“You’ve seen this place. You’ve seen this island,” said Luke.
“Only in dreams,” I whispered.
I had been following Luke in the fog and then suddenly heard voices upon the wind. They were coming from an area further down the hill and I sensed that they wanted me to follow them. I couldn’t understand what they were saying but I didn’t feel any malevolence from them. So I had made my way down the hill and come upon a large clearing with a great hollowed tree in the center. I had seen this tree in my dreams since I was a child and my heart raced as I approached and stepped into the hollow.
I gazed around the inside of the ancient tree, taking it all in. Its great wavy bark and roots snaked all around us and went into the soil, creating a comfortable interior space safe from the elements. On a small shelf at the far end rested several books that appeared almost as ancient as the tree itself. It felt strange and eerily comforting to finally come to a place that had been calling to me for years. I ran my hand over the smooth wood of the tree and could hear many whispered voices talking over each other. The island carried so many secrets...
“Who are you?” Luke sounded curious, almost amazed.
“The Resistance sent me.”
“They sent you. What’s special about you?”
I didn’t know how to answer. Many years on Jakku had taught me humility. I never presumed to think that there was anything special about me.
“Where are you from?” Luke continued.
“Jakku,” I said pointedly, practically daring him to name a less interesting place in the galaxy.
“Alright, that is pretty much nowhere.”
“I wasn’t born there but...my parents left me there when I was five. I don’t know why, and they never came back.”
Luke stared quizzically, like he was trying to read me. We stood in silence for a moment.
“Why are you here, Rey from Nowhere?”
“The Resistance sent me. We need your help-“
That required a more involved answer. I knew exactly why I was there, but it was tricky to put into words. Not too long ago, I had thought Luke Skywalker was a myth, a legend. The Jedi were all but extinct. I knew my sensitivity to the Force had always been with me, but I never had a word for that feeling until I met Han and Maz, and it had never been so strong. Ever since Maz told me what I essentially had known all along - that my parents were never coming back for me - I had felt lost, not really knowing what to do with my life. Living on Jakku, one didn’t think far beyond tomorrow. Each day was a day of survival. I didn’t have the luxury of dreaming about the future...but I did have a purpose: survive until my parents return. That purpose was now gone.
Then I had gotten caught up in the Resistance’s war with the First Order, and it seemed that being strong with the Force could be useful in the war. Leia after all had been searching for her brother Luke - the last Jedi - to help spark hope in the Rebellion. If anyone could show me my place in this war, maybe even teach me, it was him.
