Inside The Fire

Chapter 01:

"Not a Day Over Nineteen"

I was at school and sitting in the most annoying of my classes; Algebra. I sighed as I continued to mess around on the computer I used to complete my work. The keyboard clicked as I entered an answer, a message popped up saying I had entered in the wrong number, and I glared at it as I closed the box. Rubbing my left temple I picked my pen back up and tapped it against my notepad, trying to find the mistake I made.

No more than thirty seconds later a professor called out and told us to pack our things and leave if we weren't currently working on an exam. Perfect timing. I flipped my book closed and hooked my pen into the spiral ring of my notebook and headed for the back door of the room after shrugging into my heavy coat. Once outside I tucked my things under my arm and fished my keys out from my pocket. The door lock remote was small and fit securely against my palm as I pulled the clip from my pocket and hit the button.

The car door unlocked and I climbed into my Jeep. I haphazardly tossed my things into the passenger seat and closed the door behind me. I slid the key into the ignition and shivered, February had brought plenty of chilly days with it, and today was no exception. As I sat there with the vehicle running to warm up, my phone rang. I stuffed my hand back into my coat pocket and pulled out the silver rectangle.

"Accept," I directed the device and put it to my ear, "Moshi moshi?" I smiled as a feminine voice began to serenade me. The song could have easily been heard by anyone nearby I had been outside the privacy of my car.

When the song was finished I spoke, "Thanks Morgan, birthday wishes are what keep me young and wrinkle-free." The other girl huffed as I chuckled. "You know I was on vacation in Hawaii!"

I smiled, "I know, I know. How have classes been going for you since you got back?" She had returned just the other day from an anniversary vacation with her boyfriend, and since we both went to the same college I had made sure to pick up any paperwork for her and leave it in her mailbox.

"Everything's alright, I got most of my work done last night and this morning, thanks for dropping it all for me and everything." She replied, a sigh was in her voice and I knew she must have been exhausted from the jet-lag and cram work.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. I was just heading home myself, math dragged on, as usual. You'll enjoy the lecture, I'm sure." I commented dryly. Morgan had the same class at a later time than I did. "Oh, I forgot, you must be getting ready to head home now, eh?"

"Yeah, I'm actually just waiting for the car to heat up, you know how this old timer likes to be." I patted the steering wheel as I talked about my old Jeep. It had been my fathers, he gave it to me when I had moved out so I would be able to have a car to get to school and work. I smiled fondly, almost missing what my friend had been saying.

"Oh sure, I'll be home then, I don't work tonight anyway." I added, as she asked what my work schedule was. It was always her way of asking if she could drop by.

"Good, I'll stop by around six then, be safe going home." She replied.

I smirked, "Alright, oh, and Morgan? Be sure to give Koiji a peck on the cheek for me, ne?" I cooed to her, coyly. She stuttered and I giggled before hanging up the phone. They had been dating for two years and she still got so embarrassed over my teasing. I shook my head and put my phone back in my pocket before putting the car in reverse to back out of my parking space, before driving off toward home.

The car ride was uneventful and I was signing along to the radio as I drove down the highway. I was so preoccupied that I failed to notice the suspicious silver Honda tailing me from a few car lengths back. I parked in my small stone driveway and locked the car before jogging up the steps of the front porch. I let myself into my little rented house and locked the door behind me before tossing my keys on the small kitchen table and shrugging my coat off and tossing it onto the back of one of my four kitchen chairs.

I shivered and made my way to the hall where the thermostat resided. Halfway to my destination, my doorbell rang. A sigh escaped my mouth as I turned around and trotted back to the door. My dark brown hair swung behind me as I hurried. I unlocked the deadbolt first before moving to the lock on the handle, once it clicked into place, the door was swinging open fast. It slammed into my chest with enough force to knock me off my feet and the breath out of my lungs; I toppled onto the floor. It happened so fast that the only thing that registered while I gasped for breath was the ache in my skull. I curled onto my side in the fetal position, desperately trying to relieve the pain that pulsed and shot across my brain.

I didn't even hear the door lock, or the footsteps near me as I was roughly grabbed by my wrist and drug up from the floor. I stumbled, my knees weak and my chest aching. I was being roughly held against another body, puffs of air blowing against my ear as the other person breathed. I tried desperately to focus my vision as I struggled against the person. "I missed you, Devin," the voice made me freeze momentarily before I finally wrenched out of the man's grasp and backed away.

I stood my ground on shaking legs, mussed bangs hung in my eyes, blocking bits of my vision, "What are you doing here, Sean?" I spat his name like it was venom on my tongue. I could feel my heart pounding against my skin, adrenaline was rushing through my veins like a freight train, and my thoughts were moving just as fast.

"It is your birthday, Devin. I merely came to wish you well." He smiled at me, showing his straight teeth between parted lips. He backed off of me, holding his hands up innocently.

"I told you to stay away from me," I did my best to muster up some authority in my voice and I clenched my teeth as I moved toward the right room, my back facing the brightened living space, "now get out of my house." I fought for control of my shaking hands and knees.

He advanced on me like a lion ready to pounce and I took another step back, he followed me until my lower back was against the couch. I gripped the plush surface tightly. "You know I can't do that, Devin."

"Like hell you can't!" I snapped at him angry that this was even happening. He grit his teeth in rage at me and socked me in the chest, the force making me topple backward onto the couch as he dived after me. A feral growl had left his throat as we wrestled with one another. I struggled with him for awhile until he had me pinned on the floor. He sat on my hips, my skirt askew and riding up and my blouse rumpled with buttons ripped off. He had my hands pinned above my head. Shit!

I wheezed and coughed when I finally tired of thrashing around. Though, when I felt his hand creeping up my thigh, I screamed and kicked my legs, more adrenaline humming in my veins. I pulled my head up and bit into his forearm, causing him to cry out. I felt his blood pool in my mouth and down my chin as I held on. He slapped me and I clenched my jaw, my eyes slamming shut when white pain burst behind my eyes.

He hit me again with something metal the second time and I let go. I felt blood pouring from my temple when I finally was able to look back up at him. Instead of staring up into indigo eyes, a .40mm pistol was staring down at me. His hand had left my thigh to grab it and I was completely still.

His sadistic laugh echoed around my quite house and he moved his mouth down to my ear, "Now, Devin. This is how it's going to be," he started casually, "be a good little girl and comply, or I'll have to hurt you. And we both know I don't want to do that." Tears welled up behind my closed eyelids and I could feel them running down my cheeks. I-I can't... I thought, I can never give into this psycho bastard. There's no way. In a second of clarity, as mere seconds ticked by while I laid pinned under a man I hated with a passion, I realized that there was no way to get out of this. I was either going to be raped and killed or fight with the little energy I had left and die anyway.

My glassy eyes opened and I stared up at Sean. He had this smug little smirk across his lips and it made me furious. I glared at him, my dark gray eyes bringing forth fresh tears and I rocked forward, my head crashing into his jaw, causing an abrupt cry to slip from Sean's mouth. As he leaned back to avoid me, I chomped back down on his arm just below my previous bite. He screamed in anger and ripped me away from his injured arm with his opposite hand, effectively slamming my head back against the floor. I was too dazed to even move my freed arms before he had a chance to re-pin me.

"So be it!" He let out a belt of hysterical laughter as the gun fired. The pain was harsh and hot, right through my heart, then it dissipated just as quickly as it came. It filled me completely, that icy cold feeling, as my vision blanked away at the edges. Before I vanished from the world, a single thought resonated through my dieing brain, Sorry, Morgan, I should have been more safe once I was at home, too.

Disclaimer & Author Notes:

So, I'm rewriting this story. I did use some parts from the original, but I did try to change it up a bit. I'm trying as hard as I can to get the style to match up with the original version. Please bear with me, I'm doing my best.

Don't be shy, review and let me know how I'm doing.

I answer all of my reviews, too.

Devin, Morgan, Koiji and Sean are of my creation and belong to me.

The characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho cannon belong to Yoshihiro Togashi.