InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkened Depths ❯ Taking Time to Adjust ( Chapter 1 )

Darkened Depths

Chapter One: Taking Time To Adjust

By,

Babs

--=--=--

The clear blue sky was dimming to a darker hue at a rapid rate, while the fluffy white clouds were being replaced by dark thunderous rain clouds. A gentle summer breeze was picking up speed, knocking down the leaves that hung loosely on the trees.

Kagome sat looking out her window of the Higurashi shrine. The dark clouds in the skies above were closing in quickly, flashes of lightning flickering through the gray puffs. Sighing she pushed herself away from the window and flung her legs over the side of her bed. Instead of moving from her spot she just stared ahead of her, smoky blue eyes unfocused and unmoving.

"Kagome dear!" startled she sprung from her bed as her mother burst into her room. Her mother's cheeriness seemed to cut through the gloomy atmosphere in the room. "Oh good! I'm glad you're up! Come on you sleepy head, you can't spend the rest of your summer cooped up in your room." Kagome gave her a skeptical look that her mother jus brushed off, "hurry now and get dressed. I have some errands for you to run while I take Souta to his soccer game." Mrs. Higurashi bustled out of her daughter's room leaving behind the lingering scent of daisies.

"Why can't I just mope around here for the rest of my life hmm?" Kagome muttered to herself as she stretched, wincing as her back popped. Shuffling over to her closet she rummaged through her clothes. It had been weeks since she had dressed in anything else but pajamas. "What's the point?" `Maybe to actually get a life and move on from the past….literally.' She scowled before yanking a shirt from a hanger, sending the piece of plastic flying into the air.

It had been three weeks since Naraku had been defeated and the Shikon no tama was completed. Hoping Inuyasha would see how much he meant to her, she trustingly placed the jewel in his hands, only to have those very same hands shove her back down the well, willing her to never return. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to return to the feudal area for a whole week, and by the middle of the second week she had given up completely….on everything.

"Stop it," she scolded herself grabbed a jean skirt from a drawer and heading towards the bathroom, "just stop it. He doesn't care, so why should I?"

`Because you love him.'

"Oh that's it!" she shoved the door open, slamming it shut behind her, receiving a nervous glance from her brother Souta.

--=--=--

Emerging from the bathroom an hour later in a pale purple sweater and mid-thigh length jean skirt, Kagome walked back into her room. Picking up her brush she stared at herself in the mirror, pulling the wood handled brush through her hair she winced as she ran into a tangle.

"You know Kagome you really need to snap out of this," she said to her reflection. Giving herself a stern glare she continued combing her hair out, "I mean really, it's been three weeks. Three weeks. Do you really think he's shuffling around like a half dead rat moping about not seeing me? No, I certainly don't think he is." She had refrained from calling him by his name since she gave up on the well. Flinging her head forward she gathered her hair up in her hands, securing it atop her head in a mess of damp curls. Standing upright she spritzed some of her favorite perfume on, grinning at the flowery scent she had come to love.

`You…smell nice'

Her grin quickly disappeared as a certain hanyou's voice filtered through her mind. Slamming down her hands on her vanity she glared at herself in the mirror, her eyes darkening to a deeper shade of gray.

"I…will….not…think…about….that 230;arrogant…self-centered….jerk!" she growled through clenched teeth. Gripping her purse in an angry fist she stormed out of her room and stomped down the stairs, snatching a list her mother held out to her.

"Mom?" Mrs. Higurashi looked up at her son as her daughter slammed the door shut behind her.

"Yes Souta?"

"Is Kagome going to be alright?" concern was etched clearly across his 9-year-old face. Smiling up reassuringly she nodded.

"Yes Souta, Kagome just needs some time to adjust. You'll see by next week she'll be her old self again," Souta hesitantly nodded and retreated back to his room. Mrs. Higurashi worried her bottom lip between her teeth looking back at the door her daughter had slammed moments ago. `At least I hope she will be.'

---=---=---

Sighing deeply Kagome stared at the crinkled list in her hand. She sat in a small diner in town where she usually came to think. Mostly old people hung around in it, which gave her a minimal chance of running into any of her friends here, as long as she steered clear of the windows. Shoving the list back into her pocket she cradled her steaming cup of tea in both hands, bringing it up to her lips so the warmth that radiated off of it could warm her face.

`To bad it can't warm that heart of yours.'

Her eyebrows drew together and took a sip of the hot liquid, ignoring the burn. Resisting the urge to throw the cup across the diner she quickly set it down and looked back out the window. The weather had matched her mood perfectly. A little less then ten minutes after she had left her home fat pea-sized raindrops had come barreling down on top of her head. After she had completed half her mother's list she had decided to duck into her favorite diner to get out of the rain, deciding it was best to try n wait out the storm rather then continue walking from shop to shop in the down pour.

"Kagome?" the sound of a male's voice sent her heart thundering in her chest. Quickly snapping her head around she smiled brightly.

"Inu…oh…Hojo, hi," she tried to keep her smile from wavering, but failed. Her lower lip trembled a bit as she forced her lips to stay upturned. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" he smiled widely down at her, oblivious to the fact she had not been so happy to see him. Sliding into the seat across from her he took her hands in his. "I haven't seen you all summer Kagome, tell me how are you?"

`Go ahead, tell him. You've been miserable, you'd rather be rotting in the bottom of a river serving as fish food to all the little hungry fishies.'

Shut up!

"I've been….good," his smile never dimmed, which seemed to rattle Kagome's nerves. How could anyone be so happy all the time? Especially when she sat there across from him nearing her breaking point.

"That's great! I'm so glad you've gotten over all your illnesses. Really, I mean it, you had everyone concerned," Kagome forced a small giggle, withdrawing her hands from his to cover her mouth, really hiding her grimce. `Good ol Jii-chan,'

"Well I really need to be going Hojo, I…I have things to do still. Bye!" she grabbed her purse and shot out of her seat before he could ask her anymore questions, or worse yet, protest her leaving. Shoving open the door to the diner she found comfort as the harsh wind whipped around her, the icy cold rain feeling like shards of ice slashing at her exposed legs. Anything to keep her mind off of the ache in her heart.