Disturbia

"Juliet?"

Her eyes shot open suddenly. No. She knew that voice, but it just couldn't be who she thought it was.

"Ben?"

She closed her eyes tightly, counted to ten and opened her eyes again, hoping to make it all disappear.

When she opened her eyes, he was still there. "No," she whispered, "you can't be here, right now. It's impossible."

He shrugged his shoulders as he sat up straighter on the foot of her bed. "You've been on this Island for three years. You should know that nothing's really impossible here."

Juliet pressed her back against the headboard and held her face in her hands.

"What do you want from me, Ben? Haven't you done enough?"

He raised an eyebrow. "After everything I've done for you, you're still the same ungrateful woman." He picked imaginary lint off his clothes, "I just never imagined you'd move on so quickly."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about. And I'd really appreciate it if you would get out of my room."

"I'm talking about you and James. You just couldn't help yourself could you?"

Juliet stared at him, and if she wasn't so frightened, she would have found the situation laughable. "James? I knew you had a wry sense of humor, Ben, but you're way off the mark. He and I couldn't be more different." She paused for a moment, thinking something over, "And I don't see how it's really any of your business."

Her eyes widened as she watched as his fingers grip her bedspread. She tried to move back further, but soon realized she could move no further.

Noticing this, Ben looked imploringly at her. "You think, just because you're in 1974 that you're free?"

She shook her head slightly, eyes shifting from the open bedroom door and back, contemplating her escape.

"You've clearly forgotten what I'm capable of, Juliet." Ben continued, inching closer. "You're mine and, wherever you are, I will always find you."

Suddenly, her fear was gone. "You're pathetic, Ben." she said, looking into his eyes defiantly, "You're pathetic, and I hate you. You're a monster."

Breathing deeply, she continued, "I'm not scared of you. I know you're in my head, that you can't actually hurt me. Why don't you do us both a favor and disappear?"

His smile fell slightly. "Well I'm sorry you feel that way, Juliet." his finger traced circles around her knee as he spoke, sending cold chills down her spine. "But," he whispered as his fingers traced the line her thigh up to her hip bone, "you're wrong."

Before she could even blink, his fingers closed tightly against her neck choking her. Her eyes widened as she gasped for air and flailed frantically and helplessly at her attacker, who was finding enjoyment in her painful struggle.

Just as her vision was beginning to get hazy, he loosened his hold on her neck so that he was pushing her body lightly onto the mattress.

As she coughed and spluttered beneath his grip, he dipped his head slightly and pressed his mouth against her ear.

"No matter where you go," he whispered, "I'll find you. You'll never be free, Juliet."

She screamed.

Gasping, Juliet woke up surrounded by darkness.

She sat up in bed and pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to reorient herself with reality. But how she could do that, she wondered, when the illusion had seemed so real. She knew that no matter how much she hated Ben, he and that thing were not one and the same.

Because though Ben found ways to wound her in the past, he would never directly do anything to physically harm her. He was under the impression that he loved her.

Juliet wasn't foolish enough to shrug it off. She had lived on the island for over three years and had never once had a nightmare regardless of the inner turmoil she was feeling at being held captive. Yes, her dream meant something.

She just wasn't sure what.

But there was one thing she was damn certain about: there was no why in hell she was sleeping in that bed tonight.

It wasn't until Juliet walked out of her house, rain pouring relentlessly onto her body, that she realized just how idiotic her plan had been.

She surmised that she had two options: turn back or find someone that would take her in for the night. Making her decision quickly, she turned around, ran up the steps….

... and knocked.

She doubted he would answer. He didn't owe her any kindness, or have any debt to repay to her. When he failed to answer, she would try somewhere else. The logical side of her mind was telling her that it didn't matter one way or another.

But she knew, deep down, that she wanted him to answer, to be the one to make the pain and confusion go away if even for just an instant.

So when the door finally did open, and he stood there flummoxed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"There better be a damn good reason for you raisin' hell at this time at—" he stopped as his eyes focused on her neck. His fingers reached out to lightly graze the bruises that were forming. "Who did this?"

She didn't answer, she only placed her fingers where the ghost of his touch remained and winced. "I—" she whispered, trying the digest the surreality of the situation, "I don't know, James. Something is after me."

He paused for a moment, staring at her. Then, he stepped aside.

"Come on in."

She stared back too, not quite believing her ears, before stepping slowly over the threshold, and into his house.

He closed the door behind her and sighed. "I guess that means I'm sleeping on the couch again tonight," he said as he turned to walk toward the couch.

Before Juliet she realized what she was doing, she reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked back at her, surprised.

"Don't," she whispered. "It's a big bed, we can both fit."

She waited expectantly for him to add some insensitive jibe, something to make her hate herself for openly displaying her vulnerability and trusting him so easily. But he only nodded and led the way to the bedroom.

And as she laid down and closed her eyes, she didn't once think about the threat evil lurking around the corner. She only marveled at the realization that, next to this almost stranger, she felt completely and utterly safe.

Hey, guys! Here's another chapter in the chronicle of Sawyer and Juliet! This one is set the same day as "Banana Pancakes". Not all the stories will be so close together, but I wanted to really show their interaction in the initial days of their three years. This one was darker than I intended, but I like how it turned out just the same. Credit for the song "Disturbia" goes to Rihanna. I think the next chapter will either be inspired by the song "You Found Me" by the Fray or "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles, and will most likely be a little shorter than this chapter. Let me know what you think!!

Miki-hime