~ * Obsessions * ~

By Chick-a-tee-in-ur-face

Disclaimer: I do not *sigh* own Sailor Moon

Chapter 3: House Call

Rei looked horror stricken at her assailant. She still couldn't see his face in the dark but she could feel his body move in closer to hers. Her mind yelled orders at her to do something, anything but she was paralysed. Everything was too similar, too horrifyingly connected to be coincidence. Closing her eyes she tried to banish the memories flashing through her mind.

* Flashback *

"Hey Rei, wait up." Rei flicked her long raven hair back over her shoulders to look at who was calling her. A little annoyed to see the school nerd Melvin waving his hands furiously above his head, she pretended not to have seen him and kept on walking. She had known since primary school that he had a huge crush on her and felt kind of flattered but to still have a huge crush on her now in junior high was getting beyond irritation. She rounded a corner and made her way to the bus stop.

"Rei." A puffed Melvin caught up to her, his brown hair dishevelled from the run, his uniform covered in sweat, pushing his huge glasses up the bridge of his nose with one of his long thin fingers asked, "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

Rei putting on an innocent face looked at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry Melvin, I didn't see you." She hoped he would buy the story so biting her lower lip she waited for him to say something.

"Oh." Melvin raised one of his arms up scratching the back of his head, "that's okay. But umm.Rei.would you like to umm.you know.go."

Rei interrupted him seeing her bus round the corner. "Can we talk later Melvin, I have to catch this bus." Brushing him off, she ran past him and hopped on her bus. Looking out the window, she saw a blushing Melvin standing alone on the sidewalk. She thanked the bus silently as she realized what had almost happened.

"Who's the geek?" Rei turned to see Chad taking the empty seat next to her.

"Just some boy who has a crush on me." Rei replied indifferently.

Chad looked at her incredulously. "Just some boy. Well does this boy have a name?"

"What difference does it make?" Rei snapped.

"Geez, calm down. I just wanted to add his name to the list of boys who has a crush on you."

Rolling her eyes, Rei turned and stared out the window. She didn't need any of this. Ignoring everything Chad was saying to her she waited for her stop as patiently as she could. Seeing it up ahead she picked up her bag and shuffled her way to the front just as it stopped. She heard Chad shout something from the back before she hopped of the bus.

Looking up and down the street, Rei noticed it was empty. Seeing the sun begin to set she hurried to get home before it got too dark. She had reached the car park a few minutes away from where she lived the sun had already gone down. The only light came from the streetlights and the moon overhead. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on its end. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, turning her around and clamping a hand over her open mouth.

"Well, whad' we 'ave 'ere?" The smell of liquor drifted into her nose stinging her eyes. "Whad's a pretty lit'o thing like ya doin' out 'ere so late this time o' day, eh?" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt his body press closer to hers. She closed her eyes as the drunken man touched her face, moving up to her hair then down again across her back. He stopped for a minute as if his sober self had warned him not to touch her but continued.

Rei hadn't noticed but she stopped breathing for quite a while, and she was feeling faint so she didn't hear when someone walked up to them or didn't feel the hand squashed down on her mouth release a little before completely letting go. When she fainted someone caught her.

"Hey, are you alright?" It was a different voice, it was one belonging to an older guy. Scrunching her eyes tight afraid to see that it was another man who fought to have his turn on her, she kept them shut which made the guy laugh.

"Look, I won't hurt you if that's what you're afraid of." He sounded kind of earnest. Opening one eye and then the other, Rei stared into a pair of laughing blue ones. A deep blue the colour of the ocean. He also had raven hair but cropped neatly a few inches from his scalp. He flashed her a smile which almost blinded her.

"What-what happened?" She was afraid of the answer but she needed to know if anything happened or not. Her new friend looked at her gravely.

"You're one lucky girl you know that. If I hadn't shown up when I did." he didn't need to go on. She already knew what her fate would have been.

Choking back a sob she said, "Thank you." In a low voice.

In a cheery mood again he introduced himself. "Don't worry about it. My name's Darien. Darien Shields." After scrutinizing her a little he added, "You know, you look like someone I know. Anyway, where do you live, I think I should escort you home. I don't want you to run into anymore trouble."

Rei smiled at her new found friend. "I live at Cherry Tree Hill. In the temple with my grandpa. And my name is Rei. Rei Hino."

Taking her hand she offered Darien shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Rei." He walked her the last few minutes to the door of the temple. Just as he was going to leave he added, "Remember Rei, try to get home earlier. Maybe before the sun sets." With a wink and a wave he left a smiling Rei standing at the door.

* End of Flashback *

'Not again, please not again.' A tear escaped her closed eyes, her breathing heavy as she fought to fill her lungs with air as the hand clamped over her mouth made it difficult for her to breathe. The situation was the same. Again she was the victim. The only difference was that then someone was there to save her. Now, she had blown her chance by refusing Chad's offer as an escort. She prayed against all hope that maybe someone would find her but she had given up on that idea as she realized the only person who knew she was here was probably miles away now. She was beginning to get frantic again when she heard a whisper.

"Shh.Rei, are you crying?" A familiar voice escaped from her assailants lips. She opened her eyes and squinted at the shadows to see who it was. He let go of his hold on her and moved a couple paces back. At that moment the moon came out from behind the clouds shedding some light at the man before her. She could just make out some of his features, and gasped still in shock. Just as quickly she turned the fear she had felt a few minutes ago into fury. Her violet eyes burned as she just looked at him.

"Dammit, Jason." She yelled at his face. "Don't you ever.EVER scare me like that." Weariness soon took over her slim form, her mind clouded and a headache was slowly forming. Jason walked past her and picked up the purse she left lying on the side of the car.

Feeling for a pulse, Rei took deep breaths to calm down. Her heart was pounding at 120 beats per minute. Her anger lessening, Jason figured it would be safe to talk to her again.

Handing over her purse he said, "You dropped this." Rei shot him a glare in the dark which he could not see. Taking her bag from him she gave him a curt thank you.

"Why are you here?" she asked feeling calmer now.

"I was in the neighbourhood." He looked at her and thanked the stars she couldn't see him blush. Looking away he continued, "I thought I saw someone following you the other day so I thought I'd check up on you." Rei's heart jumped to her throat. 'Someone following me, the other day.' She had been having a feeling that someone was watching her but she dismissed it as paranoia, now somebody she knew and trusted was telling her otherwise. Her hand shaking she cleared her mind of every bad thing that could possibly happen to her.

With a clear voice that didn't indicate to her friend she was scared she asked, "Jason, can you take me home please?"

He nodded and took the keys from her trembling hands, walked her over to the passenger side, sat her down before walking over to the driver seat.

Looking at her made his heart swell. 'She looks so much like her.' He thought. Starting the engine up, they took the short drive home.

At the door of her temple Jason said with warmth and careful deliberation, "Be careful Rei, the worlds a dangerous place in the dark." Rei nodded and watched him leave, his blonde hair glistening in the moonlight. His shoulders slightly hunched, and his hands in his pant pockets.

Entering the temple she flicked on the lights and gasped. The place had been ransacked. Pictures were thrown of the wall, stuffing in the cushion ripped out, drawers open with papers half hanging over the side. She ran to the room and found the same result. The jolt of fear ran through again that night. Agitated she yelled out, "GRANDPA?" Running from room to room seeing the mess everywhere, she searched for her missing grandpa. When she heard someone grunted she followed the sound into the bathroom. Lying on the tile floor her grandpa was sprawled out. The broom by his side was probably the weapon somebody had used to knock him out. "Grandpa?" Rei cried out alarmed. Feeling for a pulse, she found a faint one. Rushing once more, she ran to use the phone and called the emergency number.

AN: Yay, another chap up. I hope you all like this one. ^_^ Review Please.