InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Much Too Young ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Five

 

We are all brought up differently, taught different things. Life moves as it has since life on this world began. But with all life, no matter how you live or how you were taught, there are certain obstacles that everyone has to face. Though each persons hurdle may be different than their neighbor, they still prove challenging. To live in this world of chaos and war we have to fight. Many learn how to jump over their hurdle successfully and go on with the next one in front of them, and yet many others stop before they jump thinking that's they can't make it, that it's way too high. Whether they stop because they're afraid or because they don't have enough confidence in themselves waits to be seen in everyone who wishes to follow this path.

 

To live or to die (William Shakespeare), to give up completely and throw in the towel… these two choices are infinite in the human race and as long as the human race endures then these choices will remain. But what would happen if, by chance, these choices were taken from someone? If someone's will to live or to die was taken from them? What would happen if that person had to rely on their tormentor for freedom (to live), or for their salvation? Many times the captured will try to escape their bonds by any means possible, but to only be brought back down…only to suffer more. The strong will live to hopefully see another sunrise and the weak…the weak will be consumed in either the fires of hatred or they will slowly rot away. Many times they will lose all hope and die on the inside while they remain alive physically, broken and battered. Then again, some wounds are only skin deep and time can not heal them all.

 

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The flame flickered as a light wind blew past it. Shadows danced in rhythm on the plain white walls of the small guest bedroom. Kagome walked towards the little table that the lit candle was placed at. Sitting down with her legs crossed and arms folded on the table's smooth surface, she gazed at the orange flame. Moving her right hand, her fingers inched closer, and closer to the bright colored flame.

 

`How can something so beautiful be so dangerous?'

 

Her fingers stopped within an inch of being burned. Kagome could feel the heat radiating from the flame as her fingers moved leisurely over it, yet, at a safe enough distance. Her eyes reflected the flames mirror image causing them to change their color to a more grayish-blue. Tears welled up in her eyes thinking about what would happen tomorrow. As the first couple of tears dripped from their holding place, Kagome angrily wiped them away. It wouldn't do to cry. Not right now. Not when she was a guest in Shigure's home.

 

Kagome sighed and brought back her hand, and placed it underneath her chin. Today was almost over and tomorrow… tomorrow would hopefully turn out better than she hoped it would. It was bad enough that she wasn't coming home tonight. Maybe her father would be drunk again and wouldn't notice her missing? Some how she highly doubted it. As if it wasn't bad enough, she, against her better judgment, was the one at fault for her current position.

 

Switching her gazed to the nearby open window and out into the night sky she reminisced about earlier that day.

 

Flashback

 

When she came back to the house with Aya and Hatori she couldn't help but feel uneasy about the way everyone was looking at her. Her hands fidgeted a bit before she hid them behind her back.

 

“What? What are you all staring for?” The words came out harsher then she meant and she inwardly winced at her tone. She hoped nobody would take offense to her tone, but at last it was not meant to be…

 

“No need for hositility, Gome-chan. We are all just worried about you,” replied Aya. He placed a hand on her shoulder in a sign of comfort. She flinched slightly at the unexpected touch and bowed her head in apology. “Gomen, I didn't mean it the way it sounded,” she looked up but her eyes were hidden behind her bangs, “but why would any of you care? Why would the people that I just met today care? Why would the people that I came across for the first time in seven years care? You have no reason to care… you have no right to care.”

 

“Kagome.”

 

Everyone diverted his or her attention from Kagome to Hatori. They never heard him sound so irritated before. He gazed down at his ex-charge, his friend, and met her eye to eye. The pain in her blue depths surprised him but he held onto his stoic façade. Kagome cast her gazed down to the floor and turned her head. She couldn't handle seeing him look at her like that. It was just too much. It felt like he was searching her soul, and she was terrified at the thought of what might happen if he found her terrible secrets.

 

Tohru rose from her spot on the ground and headed over towards the sullen girl. She clasped her hands with her own and said the three words that told Kagome that she had friends here. “But we do…” Kagome gazed at Tohru with a mixture of surprise and happiness. When she found only sincerity in Tohru's eyes, she pulled her into a hug. “Thank you… thank you.” Her face buried into Tohru's shoulder as Kagome repeated her gratitude over, and over again.

 

Six pairs of eyes watched the scene in front of them with interest. The Mabudachi Trio had never seen Kagome look so…so broken. What could have happened to her while they were separated? What could have caused this once friendly and outgoing, albeit lonely, girl to change into someone completely different? Whatever the cause they were going to find out and bring back the person that they once knew.

 

When everything seemed to calm down and everyone gathered at the table in the living room, Kagome spoke. Her voice began to quiver and she stumbled over her words a bit, as if afraid of something. “ Gure-san…umm…I-I was, I mean if it's not too much of an inconvenience to you…umm… if-if I could possibly stay? I know it's just all of sudden. I'll understand if you say no, it's just…”

 

“Kagome.”

 

“Y-yes?”

 

Shigure looked to his left where Kagome was currently sitting. He studied her for a moment and then put on a soft smile. She really looked unsure of herself. “You are welcomed here anytime you wish.” Kagome rung her hands in her lap as she turned her gaze on everyone that was present in the room. Sifting her eyes to Shigure she nodded her head a bit as a smile exploded on her face for the first time since she has been there.

 

End of Flashback

 

How could she be so stupid! Did she think at all about the consequences? No, she didn't. Did she think about what might happen to her when she came home the next day after school? Nope. It was a spur in the moment type of thing. She already knew she was in trouble with her father for not coming home right after school. So, she thought, `what would it matter if I just don't come home tonight. I'm already in for it.' Well, after she was shown her room for the night it hit her like a ton of bricks. To not come home at all that night… Oh, she was a good as gone.

 

Kagome cursed her own stupidity and banged her head on the small table. She was safe tonight, but who would be there for her when she went home tomorrow? No one. It was just going to be her versus her dad like the age-old game of cat and mouse. Lifting her head from the table, she looked back at the lit candle in front of her. It's flame was dying and in some kind of sick humor the flame reminded Kagome of herself. A tear slipped from her eye as she blew the flame out. Standing, she walked over to the window and looked up to the stars. She wasn't going to pray anymore. Too many times she has asked God to deliver her from her hell and not once has he answered her pleas. Shaking her head, she closed the window and went to bed. No matter how tomorrow turned out to be it was still going to be one more day of hell.

 

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A/N: Thank you for all of those who reviewed. It means a lot. Please continue! Well, I hope you peeps liked this chapter… Ignore any grammar/spelling mistakes. I suck at that kind of stuff.