History: The title of this story, 'Calneh', is defined as one of four fort/cities founded by Nimrod. It is also referred to as Calno and Canneh. It's considered to be the modern Niffer, which is a practical wilderness on the east bank of the Euphrates. It's 60 miles south-south east of Babylon. This is epochal information necessary to fully grasp what I base this story on. As the storyline progresses, I'll be giving more history on this ancient city and it's significance in my story.

Disclaimer: The majority of the following characters are property of Tite Kubo and Bleach.

A/N: This story came to me while watching "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (released June of 2005). It has some of the same elements as far as isolation goes, but really the two couldn't be farther related. The good side of me didn't enjoy writing this, but some sick part of me mildly enjoyed itself. It takes a bit out of you to figure out what's going on, so reviews with questions will be promptly answered. I hope you take a psychological eye to this, because this isn't a typical fantastical story. This is hardly even a love story. And for those of you who I know will ask, this is the first chapter of many.

Warning: The following M-rated story contains heterosexual and homosexual themes, adult language and sexual explicitness.

My Thanks To: I think I'd like to be selfish and take all the glory this time.

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"it's bugging me, grating me
and twisting me around
yeah i'm endlessly caving in
and turning inside out"

Muse, "Hysteria"

Lyrics may be taken out of context for the sake of the story.

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Renji eyed her from across the room, the wooden chair creaking pensively under his weight. The room was quiet, the weather calm, controlled. It would rain soon, as the clouds foretold, but for now, it would wait. It was still early.

He chewed on his lip, eyes wide and seemingly glassy, deep in thought with a touch of unmistakable anger. The wind blew through the room, a lukewarm breeze of salt air stinging her eyes and threatening to broil over the already building tears. She kept an even gaze pointed towards the sea's horizon, the delicate, wilting line that separated the ocean from the heavens.

"You have to let me go." Her voice was breathy, knowing. He flinched.

"I have to do no such thing." He spat, eyes braving the delicate curves of her body.

Silence ensued again. Rukia kept a bountiful air of calm, the lye of the day. Inside her nerves were lit on fire, fearing any movement from the being across from her. In fear of looking at him, she shut her eyes. Sometimes, the desire overgrew it's bounds.

"I have to go."

"You don't."

The length of the white gown she wore billowed with the wind. He followed the trail up her calf, stopping at her bruised knees. The soft lace countered the tanned flesh of her skin, tinged pink from the harsh cutting wind.

He inhaled deeply, his nostrils flared in irritation. The lines of ink tracing his olive skin rippled, giving the impression of a seizure of the flared muscles underneath.

"You won't make the night."

"I've had worse."

He continued gnawing at his chapped, torn lips, now tasting the coppery tang of blood.

Her eyes opened and faltered a glance in his direction.

Their eyes met.

She felt a part of her snap. A tremor took her spine and her lip quivered.

His ocher gaze cut into her soul. Crimson hair spilled into his face then, and for once that day she was grateful for the wind. When he'd tamed his mane, her eyes were safe from him and again captive of the waves below them.

He glanced down, for the thousandth time that day, to her trembling chest. His eyes seemed to flutter as he let the same wretched thoughts foul his mind as it had for, again, the thousandth time.

"I'm leaving." She finally announced.

She felt the heated gaze following her movements as she stood and pulled her windbreaker over her slim shoulders. She looked out the door once more, took a long, deep breath, and let it out to mix with the whipping air. Her feet had made it to the head of the ladder before a strong hand grabbed hers.

"You're not." Strong, bold words. Full of authority he thought he had. And maybe he did.

She faltered, before continuing forwards, breaking the grip that wasn't as strong as she'd originally feared.

"You're not." He said again, voice even stronger. She shivered and continued her descent down the ladder. "Rukia!"

"I have to," she stated. "you won't make the night."

"Foolish bitch!" He snarled.

"Call me what you will." She called up to him as she set herself carefully in the dirt. She made sure not to look at him, and her body seemed to be temporarily obedient. She set her jaw and her heart skipped dangerously as she heard a thump behind her.

A hand spun her around by the shoulder, accentuating the will in Renji's fierce eyes, which she now found her own pinned to. All worries of the manic wilderness beside them were forgotten.

"You will not leave me!" He ordered, voice low and so strained. She watched the teeth clench together, heard the mild grinding emanating from them. She then saw the blood on his lips, the gashes made from those very teeth.

"You've been in pain. You won't make the night."

"Stop saying that!" He exclaimed, arm thrashing out to grab her by the hair and pull her face to his.

"You won't make the night."

"Stop it!" He shouted, lungs tightening and eyes narrowing. He pulled harder and was rewarded with a harsh gasp.

"You won't make the night!!" She screamed, and was promptly thrown to the ground. Her body hit the dirt hard, without resistance, her muscles quivering in anger as she fought the urge to counter.

The harsh gasps of air leaving his mouth was unbearable to listen to. The way the air seemed to not come, the way his lungs hitched, the way he dropped to his knees and pulled her up by the arm. All of it was so infuriating.

She was on her knees now, as he was. He stared hard at her, as if his thoughts could cut her. He willed it, he wanted it. He wanted to hurt her.

Didn't he?

He began to suspect himself when his lips met hers, forcing her to the ground.

She didn't resist. She didn't do anything.

His calloused, hard palms rubbed up her sides, pulling the gown up her legs and belly.

His mouth attacked his neck, her collar, her mouth again.

Breath escaped her lips as he ravaged her throat again. Angry bites scored her shoulders, arms, inner elbow, before moving directly across to her ribs. His tongue laved the fleshy ridges of bone, nipping, breathing hard, biting.

She gasped.

His mouth found the small mound of her left breast, and she squeaked as he bit into it. The underside throbbed painfully.

"You won't... make th-"

"I said shut your goddamn mouth!" He screamed, and she turned her head to escape the anger in his words.
Finally he picked her up, crushing her exposed body to his chest roughly. His hand, the one that still ached and sent tremors surging through the muscles of his forearm, cradled her head as strongly as it could.

Her head fell back and she looked at him. With ease the wrist gave way and he cursed, eyes shutting on cue as an stomach-turning crunch found her ears.

A beat.

He breathed hard, one eye cracking open to glare down at her. She was frozen in fear.

"You won't make the night." She said again, honesty outweighing the finality in her words.

He dropped her and she gasped.

She watched his retreating figure, slumped in agony.

.: :.

His ears picked up the noxious creaking of the ladder, announcing her arrival. He waited until her head peaked over the floor to turn his own. A paper bag was set cautiously in front of her as she now used both hands to heft herself into the room.

She took a moment to catch her breath before sliding out of the windbreaker and eying the descending sun with an upturned arm to block it's fading rays.

She swallowed gathering saliva before standing, grabbing up the bag from beside her bare feet.

Renji watched the jacket fly to the couch, the only movement within reach of his averted eyes. He bit his lip again, the pain having turned to a dull heat crawling up the length of his arm. He heard her fall to her knees in front of him.

He waited.

"I told you." He whispered, sliding his legs flat to the floor as she crawled between them.

"You did." She acknowledged, hands finding the buttons on the front of his shirt.

"And did you return to me unspoilt?" He demanded, eyes finding hers and holding her there, frozen in fear and anger as if she might strike him with an ungodly force.

She set her jaw.

"I did."

He took a moment to monitor her eyes, her face, her body, as if contamination could be seen crawling the length of her skin. He waited for a horrible creature to burst forth from her body, discarding her corpse like an animal's carcass.

But nothing happened.

He grabbed her face roughly and brought it to his, their foreheads coming together softly, as he didn't want to hurt her anymore. The anger was gone.

The worry was clear in his face and Rukia accepted it with a sardonic smile and a cold outer shell.

Inside, they were weeping.