InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Addiction ❯ Frightening memories ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: Ok! I'm so inspired right now; I can't stand it! I swear I was just bombarded with about five ideas for this story. I will continue “Our Decision”, I promise, but I'm just in the mood to write this one right now. Sorry guys. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. A lot of things will be revealed.

 

To SplendentGoddess: I loved your review. Thank you so very much. I know it may seem a little out of character for Kagome now, but once you hear the rest of her story it will make a lot more sense. Oh, and you'll find out about the whole “money” issue in this chapter, so read on.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

 

Chapter 3: Frightening memories

 

InuYasha let his eyes flicker closed for a moment before fixating them on the scar that was imprinted on Kagome's left arm. It was so much like the one he bore, though the mark was less noticeable than his own. So she did know; she understood just how good it was. Still, one question prodded and poked at his mind. If she truly knew of the incredible sensation, then why did she stop? His thoughts clouded as he was overcome with an intense dizziness as he often was after his euphoria.

 

Kagome pulled her arm away from him, pushing down her sleeve. “InuYasha, are you ok?” she asked, noting his muddled expression and weary features. She moved her fingers to glide gently across the back of his head as if issuing a form of comfort for him; she knew he was weak. Her mind began to swarm with penitence. Why didn't she see it sooner? Slowly but surely, it was becoming painfully obvious that if she had recognized his addiction earlier it would have been so much easier to save him. But at this point she knew from past experience that quitting would be difficult and painful for him.

 

Kagome watched InuYasha's eyes drift shut and his muscles relax. `He looks so innocent when he's out of it like this,” she thought with a slight smile. Her hand moved toward the pouch on his side, and her fingers curled around it. She took a fleeting glance up at him; he was motionless, his breathing slow and restful. In the knowledge of his repose, she pulled the bag from the bounds of his hakama sash. So many memories were brought forth from its contents, such terrible reminiscing she normally refrained from undergoing. She took a deep breath, untying the string at the top of the sack, visions of her harsh childhood infusing her.

 

Flashback

 

Kagome stared at the flame under the spoon, its flickering light emitting a enchanting sense. Her twelve-year-old eyes held strong curiosity as she tilted her head sideways. “What is that?” she asked the man in front of her, who held the spoon firmly in his hand. His black matted hair covered his head and nearly hid his whiskered face, giving him an almost ghostly look. Despite this fact and her awareness of the dark surroundings, Kagome found herself unafraid. She glanced around the alley bathed in moonlight and then back to the spoon. Yes, everything was going to be just fine.

 

“This is my special gift to you, Kagome,” the man said, continuing his work. “I'm doing this because I love you, you know.” He proceeded to fill a syringe with liquid, his eyes glossy as he watched this action.

 

“I hate shots,” Kagome whined. She backed away slightly, finding her back pressed against a stone wall.

 

The man tossed her a taunting grin. “You'll like this one, I promise.” He stood up, moving toward the girl, and kneeling next to her. A look of amusement crossed his face as he grabbed her left arm and jerked it forward. He pulled a short belt out of the back pocket of his jeans, wrapping it above her elbow.

 

Kagome squirmed in protest as he pulled it securely around her arm. “It's too tight,” she complained.

 

“It has to be. Now hold still, and let me do this.” The man locked his eyes on the belt, waiting patiently. His smile abruptly widened, and he brought his hand up, tracing his finger over a conspicuous vein below Kagome's elbow.

 

She snapped her eyes shut as she noticed the needle he held nearing her arm. All of the fear that had been absent now seemed to be coming at her from every angle possible. As soon as she felt the needle penetrate her skin, she jerked away; a searing pain was quickly induced as her arm was scraped and blood emerged from it. “I don't wanna do this!” she screeched, tears streaming down her face. “I don't…I don't…”

 

The man's expression turned cold as he looked up at her. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her backward, completely pinning her against the wall. “You don't have a choice,” he hissed, pushing the needle back into her vein. He pressed down on the top of the syringe, watching as the liquid flowed slowly into her arm.

 

Kagome was quickly overwhelmed with a strange sensation, a feeling of sheer ecstasy that drowned out every ounce of trepidation she held within her. It left as quickly as it came; she found herself in a daze. She didn't know what to think in her perplexed state, but for some reason that didn't bother her. Reality was a hell that needed to be escaped every so often. She smiled softly. Maybe shots weren't so bad after all.

 

End Flashback

 

Kagome shook her head. No, she didn't want to remember that night, that life-changing nightmare. The man had broken her trust, exposing her to something he shouldn't have; it nearly destroyed her life, and on occasion, had come close to ending it. Her gaze averted to InuYasha's slumbering form. He was beautiful, really. Looking at him now, she would have never guessed that he was involved in drugs.

 

“Why are you doing this to yourself?” she whispered as she pulled the small bag of heroin out of his sack, ripping it open. “I'm sorry.” Despite her shaking hands, she poured out all of the powder, letting it settle in with the dirt. Kagome grabbed a small bottle from the bag, examining it closely. “Acid,” she reminded herself. In a few quick motions, she removed the cap, dumping the fluid out. Her attention turned back to the pouch. “I guess I'll have to put this where it belongs too.”

 

(0000000000000000)

 

InuYasha awoke with a start. His entire body felt numb. He was cold, and still, his form was dripping with sweat. He took in his surroundings through his misty gaze, though there was nothing much to look at. Trees were dispersed around the area, a few of which were accompanied by berry-sprinkled shrubs. Even among the company of the forest, he still felt empty, like something was missing. He pulled himself forward, wincing slightly.

 

“What the hell?” he spurted out as he glanced at his side. The bag was gone. His eyes darted around the tree he was leaned against. He could smell it there, the essence of his pleasure, his powder. “Kagome.” Her name slipped off his lips in a deep growl that radiated with his fury.

 

(0000000000000000)

 

“Why are you so nervous, Kagome?” Miroku asked, quirking an eyebrow at his twitching companion. She had been that way ever since she'd approached the camp.

 

“I'm not,” Kagome insisted as she knelt beside the fire, her fingers drumming across the ground. “It's just cold, that's all.”

 

Shippo let out a loud cry of triumph. “So that's why you lit a fire in the middle of the day!” A warm smile cast itself over his face as he scampered to Kagome's side.

 

“Kagome!”

 

Her heart gave a violent lurch. She could hear it, InuYasha's voice. It rang, reverberating around the clearing, its harshness unveiling itself with his hoarse tone. She wanted to run; there was something about his approaching voice that invoked a sense of terror within her. This, she couldn't understand. She trusted InuYasha with her life, and had never before feared that he would inflict pain on her in any way. Had she truly lost all faith in him, or was it the knowledge of his addiction that caused her distrust?

 

Kagome let out a sharp gasp as she was abruptly thrust against the large stone that walled part of the encampment. “InuYasha, what are you doing?” she choked out, despite her lack of breath when she looked up to meet the hanyou's penetrating stare.

 

“Don't you dare act like you don't know what this is about, bitch! Where is it?”

 

His words were like poison, seeping into Kagome and becoming more painful with each passing second. She took a lingering glimpse at the fire, as if captivated by its light. “I'm sorry,” she cooed softly.

 

“I don't give a damn, Kagome! Just tell me where it is!” He wrapped his hands around her neck, pressing her harder against the rock.

 

“InuYasha!” Sango ran to his side and yanked one of his arms back, nodding for Miroku to do the same. “What is the matter with you? Kagome didn't do anything!” she said frantically as she and Miroku dragged him backward.

 

InuYasha struggled against their hold, his muscles quaking. “Let me go, damn it!” He stopped himself, seeing it, the top of his bag. It was sticking out of the… “I'll kill her,” he murmured menacingly. His voice grew quickly. “I'll kill her!”

 

“Calm down!” Miroku insisted, tightening his grip.

 

“But she threw it in the fire!” InuYasha thrashed violently, trying to break away. “She doesn't understand! I need it! I need it now!”

 

Kagome watched him in horror. It was strange; even in her most addictive stage, she had never acted so aggressive against anyone. Why was it that the drug was affecting InuYasha so differently? Did it somehow spark his demon nature? She brought her hands up to her neck, massaging it gently. `There has to be a way to stop this,' her mind pried. `All I need to do is…cut off his supply.'

 

(000000000000000000)

 

Kagome sighed, continuing to pace her living room. They had finally reached Kaede's village that day, much to InuYasha's satisfaction—and she had, of course, followed InuYasha back to her era. Something in her heart knew that he was getting the heroin from the same place she had long ago, the alley with the man. She shivered at the memory of that disgusting area with its graffiti-covered walls and its dreary occupants. It wasn't the question on “where” that was nagging her to such an extent; it was the question of “how”. How was he paying for this? He didn't even have money in his time, so where in the world did he get money from her time?

 

She inhaled deeply, glancing out the window. `It should be ok to go after him now,' she told herself. She took a step towards the door.

 

“Kagome, can I talk to you for a minute?”

 

She groaned at the sound of her mother's voice. She'd always had a nasty way of interfering at the worst times. “Can it wait until later?” Kagome pleaded helplessly. “I was actually about to go somewhere.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi poked her head through the doorway into the living room. “Where are you off to?” she asked, her voice unpleasantly collected.

 

“I was…uh…” Kagome paused. She couldn't tell her. All it would do is bring about unwanted recollections about what had happened before, the event that caused their family such destruction. “I can't talk about it.”

 

“That's what I was afraid of,” her mother said, motioning towards the kitchen. “Come with me.”

 

There was an eerie silence that hung over the two as they walked into the kitchen, one that caused an unsettling feeling to coil itself around Kagome. Her mother was afraid, of what she didn't have the slightest idea. Still, she could see a look in her mother's eyes that had been absent ever since…

 

Mrs. Higurashi spoke suddenly. “There's something I want to ask you, Kagome,” she said, settling at the table. She leaned down for a moment, pulling up her purse and placing it on the table. “Do you know what's in here?” She eyed her daughter intensely, her gaze unwavering.

 

“Money,” Kagome ventured, uncomfortably aware of her mother's prying eyes.

 

“No, and that's why I wanted to talk to you.” She folded her hands, and placed them on the table. “Do you know where all my money's been going?”

 

`He's stealing from my mother!' Kagome realized. `I can't believe he would…' She cleared her throat. “I… Of course I don't know! Do you really think I would take your money?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Kagome immediately regretted them.

 

“This wouldn't be the first time!” She averted her eyes, focusing them on the surface of the table before she regained enough composure to look at her daughter directly. “I want you to be honest with me, Kagome. You're not…you're not using again, are you?”

 

She hesitated for a moment. “No, I'm not.”

 

(0000000000000000)

 

It was dark; an ominous obscurity encrusted every inch of the alleyway. Everything in Kagome wanted to leave, to just forget it all. Even so, she continued to press forward. `He'll be here,' she thought, persuading herself to move toward the end of the alley. `Just remember that this is all for InuYasha.' Her steps were abruptly stopped as the sound of voices tingled in her ear.

 

“Just give me it!”

 

“That's not enough cash, man!”

 

Kagome peeked around the street corner, her eyes catching a quick glimpse of InuYasha. He was holding a man against the wall, glowering at him with an intimidating stare. That man, he was… He was the very same one who had introduced her to heroin, the man who had caused her so much pain. “Father,” she whispered.

 

A/N: Haha! I'm still evil! As much as I love this story, I'm going to have to hold writing the next chapter until after I'm done writing chapter nine of “Our Decision”. Don't worry, though. I will never ever forget about this one. I love it! -huggles story- Anyway, please REVIEW! Thanks.