***5 September 2005 -Bantha

After they left the cell Mathilda waited for a couple of minutes, hiding under her blanket, acting like she was coughing. She held the fluffy doll tightly in her arms, against her chest. Together they were safe in this little hut, the ragged blanket keeping the nasties away from them.
The child listened carefully, but she didn’t hear anything anymore. Carefully she peeped through one of the little holes of the blanket, but she didn’t see anybody. She ‘coughed’ again then shoved the grey sheet off her.
She shoved the mattress against one of the three walls of the small cell then sat back on it again, leaning with her back against the cold metal. She sighed then examined the doll that the Twi’lek gave her. She hoped that the blue woman would return soon, and that she would take her out of here.
She remembered how they had had a walk in the desert, mum and her. Mum had pointed at an animal that looked much like this doll that she was holding in her hands.

“Do you know what that is?”
Mathilda shook her head towards mum, tightly holding her hand, staring at the animal. It looked peaceful.
“That’s a ‘bantha’.”
“Can I pet it?” The child asked.
“Sure, but be careful. Let me try it first, to see how friendly this one is.”
“Ok.”
A hot wind had started to blow, it got stronger. As sand blew into her face Mathilda coughed. Mum ran a bit back to her and grabbed her hand.
“A sandstorm, come we better hurry back home.”
Together they ran back to the house, the light brown-yellow house that looked a bit like a square box from the outside. The house of a good friend of mum.
She missed the purple flowers.

“And who are you?” Mathilda said to the doll with a soft voice. Then she lowered her voice. “I am Bantha.” Her voice rose again to normal level. “I am Mathilda. Nice to meet you Bantha. Nice to meet you too.”
She took the doll in a tight hug. Now she was not totally alone anymore. She was together with Bantha.. together they were alone. As quiet as possible she sniffed and let some tears crawl over her cheeks, holding Bantha against her chest.
“Don’t cry Bantha. I’ll protect you.” She whispered to the doll. Then she burst into tears,
pulling the blanket over herself. After some minutes she really felt tired and yawned, then slowly fell into a restless sleep.
Next to her on the ground there was the paper cup, still halfway filled with lemonade. On the background the forcefield hummed quietly.