InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dreams of Success ❯ Sweet Dreams ( Chapter 1 )

Author’s Notes: Okay…I guess you could call this a new story, but it’s one of those that I wanted to come back to once I improved my writing skills. And…well…here are the results.

Dreams of Success

Chapter One: Sweet Dreams

Written By Erika N. 

It was hard, working for hours on end on the same microscopic organism while the constant drumming of rain rapped at the windows. And it wasn’t long before darkness dawned over the entire classroom, curling its sinister fingers around the lip of the heavyset door and still growing just as the sun began to die within the horizon. A string of orangey-red swelled in a slit along the dwindling face of the sun like an abrasion dripping red with blood.

A heavy sigh flickered through the silence. Benched for several, long hours on the same stool before the teacher’s main observatory desk, Kagome’s hands worked robotically, twisting and turning the dials of the microscope as the same microorganism flashed its wriggly, bluish-black smile back at her through the eyepiece.

A thick notebook filled with endless pages of observations stood pushed aside. It was already flipped to the main page for the night, which consisted of only a simple, partially filled out data table and a couple of paragraphs written completely in cursive. A black pen stood forked within the spiral of the notebook, peeking out into the musky air towards the empty desks filed up before it.

“Okay…” Kagome murmured to herself with a dreamy edge to her voice. She drew her head away from the eyehole of the device and instinctively plucked the pen from the spiral of her notebook and began to scribble down the last few words of her paragraph.

Slamming the pen down alongside her notepad, she briskly swept up her thin pair of glasses and began to clean up after herself. Drawing the test slip from beneath the magnifying gaze of the microscope, she quickly scrambled over towards the windowsill and dumped the slip into a nearby jar just before covering it tightly with a thick, ivory top. Her tongue clicked in satisfaction when she finally headed back towards her almost empty desk and packed the rest of her books and materials into her backpack huddled against the side of the barstool. Wordlessly, she zipped up the bag and swung it over her shoulder just before perching her glasses right atop of her head.

Strolling towards the open entrance of the classroom, she mustered enough strength to toss a brief glance over her shoulder at the classroom before sparing a gentle sigh and slipping through the entrance, closing the door in her wake. It was then that she finally heard the usual, monotonous sound of sweeping swishes echoing within the broaden halls of the college building.

“Well, Ms. Higurashi,” came a ragged voice beside her, “finished here for the night?”

Flashing a weak smile at her side with raven-locks almost dancing, Kagome squared her shoulders and straightened her slouched spine, “Yep.”

The old janitor tossed her an almost bewildered look filled with the usual cunning that befitted only elders. He shook his head gently before turning his back towards her and continuing on with his tedious chores, leaving the smiling teacher to go about her way to the main exit of the building, car keys jingling from her clutches.

White, fluffy clouds drifted aimlessly across the sky, brushing past the face of the newborn sun radiating blindingly above. The clear-blue from afar revealed as nothing but a clean slate of pureness suppressing the bit of light that the sun had to offer with a visor of clouds.

Worn sneakers pattered and scratched against the splintered concrete of the congested streets of Tokyo, freckles of dirt dotting the parts that were once a pearly white. Bits of chocolate ice-cream rained to the ground, frying and melting shortly into nothing but a dried up, miniature mud puddle.

Jeans, their knees ripped and worn, strained and unstrained against slender, parading legs as the ice-cream continued to fall towards the ground as if raining directly from the heavens. “So, you’re telling me this why?” Kagome asked casually as her neat tress danced beneath the warming rays of the sun.

Sunglasses hid the passive expression seeping deep within her precious, hazel eyes as she continued to walk alongside her friend, ignoring the incredulous look flung to her. She quickly lapped the side of her cone embarrassingly as a small waterfall of ice-cream trickled from its edge, nearly rolling her eyes as her friend smugly chuckled.

“See, if you had only listened to me, none of this would’ve never happened.”

Sighing heftily at the exaggerating comment, Kagome swung her head from the cone and began to lap the last bit of ice-cream left on its lip. “Look, why would I want to work for a damn guy like that anyway, Eri?” she grumbled, trying her best to hide the bit of anger that finally caught up with her voice.

Ebony hair flouncing in joy, her friend immediately stopped by a nearby trashcan and hurtled her half-empty cone through its opening, brushing off the palms of her hands carelessly. Her eyes remained closed to the impatient expression slowly wrapping its way around her companion’s face behind her, yet as she whirled around she greeted the expression with opened arms as well as a blinding smile. “Look, my friend told me that she was working there and as soon as I heard about the professor problem that they were having I just had to ask her if you could fill in.”

Eri. So wise, so bold. Such…a fool.

Kagome heaved a long, heavy sigh that nearly left her head spinning in circles. She lifted her hand slowly towards her head before trudging pass her friend and also dropping her cone into the garbage.

All of a sudden, most of her hunger-aches seemed to wane.

“Look, Kikyo said that…” Immediately, Eri’s voice faded off into a void of silence that suddenly came crashing down onto Kagome’s ears and bulging eyes.

“Kikyo…?” she slowly murmured, “Not Kikyo, anything but that.” Furiously twirling around, Kagome’s hazel eyes tore deep within her very friend’s, unmoving, “You do remember what she did to me in High School, right? She…”

“I know, I know, I know,” Eri dully answered, flapping off the question with just a single hand, platinum wedding band practically glistening within the sunlight. Kagome secretly presumed that it was trying its best to show off the incredible diamond protruding from its center. And what was once just an idle thought became an unwanted memory that reminded her of her late husband, the man who Kikyo stole from her when they were just about to jump the broom, hand in hand. Though they were only engaged then, Kikyo took it to her best advantage to sleep with him on the night before the wedding just when Kagome had offered for her to join Eri’s side in being bridesmaid. Though, why was she blaming it all on Kikyo? She understood that her husband had a lot to contribute to the situation as well…

“Kagome?” Eri gazed towards her friend with worried eyes, shaking her shoulder gently until she finally snapped out of her daze. “You okay?” she finally asked as she hesitantly eased her hand back to its side.

“Yeah,” Kagome replied, just barely tuned in after the little spell that smacked her so silly that she wasn’t amazed if it was the clouting hooves of a straying mule.

Sunglasses half hooded beneath her silken bangs, she immediately stuffed her hands deep within her pockets and paraded back into the shifting flocks of people littering the sidewalk. Somehow, her friend had grown unnoticed until she ran up alongside her and tapped her shoulder.

In that tap, she swore she could feel the wary gaze of her worried eyes probably sparking even the tiniest of nipping embers upon the shoulder of her sports jacket. Sadly, she responded with a fake smile as they reached the twin, glass doors of the restaurant that Eri offered to take them to.

She didn’t understand when the feeling enveloped her entire body, but suddenly she didn’t feel up to eating or anything for that matter. And without thinking, she quickly raced off into the flood of people shuffling along the sidewalk, leaving her friend gawking sadly into the crowd until her eyes finally drooped and lost the last spark of happiness that once flared freely inside them.

Without a trace of doubt holding her back, Eri knew this wasn’t such a good idea.

Darkness soon dawned across the skies as freckles beyond freckles of flickering stars dotted the sea of black and blue. Each one winked happily at Kagome as she hugged her jacket closer to her shivering form, her eyes steadily following the stream of moonlight that painted the abandoned sidewalk.

Just as her ragged breath emptied in a cloud of warm mist, she could feel her eyes pinch slightly while her body slowly became a human-sized ice-wrap. Her hands struggled farther beneath the warmth of her pits as the bitter cold slinked into her jacket and caused a piercing pain to spark her hairs on end. Her heart’s rate was probably slowing down by two-minutes per second at the feeble pace that she was walking in, yet she could’ve cared less as only the thoughts of today swam through her mind.

After dashing through the endless throngs of pedestrians, she had finally decided to walk around the local park for a bit in order to clear the bit of stress that weigh heavy on her mind…on her heart. Trudging for what seemed like hours along the twisting, cobblestone path it soon became only a realization that she just couldn’t get her mind off of the nauseating subject.

Soon, she found herself shuffling on home, in the cold, trembling, with hands beneath her pits while her body quickly grew rigid. She swore that her blood was probably turning ice-cold with each step she took, yet that feeling steadily slipped away with the cool winds as her eyes widened in delight in finding herself parked right before the door of her condo.

Literally snatching her keys from her left pants pocket, she jiggled it into the lock and nudged the door open with her shoulder. Quickly slipping through the entrance, she carefully twisted the key from the lock and eased the door shut behind her. She grinned happily at the shower of warmth that poured all over her body, coaxing a subtle sigh to escape her lips.

Keys jingling from her fingers as she happily pranced towards the entry counter and placed her keys onto the glass that molded its surface. The keys gave a muffled clatter that soon had her jacket joining its side almost instantly as she scampered off towards the main kitchen, mouth watering for the pleasurable taste of apple upon her tongue.

Somehow, time was sourly caught against her as the phone released its usual, startling whine that left Kagome bounding from the gapping fridge and to the small table situated alongside the couch in her living room. She lithely picked up the cordless phone and brought it to her right ear, deftly swinging her head around to rid her eyes from an obscuring tangle of bangs. “Hello,” she delicately greeted.

“Uh, hello,” a warm, feminine voice answered, desperately trying to mask its owner’s voice and failing horrendously, “is this Higurashi Kagome?”

“Why, yes it is,” she replied, a bewildering sense stealing her once joyous expression, “Whom may I ask is speaking?”

“This is the secretary of the superintendent of Tsukai Academy.”

“Tsukai…” Her voice immediately hitched in her throat as she gave a weak gulp, “Academy?”

“Why yes,” the woman replied, her smile practically seeping through her voice, “We have legally transferred you into our database system.”

“Meaning?” Kagome’s brows arched in anticipation.

Drawing in a large breath and exhaling it softly, the secretary finally gathered enough composure to give the entire announcement all in one, astonishingly rapid sweep, “Ms. Higurashi, you have been hired as a permanent professor of our academy by means of Dean Shirinami, Kikyo.”

Suddenly, the phone slipped from Kagome’s frail grasp, plummeting to the floor with a stifled bang. Her eyes instantly grew wide, bulging considerably from their fragile sockets as her mouth hung ajar. She could feel her voice squeak just faintly as the secretary’s worried voice hummed from the upturned phone. Minutes passed until she could finally hear her own words stammer from her mouth, “What-in-the-world-has-Eri-gotten-me-into?”

Himura Inuyasha flicked his dying cigarette at the opposite alley wall that, minutes ago, had lured him under the false illusion that it was steadily closing in on him, promising to crush him at any given second. He remained silent as the cigarette stood out like a flickering speck of rusty orange within the looming darkness, relieving himself of the heavy sigh that probed nonstop at his insides.

Thoughts roared through his mind like a rabid waterfall, overflowing and never diminishing as he bowed his head remorsefully. Thoughts about his newfound career, his past, and the life that he could’ve had, struck like lightening bolts at his brain, desperate for answers. Why am I here? What did I do to deserve this damn career? Why in the Hell did she leave me? Why in the Hell did I forget about my past and leave it far behind me?

Why…can’t I stop thinking about ‘her’?

The feeble glare of the full moon caused shadows to dance awkwardly across his face as his silver-rimmed shades fell slightly from the curve of his nose, unveiling his cryptic, amber eyes. Using both his index and middle finger, he gently shoved the glasses back into position and lifted his head in order to search his pants pockets for his lighter and anymore indispensable packs of cigarettes.

It was then that he heard that familiar—infamous to his ears—laughter, the weak laugh of an angel, brush against his ears. He stopped in mid-motion and peered cautiously over the edge of the wall towards the crowded parking lot of the movie theater. His short, ebony, bronze-streaked mane glistened dully beneath the intent gaze of the moon, tousling slightly beneath the feeble pressure of the cool, night breeze. His eyes narrowed vaguely beneath the darkness of his shades as the view around him grew sharper and more apparent, zeroing in on two, young, raven-haired women as they giggled themselves towards the outside ticket stand.

Somehow, only the nearby woman to the left managed to consume his attention. She appeared happy, yet disturbed. She appeared fragile, yet strong. She was the woman that he had lost years ago.

“Then Tomiko ran through the classroom crying and I had to send the little boy to detention even if he meant the frog thing to be a good way to tell her that he liked her,” Kagome finished with a gentle sigh as she took her ticket stub and paraded through the entrance of the lobby, “I can only wish I had a boy who liked me that much in middle school.”

Eri chuckled. It was great that she had at long last found the answer to her problems, to the pile of dilemmas that always made her stomach churn with perturbed awareness. It was just pure luck on her side that her friend was actually talking candidly to her, talking to her about things that usual friends reminisced over, and that her divorce was nothing but a slight stumble in her life. She’s finally happy, if only for now.

Eri and Kagome stopped in front of the concession counter, Eri smiling brilliantly while Kagome’s was almost fading with life. A blonde haired man eased himself carefully against the counter, his baby blues bouncing from Eri onto Kagome with that usual boyish charm that would make any woman occupy his bed one day and never want to leave him the next.

“Hi, how may I help you girls?” the young employee questioned automatically, a weak smile quirking his lips just as his eyes had a chance to roam the body of the nearby woman to the left.

“Yeah, umm…” Tapping her finger in wonder against her rosy lips, Eri finally pointed towards a red box found on the very last shelf of the display case, “The red box right there…umm…the cookie dough stuff.”

With a subtle sigh, the employee kneeled down behind the counter to slide open the door to the display case. He removed the candy and sat it down on the counter before Eri, who gave a chaste smile that did more than make up for her thanks. It wasn’t until she swung her joyous gaze back at Kagome did her brilliant smile falter, never finding enough life to bless her lips ever again, “Hey, Kagome?”

Snapping out of her heavy daze, Kagome quickly shook the rest of the errant thoughts from her mind and pointed idly at a candy bar located on the top shelf, “That right there please.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” was the strained reply of the concession personnel as he knelt down once again to retrieve the package only to place it on the counter and shove it boldly towards her. “This’ll be on the house.” the masculine blonde huskily added, a malicious spark twinkling within the innocent blue depths of his eyes.

Lips slightly parted, Kagome peered down towards the box before peeking beneath her bangs back into the expectant baby blues of the blonde man. Right then, she was left unable to deny the fact that he was trying to turn her on with only his captivating smile and breathtaking looks, which did all but blow her away.

Slamming her money down onto the counter, Kagome repetitively mumbled, “Sorry, but…I’m not interested.”

Straight away, almost as if the flame to his smile was doused by water, the growing charm in his eyes and face wavered then died slowly.

Eri caught the expression and, just as hastily as Kagome, threw her money onto the table before grabbing her box of candy and scurrying off, desperate to distant herself as faraway as humanly possible from the concession counter and the impending conflict.

Kagome peered over her shoulder at her friend’s retreating backside before seizing her candy as well and strolling off in the same direction, ignoring the wounded look marring the young employee’s face. Not even his pain-stricken gaze seemed to remotely faze her mind or drove a tear to her eye as she trudged onward towards the end of a dim hallway, disregarding the constant looks she obviously earned from her worried companion.

Darkness settled over Kagome’s eyes like the comforting touch of cool silk over blistering flesh. It nearly caused a relieving sigh to touch the tips of her lips, yet she forcefully quenched it with a minuteman-blink of her eyes as she headed over towards an identical pair of seats located within the very center of the theater.

Eri followed close behind with significantly concerned eyes, scuttling across the center aisle into the chair nearest to Kagome and plopping flippantly into its rigid cushions. She stared up consciously as the last preview flickered across the screen, her left eye vaguely peering over to Kagome who had sometime ago opened her package of candy and started nibbling silently.

Suddenly, the same sinking feeling that Eri became so keen to avoid came pummeling back, groping at the bowls of her stomach and slowly making its way towards her chest, enveloping it in that familiar fiery sensation that always made her shake off the drunken feeling of nausea. She was worried; her eyes were flooding with concern and wonder as she continued to peer out of the corners of her eyes at her stone-faced companion.

Kagome could feel her gaze pressing down on her shoulder, intent on burning a straight hole through her flesh, but she ignored it with a simple adjustment as she nestled further into her seat and continued to nibble at her candy. Why won’t she stop staring at me like this? she bitterly thought, finding out the hard way that she couldn’t escape from Eri’s worry-sick eyes, Why won’t she just leave me the hell alone and stop staring at me like I’m some kind of orphaned child?

Why won’t she leave the bare fact alone and just say that I’m depressed and that my life is nothing but a total waste?

The movie finally started, leaving Kagome wallowing within the whirlwind of emotions that plagued her mind. She tried her best to bite back the unbearable vigor of the frown that was just so keen to show on her face and expose her entire feelings to the world. But biting soon turned into rough gnawing as she eased her candy bar onto the armrest of the theater chair. She self consciously furled her lower lip further beneath her grinding teeth while the opening credits emerged onto the screen, reflecting within the dark pupils of her glazy eyes.

Beneath the heavy curtain of darkness, Eri tossed her friend an apprehensive glimpse before swinging her eyes back over toward the screen, loosely shaking her head. Why won’t she tell me how she feels? she thought wearily. She understood that trying to find answers to the issues that swelled up endlessly between her and Kagome were like trying to find a needle within a haystack. Even if she did run across the solution would she be pricked or would she escape the haystack with no problems with the answer in her grasp?

Eri silently withheld the heavy sigh itching at the very corners of her throat as shadows from the glowing screen lapped hungrily at her face. She finally understood that probably no matter what she’d do for her friend that her divorce will probably never be forgotten.

Mouth dragging the last bit of noxious fumes from the fresh cigarette, Inuyasha propped his left foot against the splintered brick just as a blanket of mist surfaced upon the wall like a thin film of sweat. Taking the crooked cigarette from his lips, he slowly exhaled the smoke lingering idly within his lungs through his mouth, watching as the feeble gray clouds struggled to stay alive only to die into the darkness.

The heavy gaze of the moon ricocheted from the darkened lens of his shades when he lifted his head, his eyes closely following after the trailing road of moonlight as it stopped abruptly at a mysterious limousine devoured in a glimmering tone of black. His eyes then immediately wilted at the sight, life dripping from their amber depths as he flicked the burning cigarette to join alongside of his latter twin against the wall.

Damn it, he mildly thought with vexation, Every single time I manage to find some time to myself, those fuckin’ bodyguards always get in my way.

A heavy sigh poured from his flaring nostrils. He hoisted himself from his lounging position against the wall and slowly headed for the awaiting limousine, its bustling engine purring against his eardrums. His head was thrumming still with the criticizing questions of his life as they all crammed into his mind, pricking at his brain one by one with a desperate longing for answers, answers that he knew he could never give.

The familiar twinge of frustration surged through his veins, causing his sensitive flesh to crawl in alarm even as the chauffeur slid out of his driver’s seat and circled the limo in order to open the passenger door for the approaching actor. He could’ve sworn he felt his stomach lurch out of pure disgust, but simply ignored it when the astonished gazes of loitering strangers fell upon the limo and a cloud of whispers began to hover above them. With little thought, he spared the gathering audience one, weary glance before flashing them a quick, appealing smile and slipping into the passenger’s seat.

Closing the door, the chauffeur twirled on his heel and tipped his hat towards the gaping audience before scuttling back to the driver’s door, stooping beneath the roof, and stepping in. Pulling the door shut beside him, he quickly strapped on his seatbelt before rearing the car off towards the main entrance of the parking lot.

The startled crowd watched on in amazement as the crimson taillights of the limo died into the night, only becoming red, flickering specks within the distance.

A nearby blonde noisily cleared his throat before plainly murmuring, “Hey, wasn’t that Himura Inuyasha?”

Not a person dare answer as a growing tension shambled through the hordes of couples and amazed customers. Only awkward coughs shattered the silence as they continued to gaze towards the parking lot entry, unable to speak.

Folding his arms furiously against his chest, Inuyasha watched as the passing scenery blurred into a palette of various colored smudges before his numbing eyes. He sulked quietly within his seat, a majority of his fuming expression hidden behind his shades as the tranquil ride gradually grew boring and absurd to both his body and mind. But then the shady panel that he had just moments ago switched up, hesitantly slithered down halfway, shattering the barrier separating the driver’s front from the passenger’s back.

Inuyasha pushed down the furious growl that threatened to bubble up at any moment as the chauffeur peered up at the rear view mirror, his sagging eyes finally capturing his slouched form within the very left corner.

“Sir,” he began simply, a deep English accent mingling softly with his voice, “would you like for us to stop for anything to eat before we reach the villa?”

In that question, Inuyasha swore he could sense a faint twinkle of gratitude glint within his eyes, yet he only gave a feeble smile and replied, “No. Let’s just go home. I have to listen to my damn brother’s mouth anyway when I get there, so what’s the use?”

The chauffeur lifted his eyes once more from the road, giving a weak smile towards that same corner in the rear-view mirror. “Sir, if I might not be so bold, you look brave enough to stand up to him.” he murmured pleasantly, a slight chuckle in his reassuring words as he averted his friendly gaze back unto the road.

Inuyasha gave a disparaging huff before reaching over and switching the tinted barrier back up in order to seize the alone time that he knew he deserved.

When the window finally veiled the entire upper limo, secluding him to his own devices, he could feel that same sinking nausea scrunch unbearably around the bowls of his stomach, propelling him to peer back out into the ghostly lights of the aging night.

Shadows played an unnoticeable game of fluttering shadow-play along his insipid face as he propped his chin onto his dreary hand and continued to gaze about the passing scenery and cars. Sadly, he still couldn’t escape the damned feeling raging inside the depths of his stomach like an endless barrage of missiles and rabid inferno. He still couldn’t abandon the fact that he still missed the life that he once had, the life that God just allowed to slip from his fingertips and probably land in the lap of some repenting hobo.

A heavy sigh weighed down the mounting silence. Inuyasha hauled his chin from his hand and combed a nervous hand through his already tousled hair. His heart continued to throb beneath the intense burning sensation steadily enveloping his heaving chest, his gut literally screaming with fastidious complaints enough to cause his head to singe from the inside, out.

Damn it. Finally, he couldn’t suppress the countless feelings knotting into a piercing hurricane inside him. He couldn’t help but to clutch his eyes firmly shut and allow a small stream of prickling tears to trickle from his eyes in a narrow river of bitter salt.

Finally, as if God wanted to add onto the building pressure of his life’s bane, a blood-red Ferrari hurled pass in an eye-throbbing blur. As the car slowed in matching speed with the limo, a shower of nausea immediately washed over him as he tossed his head away from the window.

Inside the car, a couple, both probably no older than him, was cackling mindlessly, the young man at the wheel breathlessly howling in pleasure as the woman beside him massaged his crotch.

You’d think that they discovered the up button to that window, was Inuyasha’s last thought before he toppled over the seat, vomiting with a guttural growl onto the prim carpeting while the chauffeur’s dramatic clucks and the disappointing shake of his head went unnoticed.

By the time he got home, his brother would more than likely lecture him about being out on the streets at such a late hour, then skyrocket to the roof with raw fury that will leave his vein throbbing on end when he had a chance to see the sight on his limo floor.

Inuyasha nearly gagged at the thought.

The ripened night spewed its usual shroud of bitter wind as it coiled bitterly around Kagome’s body. Though she was safely benched within the warm confines of her friend’s dusty Chevy, she couldn’t help but to continue listlessly in snuggling further into her passenger’s seat, trying her best to escape the unbearable coolness.

Passing cars flew by in a blur of hypnotic white and red against Kagome’s window as she folded her arms across her chest and peered out into the silken skies painted in a beautiful swirl of blue and black, the flickering stars proudly accompanying the uncanny glow of the full moon. Eri impassively continued to steer her car as it steadily joined the building traffic before the faint, red glow of the traffic light. Without a word, she spared a quick, nervous glance towards her sulking friend before averting her eyes wearily back unto the road.

“What’s wrong with you?” she finally asked, her voice gentle, straining from the strong need to yell, “Why won’t you tell me how you feel?”

Kagome gave a quiet sigh, plainly ignoring the question as it flew straight over her head and drifted idly out the window.

Eri sighed as well, left without any other suggestions to her troubling feelings as the traffic slowly began to die and she took a careful turn into the parking lot of a nearby MacDonalds, eyes wary. Pulling the car into park and switching off the engine, she finally slapped her hands into her lap and settled deeper into the comforting cushions of her seat.

Kagome’s eyes flinched beneath the blinding lights emanating through the windows of the fast food restaurant, another sigh, heavy with annoyance, escaping from her lips. She just wanted to go home. Even if it meant hitchhiking her butt all the way to the door of her condo, she just wanted to go home and bask within the soothing warmth of her jet tub.

Eri tossed a brisk glance towards Kagome before asking calmly, “Ya hungry?”

Kagome gave a vague nod, realizing the dying strength nipping all the way towards her loins and seeping further into the bowls of her stomachs. She spotted as her friend gave a feeble smile and opened the door, slipping out of her seat and sprinting for the illuminated doors.

Kagome could only look on miserably towards the doors as a heavy darkness chimed through her ears, giving the excruciating sense that her eardrums weren’t long from reaching their limits and bursting from the incessant ringing. She nestled further into her seat, a wave of anxiousness washing over her like ice-cold water causing her tender flesh to crawl and break out in endless lines of rigid goose bumps.

She quivered uncontrollably as she tried her best to seek the warmth that her body yearned for only to find that it was futile as she slouched gravely in her seat like a sulking child whose parents refused him of having even the tiniest morsel of candy. Even though she craved for only one lick or one bite, she knew she would never have it.

Twisting her head enough so that her eyes could peer over the lower edge of the car window, she stifled the sudden sigh spiraling through her body. The parking lot was probably only three-quarters full even though the aging night rang of suppertime. It was enough to cause her entire body to tremble eerily as she swung her eyes from the window onto the locked compartment staring lifelessly towards her.

The familiar, dim glow of the McDonalds emblem snagged Inuyasha’s attention from his rampant thoughts as he pushed himself upright from over the edge of the slick cushions, his brow arching with restrained cunning as a small smile curved his lips. He quickly wiped his lips clean with the back of his hand and scrambled for the button to the barricading window to switch it down. Why not? I mean, at least this’ll delay my time in getting back to that damned villa and hearing my brother’s mouth.

The chauffeur impulsively took his eyes from the road as he eyed the rear-view mirror consciously. “Is there anything you require, sir?” he questioned politely.

“Yeah,” Inuyasha replied breathlessly, his chest heaving heavily, “Can you take me to the fast food place over to the right?”

The chauffeur tossed a bewildered glance towards the rear-view mirror, his eyes furrowing lightly, “Sir? But I thought that you didn’t feel up to eating.”

“Well…” Inuyasha swallowed the dry lump clogged within his throat as he continued, “What’s past is past, and what’s now is now.”

With a surrendering sigh, the chauffeur carefully pulled over into the last lane of traffic and veered off into the half abandoned lot, finding it in his best to park the car along the curb before wrenching the keys from the ignition and lifting his head up towards the rear-view mirror so that he could lock gazes with the angered star, “Well, sir? Is there anything else that you desire?”

“Not really,” Inuyasha bluntly replied as he scooted cautiously toward the edge of his seat and opened the door.

The chauffeur called out Inuyasha’s name before he was halfway out the door, causing him to eye him with a startled gaze as he went on, “Are you sure that you want to go out there in public like that? Don’t you think it’ll cause a scene?”

Inuyasha weakly shrugged his shoulders before slipping out of the car, closing the door carelessly behind him before dashing off towards the glowing doors of the food place.

The chauffeur gave a quiet sigh as he whacked his hand onto his forehead and slinked further into the consoling warmth of his seat, “When will this boy ever learn to listen to his elders?”

Kagome warily sighed as she pressed her cheek farther into the gray cushions of her seat, her feet scuffling against the dusty carpet as she jerked her feet furiously. A lonely wisp of hair crept over her cheek as she restlessly eyed the driver’s window, feeling her eyes sag slowly as the same, thick blanket of silence wrapped around her ears.

Damn it, she thought sullenly, hearing as her lungs drew in the stale air circling thickly around her, One more night like this and I wouldn’t be surprise if they chucked my ass into an institute somewhere.

Suddenly, a blur of black and tanned white invaded her thoughts as she blinked uncontrollably to stable her mind onto the imaginary boulder called reality. She could feel her heart thump wildly at its ribcage as her fingers balled within the material of her leathered jacket. Her eyes drifted, still bulging from their durable sockets, towards the front pane of the car as a young man raced into the over-lit building, his mystery mounting considerably as his shades glimmered dully beneath the welcoming arms of light.

Gawking, endless squeaks escaped her mouth, each one on the steep verge of forming words that anyone would probably classify as an idiotic act. She was completely stupefied while everything within her body steadily began to grow taut with faint remembrance.

That young man. He seemed so familiar.

Minutes before Kagome could regain her composure and relieve herself out of the baffled slump that had her mouth wide open and her eyes filled with mysterious wonder and her mind brimming with thousands upon thousands of questions, Eri came bounding through the doors of MacDonalds, two bags dangling heavily from her clenched fingertips. Kagome instantly snapped out of her foggy bewilderment as she jerkily shook her head against with the numbing slam of a shutting car door. She immediately cocked her head back to the side to find Eri smiling zealously, unable to notice that her brilliant beam was enough to spur a creeping migraine to seep into her mind.

“I decided to get you a double-cheese burger, one pie, and a chocolate shake since they really didn’t have your favorite,” Eri explained, her voice laced with distraction as she began to rummage through her own bag. The swelling, luscious smell of cooked beef and apple took to the air, ridding Kagome of the musty stench that she’d only just familiarized herself with.

Kagome peered forlornly towards her bag before stuffing her hand within its warm innards and hesitantly removing a wrapped hamburger, only to have something icy nudge gently at the upper bicep of her left arm.

Without a word, she tossed her eyes away from the bag as they settled calmly upon the unopened top of a large-sized cup that was profusely perspiring melted ice. Wearily, she took the cup from her friend’s hand before fumbling through her bag once more in order to seek out a straw.

Eri smiled delicately before unwrapping her hamburger and primly nipping off a small bite. The faint rustle of paper bags soared on and on through the crammed space of the car as she folded the top of her bag and settled it between her and Kagome.

Kagome couldn’t help but to sneak a small peek at Eri as she devoured a meager amount of hamburger from her long presumed dinner. She was suddenly feeling restless and unstable as a myriad of thoughts overwhelmed her mind and left her without nothing to do except to take another bite from her hamburger.

Moments later, Eri was wrapping up the remnants of her past burger before she recognized the avoiding reaction in Kagome’s wary movements. She heaved a long sigh as she searched through her pockets for her keys and jammed the car key into the ignition.

Slightly shaken as the engine promptly roared to life, Kagome took another bite out of her burger, closing her eyes as the entire flavor of cooked beef sunk into her tongue and sent tantalizing shivers down her spine. Her tongue moved around thoroughly in a wild fervor to savor the delayed flavor that struck her abruptly like an eighty-pound weight upon a fragile piece of wood. Damn. At least it didn’t take that long for my taste buds to come back to life.

Eri noticed her friend’s expression of rapture as Kagome slinked further into her seat and began to eat at a more regular pace. At least she wasn’t wrong about Kagome’s favorite food stop. MacDonald burgers were enough to drive a starving person crazy for more.

“Hey, Eri?” Kagome suddenly spoke as she placed her milkshake into a nearby holder, “Do you know the guy’s name who just entered MacDonalds?”

“What guy?” Eri asked confusedly while her eyes grew tender within their sockets, flooded with numerous, perplexing questions, “I didn’t see a guy anywhere.”

The immense weight of silence cascaded upon them like dank snow as an unfamiliar tension furled around them. Kagome’s eyes wilted regretfully as she took another bite from her cheeseburger, unable to forget the strangely familiar blur as it hurled pass her eyes.

Then who is he? she asked calmly to herself, chewing distractedly while Eri eyed her with troubled auburn eyes, her lower lip furling deeper beneath its upper twin as an onslaught of feelings bombarded her mind.

Inuyasha stood propped against the chipped wall of the men’s bathroom, another cigarette jammed into his mouth as faint clouds of smoke drifted into the air. Everywhere around him, nothing but the mismatch combinations of bland paint welcomed his eyes with mangled arms. He was left unable to find any indifference towards the paint whatsoever within the tiny bathroom as he plucked his cigarette from his lips and exhaled the rest of the lethal smoke lingering within his mouth.

Silence chimed through his ears as he continued to drag the addicting fumes from his cigarette until the drug finally ran dry. His face remained dead to any wandering emotions as the familiar smell of tobacco tinged the Clorox scent wafting everywhere through the bathroom, even within the abandoned, contaminated stalls whose doors dangled sadly from their rusty hinges, swinging eerily as faint creaks teased his ears.

Humph, I guess it’s pretty obvious that these jackasses haven’t discovered Lysol yet, he criticized disdainfully as he bowed his head lightly, determined to cover his nose from the burning stench that started to wrap around him.

The chauffeur drummed his fingers nervously upon the surface of his steering wheel, occasionally sparing a shrewd glance at the bright doors as the customers within the restaurant diminished to a meager couple before the cash register. He knew that following his boss’s notion was a foolish act, yet what he thought would only be for a few minutes turned into a nerve-wrecking hour.

Damn that hellish boy, he thought crudely, Never feels up to respecting his elders and leaves people waiting on him hand and foot.

He could spot as the couple bowed slightly towards the cheery fellow behind the counter as they took their bags and departed the empty food place, their soft chattering floating quietly along the clouds of the balmy, nighttime draft.

Finally, when the muffled slams of shutting car doors breached through the driver’s window, he finally released the aching sigh slithering steadily up his throat. He gave a feeble laugh before coking his head towards the window and peering out into the silent night.

Another black limo reared into the lot, spurring a flood of fear to darken the chauffeur’s eyes as it slowly pulled up beside him like a marauding panther struggling for meat. His blood suddenly ran cold as he began to fumble clumsily with the keys still crammed into the ignition, hoping on a narrow whim that he could twist it and summon the engine to life.

As the mysterious limousine drew to a halt beside his, death cascaded thickly upon him like blood upon glass as his eyes instantly grew wide in horror. The passenger window dwindled, unveiling a maliciously sneering man with a silver revolver centered courageously between him. It glinted slightly. almost as if it trusted its vicious intimidation with all of its metallic valor.

Nostrils flaring, eyes swelling uncontrollably from their sockets, the chauffeur released a straining cry of terror as a deafening gunshot roared through the night.

Blood, mourning crimson splattered against the shaded passenger window of the chauffeur’s limousine as the bullet pierced through the center of his forehead and hacked through the deep innards of his mind, escaping from the rear his head and lodging itself partway into the glass beside him.

In a steadily growing web of jagged arms, fissures broke out along the tinted windows as the passenger window of the mysterious vehicle slinked carefully back up into place and the piercing screech of wheels took to the air like wailing horses.

The limo vanished beyond the blind corner of the drive-thru before Inuyasha was able to scramble through the entrance of the restaurant, a look of sheer dread glistening in his eyes and face as he amber eyes fell shockingly upon the inert limo.

Soon, the fast-approaching howls of police sirens echoed through the skies just as a lonely star slipped from the rabbles of stars blinking sympathetically down upon him almost as if they were crying for the sudden lost.

Somehow, Inuyasha could’ve cared less for their agonizing tears.

With a sunken sigh, Kagome unlocked her condo door and marched sullenly into the foyer as she gently pushed the door closed behind her. Darkness enveloped her with welcomed arms as she trudged further into the foyer and desolately clambered up the stairs, her leathered jacket dangling from one hand while her MacDonald’s food bag swayed cautiously within the other.

She slipped through the cracked door of her slightly dim bedroom as the ghostly glow of amber painted her face. Flinging her belongings carelessly atop of the bed, she finally blew out the heavy bit of air compressed within her lungs before steadily beginning to unbutton her satin blouse.

The blouse wilted in silent relief along her shoulders, its yawning mouth exposing her black-laced bra to the bronze glow flickering along her pallid flesh and the silken peaks of her supple breasts. Her strides elegant and guile, she approached the opposite end of the bed and plopped onto it with a gentle sigh that had her fumbling patiently for the remote to her flat, plasma screened TV mounted on the wall before her.

Raising the remote towards the screen, she punched in the power button as the screen flickered to life.

Faint sounds overtook the thick silence surrounding her as the Channel-Nine news emerged upon the screen with policemen and firemen scrambling desperately along a parking lot, their demands and exhausting pants sounding through the background of the tranquil reporter.

Kagome leaned in further, her elbows digging heavily into the faces of her thighs while her eyes watched intently.

“Tonight, the chauffeur of the famous Himura Inuyasha was shot in the abandoned lot of MacDonalds found alongside Highway two-eighty.” The reporter announced, the microphone in his hands trembling slightly as he was buffeted by the stifled whistle of a whipping breeze. “The chauffeur was waiting calmly in the vehicle when it happened. The only lead that police have to the murderer or murderers is the MacDonald employee who was able to spot a tag-less limo pulling into the lot right beside the curb…”

Kagome’s eyes bulged with mounting curiosity as her mouth gaped open slightly at the emotional impact these words had upon her. Not a word left her mouth as she boosted the volume.

“Himura Inuyasha fled the scene before any reporters were able to ask any questions about the sudden murder, yet as we continue to observe this scene further, we hope that we become able to find more information and the murderer of this poor chauffeur’s death.”

“Now back to Robert.”

Kagome casually flipped channels as the usual, pumping rhythm of music videos emerged on the screen. But as if life wasn’t poisoning her enough, Inuyasha Himura materialized on the monitor, dancing and singing alongside with some singer whose name failed to come to mind. She didn’t bother to switch channels as the remote slipped from her now-gone-soggy fingertips and she fell into the mountain of pillows aligned beside her, reveling in the sluicing words that drifted into her ears and washed away all of her troubling thoughts. All except for one, which was well determined to latch onto her mind and stay there for as long as it took until it was answered and set free.

Why can’t I stop thinking about him?

To be continued…