Spellbound

 

A dank darkness surrounded her. She felt paralyzed by the overgrown trees as their branches reached out to her, attempting to tickle her throat. She couldn’t move. She didn’t dare. Fear gripped her in its iron grasp as the wind began to howl, causing a multitude of bumps to form along her arms from the unnatural chill that dared to invade her body. Creatures common to the night sang above her head, taunting her, mimicking her. Attempting to block out the noise, her hands reached up to cover her ears. A futile effort, yet it was the only movement she could make. Feet mired in thick, sticky muck refused to move or were incapable of flight. Trailing down her back, her once-luxurious brown hair, was now intermingled with twigs and knots, twisted grotesquely together, and encrusted with mud. Although her face appeared youthful, her haggard appearance belied such thought. Eyes that had previously sparkled were now dim and fearful. Her clothes were tattered and barely covered her body – yet she was fortunate to have any left after what she had been through.

 

Unable to compose herself, her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Every sound made her body shudder and her eyes dart from one trace of movement to the next. “Where are you?” she whispered. “Do you live? You told me to run but did I leave you to your death?” Such a thought brought tears to her eyes. “My beloved…I shouldn’t have left…”

 

Padmé and Anakin walked hand in hand, comforted by the presence of one another. The day was bright and cheery and a gingerly walk would allow them time alone together. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that relaxation of any kind had proven impossible. The Clone War spread the Jedi across the galaxy fighting a war that had no end in sight, unending Senatorial debates – each pressure weighed on the couple together and individually. Anakin had led several missions for the Republic, each one more successful than the last, albeit not without unfortunate causalities. Those missions had increased recently, adding more pressure to the already overextended Jedi. Even the Jedi mainstay – meditation – proved inadequate. Obi-Wan, sensing his Padawan’s level of stress dangerously rising, suggested that Anakin take some time off. Coruscant boasted numerous resorts where relaxation was the fare of the day – every day. Anakin gratefully accepted the invitation and quickly contacted Padmé, hoping she could forgo her Senatorial duties for a few days. Padmé had suggested the Orion retreat, known for its exclusive clients and their needs for privacy.

 

Their leisurely stroll began in the formal gardens, among the various species of trees and flowers radiant in fragrance. Soon they found themselves venturing farther – toward the woods at the edge of the retreat that silently beckoned them onward…

 

Unbeknownst to them, the forest closed in around them as soon as they entered, allowing no escape, no mercy…

 

 

Closing her eyes she began to chant to herself, slowly at first then gradually more forcefully. “I can do this…he lives. I can do this…he lives.” Determination finally gripping her, she found the courage to break free of the numbing sensation in her mind but she wasn’t completely free of the bondage yet. “This is a nightmare. I have to convince him. This isn’t REAL!” she said aloud. Turning her head in every direction she continued to speak forcibly, realization her ally. “This isn’t REAL! None of it! You can’t have him!”

 

As if on command, the mire around her feet shifted and she was able to move. Quickly pulling herself free, she turned and ran back into the darkness, determined to find the one person who shared her soul. Anakin Skywalker.

 

 

Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker created her own path as she trudged through the vast branches and barbed bushes that erupted like a barrier before her. Her hands were torn and bleeding but it didn’t matter. Anakin mattered, and she was determined to find him in this horror, no matter the cost. “You can’t have him! I will never let you usurp him and turn him towards darkness. You are a COWARD! You hear me?” Padmé paused long enough to glance around. “COWARD!” she shouted angrily. Turning on her heel, she ran further into the dangerous forest.

 

 

Anakin rested on his hands and knees, his breath coming to him in slow gasps. Cast aside was his Jedi robe, now unrecognizable. The battle he had endured left his enemy still breathing, but escaping into the darkness – leaving the Jedi to survive if possible. His shirt had been slashed so badly that he had removed it to use as bandages. Littering his chest and back were a series of deep cuts and claw marks. Fresh blood mingled with dry, leaving a crimson trail as it oozed from the wounds. He counted himself lucky that he still had some kind of clothing to protect himself from this forest, which seemed to have come alive. He brushed his hands across his pants, although the smear left behind was inconsequential to what remained on his hands. Anakin didn’t dare draw into the Force. No, that valuable lesson had been learned. The darkness surrounding him was so powerful, it reached out and literally sucked his innate Force ability from his body with every attempt to connect himself to the mystical energy.

 

“At least Padmé escaped.” He sighed heavily and slowly rose to his feet. “I need to find her before…that monster…that animal thing…does,” he scolded himself, in spite of his labored breathing that made it difficult to speak. Suddenly, Anakin felt a tingling trail up his back.

 

Without the slightest hesitation, the Jedi set across the forest floor, his lightsaber firmly gripped in his right hand.

 

 

In need of rest, Padmé sighed with relief at the discovery of a large rock looming out at her. Climbing on top of it, she sat down and breathed deeply. “This is nothing more than a dream, a nightmare. None of this is real,” she kept telling herself. She examined her surroundings; the ominous trees…darkness at every turn. Only the minute sliver of sun permeating through the dark canopy provided her with light, but she surmised it would be enough.

 

“How long have we been trapped here?” she asked herself. “And what was that…thing that attacked us?” Padmé suddenly felt cold. A chill ran up her spine, and her stomach twisted into knots. “Why are you doing this?” she screamed. She could feel the ominous presence, vile and sinister. The presence that had been plaguing them since they had ventured into this forsaken forest continued its relentless pursuit. I won’t give in…I won’t. You can’t enslave my mind. Nestled within her was a fierce, steely resolve to conquer her oppressors – the core of Padmé. It was this part of her that she latched onto, refusing to let go. I’ll fight you! she thought, gritting her teeth. “I don’t fear you!” she shouted. “I smell your wretched stench! And I know who you are!”

 

The wind churned around her, chilling her to the bone. Then a voice permeated her mind, its icy, clawlike grip threatening to take hold. *Senator, you are but an added bonus to my collection. Your husband will witness your demise and be mine – mind, body and soul.*

 

“You can’t control me you pitiful filth! I have broken your hold!” Padmé shouted. She looked around for the source of the voice only to find nothing.

 

*For now…but he hasn’t…*

 

“He will not succumb!” Padmé protested vehemently.

 

*So sure are you?*

 

“Yes!”

 

*If you know who I am, then you also realize my influence on him.*

 

“Leave him be Palpatine and get out of my mind! You hide behind a curtain to speak to me! You are such a caitiff!”

 

In response to her jeers, the wind’s velocity increased more than twofold and Padmé clutched onto the rock to prevent herself from toppling over. “Is that all you have?” she taunted, shouting over the howling the wind created. “I expected more!”

 

 

“PADMÉ!” Anakin continually shouted as he wove through the cluster of trees and undergrowth. His wounds forced him to periodically stop and catch his breath, yet it was his obstinacy that carried him forward again.

 

“Angel? Where are you?” The Jedi paused briefly, examining his wounds. Fresh blood trickled through his makeshift bandages and he was sweating profusely. Bereft of the Force’s healing, Anakin knew he would need medical attention soon. “I won’t leave her…I can’t…” But even as he spoke, the Jedi doubled over in pain.

 

Once the pain receded to a tolerable level, Anakin trudged onward.

 

He hadn’t gone far when he heard a scream, one that surrounded him with its bitter pain. “PADMÉ!” he shouted, heartache filling his being. “I’m coming, Angel!” Momentarily forgetting his wounds, Anakin ran as if death were right on his heels.

 

 

Padmé heard the scream as well, although to her ears it was Anakin’s voice. “NO! Don’t hurt him, please no!” Her taunts and bravado toward her invisible nemesis forgotten, she jumped from her perch and raced through the woods.

 

 

Anakin arrived at the source of the scream only to discover Padmé bound hand and foot to a tree. Salivating in front of her was the very creature that had attacked them earlier. Its body made from a living tree, barbed branches stuck out at every angle, ready to gouge anything that dared get in its path. Jagged teeth, designed to shred, protruded from its mouth, snapping at the struggling Nubian woman. Anakin cried out in horror as the creature attacked his beloved, turning her body into an ineffable mass. His heart felt as if it were being ripped from his chest as he ran toward them.

 

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” he screamed violently, his senses raging. He brandished his lightsaber and activated it with a snap-hiss. This creature had killed and defiled his wife’s body and he would have revenge!

 

Padmé entered the slight clearing in time to see Anakin racing toward the creature and her own dead body. “ANAKIN!” she shrieked. “NO, STOP! This isn’t real! I’m right here!”

 

Anakin didn’t even acknowledge his wife’s voice, all he saw was the gruesome scene before him and hatred in his eyes.

 

Ignoring the danger, presented to her by the creature and her own husband's blind rage, Padmé ran after Anakin. She knew that if he killed the creature in revenge, it would be his undoing and Palpatine would emerge victorious. "Never," she grimly determined. She continued to shout Anakin's name and charge after her Jedi.

 

Anakin finally heard her and suddenly stopped his charge, turning toward her voice.

 

Padmé gasped at the transformation before her. Anakin’s face was no longer his own – it was twisted and full of hate. No! she thought to herself, this is his grief, he believes that body is me. I have to get him to listen!

 

Pleading with him to stop, Padmé slowly approached her husband. She had to make him listen…understand… “Anakin, beloved, it’s me. You are in an illusion. I’m alive. That,” she pointed to the other version of herself, “isn’t real. This is a dream, a nightmare. Palpatine is trying to turn you to the Dark Side.”

 

Not quite comprehending, Anakin’s face began to soften, his body relaxed ever so slightly in its rigidness. But an instant later, the anger returned and he turned away to face the creature, intent on annihilating it. Padmé was less than a few meters from him and reached out to touch his arm. She was surprised to discover that even such a slight touch felt like an inferno, but she resolutely refused to remove her hand. “Anakin, please. Don’t give in – come back to me. Beloved, I beg you.”

 

“My Padmé doesn’t beg.” His refused to look at her and remained turned away. He had met the gaze of the creature, and they stared at one another.

 

“She is now.” Padmé came around and stood in front of him – forcing him to see her. “My beloved…” A slight hesitation then she reached out to touch his fiery cheek. “Feel my hand, its warmth and vitality. I’m alive.”

 

Anakin turned his head toward her, tears streaming down his cheeks. “How do I know? If this is a dream, how do I know you are real and she is not?”

 

Padmé closed the remaining gap between them, took hold of his hand and placed it on his heart. “What does your heart tell you, my love?”

 

Anakin disengaged his lightsaber. Shaking uncontrollably, he wrapped his arms around the woman who not only claimed his heart but his very soul. He wept on his wife’s shoulder, his body continuing its rampant shudders. Padmé, holding her Jedi, whispered soothingly to him.

 

No, she wouldn’t let him fall…

 

 

A short time later, the couple awoke to find themselves in a meadow. The confusion that set in soon turned to jubilation as they embraced their victory over darkness. They lay in each other’s embrace for several minutes, unwilling to let go. Their bodies still battered, Anakin finally stood, and then took his wife’s hand and helped her to her feet.

 

“How could I go on without you?” he asked earnestly.

 

“Beloved,” Padmé stroked his cheek. “Our lives are not simple. Danger will always be present – one way or another – but we mustn’t let darkness overcome us in times of great duress. I love you with all that I am and would be devastated if I ever lost you.” Padmé placed a finger to his lips just as Anakin was about to speak. “However, I would go on, because you would never let me give up and you would be disappointed if I did.”

 

Anakin lowered his head. “And I almost turned into a Sith because I thought I lost you.” The shame in his voice was palpable.

 

“But you didn’t…you held on.”

 

“Only because you were there…”

 

Padmé sighed and smiled lovingly at her husband. “Then you’ve learned something and the same mistake won’t be repeated. You have hidden strength you haven’t realized yet, until now. You could have easily ignored me when I was pleading with you. You knew it wasn’t right or I wouldn’t have been able to stop you.”

 

“I would have been consumed by my rage…” Anakin’s shoulders visibly tightened then eased up. “A trial of head and heart…the most difficult of all.”

 

“Yes, but you triumphed.”

 

“This time…but what if there’s a next time?”

 

Padmé winked. “You’ll already be prepared,” she replied simply. “Now I think we better take care of all these wounds or we may have more trouble.”

 

Anakin gestured with an out-swept hand. “Lead on, my Queen.”