women wearing dark rags over their heads are still carrying wooden barrels filled with water from the well, a young boy is drawing shapes onto the sand, a tall man is smoking a cigarette while picking at his nails. Soon, some scrawny hobo will come out of his hiding to search the thug's body like a starving animal ready to tear apart the juicy flesh of its victim.