InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Stolen Away in the Dark ( Chapter 4 )

*gasps* I cannot believe I'm on Chapter Four already! *dies* Ahem, sorry-today I had no energy, then after school I had a lot of energy, and now I have very little energy again *weird, neh?*

Just a note: I was thinking about killing Shippo last chapter *you know, when he has the run-in with the "shadows"* but then I thought, "Naw, he's too cute to die" So, Thank Me for being charitable! (Sorry, had to get that off my chest)

And so, without further ado:

HAUNTED

By Kanna_Hiraku

/watching me wanting me/
/I can feel you pull me down/
/saving me raping me/
/watching me/

Chapter 4-Stolen Away in the Dark

Inu-yasha stared down at Kagome. An hour had passed since she had recovered from being possessed. Kaede, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kilala had all moved into another hut near the forest. Inu-yasha and Kagome, however, hadn't moved.

He was still embracing her, holding her close to him, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go. The girl was asleep, and if her dreams weren't peaceful, Inu-yasha couldn't tell. She had stopped crying a while ago, and the hanyou hadn't let anyone come close enough to question her.

Inside the hut, Miroku chanced another glance outside. "They haven't moved at all," he murmured, concerned for his friends.

Sango squeezed his hand. "Don't worry about them; I'm sure they'll come in their own good time."

Kaede stirred the fire, as if the most important thing in the world now was getting the evening meal ready. She had been silent ever since Kagome had gone berserk.

"What do you think caused Kagome to act like that?" Miroku asked.

"What I want to know is what sent those things after Shippo." Sango bit her lip and looked over at the kitsune, who was asleep in the corner with Kilala. "Thanks to Kilala, I was able to get away, but I sensed . . . such power in them." She shot a look at Kaede. "If they continue to dwell in the forest, it is even more dangerous than before."

Kaede nodded, looking older than ever. "What happened today, both to Kagome and Shippo, was connected, we know that is for certain. Beyond that, I do not have any answers."

"Well, let's start with people who dislike Kagome," Miroku said. "The reborn Kikyo has reasons to hold a grudge . . . and Inu-yasha's brother Sesshomaru loathes all humans, especially Kagome."

"And Naraku." Sango's expression was unreadable. "Naraku would do anything to hurt Kagome, I know it."

"I do not believe my sister, in any form, would harm an innocent creature," Kaede snapped. "As for Inu-yasha's brother, we have not heard nor seen him for months."

"Then our biggest lead is Naraku." Miroku stared into the fire intently. "It's been too quiet for too long. He must be behind this."

The two women nodded in agreement. The fire sparked, making the shadows dance on the walls. In one corner, a shadow shook with mirth, and quietly glided out the door without anyone noticing.

~~~

The sun had gone down. Inu-yasha felt Kagome stir where she lay on his chest, and opened his own eyes. He had dozed off. Blinking, he found himself looking into Kagome's eyes.

"Inu-yasha?" Her voice cracked, and she blinked several times. Her hand came up to brush his cheek. The hanyou stiffened.

"What are you-" he started to say. Kagome snatched her hand back.

"I'm-sorry," she murmured. "I just . . . I just wanted to make sure you were real."

"What do you mean, of course I'm real," He retorted. Then he caught the look in her eye and slid a hand under her chin. She looked up at him. "Kagome-what did you see?"

He scarcely knew what he was talking about, but something nagged in the back of his mind-something had happened in the forest that afternoon, and again when that something had taken over her body. He didn't know who or what it was, and that annoyed him greatly.

"What did you see?" he repeated.

Kagome looked off into the distance. "Well, I . . . I saw. . ."

*dream*

Kagome stumbled across the courtyard of her family temple. She jumped into the well, shivering. It was a memory of last winter. Snow covered the ground, and the freezing temperatures made her teeth chatter. It was just as bad in Feudal Japan.

She came out on the other side; no one was around. As she headed to the village, she heard laughter coming from the river. It had frozen solid, and now many of the children were sliding around. Included in their games were Shippo, Sango and Miroku. Inu-yasha sat on the bank, Kilala sleeping beside him.

Kagome smiled; it was such a happy scene. She started to run along the bank, to join them, but slipped on the ice. She fell painfully.

*Crack*

The teen looked up fearfully. The ice was cracking all around her. Suddenly she was in the freezing water. Kagome gasped; water filled her lungs. She struggled to the surface, but a strong current tossed her about until she couldn't tell what way was up or down.

She couldn't breathe; her mind was blank.

*Having fun?*

It was that voice again. That voice that always came to her in these dreams. Kagome turned this way and that in the water, trying to figure out where it came from, but it was no use. The voice was inside her head, echoing until she was afraid it would split.

*Wh-what do you want with me?* she tried to scream, tears starting to leak out her eyes, mixing with the water. But, like before, no sound issued from her mouth; bubbles floated silently to the surface of the river.

The voice laughed. *An interesting question, my lovely. What do I want with you? . . . Why, I want to cause your suffering of course. It is the way of my people. Even now, I have control over your weak body, and am killing your friends*

*NO!* Kagome stopped struggling and was suspended in the water.

*Yes* the voice sounded amused *And after they are dead, I will take your body, and you will be mine . . . forever. But, until then, I'll continue the fun*

Kagome was lifted out of the water, but was surrounded in a crystal. She pressed her hands against the cool wall and peered out. Hovering over the village, she saw bandits attack it out of nowhere; they killed everyone. Women, children, the elderly-after the carnage, they burned everything to the ground. Kagome shrieked and covered her eyes when she saw Kaede's body, all cut and bruised and burned. Nearby was Miroku, his left arm cut off and a stab wound in his heart. Sango lay not far from him, brutally raped. Her throat was slit.

The scene changed. Shippo played with Kilala in the forest. He tossed a ball and the cat-demon chased after it into a bush. There was an animal scream and a huge creature with a man's body, a bull's head and shark teeth came into the clearing, Kilala in its jaws. Blood dripped from its teeth and though Kilala's eyes were open, they were devoid of any life. Shippo screamed and tried to run away, but the monster dropped the cat-demon with a roar. As it fell upon Shippo Kagome whimpered and dropped to her knees inside the crystal, desperately trying to block out the screams of the kitsune as he died.

Kagome felt the crystal around her shatter, and she looked up. She was . . . home? She ran into the house, and stopped. Her mother was in the kitchen, lying on the floor. Turning her over, Kagome screamed. Her mother wasn't breathing, and her eyes were gaping black holes. She turned, and saw Sota and her grandfather at the table, collapsed. She didn't even bother to check to see if they were alive.

Kagome ran out of the house, falling to her knees in the courtyard. Tears streaked down her face. *STOP IT!* she cried with no voice. *I can't take it, I just can't-*

*Kagome!* She stopped with she heard Inu-yasha calling and almost looked up.

*No* she told herself *I won't look-I cannot see him die again*

"Kagome!" he called again. "Wake up!"

He sounded so real, but it couldn't be-

"Inu-yasha?"

"Yes, it's me, Kagome! Wake up now!" She looked up, and saw his face, so afraid for her. But where was she? Kaede's hut . . . she was back in the real world!

*NO!* the voice that haunted her dreams clutched onto her arms with burning hands as Kagome tried to walk forward *I will not let you go!*

*No-I have to get to him!* Kagome said, and she jumped away, into Inu-yasha's embrace.

*End dream*

# # #

Well . . . that was morbid. Didn't think I could write anything like that. Now the question is, should I just leave this chapter like this? *thinks* Naw, that'd be too cruel.

Hmmm. . . What to do next . . .*falls asleep at computer* Damn . . . so . . . tired *looks at clock* 12:03 AM?! Dang . . . I need to get more rest. Going to finish this tomorrow.

I'll be BACK!!

# # #

Everyone looked at Kagome in horror as she finished her tale.

"That . . . that was the dream I had after I lost consciousness in the woods," she said.

Sango hugged her; Miroku closed his eyes, his expression grim. Kaede stared into the fire once more, and Inu-yasha sat in half-shadow by the doorway.

"Whatever ye want to do now, child, is up to ye," Kaede said, "Ye can go home or stay here-the choice is yours."

Kagome was silent for a long while. "I . . . I want to go home," she whispered. "I promised my mom I'd be home tonight."

"I'll take her." Inu-yasha stood, speaking for the first time since Kagome had begun relating her story to them. "I'll stay with her for the night."

"But Inu-yasha," Miroku protested. "You're hurt." He nodded to the wound in the hanyou's side; Kaede had tended it the best she could. "Let me go with Kagome."

"Only I can travel through the well, and there's no point in us both going." Inu-yasha helped Kagome to her feet, a protective arm around her shoulders. "Besides, you should stay here with Sango to protect the village."

Miroku looked into his friend's amber eyes and backed off; he knew better than to argue with Inu-yasha when he was like this. "Very well," was all he said.

~~~

Inu-yasha gave a grunt of pain as he touched down beside the well. He had carried Kagome all the way, and had taken the course alternately running and leaping into the air.

Kagome's head snapped towards him and he cursed himself; he didn't want her to worry. He had always carried his pain within himself, but this wound was bad, not even he could deny it.

"Inu-yasha, you should rest," Kagome said, tugging at his sleeve. "Please, go back to the village. I'll be fine." She forced a smile on her face.

Inu-yasha felt a stab of pain in his heart. To see Kagome pretend to be okay, that hurt more than any flesh wound. He snorted and looked away. "Naw, this is nothing. I told you I would go with you and I'm going."

Kagome smiled a little-a real smile-and said, "Thanks for saving me today." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

The hanyou flushed. "Uh. . ." was all he could say as he stared at Kagome. *Damn* he thought *What do I do?!*

Kagome swung herself over the lip of the well and smiled at him again. "So-are we going or not?"

Inu-yasha looked away, a shy smile on his lips. "Yeah, I guess."

They leapt together into the well.

~~~

"Kagome, thank heavens you're back!" Mrs. Higurashi said as her daughter appeared in the kitchen. "Oh, and I see you've brought your friend." She smiled at Inu-yasha, who merely nodded. He never had gotten over the whole ear incident.

"Hey, Inu-yasha!" Sota said, running up to his hero. "Are you staying over tonight?"

"Yeah, I am, kid," Inu-yasha said casually.

"Kagome, you must be hungry. Sit down and I'll reheat dinner." Mrs. Higurashi started to bustle around the kitchen.

Kagome stopped her mother, grinning. "No, that's okay, Mom. I . . . I just came home to get some rest. I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed. Bye!" She ran upstairs to her room.

Mrs. Higurashi stared after Kagome, frowning. She turned to Inu-yasha. "What happened today?"

"Eh?" The hanyou stared. "Nothing happened."

The woman made a worried sound. Her daughter had never been the same after falling into the well, and she never spoke of what happened in that other world. Mrs. Higurashi worried so much, but pushed that aside; her daughter never complained, and if something was bothering her she would have come to her mother. Wouldn't she?

Turning to Inu-yasha, Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Shall I set you up in the guest room, Inu-yasha?"

The hanyou winced; the smile Kagome's mother was giving him was the same forced smile as Kagome had given him moments before. "No, that's fine," he said. "I'll sleep outside Kagome's room." He left the kitchen before another word could be said.

~~~

That night Kagome slept peacefully in her room. The moonlight streamed into her room through half-drawn curtains, making shadows creep on everything.

Inu-yasha was outside her door, lying on his uninjured side, head propped up by his hand. Try as he could, he could not stay awake, and dozed off.

A cloud drifted across the moon, making Kagome's room go pitch-black. She murmured in sleep and turned onto her back. The blackness above her chest sparked and formed into something solid.

Kagome opened her eyes; she could barely breathe. It felt like there was something . . . something . . . something on her chest. . .

She blinked and screamed, trying to sit up, but stars filled her vision and she fainted. The last thing she heard was sinister crooning, and the feeling of being crushed.

Out in the hall, Inu-yasha's ears pricked at the scream and he jumped up, one hand going for the Tetsuiga. He leapt at Kagome's door, about to force it open-

White-hot pain shot through his body, making him crumple to the floor. "What . . . the hell. . ." he gasped. The wound in his side was throbbing.

Suddenly there was a voice in his head. *Poor half-demon* It was the same voice that had talked through Kagome's body. *That was not an ordinary sword that made that wound. In fact, as long as I am alive, it will not heal*

"What . . . have you done . . . with . . . Kagome?" Inu-yasha forced the words through gritted teeth. Black dots formed in his vision, the pain growing more and more unbearable.

*Ah, precious Kagome . . . I believe I told you before, half-demon, she is mine. Mine forever . . .*

"No. . ." Inu-yasha whispered as pain and fatigue from the pain sent him into troubled sleep.

His ears pricked as his last bit of consciousness heard one word.

*Mine*

# # #

FINISHED!! *dies*

Told you I'd be back! The only question now is: is this the end of the fic? Or shall I continue? Hmm. . .

Oh well. Maybe if I get enough threatening reviews, I'll continue. Until then, hasta la vista!

Disclaimer: I own Inu-yasha only spiritually, never physically *whoa . . . that's kind of philosophical* *shudders*