Sorry about the cliffie…well…no…I'm really not, it's fun to watch you all squirm at my will, but anywho, onto the story.

Chpt. 4 – Like Ice

It was just as Rini had expected, the day had gone just as the night had and now she was in a worse mood than when she first awoke. The day may have started off alright to any normal person, but the red light of the sun should have proven a warning to many of the times to come. The Monday walk to school was interrupted at its midpoint by a sudden downpour of icy water that it seemed the sky had been holding for her. Rini ran as fast as she could through what she thought must have been sheets of ice pouring from the heavens only to arrive at her school drenched and shivering. It seemed like it took forever for her to dry, but her cloths did not hold the water long as she sat through class all day, staring at the rain covered windows.

The rain had lasted all day and as the last bell rang, Rini was relatively reluctant to exit the school for fear of arriving home in the same state that she had arrived at school. Her feet slowly dragged her to the main door of the school building, and she stared out into the gloom of the afternoon, only to find something she had never expected. Sitting in the driveway to the school, directly in front of the double glass doors which she now stood at was a bright red, and rather sporty looking, car. Leaning against the side of the car, holding a large black umbrella above his head was a tall, dark and handsome man that Rini knew to be the past version of her father, Darien. Looking up, Darien smiled at the small girl and motioned with his free hand that she should come over. His smile only broadened as the two pink bobbles on either side of her head only proved to remind him of the "meatballs" he so often made fun of her future mother, and his current girlfriend for.

Darien popped the door as Rini opened the large glass front to the school and ran to the car through the still pouring rain. As he walked slowly around to the driver's side, she closed the door and shivered slightly at the fact that the air was chill and she was just damp enough due to the quick dash through the rain. Rini watched as Darien entered the car, quickly followed by the drench umbrella which he closed and threw into the back seat. With a quick turn of the key, Darien had the motor to his large and rather comfortable car started and they were on their way.

"It's a lovely day out, no?" Darien mocked a fake French accent as he attempted to be sarcastic.

"Why were you at the school?" Her response seemed to take all joking nature from the car, leaving Darien quite befuddled.

"You're mother…err…Serena asked me to, like I said, it's a lovely day out."

With this the conversation in the car seemed to die. Darien didn't normally listen to the radio, so Rini sat quietly and listened to the sound of the rain on the roof, the sound of the windshield wipers working to clear Darien's vision as he drove, and the sound of the water splashing up from the road onto the bottom of the car. The Ride lasted like this for only a few minutes, but it felt like eternity to a girl who only wanted to be alone.

"Is everything okay?" The question was quick, and caught Rini offgaurd, but it took only a moment for her to compose herself.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Because you don't seem yourself, not since the night you and that boy started to work on your science project."

The comment seemed to hang in the air. Eventually Darien gave up on pushing farther and just let the conversation drop entirely. It wasn't long before they both arrive at Rini's house, at which point Darien pulled the car up to the curb and parked. Being the gentleman that he was, Darien got out and, after putting up the umbrella, opened the door for the small girl. After Rini had placed her pack on her back, he escorted her to the door and then entered the house with her where both of them were quickly assaulted by Serena.

"I'm glad you're both home safe, the weather outside is horrible…"

Serena blathered on in her normal fashion, and, as usual, Rini tuned her out and proceeded toward the stairs. Each step felt like Rini had to lift a lead weight, but all too soon she seemed to have reached her room, the faded pink door standing before her. Proceeding into the room, Rini felt no need to hit the lights considering the sun was still high, and the bright beams of it through her light pink curtains gave the entire room a dull shade of pink that was somewhere between nostalgic and depressing. Rini drops her bag at the end of her bed, and began to look around the room, as if this were the first time she had seen it in a long time. In fact it did seem quite a long time since she had last taken a good look at the room. Her dresser seemed to be littered with dead rose petals that were once white. Her vanity was covered with things that she hadn't used in ages, and among them was the Luna Ball. Rini walked over to it and stroked it gently, causing it to roll slightly and tap the large mirror on the vanity. Looking into the mirror, Rini felt as if she were staring another self, another person who was strong that she was, because right now she felt so weak.

Turning from the world that was her room, Rini came to the sudden conclusion that she was unbearably tired. Moving towards her bed, she collapsed onto the comforter, and was soon out.

Rini fell through the now common void that told her she was asleep and entering yet again another confusingly hellish dream. With a thud, she landed on what appeared to be cold leather, but this couldn't be right. This was a replay it seemed, she had just been her. The cold leather seat beneath her, the hard black dashboard and the red hood; this was Darien's car, and he was just where he was twenty minutes ago, driving her home. Quietly they drove, but something seemed wrong, everything was happening so fast. The car seemed to be moving at a speed that was unexplainable, in fact, the whole world did. It was as if time were speeding by at a rate that was unimaginable. Rini looked over to Darien, who appeared unphased by this, and then gasped in shock. She couldn't have seen what she thought she did, could she? For a moment there, it was as if she were looking at a television set, and the picture blinked. Darien had flashed, then reappeared wearing all white, then flashed again and returned to normal. What could all this possibly mean? Suddenly there was the screeching of brakes, and a flash of light, and then the voice.

"Here…the lowest hall…behind the glass…need…you…"

Then she was awake, as always. She had sprung forward in the light of the now red setting sun, but now she leaned against the head board and pulled her knees up to her chest. Nothing made any sense and she couldn't take it anymore. Slowly a tear slipped down her cheek, and then another. To her they felt no better than the rain: liquid, ever flowing, and as cold as ice.

Dum, dum, dum…I know I'm horrible to do this to you every time, but it's so much fun. Well…R&R please, and thank you.

MK