InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of Pain, Heart of Ice ❯ chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

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Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters.

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Chapter One

"Worthless! That's what you are! You're a worthless little tramp. What did you think you were doing? I thought I told you to stay inside!"

Rin dared not raise even a finger to rub her swollen cheek as she sat on the floor, willing her tears not to fall. "I....I am sorry...I...was ....I just went out to play."

The dark figure loomed closer, "Play?! Are you crazy? You're fifteen years old! You're too old to play!"

Rin looked down at the stone gray floor. "I.....I just went out....to....see the sunset. It was a sunny day....I figured it wouldn't matter if I just....watched.... for a few minutes."

A hard grunt above her head helped to ease some of her growing apprehension. He was not in a very bad mood or he would have kicked her for even answering in that way. Instead, he grunted, signaling only a slight irritation with her actions, not an outright disapproval.

His voice quieted to a nicer tone, "Go upstairs to my bathroom and take a shower. You're filthy. After you've finished, come to the living room. I rented a couple of movies."

Rin hurried from the cool darkness of her basement room and ran up the stairs. The wooden floor creaked as she stepped into the hall.

Silently, she walked up the wooden staircase until she reached her father's room.

Rin did not look at the bed as she entered her father's bedroom. She passed through this room many times when he told her to get washed in his shower, when he wanted her to be.....cleaner....than she was.

The basement bathroom only had a sink and lavatory and it was hard to get really clean with only a sink to use.

She quickly went to the bathroom adjoining his bedroom where she began to undress.

Rin turned on the water till it was very warm. She smiled. A shower was such a treat. What usually happened after such a treat made her sick for a week but at least she got to bathe under hot water and wash her hair with the sweet smelling shampoo and lather her body with the musky scented soap her father used.

She wanted so much to take her time in the hot spray but refrained from indulging. Since her father was in a semi-nice mood, she did not want to anger him further by dawdling.

Absently, she touched her swollen cheek with the tip of her finger, wincing at the pain. She also gave notice to her bruised arm and sore bottom. Turning so the hot water massaged the blackening bruise on her behind and left arm, she sighed. The warmth helped out a lot. Maybe she would be able to sleep more comfortably tonight. She was thankful she did not have to go to school. Summer had finally come. Trying to explain her marks at school was a big embarrassment. The teachers always gave her the strangest looks.

'At least the teachers asked,' A little voice in the back of her mind echoed.

Rin sighed again, this time in despair. She had no friends and now that summer had come, she did not even have other kids her own age to watch. That was one thing she liked about school: watching the other kids as they laughed and talked with each other and getting to see the football players as they practiced while day dreaming about what actually happens at one of their games.

Rin counted her blessings. Life did have some good points. She had a roof over her head, food every few days, clothes on her back, a bed to sleep in, her own room, and her secret......teddy bear.

Realizing time was getting away from her, Rin turned off the hot shower and stepped out of the bath.

Quickly, she wrapped up in the large pink robe reserved for only her and picked up her clothes.

After going back downstairs and dropping the dirty clothes in the laundry basket, Rin headed for the living room. It was kinda dark but the TV was on and the VCR light was flashing. Her father sat on the couch with the remote, pushing buttons while staring at the screen.

He patted the seat next to him without looking at her, "Sit."

She did as ordered, sitting down next to her father. Her wet hair clung to her face as she shook her head a little to get some of the long strands away from her eyes.

Rin stilled when her father let out another grunt. He wanted her not to move.

She sat quietly and watched the movies of raw action and gunfights. They were not the kind she cared for but sometimes a little romance was snuck into some of the blood and gore. A movie was also an occasional treat. Somewhere in the back of her mind, alarms were creeping up in amplifying degrees. Why was her father being so.... nice?

Four hours passed and Rin had not gone to sleep. There was no clock in the room but she guessed it must be around midnight. The last credits of the second movie rolled up the screen. She waited patiently for her father to excuse her so she could return to her room in the basement.

The wait was a not a very long one. Several minutes went by. Then her father stood and walked over to his big fluffy chair. The one he always sat in when sports played on the TV. He reached behind it, picking something up.

The dim light of the room made it hard for Rin to make out just what it was that he had picked up. He turned on the lamp next to the chair.

Rin nearly fell off the sofa.

In his hands, in his very large rough hands he held......

......her........

.....teddy bear........

Rin cried in her mind. 'Noooooo.....please....not Teddy.....not my Teddy.'

He smirked at her apparent surprise, "I bet you thought I wouldn't find your little.....toy....didn't you. Well, guess what, I did."

His smirk fell some as he stepped closer to her, "Didn't I tell you what I would do if I found my grown-up girl with a toy?"

Rin shook her head weakly before catching herself. He had told her.

"I see. So you do not recall my exact words on playing with toys? Well, I will have to refresh your memory, refresh it in a very.......satisfying way."

Rin tried to swallow down her panic.

No....she did not want to....

He dangled the stuffed animal in front of her, "If you prove to me you can please me, I will spare your soft friend here and keep it safe in my bed where you can visit him every night for the next few days."

Rin looked at her only friend longingly. It would not be so bad...if he would allow her to keep Teddy.....after......"Can I have him back.....later?"

Her father smiled, "Yes, dear, now...." He walked out of the room, his voice calling her. ".....come to bed."

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Rin reluctantly woke from her fitful sleep to the dim light that filtered in from the small window far above her bed. She groaned while reaching down to rub the soreness between her legs and around her behind. He had kicked her out of his bed last night. Now her other butt cheek probably had a bruise as well.

Even though she did not have school to contend with, summer was slowly becoming a nightmare. He didn't touch her much like that during the school year but when summer came, he kept her inside and close at hand for any of his.....urges.

Rin sat up. For several minutes she just stared at the crack in the wall opposite her bed and hugged herself. One tear slid down her cheek. Last night had been the first night in ten years without Teddy. He was the one who kept the monsters away. Hopefully, she could survive the next few nights without him. Maybe it was a good thing that her father had found him. Just a few more days and she could keep Teddy without having to hide him.

Rin unwrapped her arms from around her body and tried to get out of bed, shivering as her bare feet touched the concrete. The second she tried to stand, her knees buckled and hit the solid, hard floor. "Ouch!...Ohhh.." Her body was not responding well to her father's.....treatment. Not bothering to get up, Rin crawled to the bathroom, used it, then crawled back to her bed, climbing up on the mattress to just lay there. She closed her eyes, hoping a few more hours of sleep would make the pain subside. If she were unable to perform her duties or flinch at his touch, her father would become most angry.

Midday came and Rin found that she could stand well enough. She walked out into the middle of the basement. Her stomach rumbled. She was so hungry. Father was suppose to bring something tonight. It was the third day. He always brought something to eat on the third day. Her stomach protested again and she looked up to the basement door that led to the hallway. The kitchen was not far. She could sneak.....no.... The last time she had snuck into the kitchen and found a stray cracker in the cabinet, her father had come home and seen the tiny crumbs on the floor and beat her for a week. The kitchen was off limits.

Rin sighed again and looked up at one of the small windows high above that led to the outside. Before too long, she would be too big to get through the window and the beauty of the outdoors would be banned from her as well.

Taking one long look at the window, Rin made up her mind. She proceeded to stack a couple of medium size wooden crates below the window and climbed up the boxes, out the window and into the sunshine and shade of the green backyard.

She smiled and breathed in deeply the warm air of early summer. Bright sunlight gave the sweet warmth she needed so badly. The backyard buzzed with crickets and birds, all singing praise to her temporary freedom. Creaking oak trees fluttered their leaves in the wind, adding to the merry melody. Contentment reigned for the moment. Maybe today would be a better day.

Rin shook out of her daze of content excitement and looked to the right and left cautiously as she twisted the hem of her pale yellow dress in her hands. Her father would not return until sunset but it was wise to be wary. After making sure the coast was clear, Rin darted to the side of the house to inspect the front yard. The cool grass tickled her bare feet as she ran. Staying in the shadow of shade, Rin eased around a bush and peeked out between leafy branches to see the flowers around the walkway. On impulse, she glanced at the house across the street. She blinked. A car was in the driveway! A neighbor had moved in!

This was exciting! They had not had a neighbor in nearly six years! Maybe they were new to the area. Maybe they had kids close to her age or younger. It did not matter to Rin. Any child would be nice. Yes indeed, today was a happy day.

Rin scurried to the bushes that were closer to the road and hid behind the thick round hedges to more closely observe the large two story house. Whoever moved in must be rich. The house was close to being a mansion. It had a swimming pool, a beautifully kept garden, several rooms and a three car garage. She smiled at her luck. Rich people almost always had children. Maybe they would let her baby sit a little one or let her play in the yard with one of their toddlers.

Bowing her head, Rin looked down at her tattered dress and frowned. No. The most she could hope for was to meet the neighbors. The second they laid eyes on her it would be all over. No one would want someone like her around them or their children.

Rin pushed down the self-loathing and looked on the bright side. A quick peek in the window and she could find out who they were without bothering them with her presence.

Letting curiosity get the better of her, Rin dashed into the woods and followed a slightly worn path a few yards adjacent the road. She turned to step out of the woods and onto the pavement a little ways from both houses. Again, she cut through the underbrush on the other side of the road and moved along the pathway that led to the fence that surrounded the backyard of their neighbor's house. After she got to the wooden fence, Rin found the loose board and moved it aside. She slipped in through the tight opening.

Cautiously, she looked around. The pool was full of water. It looked so inviting. The vine covered archway that led to the extravagant garden was a riot of small pink roses. Several weeping willows fluttered their hanging branches in the late spring breeze. Rin had been to this place many times in secret to pick up a fallen flower or stroll around the beautiful yard. Sometimes she would swing for a minute on the wooden swing hanging from one of the old oaks in the far back of the floral garden. Other times, she would pretend she was a princess who lived in the luxurious castle waiting on her prince. Even the small pond and its resident frog played in her fantasy. At times she became desperate enough to actually consider kissing the slimy creature.

Rin looked back at the house. With silent, cautious steps, she eased to the large window that looked in on the house's library room. Keeping low to the grassy ground, Rin got to her hands and knees and snuck up underneath the window sill. Slowly, she raised herself up to peek in, almost letting out a squeek.

The room was full of books, thousands of books! But that was not what had startled her. Standing there, tall and glowing in a billowy white ancient styled dress suit was an angel with very long silvery white hair.

An angel from heaven. The ethereal being was studying an open book in his hands intently. She briefly wondered where the angel's wings were before realizing she was spying.

Quickly, Rin dropped, hiding her peeking face from being found. Now was the time to leave. Getting caught would so ruin her glorious day. If her father were to find out from their neighbor that she had been peeping in his window, she may not be able to stand for a week and also.....she might lose Teddy.

Slowly, Rin crawled away from the oversized window until she was sure she was out of the neighbor's view and stood. The fence was only a few yards away but before she took one step towards the wooden fence, a deep voice called from behind.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my property?"

Rin gulped and closed her eyes, 'Oh...no....'

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Sesshoumaru observed the wisp of a girl who had chosen to sneak into his backyard, "I said. Who are you girl?"

The girl turned to face him, her eyes cast downward as she twisted the hem of her ragged yellow dress with both hands.

Her timid voice whispered almost too faint even for him to hear, "My name is.... Rin....I am sorry for....disturbing you....I promise it won't happen again. I live across the street.....I only came to......welcome you to the neighborhood."

Sesshoumaru almost scrunched his nose up at the girl. The little female had lain with a hanyou male recently. The smell of male arousal and mating seed covered her pale body. Disgusting.

He raised an eyebrow in irritation, "Welcome me? It seems to me you were only sneaking about. But no matter. Stay away from my home. I do not wish to be bothered by you again. Now leave."

The girl bowed once before darting to the fence and through a small broken opening in the wood. Making a mental note to fix it later, Sesshoumaru went back inside in search of some lunch.

While sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen, he brooded over this strange occurrence. The girl must be a harlot or a concubine. By her state of dress, she probably earned her keep by pleasing the hanyou she lived with. "Filthy human." he grunted to himself. If she showed up around his home again, he would give her a scare that would turn her hair white. The dog demon smirked at the ironic image as he sliced into the somewhat bloody steak on his plate.

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Rin ran as fast as she could back to her house and to the basement window, looking back several times in mid-run, half expecting to see the angel of demons coming after her. After crawling back into the basement, she relaxed and walked back to her room and to her bed. She fell on the semi-soft mattress and groaned. All that exertion aggravated the pain between her legs. It throbbed with every beat of her pounding heart.

Healing would take a few hours more. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

-------------------------------------------------------------- < p>Icy cold water woke Rin out of her dream of pot roast and chocolate cake. She sputtered while sitting up, "Father?...I am sorry...I must have fallen asleep."

The smell of food brought her senses alive and she opened up wet eyelashes to see her father standing there. A plastic bucket sat at his feet. In his left hand he held.....a large brown paper bag. As she stared at the brown bag, Rin's stomach growled loud enough for them both to hear.

"You look good wet."

Rin barely heard her father, her sights locked on the possible reward in his hand. He moved the bag behind his back. "Rin."

With the temptation out of sight, Rin looked up to acknowledge her father, taking note that he had pulled his long black hair up in a ponytail. He smirked, "Hungry?"

Rin nodded with a forced smile, "Can I have.....?" She stopped, feeling a bargain coming on.

Her father stepped closer, his eyes went to her chest. Rin looked down to see what had gained his attention, immediately noticing how wet her yellow dress was and how the light material clung to her skin. Suppressing the urge to cover her overly exposed breasts, Rin looked past her father to the far wall and silently waited.

Warm fingers touched her cheek, "It is time for your lesson, little one. Come with me. You will get to visit your toy and....after....you can eat."

Rin rose and followed her father up the basement stairs.

When she got to her father's bedroom, she ran to the bed and snatched Teddy up in a tight hug. She whispered in it's fuzzy ear, "I missed you, Teddy. It won't be long. Just a few more days and we can sleep together again."

Her father's deep voice slid up from behind, "That is enough. Give it to me."

Reluctantly, Rin unwrapped her arms from around her brown teddy bear and handed her only friend to her father.

She watched despondently as he carried Teddy to the wooden dresser and locked her friend away in a large drawer. She hoped he wouldn't get lonely in there.

After placing the key on the dresser, he turned and smiled, "Now, lets see how much you can learn tonight."

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Sesshoumaru sat up in bed dripping with sweat. His heightened senses had picked up a distant sound. He looked over to his open window where the dark blue curtains fluttered with the night wind.

The cool breeze dried the moisture from his face as he rose up out of his king sized bed and walked over to the dark tinted glass. He looked up, past the transparent glass to the midnight sky. Scattered glittering stars blinked back at him, calling him. He humphed at his urge to flee, to rise above this earth and fly over the the lingering clouds.

Childishly, he kneeled before the open window and sniffed at the night breeze that seemed content to play about his face and hair. This was his first time to live on his own. His father had implored him not to leave the estate, probably hoping he could learn to live with his half-breed brother. He humphed again. That was most likely not to happen. Now he would prove to his father and his half mutt of a brother that he could live on his own and enjoy it.

The same sound he had heard earlier brought him out of his inward musings. It sounded like a.....muffled scream. A female's muffled scream.

Curious, Sesshoumaru stood, grabbed his night robe and walked out of his bedroom.

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