InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Onigumo House ❯ Chapter 2

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Fidgeting nervously in the back seat of the taxi cab, Kagome had a case of the butterflies that would put Disney’s Tower of Terror to shame, and it had nothing to do with theatrics as she both adored that ride as well as all things Halloween. But still, she was going into the unknown, and she couldn’t help feeling like she was free falling at least a little bit.

 

She really had no idea what she was going to be facing once she got there, plus it was more than a little unnerving that after being congratulated on nabbing the very last spot she’d been given a rundown of the rules she’d need to abide by and rule number one was no cellphones allowed.

 

She supposed she could understand where they were coming from, what with the level of technology in newer smartphones. They undoubtedly wanted to make sure that whatever took place tonight would not get leaked onto the Internet prematurely. Or at all, if this really was all just some rich person’s private little game. When Kagome had asked the woman on the phone point blank if it was for TV, some kind of face your fears game show or what have you, the woman, identified as Kagura, had said no. Kagome had felt both relieved and even more nervous at that revelation, because while the idea of appearing on television, and more importantly, looking the fool on television, had originally been the biggest fear holding her back, the fact that there wasn’t going to be the presumed safety and professionalism of a stage crew doing an official TV show production had her wondering just what kind of a trap she was voluntarily walking into.

 

Still, Kagura had assured her that the advertisement had been genuine, and that the contest of surviving the haunted house was quite real, including the million dollar cash prize for whomever could last the longest. She hadn’t taken her literally, of course, since Kagome didn’t really believe the place was actually haunted, let alone dangerous, but she presumed the house had been rigged with all sorts of things to go bump in the night in an attempt to scare people away. Even if the place really was haunted, though, a creaking door, footsteps, or a sudden blast of cold air certainly wouldn’t be enough to frighten her. She wouldn’t actually have to do anything, Kagura had told her, like reach into containers blindfolded and identify the contents or play beat the clock trying to figure out how to get out of a locked room. Apparently all she had to do was spend the night along with nine other guests, and she had been instructed to bring anything that would make her feel more comfortable in that regard, such as a set of night clothes and any necessary toiletries.

 

Glancing down at her solitary night bag sitting on the seat beside her, Kagome bit her lower lip as she worried yet again if this was actually a good idea, and not some sort of a trap. How could she possibly only need to spend the night along with nine other people and, supposedly, their numbers would be whittled down throughout the night until they had a winner? Just when she was starting to contemplate chickening out, though, her driver pulled her from her thoughts by announcing their arrival at her destination.

 

“Here we are, miss,” he said, as he pulled up in front of the large mansion and into the wide circular parking area that had a couple of other cars already parked in it.

 

Well, at least I won’t necessarily be stranded here, if I can bum a ride back into town with somebody else.

 

Assuming she wasn’t the first one kicked out and had to walk downhill by herself in the middle of the night because nobody had a phone and so she’d have no way of calling another taxi.

 

Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest decision to just have a cab drop her off at the place without her phone on her, rules or no rules, but Sango and her husband Miroku were supposed to be two of the other nine guests and according to Souta, Kohaku had said that his sister was looking forward to meeting her. That definitely helped Kagome to not feel quite so alone and abandoned as she grabbed her bag, paid the driver, and headed up to the intimidating looking house to the sound of the taxi driving away.

 

Gazing up at the dilapidated two-story building, it definitely gave off the vibe of being haunted. While not large enough to technically be called a mansion, it appeared just shy of the classification in Kagome’s mind, appearing much too grand to just be called a house in her opinion. While the sun had just set a short while ago it was still light enough to see Onigumo House’s shabby brown shingles and pealing red and white paint, and had a million dollars not been on the line she would’ve definitely had no desire to spend the night there, even for the thrill of staying in a supposedly haunted house.

 

While the place wasn’t overly cliché, and didn’t look like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland or anything equally as awesome, it was an old building with overgrown landscaping and it was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Maybe they had some sort of secret electronic devises blasting EMFs to help give everyone that heebie-jeebie feeling? Either that, or it really was haunted.

 

“Guess I’m going to find out,” she muttered to herself as she made her way up to the rich wooden double doors.

 

Not sure if she should knock or not, she just tried the knob and found that the doors were unlocked, so hesitantly, she stepped inside.

 

“Hello?” she called out as she awkwardly closed the doors behind her. They creaked with old age, as did the floorboards as she made her way towards the center of the great room.

 

That was an understatement.

 

The whole house, while clearly rundown, still showed its extravagance in the architecture and décor. The hardwood floors were a rich, dark chestnut, although they were lackluster from years of neglect. Intricately carved dark wood panels made up the bottom four feet of the walls, capped off by decorative strips of molding, the upper walls stretching towards the two story ceiling covered in a rich green and gold hand painted wallpaper that was pealing in a few places and stained with moisture damage in others. The ceiling itself was a dirty off white, crisscrossed in heavy wooden beams from which hung two circular cast iron chandeliers that were electric but gave the appearance of holding candlesticks. It was their dim glow that gave the home that extra feeling of spooky as Kagome glanced around.

 

A hallway stretched on to the left, leading to who knew how many rooms. To the right, a curved staircase to the second floor, beside which a smaller hallway led to what was once the servants’ quarters while beyond the stairs, towards the back right of the main room, lied the dining and kitchen area. Opposite that, to the back left of the main room, was a sitting area with gold, cream and rosewood Victorian style chairs, sofa and fainting couch, all of which were positioned for occupants to face the large antique red Persian rug while enjoying the oversized stone fireplace that encompassed the left wall.

 

The fireplace was lit, filling the room with warmth, and Kagome slowly made her way closer to the sitting area as she peered down each hallway and glanced upstairs.

 

“Hello?” she called again. “Is anyone here?”

 

Was she the first one to arrive? But then what about the cars out front? Surely someone had to be there, and what about the fireplace?

 

“Hello!” a young man replied suddenly, just when she was about to call out a third time.

 

Kagome noticeably sagged in relief at the sight of the man with black shoulder length hair tied back at the nape of his neck emerging from the dining hall. He was wearing a dark purple v-neck t-shirt, black jeans and black sneakers, and definitely appeared to be another guest.

 

“My apologies,” he said, confirming her suspicions. “I was just familiarizing myself with our fabulous if not somewhat antiquated accommodations. At least the kitchen is relatively modernized, and from what I’ve been told by our hosts, dinner will be served shortly.”

 

Kagome offered him a genuine smile. Rival or not, she was comforted by his presence for the simple fact that she did not want to be left alone in this place. The proprietors had definitely done a good job of making the house both look and feel haunted, and while the part of her that loved all things Halloween was actually really digging it, she still couldn’t help the small part of her that felt a little bit afraid.

 

“That’s good to hear,” she answered, in regard to his comment about dinner being ready soon. “Kagura had said that dinner was going to be provided so I haven’t eaten, and I’m kind of hungry,” she finished honestly.

 

Hey, scared or not, a girl had to eat.

 

Grinning pleasantly, the man looked Kagome up and down with an appreciative glint in his indigo eyes, taking in her black pleated knee length skirt and oversized dark blue sweater that hung off her left shoulder, black flats, and yellow overnight bag hanging off her right. Although he was a happily married man, he couldn’t deny that she was a cutey.

 

“I dare say,” he commented then, “whatever the results of this contest, my stay in this manor shall be more pleasant now that you have joined us.”

 

Not used to being flirted with, Kagome blushed hotly at the man’s words, which earned a hearty chuckle from her admirer.

 

“Forgive my husband,” a female voice chimed in then, followed by a woman in her early twenties entering the living room from the long hallway. “He’s a perpetual flirt, but he’s harmless.”

 

She made her way over to the man she’d just claimed as her own and grinned up at him as he wrapped his arm around her, smiling sheepishly.

 

“I’m afraid he’ll never learn to keep his eyes to himself, but at least I’ve trained him to keep his hands to himself,” the woman added, still gazing at her husband with love in her chocolate brown eyes. “Or if not to himself, then at least I’m the only one he gropes anymore,” she added with a laugh.

 

He smirked at her, and winked at Kagome before again meeting his wife’s gaze.

 

“My dear Sango,” Miroku started smoothly, “one can appreciate the fine artwork of a museum while knowing that touching is not permitted.”

 

Instead of feeling even more uncomfortable, Kagome’s own smile grew at their words. She took in the woman for a moment, wearing a white and pink blouse, green pants and brown saddles, her long dark brown hair hanging loose, and realized Kohaku’s description had been spot on. His sister was very beautiful.

 

“You’re Sango and Miroku,” she stated rather than asked, figuring the answer was obvious at that point.

 

Quick on the uptake, Sango’s eyes lit up as she disentangled herself from her husband.

 

“And you must be Kagome!” she exclaimed as she pulled the younger woman into a quick hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

 

“Yes, Kohaku told us you would be joining us this evening. Welcome to Hill House,” Miroku added, chuckling at his own joke.

 

Kagome snickered, then apologized for her busy schedule having prevented them from getting together until now.

 

“Oh not at all. Believe me, I understand,” Sango said, having heard the whole story from her brother.

 

“I commend you on your dedication,” Miroku added.

 

“Hopefully, if I win this thing tonight, then my schedule will be able to open up a little bit,” Kagome said. “If not, well, I’ll try to squeeze it in, because I can already tell we’re going to be great friends.”

 

And she meant it. Something about these two really rubbed her the right way.

 

Well that didn’t sound right. She chuckled at her own random thoughts.

 

“Win or lose, I’m sure tonight’s experience will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Sango said then.

 

“So who else is here?” Kagome asked.

 

“We’re the only contestants so far,” Sango explained. “Although our host and hostess Byakuya and Kagura are here. They’re in the kitchen.”

 

“They greeted us but then asked if I could take care of greeting all the other guests as they arrive, while they finish up dinner preparations,” Miroku added. “I believe I was remiss in my duties upon your arrival, so for that I apologize.”

 

“Were you bothering the chefs again?” Sango asked as Kagome waved off Miroku’s apology.

 

“I’m hungry,” he answered with a shrug, earning a chuckle from both women.

 

“Oh wow, you mean they’re cooking everything from scratch?” Kagome asked, surprised. “I’d figured they would just get some place or another to cater this event.” She thought about it for a moment, then added, “Then again, we are kinda in the middle of nowhere.”

 

“You got that right,” chimed in a new female voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to greet the newest arrival.

 

“Welcome,” Miroku said, watching the newcomer, who seemed less than impressed with her surroundings as she approached where the others were standing in the middle of the great room.

 

She was wearing gray linen slacks and a loose fitting dark purple blouse that made Miroku regret his own choice of wardrobe. She was dragging a rolling suitcase behind her, Louis Vuitton by the look of it, and coming up to where the others were standing she looked around somewhat impatiently, as if expecting a hotel registration desk to materialize against one of the walls.

 

“I’m Miroku,” he introduced politely. “This is my wife Sango, and our friend Kagome.”

 

“Tsubaki,” she answered impatiently. “Is there someone here to show me to my room or what?”

 

Miroku opened his mouth, but whether he was just gaping or was actually going to answer, he didn’t have time to decide.

 

“You’re actually free to choose your own rooms,” a woman wearing a tight fitting black dress that was quite appropriate for Halloween said as she emerged from the dining room and approached the others. “Please excuse my rudeness. I’m Kagura.”

 

“Nice to meet you in person,” Kagome said, tilting her head at the odd, almost sad look that flashed in Kagura’s eyes before it was replaced by a fake smile anyone in the customer service industry would recognize a mile away.

 

Brushing it off, Kagome figured something was clearly bothering the woman, but she was professional and wasn’t going to let whatever was wrong interfere with her job this evening.

 

Miroku, who had been too busy admiring Kagura’s low cut dress again to notice her changing facial expressions, asked with a friendly tone, “How are things coming along?”

 

“Oh fine,” Kagura said. As way of explanation to the new arrivals she added, “We had a little trouble getting the ovens lit, and a few other glitches, so we’re a little behind schedule, but we’re not going to let the ghosts put a dampener on dinner.”

 

Kagome giggled, appreciating that their hostess was keeping character, but their latest arrival, Tsubaki, snorted in derision.

 

“Look, Elvira, I don’t care about your little game of make believe. I just want to be shown to my room so that I can lock myself inside until you’re handing me my check in the morning.”

 

It was Sango’s turn to snort at that, but before their hostess could say anything she volunteered to show Tsubaki to her room. The sooner the bitch locked herself in her room for the rest of the night, the better.

 

“Miroku and I have already chosen our room for the night,” she began, “but if you want to follow me, I’ll take you to a bedroom that I think would be perfect for you.”

 

Giving Sango an impatient look, as if the woman was actually an employee who was slacking in her duties rather than a fellow guest going above and beyond, Tsubaki collapsed the telescopic handle on her rolling suitcase, picked it up by the regular handle, and with an expression that clearly indicated she thought Sango should be carrying her luggage for her, she followed after Miroku’s wife as the woman led her upstairs, her black dress flats clicking loudly on the floorboards every step of the way.

 

“Unpleasant dreams,” Kagome sing-songed after them, doing a dainty finger wave with her right hand raised even though Tsubaki didn’t turn her way to see it.

 

Miroku saw, and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing outright.

 

As Kagura excused herself to get back to dinner Kagome met Miroku’s eyes and shrugged.

 

“Some women are just bitches,” she said unapologetically.

 

“I find I must agree with that statement, although I am quite fortunate that my lovely Sango is not among them, and I can tell that neither are you.”

 

“I have my moments,” Kagome chuckled.

 

Miroku only laughed. Sango had her moments, too, but there was a big difference between being angered by an upsetting situation and generally acting like everyone you met was below you.

 

With Miroku excusing himself for a moment, heading to the nearest restroom, which was located down the servants’ hallway, Kagome sat her yellow bag down on one of the chairs in the living room before wandering into the dining hall. There she found a large rectangular dark wood dining table already set with five places on each side. The dishes were nicer than her mother’s good china, which they never used, with colorful floral designs and gold plating that ensured they were hand wash only. The silverware was unquestionably real silver, and the water glasses were stemmed crystal.

 

After taking a moment to gape like an idiot, Kagome shook herself out of her stupor enough to make her way over towards the entrance to the kitchen, which was another huge room in and of itself. Peering inside, Kagome observed for a moment from the doorway as Kagura and who had to be Byakuya buzzed around preparing what looked to be quite the feast.

 

Miroku had been right when he said the kitchen looked fairly modernized, with the types of appliances one would expect to see in a modern day kitchen except you could tell they weren’t brand new. They were black instead of the more popular brushed stainless steel, but they were getting the job done. Kagura and Byakuya weren’t talking much, except about the food, and not wanting to disturb them Kagome headed back into the living room just in time to play hostess herself as the double doors opened once more.

 

“Welcome to Hill House,” she teased, taking a page from Miroku’s playbook, as an incredibly handsome man with long white hair – it had to be bleached, but it was a good look for him – entered followed by a woman whom Kagome would swear could pass for her sister.

 

Inuyasha snorted at Kagome’s joke. Even though he wasn’t into horror movies, Kikyou was, so he unfortunately got the reference. This was the first time she’d ever actually forced him to be in a horror movie, though. First and last. After tonight, win or lose, that was it. He just couldn’t deal with her anymore.

 

Kikyou, convinced that if she was on her best behavior she could win Inuyasha back over again just like she always did, chuckled lightly at Kagome’s greeting.

 

“Hi there! I’m Kikyou and this is my boyfriend Inuyasha,” she introduced, earning another snort from the white-haired man that Kagome couldn’t miss although Kikyou outwardly ignored it. “Are you Kagura?” she asked instead.

 

“Actually, I’m Kagome. I’m another guest.”

 

“Ah, you mean another contestant,” Kikyou playfully corrected. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t want to get too friendly with the competition.”

 

Her demeanor was pleasant enough, although Kagome could easily pick up on the fake quality to it. She recognized a bitch only playing nice when she saw one. Still, she supposed the woman had a valid point. Admittedly, she wasn’t there to make friends, either, except maybe for Sango and Miroku. But even so, she was definitely going to try to win that prize money. That Kikyou was at least being outwardly civil, unlike Tsubaki, was really all that mattered, she supposed.

 

“No problem,” she replied then, offering Kikyou a genuine smile. “May the best man or woman win.”

Sticking her hand out to be shaken, Kikyou smirked as she shook it.

 

“Oh, I intend to.”

 

Game on, Kagome thought.

 

Rolling his eyes at Kikyou’s remark, Inuyasha observed the interaction between his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend and that Kagome chick with mild interest. He wasn’t fooled by Kikyou’s polite act in the slightest, but it looked like, neither was Kagome. Speaking of looks, that girl could pass for Kikyou’s sister, but where Kikyou had cold brown eyes Kagome’s eyes were stormy blue-gray and sparkled with a playful light. Kikyou’s hair was also as straight as straight could be, and tied back loosely with a white ribbon as she was fond of doing, but Kagome’s raven locks, while nearly as long as Kikyou’s, were loose and had an untamed quality about them, just like his own unruly curtain of hair.

 

Inuyasha wasn’t the only one taking a moment to observe the so-called competition.

 

As Kagome gave both newcomers a discreet once over, the pair seemed mismatched to her somehow. Kikyou was wearing long billowy red linen pants and a silky white long-sleeve blouse, her long jet black hair, with bangs, as straight as uncooked spaghetti and neatly held in place. Inuyasha’s long white hair, by contrast, was fluffy and wild, and his attire was also much more casual. While he was dressed in designer labels, they were in the form of simple dark blue jeans and a snug fitting red t-shirt that showed off his muscular chest, the laid back look finished off by a pair of black and silver sneakers as opposed to his girlfriend’s black and gold wedge heels. Even their overnight bag, which Inuyasha was carrying, screamed of Kikyou’s influence to Kagome. While not a three thousand dollar suitcase like Tsubaki’s, Inuyasha somehow just didn’t strike her as a Michael Kors kind of guy.

 

“So where can I drop this thing?” he asked in that moment to break the growing silence, confirming her suspicions as he yanked the bag off his left shoulder and held it up by the strap with his right hand in a way that suggested he was half tempted to just drop it right there on the floor of the great room and let Kikyou carry it the rest of the way herself.

 

Kagome could also tell from the way it was now hanging that it weighed quite a bit, and she found herself comically wondering just what the hell Kikyou had packed in there. All she’d brought was her pajamas, a change of undergarments, her hairbrush, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste.

 

“I actually haven’t looked around myself, yet,” she admitted. She went over to the chair she’d sat her own bag on and picked it back up. “I guess I’d better go select my own room, too, before all the best ones get taken.”

 

“Well there’s six bedrooms upstairs and four downstairs, two on each side,” Miroku chimed in as he reemerged from the servants’ restroom in time to hear the last bit of Kagome and Inuyasha’s conversation, gesturing with a wave of his hand towards each of the hallways on the first floor. “My wife Sango and I, as the first ones here, call dibs on the master suite, of course, but aside from that room, which is behind the double doors at the end of the hall upstairs, and whichever room Sango gave to Tsubaki, the rest of them are all still up for grabs.”

 

“Sounds good,” Inuyasha said with a nod of understanding.

 

“I’m Miroku by the way.”

 

“Inuyasha, and this is Kikyou,” Inuyasha replied, hanging the bag back over his shoulder in order to shake Miroku’s hand.

 

Kagome couldn’t help but notice that he did not introduce Kikyou as his girlfriend, although whether the woman in question noticed and was only ignoring the slight, or it honestly went over her head, she couldn’t be sure. What she could be sure of, though, was that these two were not the happy couple Kikyou was trying to pretend they were for appearances’ sake.

 

“Oh there’s gotta be way more rooms than that,” the woman in question chimed in then, peering down the left hallway, which seemed to go on forever.

 

“There are several other rooms, yes,” Sango said as she appeared at the top of the stairs. “But the others aren’t set up as bedrooms.”

 

Coming down the stairs, Sango took her turn meeting the newcomers, then telling them all that Tsubaki    was in the first bedroom on the left, Kagome excused herself for a moment, as did Inuyasha and Kikyou, to head upstairs and pick a bedroom while Sango and Miroku took over playing hosts again.

 

Heading up the stairs, Inuyasha and Kikyou behind her, Kagome noted how all the doors but one were open, which was convenient, so she could see what each room was. The first room on the right, right at the top of the stairs, was a bathroom, so that was good to know. Heading down the hallway, it was the first door on the left, Tsubaki’s room, that was closed. Across from Tsubaki, the second door on the right, was a bedroom, but Kagome kept going. She didn’t want to be right across the hall from Tsubaki.

 

The next two doors, left and right, were also bedrooms, as was the fourth and last door on the right, which was the room Kagome chose. She’d glanced in the other rooms as she’d passed, but not really caring about what her chosen room for the night looked like, and knowing that Sango and Miroku were in the master suite at the end of the hall, Kagome had chosen the last bedroom on the right for the simple fact that it was closest to Sango and Miroku. She wasn’t afraid of whatever Halloween-themed pranks they’d rigged up in this place, or so she told herself, but the house was still giving her the creeps and she just felt better knowing they were right next door.

 

“Home sweet home,” she mumbled more than a little sarcastically as she went inside and placed her bag on the four post canopy bed.

 

She could hear Inuyasha and Kikyou talking out in the hall as she took in the décor, which was more of the same. Dark greens, reds and golds, rich woods, and this time with the added touch of dilapidated white lace curtains over the large picture window. A single lamp was lit on the nightstand, casting the room in a dim but functional glow.

 

As she looked at the ornate bronze lamp, admiring the Tiffany-style stained glass shade although she was sure it was probably a new reproduction, it began to flicker in an eerie way and made her glance around her room in search of hidden cameras. Now fully convinced the lamp was a reproduction, and rigged electrically, she suspected that Kagura had been deliberately misleading when she’d quizzed her prior to coming here about whether or not this thing was going to be televised.

 

While she’d asked Kagura if this competition was a reality show type of game show, and Kagura had answered that no it was not, Kagome belatedly realized in that moment that she’d neglected to ask the followup question of whether or not it was a candid camera type of show, instead. Surely they were watching her in order to know when to flicker the lamp. She would try doubly hard not to get overly spooked by anything and look the fool.

 

“It isn’t fair, we should get to be in the master suite!”

 

Kagome’s appraisal of her chosen room for the night came to an abrupt halt as she mentally tuned into the quiet – but not quiet enough – argument that was unfolding right outside her bedroom.

 

I left the door open guys, sheesh…

 

Inuyasha and Kikyou had taken more time to venture down the length of the upstairs hallway than Kagome, going into each available bedroom after she passed them up in order to appraise their quality before, never being quite satisfied, moving on to the next. Well, Kikyou had been unsatisfied with the rooms. Inuyasha didn’t personally give a shit although he’d supported her desire to check out each next room because while they weren’t married – thank the gods – he could still relate to the expression ‘happy wife, happy life’, and at least for tonight he wanted to try to avoid needlessly fighting with her.

 

A plan she was making exceedingly difficult.

 

Still, he would try to be civil. It wasn’t exactly like they were alone.

 

“How is it not fair?” he asked, his tone of voice rather neutral, logical even. “They got here first. Finders, keepers.”

 

“But I deserve to be in the best room!”

 

Listening in, Kagome raised an eyebrow at that. She could practically hear the pout in Kikyou’s voice, could visualize her stomping her foot in frustration, and she could definitely hear Inuyasha’s amused snort in reply.

 

“I’m sorry we didn’t get here early enough,” he stated, clearly trying to placate the girl. “But what’s done is done so let’s just pick a different room and be done with it.”

 

“You could just pay them,” Kikyou tried to reason. “I’m sure they’d sell us their room if you threw a few thousand dollars at them. They’re desperate for money!”

 

“You’re desperate for money,” he shot back, quickly losing his temper.

 

He rolled his eyes, keeping them skyward for a moment, silently asking for patience.

 

“I could offer to pay them something for their room,” Inuyasha elaborated then, “but I won’t, ‘cause I’m not that type of person, Kikyou, and you know that.”

 

Still listening in, Kagome couldn’t decide if she was disgusted by Kikyou’s attitude or bummed out that she wasn’t the one with the room Kikyou wanted to buy. She couldn’t speak for Sango and Miroku, but she would gladly give up the nicest bedroom for one night in a haunted house if it put a few extra thousand dollars in her bank account. The point was moot, of course, since it sounded like Inuyasha had shut that idea down, regardless, and she actually really respected him for that response, but still, she could playfully lament the lost what-if.

 

Shaking her head, she decided the matter wasn’t worth further thought, deciding instead to test out the mattress as she had a seat on the edge of the bed. The lamp flickered again, but she ignored it. It was probably just programmed to automatically flicker at random, but even assuming nobody was controlling it, she was still going to assume she was being watched. Come bedtime she would most definitely be changing into her pajamas in the bathroom.

 

Aware that Kagome had probably heard every word they’d said, Inuyasha couldn’t decide if he should feel embarrassed or just pissed off at Kikyou’s inability to act like a decent human being for one fucking night. Deciding to lower himself to her level if it would mean shutting her up, he grasped Kikyou’s right hand in both of his, and looking her in the eyes he whispered softly, “Come on, Kikyou, just let it go, for me?”

 

Kikyou opened her mouth to argue, that being her instinctive reaction to just about anything Inuyasha said those days, but then suddenly remembering her plan to stay on her best behavior just in case she somehow didn’t win the million dollars, she quickly forced her opened mouth to morph up into a submissive smile.

 

“You’re right, I’m being silly. I’m sorry,” she said, before heading a few steps further down the hallway to peer into the last room on the left, which was directly opposite Kagome’s bedroom.

 

It actually wasn’t a bedroom but instead was set up as a nursery, for some reason, with an antique wooden crib in the center of the room and a mobile comprised of porcelain clown dolls hanging directly over it, with shelf upon shelf filled with other porcelain dolls lining the walls above the antique chests of drawers.

 

“Well this is unnecessarily creepy,” Kikyou said, earning Kagome’s attention enough that she got up and met them both out in the hallway.

 

“You’re not afraid of dolls, are you?” she teased, earning a playful snort from Kikyou.

 

“Please,” Kikyou waved off. “It’s not like this place is actually haunted. They just rigged it up to do spooky things and chase all the scaredy-cats away.”

 

“Can’t wait,” Inuyasha drawled.

 

Kagome glanced his way, and he met her eyes for a moment, and falling into twin pools of golden yellow which were obviously contacts but were a surprisingly sexy look for him, they did nothing to mask his eyes still being the window to his soul, and in an instant she understood. He had been dragged to this event and didn’t even want to be here. She felt a little sorry for him, but their relationship issues weren’t really her concern.

 

“Well, I for one am looking forward to it,” she stated more or less honestly. “Plus I could really use the money.”

 

Kikyou snorted again.

 

“Too bad, girl, ‘cause I’m gonna be the winner.”

 

“Well see,” Kagome stated, not about to let the competition rattle her nerves.

 

“What would you do with the money if you did win?” Inuyasha asked, just curious.

 

He knew what Kikyou would do with it. She’d enjoy the next few years blowing through it and then be broke again, looking for the next rich sucker she could mooch off of. Not his problem.

 

“I’d use it to pay my way through medical school,” Kagome answered. “I’m going to become a specialist in neurological diseases so I can hopefully find a cure for fatal insomnia.”

 

Surprised, Inuyasha studied Kagome for a moment, and he too could easily read her soul in her eyes and knew that somebody close to her had been stricken by the disease. She was a woman on a mission, and he held tremendous respect for her and her cause.

 

Kikyou immediately became disinterested, which didn’t surprise Inuyasha since typically anything that had to do with hard work instantly disinterested her, and instead of participating in the conversation any longer she took their overnight bag from him and headed into the room next to Kagome’s, declaring that that room would be good enough. She was probably hoping to earn Inuyasha’s attention back by showing him how she could concede and do as he asked. For his part, Inuyasha acknowledged his girlfriend’s statement, agreeing with her choice of rooms, but then shifting gears back to the young woman standing before him, he told Kagome that he was sure she would succeed in her goal.

 

“If anyone can do it, you can.”

 

Blushing lightly, Kagome nervously brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

 

“You don’t even know me.”

 

He only shrugged.

 

“Don’t need to. I can see that the fire’s been lit in you, and while I can also see how this prize money would make your life easier, killing your student debt, I have zero doubt that you’ll continue towards your goal no matter what obstacles life throws your way.”

 

Nobody had ever spoken to her like that before, with such unbridled confidence, and it really touched her. Even her mother, who did nothing but encourage her, sometimes said things like how the most important thing was that she tried, as if unconsciously sensing that she might fail in her mission of finding a cure in time to save her brother’s life.

 

To Kagome, that was unthinkable, but even if, heaven forbid, she did fail to save Souta’s life, she would still not give up in her pursuit. Her family wasn’t the only one inflicted by this curse and she would fight for all others like her father and brother, she would fight for everyone who was depending on her. She would find a cure.

 

Somehow, just knowing that Inuyasha believed in her helped Kagome to believe in herself. True, she didn’t know him, but maybe that was what made it so special. Of course her family and friends and teachers would all say they believed in her, but here was a total stranger, a competitor even, who also believed in her, who’d taken one look at her and knew the strength of her dedication. Failure was not an option.

 

A loud throat clearing shattered the moment, as Kikyou threw Kagome a nasty glare for only a fraction of a second before throwing on her fake cheery act as she announced with a huge smile that it sounded like more guests had arrived downstairs. Flustered to have the woman throw her obvious shade for just talking with her boyfriend, but realizing she was right about the arrival of more guests, as Kagome heard what sounded like several different voices speaking downstairs, she pretended not to notice the look Kikyou had given her as she threw on her own fake smile and agreed it was time to rejoin the activities down below. Inuyasha was a little upset about the look Kikyou had given Kagome but found himself trying not to laugh at Kagome’s response as he and Kikyou, followed by Kagome, all headed back downstairs to meet and mingle with the other guests.

 

They were a full house, now, all four other competitors having arrived at roughly the same time. Two of them had come together. Brothers, named Manten and Hiten. They looked nothing alike, Hiten being trim and fit with his long black hair in a braid down his back while Manten was bald and overweight. Something about them was off-putting to Kagome, although she made nice and smiled as they all did their introductions.

 

Another guest, Kagewaki, seemed nice to Kagome as he introduced himself. He was wearing a blue shirt and gray pants and had long wild black hair that matched her own. Hair that did not miss the notice of their latest addition, a woman named Yura, who was wearing a skanky black low cut, high slit mini dress, the kind of dress that was only deemed even remotely appropriate on Halloween night.

 

“Just let me run my fingers through it!” she asked of Kagewaki, earning a wary expression from the man before he not-so-subtly sought refuge behind Sango and Miroku.

 

Yura made to pursue, but then caught sight of Inuyasha.

 

“Oh now there’s a gorgeous specimen!” she squealed in delight. “Can I run my fingers through your hair? Oh please oh please?!”

 

Inuyasha raised a dark eyebrow at her, unsure if he should be flattered or disturbed, but the fact that he could sense Kikyou fuming beside him made him smirk in amusement. She had no right to be jealous after spending the better part of half a year insulting his looks every chance that she got.

 

“Tell ya what,” he said then, just to piss Kikyou off. “If you end up being tonight’s winner, I’ll sell you my hair.”

 

It was a small risk, a one in ten gamble, but if Yura really did win he’d be a man of his word and cut his locks off for her, because after months of Kikyou trying to get him to dye it black and him refusing to change his looks for her, cutting his long hair short for a total stranger – and a stranger who would have won the money that she, Kikyou, was trying to win – was the kind of fuck you he really felt like giving his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend at that point.

 

Yura of course squealed in delight again at Inuyasha’s suggestion.

 

“You’re on!” she said. “I never lose. Everything I get my hands on, I win, literally.”

 

She then went on to explain how she’d actually won her car in one of those contests where everyone stood around the car with their hand physically touching it, for as many hours as it took, and whomever was the last person with their hand having never lifted away from the car’s surface was the winner.

 

“By that logic you’d have to get your hands on the money, first, in order to win it,” Kikyou pointed out. “Either that, or you’d have to get your hands on my boyfriend’s hair, which is so not happening.”

 

Inuyasha felt like embarrassing Kikyou in front of everyone by turning to her and sneering something like What do you care? but he behaved himself. Instead, he placated Kikyou by reassuring her he had no intention of ‘throwing’ the contest.

 

“Don’t worry, Kikyou, I gave you my word that I would try my hardest to win this thing and I meant it.”

 

Most everyone else had also taken Inuyasha’s wager of cutting off his hair should Yura win as an empty gesture truly meant to indicate he did not believe she would win, because for most guys with long hair their hair was very, very important to them and would never be thrown away on a whim. Kagome was the only one who picked up on Inuyasha’s double meaning. While she didn’t know the details, it was clear to her that he’d said it on purpose to get under Kikyou’s skin.

 

Even so, Inuyasha somehow didn’t strike Kagome as an asshole. The times he’d said or done something as a subtle dig on Kikyou all struck her as retaliation, as if he were simply done putting up with Kikyou’s bullshit. Why he was still with Kikyou instead of just breaking up with her she didn’t know, but again Kagome reminded herself that their relationship status was not her concern.

 

“You’re gonna have to fight us for it,” Hiten spoke up in that moment while gesturing between himself and his brother, in reference to Inuyasha’s promise to Kikyou that he would try his hardest to win the money.

 

“Does anyone know what we’re actually supposed to do?” Kagewaki asked next.

 

“For right now, you’re all supposed to enjoy a lovely final meal before bed,” Byakuya chimed in as he appeared from the dining room, his black and white formal tuxedo somehow making him look more spooky than servant-like, as if when he grinned, vampire fangs would pop out.

 

Final meal? Kagome wondered. She would’ve just thought Byakuya was being playful, but the silent Kagura standing beside him again had that flash of sadness in her eyes before it was gone.

 

“Someone’s missing,” Byakuya noticed then, distracting Kagome away from her worrisome thoughts. She was sure it was nothing.

 

“Tsubaki said she was just going to lock herself in her room until we give her the check in the morning,” Kagura informed her partner, her tone amused, her random flash of sadness gone again.

 

Byakuya tsk’d before stating that that wouldn’t do. No, that wouldn’t do at all.

 

“Inform Tsubaki that all guests are required to attend,” he instructed, sending Kagura up the stairs to retrieve the absent woman.

 

While Kagura did her companion’s bidding, the four newest arrivals took the opportunity to quickly peruse the remaining bedrooms and find themselves a place to put their luggage before dinner. Yura selected the first bedroom on the right on the second floor, next to the bathroom and across from Tsubaki, who was presently arguing with Kagura about not being hungry. Paying them no attention, Yura had selected the bedroom closest to the bathroom so that she’d have first dibs in the morning. Such perfection took time, after all. While she wasn’t sure just what kind of contest this was, she was sure they weren’t going to actually be physically kicked out of the house in the middle of the night, just metaphorically booted from the contest if and when they each became disqualified. She wasn’t afraid in the slightest and was thoroughly looking forward to kicking everyone’s butts.

 

Feeling much more nervous than his fellow contestants, and seriously wondering just what he’d been thinking when he’d decided to sign up for this gig because foreclosure on his parents’ house or no, facing his phobias was going to be the death of him, Kagewaki hesitantly headed upstairs after Yura. At least the woman was no longer obsessed with his hair now that her sights were on Inuyasha, thank goodness.

 

Deciding there was safety in numbers, having seen one too many horror movies where it was the person who wandered off on their own that always got bumped off first, Kagewaki wanted nothing to do with the dark and endless looking hallway on the lower level, only a few dimply lit wall sconces providing any light whatsoever. Instead, he took the last available bedroom upstairs, between Tsubaki and the ‘nursery’, across from Inuyasha and Kikyou.

 

Hiten and Manten didn’t protest the arrangements, those two seeming to have their own agenda. They opted for the so-called servants’ quarters to the right of the stairs on the first floor, declaring they had no qualms with the more modestly decorated rooms because they were strategically in the most central location, closest to the great room.

 

Kagome could see their point, because hypothetically should the shit hit the fan they’d definitely be able to escape the easiest as opposed to the rest of them who’d all have to run downstairs first, but she’d mentally sighed in relief when Kagewaki had claimed the last room upstairs because something about those two being downstairs instead made Kagome even more glad she was upstairs next to Sango and Miroku, as opposed to one of the two remaining bedrooms downstairs.

 

Those rooms in the long hallway to the left would be remaining unoccupied, since their hosts had provided ten bedrooms in the event of ten individuals showing up for the contest but there turned out to be two couples who’d each be sharing a room. Now that it was dark out and the only light throughout the entire house, besides the roaring fire in the living room, was a few dimly lit lamps and sconces scattered about, most of which, while electric, featured faux candles with simulated flickering, Kagome had no intention of exploring that hallway and its many rooms of mystery could keep their secrets for all she cared.

 

With Tsubaki finally consenting to come downstairs for dinner it was time to stop worrying about the creepy feeling that she just couldn’t shake, as Kagome met up with Sango and Miroku to make sure she got to sit next to them during dinner. Kagura escorted everyone into the dining haul and instructed them to have a seat while she and Byakuya began bringing out their food.

 

Kagome discreetly got Miroku’s attention and he understood the look in her eyes when she glanced in the direction of Hiten and Manten, who thankfully both immediately sat themselves beside one another on one side of the table. Nodding to Kagome in understanding, Miroku directed Sango to the other side of the table, and Kagome immediately took the middle seat while Sango sat beside her on her left, across from Manten, and Miroku sat at Sango’s left, across from Hiten.

 

It surprised Kagome, but only for the briefest of moments, when Inuyasha took the seat at her right, Kikyou at his right, and she tried to tamp down the heat she could feel rising up her cheeks when the white-haired man looked her way with a friendly nod before focusing on spreading his napkin across his lap, a move which unconscionably had Kagome’s eyes following his hands until she realized she was staring at his lap and immediately averted her gaze to the beautiful pattern on their dishes. Inuyasha’s quiet chuckle informed her she hadn’t been quick enough and she felt the heat getting stronger until Tsubaki sat down with a huff directly across from her and gave her something else to distract herself with.

 

“Beautiful china,” she said with a gesture to her empty soup bowl, which sat upon the larger service plate in lieu of a salad plate. It looked like everyone would be having soup before dinner.

 

Tsubaki snorted.

 

“Please. They’re obviously reproductions.”

 

“Well, it would make sense not to use valuable antiques for an event like this,” Kagome reasoned. “All I said was that they’re beautiful, and that’s still true no matter how brand new they are.”

 

“I suppose someone like you would think so,” Tsubaki answered dismissively.

 

Yura, who took a seat next to Tsubaki, wasn’t afraid to put the woman in her place.

 

“Oh puh-leeze,” she said with a roll of her eyes and flick of her wrist, taking a moment to wink at Inuyasha who sat directly across from her before picking up her glass, which had been filled with water by that point, holding it as if it were booze as she turned back to Tsubaki.

 

“You can’t possibly be as well off as you want us all to think you are, otherwise what are you doing demeaning yourself by mingling with the commoners for a chance to win a measly million dollars, as if that’s really that much money in a rich person’s world?”

 

She finished her speech by taking a big gulp of her water and putting the glass back down as if she’d made her point and didn’t honestly expect Tsubaki to answer. Inuyasha tried not to laugh at the display, truly he did, even attempting to mask it by taking a drink of his own water, but he just couldn’t help snickering at least a little bit, which irked Kikyou of course because even though Yura didn’t know it, her dig wasn’t just aimed at Tsubaki. I

 

nuyasha had tried and failed to explain to Kikyou on more than one occasion how even two million dollars wasn’t really that much money in the grand scheme of things, especially since he was supposed to be using the money to launch his career. If he was wise, invested his money properly, he would become much more wealthy a few years down the road, but he’d just wanted to have a little fun first, and, to Inuyasha, ‘having fun’ did not include having a girlfriend who spent so much money on pointless crap every month that he was practically broke afterwards with the budget he’d set for himself.

 

Fortunately, for Tsubaki, she was spared from having to dignify Yura’s rant with any kind of a response because Kagewaki, who’d taken the last seat, beside Yura and across from Kikyou, chose to defend Kagome’s original assessment of their dinnerware in that moment.

 

“Well I for one agree that this is beautiful china,” he said, earning a smile and nod from Kagome.

 

He raised his water glass in acknowledgment before taking a small sip. He wished there was wine, to help take the edge off his nerves, but it looked as if alcohol was not going to be provided this evening as they only had their crystal water glasses with no additional wine glasses present. That was all right, he would try his best to relax without it.

 

Kagura and Byakuya reentered the dining hall in that moment, Kagura apparently having heard Kagewaki’s remark as she said, “My boss will be pleased you think so,” as she poured a ladle full of tomato bisque soup into his bowl from the large porcelain pot she was carrying.

 

As Kagura went around the table serving everyone soup, which Kagome mused was probably tomato bisque only for the vague resemblance to blood, Byakuya stood at the head of the table and proceeded to give a disclaimer of sorts for the night’s activities.

 

He stated how they were all about to participate in a supernatural experience in which it was possible, during the course of the night’s events, that bodily harm could befall one or more of them. They were participating in the night’s events at their own risk in a knowingly haunted establishment, the property having become that way from the sinister dealings of the original owner over a hundred years prior, and in the event that any of them should become hurt, or even join the ghosts, they or their family members would not be able to seek retribution.

 

The way he said it, so full of showmanship, had most of them either smiling or chuckling at his supposed ‘warning’, not actually taking him seriously. It was all role play, while at the same time a subtle legal disclaimer, because should some of them become frightened and accidentally trample one of their own while trying to run out of a room, well, that was a possible liability for the property owners, so everyone could understand the need for a legitimate ‘at your own risk’ type of agreement.

 

“If you wish to forfeit your chance for the million dollar prize you may do so now,” he said. “We will permit you to leave. If you choose to stay then you shall remain here until dawn.”

 

While Kagome found that last part odd, because surely they didn’t need his permission to leave at some other point if they wanted to quit later on in the game, although she was also mildly relieved to realize she at least didn’t have to worry about actually being kicked out of the house in the middle of the night and being stranded with no way to call a taxi, someone else had more important concerns on their mind in that moment so she didn’t voice her opinion out loud.

 

“So there really is a million dollar prize, right?” Kikyou asked.

 

“Most definitely,” Byakuya assured her. “Whomsoever survives the longest shall be awarded a cashier’s check provided by the family of Doctor Naraku Onigumo, himself.”

 

“Please, eat your soup,” Kagura chimed in immediately afterwards, before Kagome could open her mouth to question just what Byakuya meant by whomsoever survived the longest.

 

Come on, girl, quit being paranoid. They’re just talking about the game, she told herself as she tried to enjoy her soup.

 

It was just like the video before riding the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland warning you not to look into the eyes of the idol, but obviously everyone did and nothing bad happened, it was a ride!

 

Their hosts disappeared for a little while after that, and conversation was down to a minimum as everyone ate their soup in relative silence. It was quiet enough, in fact, that everyone noticed what sounded like footsteps coming from upstairs, as well as a door closing. Kagura came back out from the kitchen then and began collecting their soup bowls and spoons, along with the plates the bowls had been sitting on, and as she picked up Kikyou’s dishes the woman asked her who else was in the house.

 

“Why, nobody. It’s only the twelve of us,” she answered, as Byakuya emerged from the kitchen with a large tray holding five dinner plates.

 

He served everyone on one side of the table before quickly excusing himself for only a moment to retrieve the other five plates, serving them too, while Kagura took a moment to also refill everyone’s water glasses.

 

“No but seriously,” Kikyou insisted. “There’s somebody upstairs. We all heard it.”

 

“Maybe that was the ghost,” Inuyasha answered sarcastically, causing his girlfriend to roll her eyes.

 

“One of them, I’m sure,” Kagura answered, earning everyone’s attention. “There are quite a few lost souls trapped within these walls due to Dr. Onigumo’s treachery.”

 

“What was it that he did, exactly?” Yura asked.

 

“You mean, you haven’t heard the legend?” Kagura asked in turn.

 

“I looked it up on the Internet before we came here,” Miroku stated then, glancing at Kagura for a moment. “If I may?”

 

“Please.”

 

Clearing his throat, Miroku met Yura’s eyes and explained, “From what I read, Naraku Onigumo was once a brilliant surgeon at the turn of the twentieth century, but then one day he almost died in a fire when his storage shed burned down and he became trapped within it. Miraculously, he survived, but he was horribly disfigured, his entire body covered with burn scars, and since he’d used to be such a handsome man, and rather vain about it, the story goes that he went mad at the sight of his own ugliness, and that thanks to his surgical knowledge, he turned his wine cellar into a horror chamber where he began grafting the skin from other people onto himself in an attempt at replacing all of his scar tissue with healthy skin.

 

“Of course, he had to practice first. His house servants, the maid, the cook, they were the first ones to die at his hand as he used them as human guinea pigs to see how much skin could be grafted onto a person at once and have the recipient survive the procedure. He later found homeless people he conned into volunteering for ‘medical research’ once he had no more servants to use as his test subjects. He’d had a friend at the hospital who’d had a gambling problem and Dr. Onigumo had bargained with the man that he would pay off his gambling debts if he provided him with fresh cadavers to provide the donor skin. I mean fresh, like, okay this man just died, ship him off to Onigumo rather than the morgue.”

 

Yura’s eyes were wide as she took in Miroku’s storytelling, and she glanced at Kagura for confirmation when he was done, who only nodded.

 

“That’s horrible!” Kagome exclaimed, not having bothered to look up the legend surrounding the house, herself.

 

Of course, she wasn’t freaked out to be staying the night in a house where such things had taken place, necessarily. It was just the idea that such things had happened at all.

 

“He tried to Frankenstein himself?” Hiten asked, laughing. “That’s so cool!”

 

“Except for all the innocent people he brutally tortured, first,” Kagome pointed out bitterly.

 

“Not to mention the family members of all those test cadavers who probably didn’t much appreciate their loved ones going missing,” Inuyasha added, earning a nod of agreement from Kagome.

 

“He probably only used unidentified homeless people, but still,” Sango chimed in, then. “Everyone’s got a family somewhere, and even if the dead people truly didn’t have anyone to claim them I’m sure their spirits don’t much appreciate what happened to them.”

 

It was Kagura who nodded to that.

 

“We believe the ghosts that haunt this house include those of the misused cadavers as well as the servants who were...sacrificed...in the name of research, before Dr. Onigumo attempted to begin grafting new skin upon himself. He, of course, only survived the first three procedures before an infection he wasn’t able to fight eventually took his life as well. It was the doctor who’d been providing the cadavers that found him.”

 

Kagura then joined Byakuya at the head of the table.

 

“Is there anything else anyone needs before we depart for the evening?” she asked the crowd.

 

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Sango asked.

 

“Before serving dessert?” Manten added, which earned him an elbow to the gut from Hiten.

 

“Please, don’t worry about the dishes. Once you have finished your meals you are free to either retire to bed or explore the house to your heart’s content, but you may leave your dirty dishes on the table,” Byakuya said, addressing everyone.

 

“What if we get hungry again during the night?” Manten asked, genuinely concerned. When he couldn’t sleep at home he always raided the fridge.

 

“The pantry, refrigerator and freezer have all been stocked in the event that one or more of you would like a midnight snack,” Byakuya assured him. “Please, feel free to help yourself.”

 

“Oh boy...” Manten said quietly, rubbing his palms together in delight as if he were concocting a wicked scheme.

 

“Any other questions?” Kagura asked then.

 

“Yes. What are we supposed to do?” Kagewaki asked, despite Byakuya’s instructions of supposedly doing whatever they wanted. “What’s the contest?”

 

“Weren’t you listening?” Yura teased. “Whoever can survive the longest.” She giggled like a kid in an amusement park.

 

“And why are you leaving?” Miroku asked Kagura, bringing up his wife’s original concern.

 

“You couldn’t pay me enough to spend the night in this place,” Kagura stated honestly, earning a stern look from Byakuya before he turned back to face their guests with his showmanship grin plastered firmly in place.

 

“The house is haunted, after all, and I’m afraid Kagura and I are simply not as brave as you lot.”

 

That earned a snort from Tsubaki. “Well you can pay me to stay here, one million dollars to be precise, which I will be collecting in the morning,” she stated matter-of-factly.

 

“What makes you so sure you’re going to win?” Yura challenged, a playful light in her eyes.

 

“Because I do not plan on participating in whatever asinine games they want us to play. We are allowed to retire to our rooms and that is where I shall remain until sunrise.”

 

“But you gotta realize the bedrooms are probably all rigged up to do spooky shit, too,” Yura countered. “They’re not gonna let you just not participate in spending the night in a haunted house. If you’re in the house, you’re participating.”

 

“Whatever nonsense occurs within my room I will simply ignore. It’s not as if it’s real,” Tsubaki insisted, earning a snort from Kagura that caught Kagome’s attention, as did the glare Byakuya sent her way that had Kagura biting her tongue and throwing on a fake grin.

 

“If we’re all staying here until dawn, and there’s no actual games to play or puzzles to solve, how are you going to determine who’s the winner?” Inuyasha asked then, suspicious.

 

Byakuya’s grin only grew wider.

 

“That will make itself apparent as the night progresses.”

 

Kagome and Inuyasha shared an uneasy look at that answer. Then turning to glance the other way, Kagome also met Sango and Miroku’s eyes. “Safety in numbers, right?” she murmured, earning a nod of agreement from Sango. They might still technically be competitors, but she’d still much rather form an alliance with them now, like the people who paired up during the Hunger Games.   

 

Oooohhh, bad analogy, Kagome, she mentally scolded herself.

 

Well, if they were supposed to turn against each other, literally or figuratively, she’d take no part in it. Byakuya had said that they could just shut themselves up in their rooms if they wanted to so that’s what she planned on doing, too, like Tsubaki. Or maybe she’d crash in the master suite with Sango and Miroku if they didn’t mind.

 

Come on, Kagome, quit acting like a scared little kid!

 

Squaring her shoulders, she nodded to herself in determination that no matter what they threw at her, she’d win this thing, for Souta’s sake. Mind made up, Kagome decided to start eating her steak before it got cold. It was actually a lovely dinner, consisting of a nice ribeye, cooked medium rare by the looks of it, with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Over the phone, when Kagura had told her that dinner would be served, she had been asked if steak was okay, so presumably they provided an alternative for vegetarians, but glancing around it looked like everyone had opted for steak as well and nobody else seemed too disturbed by what’d been said to eat so Kagome would try to follow their example.

 

“Have a lovely evening, folks,” Kagura said then as she and Byakuya bowed formally before turning to make their departure.

 

Everyone in the dining hall paused for a moment, listening in uneasy silence as they heard the pair make their way through the living room, the front doors opening and closing as their hosts vacated the premises. The sound of two car doors closing and an engine starting soon followed, as Kagura and Byakuya drove away.

 

“Well that’s certainly...weird,” Yura spoke up after a moment, breaking the silence. She resumed eating, though not with as much enthusiasm as before.

 

“Oh they probably didn’t really leave leave,” Kikyou said with a wave of her fork, not bothered by this unexpected turn of events in the slightest. “They’re probably going to be watching everything from somewhere nearby. You know there’s probably a ton of hidden cameras all over this place.”

 

“That’s true,” Sango said. “I have to keep reminding myself that this is just a game.”

 

“Are we sure about that?” Kagewaki asked.

 

“If you’re afraid, then you shouldn’t have come,” Hiten countered.

 

“Nothing scares me, brother,” Manten commented as he popped another bite of steak into his mouth. “Except the idea of no dessert after dinner.” He chuckled as he rubbed his round belly.

 

“Maybe they have ice cream in the freezer,” Miroku said, just trying to make friendly conversation.

 

“You think so?” Manten’s eyes lit up in delight at the thought.

 

“I’m starting to think that just going to bed after dinner isn’t such a bad idea,” Inuyasha chimed in. “Who wants to actually go exploring this crazy place?”

 

“I do!” Yura piped up, her previous excitement back with a vengeance. “Haunted houses are awesome!”

 

“Don’t you ever watch horror movies?” Kagome asked, chuckling a little. “The one person who goes wandering off alone is always the first one to get bumped off.”

 

“Yeah, but that’s in the movies,” Yura argued playfully. “This is real life. Nothing’s going to happen.”

 

“So you don’t believe this house is actually haunted?” Sango asked.

 

“Maybe, maybe not, but if it is I’m not afraid,” she answered with a shrug. “Do you believe it’s haunted?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Sango admitted, before turning her head to glance at Kagome. “You?”

 

“At first I wouldn’t have thought so, but now, I think I’m leaning towards yes,” Kagome answered. “I do believe in the paranormal, and something about this place is just all sorts of creepy, but on the other hand I know it could all be faked, just to mess with us.” She shrugged as well. “I’m sure if this place is haunted that there won’t be much more activity than just more footsteps and doors opening or closing.”

 

“Are you sure about that?” Kagewaki asked her, his latest bite of food suspended halfway to his mouth. “I just can’t shake the feeling that something bad’s going to...”

 

Suddenly, his eyes went wide, and dropping his fork with a clatter, Kagewaki’s hands both flew to his throat as if he were choking.

 

Thinking at first that he was faking it to mess with them, Yura laughed, but it only took a moment for everyone to realize he wasn’t fooling around.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Kikyou asked uneasily.

 

Unable to answer, Kagewaki’s eyes were wide with panic as he tried and failed to gasp for breath.

 

“Oh my God he’s really choking!” Kagome declared as she sprang up from her seat, not even thinking, her instincts taking over as she rushed around to his side of the table and came up behind him to do the Heimlich Maneuver.

 

It didn’t occur to anyone that he couldn’t possibly be choking on a piece of food because he had been talking, and not with his mouth full, his latest bite of food sitting uneaten on the end of his fork.

 

As Kagome tried to dislodge whatever might be stuck in his airway, Kagewaki scratched and clawed at his throat. With both their efforts unsuccessful it didn’t take long for Kagewaki to lose consciousness, but Kagome wasn’t about to give up on him yet.

 

“Oh no you don’t!” she said as she caught him when he slumped in his chair. “Help me!” she barked at Tsubaki, who rushed into action from the pure shock of being yelled at as she and Yura both got up and helped Kagome to get Kagewaki out of his chair and spread out on his back on the floor of the dining room. His eyes were still eerily open, but that didn’t detour Kagome one bit.

 

With everyone else standing up to observe the goings on with growing panic, Sango asked “Are you going to try a tracheotomy?”

 

“I don’t know how!” Kagome declared mournfully as she began chest compressions after confirming he had no pulse.

 

Kikyou snorted in disgust.

 

“What kind of a medical student are you?” she asked, as if Kagome were completely useless even as she was the only one still trying to save the man’s life.

 

“The student kind. I’m still in the classroom and haven’t started my residency yet!” she yelled back.

 

Sticking her fingers into Kagewaki’s mouth, as far down in his throat as she could reach, she tried to find any blockage, but there was none. Blowing into his mouth, then, Kagome was momentarily stunned when she saw how his chest expanded. There was no blockage.

 

Then why did he...?

 

Not having any time to waste pondering what went wrong, she immediately got back to doing chest compressions, quickly deciding that chest-compression-only CPR was the best course of action in this case because something told her he wasn’t going to be snapping out of it on his own. Her only chance was to keep his blood flowing until the paramedics arrived.   

 

“Did anyone sneak their cellphone in?!” she asked the others desperately. “We need to call 911!”

 

“I did,” Tsubaki answered, her bitch routine on hold for the moment in the face of such a genuine emergency.

 

Thank God... Kagome thought, tremendously grateful for the woman’s disregard of the rules.

 

Pulling her iPhone out of her pocket, Tsubaki stared at the screen in belated horror. “I have no reception!”

 

From her place continuing CCO-CPR Kagome asked, “Not even emergency calls?!”

 

Tsubaki shook her head helplessly.

 

“There must be no network signal whatsoever,” Miroku stated grimly, holding the shaking Sango in his arms.

 

“No, no no no, come on!” Kagome spoke mainly to Kagewaki and herself, as she continued to pump his heart for him and circulate what remaining oxygen was in his blood. “Wake up!”

 

She blew in his mouth again, even though she hated pausing in her chest compressions, but without a way to call for an ambulance her only chance was now suddenly if she miraculously managed to snap him out of it and he woke up. A highly unlikely scenario, she knew, considering she had no idea what’d caused him to suffocate in the first place, but giving up was simply not in her nature.

 

“Okay, that’s it, fun and games time is officially over,” Inuyasha declared, as he rushed out of the dining hall and towards the front door, Kikyou hot on his heels.

 

“Where are you going?” she asked frantically, as Inuyasha pulled his keys out of his pocket.

 

“To get the car,” he explained as if it were obvious.

 

They were parked off to the side with the other cars so he was going to pull up front and leave the engine running then get Miroku to help him carry Kagewaki out and put him in the backseat so that Kagome could continue chest compressions while he drove them down the mountain.

 

“That guy’s only chance is to get to a hospital, and now. Maybe I can drive down the mountain just enough until I’ve got a signal and then call for an ambulance to meet us halfway,” he said, his own cellphone presently in his glove compartment.

 

If an ambulance could meet them on the road then maybe, maybe Kagewaki had a chance, if they could get his heart going again with the paddles, or breathe for him with that hand held bag thing that actually forced fresh air down the lungs instead of someone just exhaling their own carbon dioxide into the victim.

 

He knew the odds were slim, but he couldn’t just sit back and not try. Kagewaki would probably suffer from some kind of brain damage, but Inuyasha knew that if he were the one who’d suddenly stopped breathing he’d want the others to do whatever they possibly could to save his life. His plan came to a screeching halt, however, when he realized with horror that he couldn’t open the front door. It was locked.

 

More importantly, there wasn’t a deadbolt to turn on the inside. It was one of those locks that needed a key to unlock it even on the inside, and there was no key.

 

“Just great, we’re fucking locked in!” he roared, causing most everyone else to scurry out into the living room to see what he was talking about.

 

“What do you mean we’re locked in?” Tsubaki asked.

 

“I mean the door is fucking locked and we can’t get out,” he snapped.

 

“Calm down,” Hiten said smugly, smirking in amusement. “We’re supposed to be here till dawn anyway, so what’s the problem?”

 

Sango stared at him in horror.

 

“Are you really that heartless?! Kagewaki is dying in there!”

 

She pointed back to the dining hall where only Yura, Kagome and Kagewaki remained.

 

Hiten only shrugged.

 

“Let’s face it, that man’s already dead, so there’s really no reason to be panicking like this. What’s done is done,” he said with such aloofness even Tsubaki gaped at his coldness.

 

“I agree with my wife,” Miroku stated with conviction. “Whatever game this was supposed to be, it should be canceled in light of this tragedy.”

 

“I agree, too. We should just call the authorities and then go home,” Inuyasha said.

 

Kikyou looked at him with surprised eyes, as if she was about to argue the point, but then she didn’t. Was she really willing to give up her chance at her own million dollars? But a man had died! But, he was dead, so then what difference did it really make when they called the police? She bit her lower lip, unsure of what to do.

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her indecisiveness, even under such dire circumstances.

 

“If the people in charge really are watching us on hidden camera, then how come nobody’s come in yet to help us?” he pointed out, causing Kikyou to glance up at him in surprise a second time. She hadn’t thought of that.

 

The chandelier chose that precise moment to flicker and dim before getting brighter again, as if the house had almost lost its electricity, and Kikyou instinctively huddled against Inuyasha for comfort. He obliged by wrapping his arms around her. This was serious. He’d break up with her later.   

 

Back in the dining room, Kagome continued to perform CPR, the rational part of her mind knowing it was a lost cause without the paramedics on their way, yet she still refused to give up.

 

“Has anyone looked around for a landline telephone?” she called out loud enough for the others to hear.

 

“There isn’t one, we asked Kagura earlier,” Sango said from the doorway, as she glanced sadly at the future doctor doing her absolute best to not lose her first patient.

 

Kneeling on the ground beside Kagome, Yura placed a caring hand on the twenty-year-old’s back.

 

“It’s...it’s over...you tried your best.”

 

“No, I can’t give up,” Kagome murmured rather than stated with authority, tears streaming down her face.

 

“Look at him,” Yura pointed out. “Not only are his lips blue, but his eyes have red splotches in them. I might not be in medical school, but I watch enough Law and Order to know petechial hemorrhaging when I see it, and what it means.”

 

Yura was right, and Kagome knew it. Kagewaki was gone. She had failed.

 

Finally, she gave up in her efforts and rose shakily to her feet.

 

“Now what do we do?” she asked Yura before her gaze shifted to also lock eyes with Sango who was still standing in the doorway.

 

“I have no idea. It turns out, none of us can leave. We’re locked in,” the latter stated.

 

“We really are?” Yura asked only for clarification, having heard Inuyasha’s original exclamation like everyone else.

 

“Well,” Kagome began slowly, the future doctor kind of in shock and not fully registering the ramifications of their hosts having locked them in the supposedly haunted house for the night. “Kagewaki deserves better than to just stay here on the dining room floor. I know under normal circumstances we shouldn’t move the body, but all things considered, I think we should go ahead and put him in one of the empty bedrooms.”

 

Sango agreed, and headed back into the living room to ask her husband to help them.

 

“I’ll help, too,” Inuyasha said, the white-haired man still fuming over the realization that they were trapped. Was Kagewaki’s death really even a coincidence?

 

Sure, maybe he was being paranoid, but what if their hosts meant to kill them all? After all, even though it’d looked like he was choking, from what he’d seen of Kagome trying to do CPR, there wasn’t any blockage in his airway. What if a tiny dart of some kind of poison had actually hit him?

 

This is why I hate horror movies, he mentally grumbled as he and Miroku picked Kagewaki up, Inuyasha cradling the man’s upper body while Miroku grabbed his legs.

 

Because Miroku and Sango had explored the entire house when they’d first arrived Miroku was already aware that the first bedroom down the main hallway was the third door on the right, so leading the way, he just went straight there, and Inuyasha hardly took the time to admire the extravagant artwork, including a complete suit of armor standing beside the first doorway, as he tried to concentrate on not being weirded out over the fact that he was carrying a dead man.

 

Carrying a dying man would’ve been different, but they were no longer rushing him to his car in the hopes of saving his life. Still, he didn’t complain, having volunteered for the job. Better him than that Hiten asshole.

 

Remaining silent, Kagome and Yura both followed after the men. Kagome wasn’t sure why Yura was with her, unless the woman was just paying her respects, which she appreciated. She would not question her motives.

 

Making their way into the bedroom, Inuyasha and Miroku laid Kagewaki’s body upon the bed as gently as possible before departing, Miroku heading straight back out into the great room to meet up with his wife while Inuyasha lingered in the hallway for a moment, the yellow-eyed millionaire taking the time now to glance into the other rooms out of simple curiosity.

 

Across the hall, third door on the left from the perspective of the great room, was a bathroom. Nothing remarkable there. Deciding not to venture farther down the hallway and explore those rooms, something about that darkened corridor honestly giving him the heebie-jeebies, he instead gradually made his way back towards the great room, noting that the second room on the right looked like it was originally supposed to be a bedroom but had been converted into a game room at some point, a fancy looking pool table taking up the center of the room and making him momentarily lament the fact that he didn’t play pool.

 

Across from the game room, second door on the left, was what looked to be a woman’s sewing room, an antique, foot pedal operated sewing machine in the back corner with a couple of aging dress forms nearby and fancy dark wood wardrobes lining the walls that probably at one point either contained bolts of fabric or works in progress. Beside that room, first door on the left from the vantage point of the great room, was what he supposed passed for a drawing room in an early twentieth century home that was grand enough to have a drawing room without being classified a mansion, in which case, he knew, the drawing room would’ve most likely led to its own private sleeping quarters.

 

The useless knowledge I absorb thanks to my father.

 

He shook his head.

 

Still, this ‘withdrawing’ room, or sitting room, was private enough and filled with two chairs on one side and a love seat on the other, a coffee table between them, all furnishings appearing Victorian-esque in style although he was no expert when it came to reproductions.

 

Across from that room, the first room on the right, which was the room that had the suit of armor standing beside the doorway, was a study, or more accurately, a mini library with a desk in the middle. It was also the room that’d caught Kikyou’s attention, as she had momentarily been following after them on their way to the bedroom but she’d ducked in here upon noticing all the old books. He stood there in the doorway for a moment just observing as she tried to read the titles in the low light of the lamp on the desk, trying to remember what it was about this woman that had once made him fall in love with her.

 

Back in the bedroom with Kagewaki, Kagome and Yura were still with the deceased, the latter brushing her fingers lovingly through Kagewaki’s hair for a moment although much to Kagome’s relief she didn’t do anything disturbing like cut off a lock of it, while Kagome herself moved Kagewaki’s arms to lay his hands together over his chest before then also closing his eyes, trying to make him look as peaceful as possible. She was prepared to take full responsibility for moving the body come tomorrow, when she would finally be able to call the authorities, but if they truly were stuck in that house overnight before they could call anybody then she knew leaving him in the dining hall would’ve not only been disrespectful, but downright creepy should any of them want to raid the kitchen later that night for a midnight snack. With as many witnesses as she had, Kagome wasn’t worried that she, or any of them really, would be suspected of foul play.

 

She still couldn’t figure out what’d happened. The petechial hemorrhaging, as Yura had pointed out, was indeed evidence that he had suffocated, rather violently. It was usually a sign of foul play, like being choked to death. So he hadn’t died of something else like a heart attack or stroke.

 

Yet, with no obstruction in his airway, and likewise no swelling such as from anaphylactic shock, it didn’t look as if he could have possibly asphyxiated, either. On what? How? As Kagome continued to study him in the low lamp light, however, all of a sudden she noticed strange markings on his neck, besides the scratches he had given himself during his panic.

 

“Tsubaki, can I see your phone real quick?” she asked out into the hallway.

 

“What is it?” Yura asked quietly as Kagome very carefully moved Kagewaki’s head to the side a little bit.

 

“I’m not sure,” she admitted.

 

Rolling her eyes at the summons but deciding to comply, Tsubaki passed Inuyasha on her way down the hallway towards the bedroom Kagome and Yura were in. Upon entering, the woman was more than a little disturbed by the sight of Kagome touching Kagewaki’s dead body, but she nonetheless handed Kagome her cellphone as requested.

 

“What are you doing?” she asked, genuinely curious. After all, her phone was pretty much useless at the moment. As a phone, anyway.

 

“I need better lighting,” Kagome answered, as she fiddled around with Tsubaki’s phone until she figured out how to turn on the camera’s flash, using it like a flashlight to better illuminate the strange markings on Kagewaki’s neck.

 

“Finger prints,” Yura murmured. “But we saw him grab his own throat while he was choking.”

 

“Yeah,” Kagome agreed. “Like this...” Handing Tsubaki back her phone, Kagome proceeded to demonstrate, placing both hands over her throat, right above the left, both palms against her larynx. “The fingerprints don’t match up,” she pointed out.

 

Indeed, the fingerprints now becoming increasingly visible on Kagewaki’s neck were consistent with what one would expect to see had somebody choked him to death from behind.

 

“What the hell?” Yura voiced as she realized the same thing.

 

“You two can play coroner all you want but I’m getting the hell out of here before he starts to stink,” Tsubaki stated in disgust, creeped out by the dead body and not really paying attention to Kagome’s explanation, as she turned with a flourish and headed back out towards the others, breezing past Inuyasha in the process, who chuckled under his breath at her rudeness. She thought he was a nobody just like the rest of them, but that was fine with him. Let the bitch think whatever she wanted.

 

Hearing all the commotion earned Kikyou’s attention as well, and she looked up in time to see Inuyasha still watching Tsubaki finish making her way back into the great room. Realizing they probably should all stick together, at least until they figured out what the game plan was, Kikyou exited the study then, she and Inuyasha joining back up with the others as well, while Kagome and Yura made their way down the hall at a slower pace, each of them contemplating what they’d seen.

 

“So...now what do we do?” Sango asked as soon as all nine of them were standing together in the great room.

 

“What do you mean?” Hiten asked. “We play the game.”

 

“What game?” Inuyasha countered. “I didn’t sign up for spending the night with a real corpse.”

 

And who’s to say he’ll be the last one? he added in his mind.

 

“Well if you want to leave there’s the door,” Manten chimed in sarcastically. “Oh wait, that’s right, we’re locked in. So then what’s the problem? I’m going back for seconds.”

 

He turned to head back into the dining room but Hiten grabbing his arm stilled his departure.

 

“Awww...” he playfully bemoaned. “You’re no fun.”

 

“You can stuff your face in a moment, brother, but first, we have to clear the air,” Hiten said.

 

“What do you mean?” Tsubaki asked.

 

“Well there seems to be some differing opinions as to what we should all do now, despite the obvious obstacle of the locked door preventing our departure anyway.

 

“We could always break a window and exit that way,” Kagome pointed out.

 

“You gonna pay the Onigumo family back for that?” Tsubaki countered. “Those large picture windows are expensive.”

 

“I can’t believe they locked us in in the first place,” Sango stated. “I mean, what if there’s a house fire or something?”

 

“Well in that case I would most definitely break a window,” Miroku agreed.

 

Hiten rolled his eyes.

 

“Okay fine, in the event of a true life or death emergency we could escape that way, but the only life or death emergency we’ve had was Kagewaki’s, and it’s over now, and he’s dead, and so there’s no reason in my mind why that means the rest of us should give up on our chance at a million dollars.”

 

“I certainly wasn’t planning on going anywhere, except back up to my room for the rest of the night,” Tsubaki chimed in.

 

The more she thought about it, the more Kikyou realized they were right. What good would leaving do? Especially since they’d have to either break the door or break a window in order to do it? She wanted to win a million dollars, not be fined by the property owners to repair their stupid house, and since she was pretty sure that Inuyasha was planning on breaking up with her once this little adventure was over, win or lose, all the more reason why she needed to win.

 

“I just don’t see how it’s not obviously game over after this. I mean, nobody was supposed to die,” Kagome said then.

 

“But didn’t Byakuya say the winner was whoever could survive the longest?” Yura pointed out uneasily.

 

Kagome’s eyes widened. “You don’t really think...”

 

“Oh get serious,” Kikyou interrupted then. “Nobody killed Kagewaki, it was an accident. He choked to death.”

 

“Oh what, air?” Kagome asked sarcastically. “There was no obstruction in his wind pipe, and now, Yura and I both saw these marks on his neck that look like finger prints.”

 

“Of course,” Kikyou waved off. “We all saw how he grabbed at his own throat.”

 

“Yeah, but these marks look like-”

 

“Why don’t we vote on it?” Hiten interrupted, hoping to shut the stupid girl up. “All in favor of pussing out and calling it quits?”

 

Kagome raised her hand without hesitation, as did Miroku, Sango, and much to her relief, Inuyasha.

 

“Kikyou?” asked the latter.

 

Kikyou met Inuyasha’s eyes with a brief apologetic look before her expression morphed into determination as she said, “All in favor of remaining?” She raised her hand, as did Hiten, Manten, Tsubaki and Yura, making the vote five to four.

 

“Yura?” Kagome questioned, surprised she hadn’t voted to leave.

 

“Sorry,” she answered with a shrug.

 

Kagome couldn’t believe it. “Even knowing Kagewaki might’ve been choked to death by a ghost?”

 

Hiten snorted an amused laugh at that.

 

“Whatever you’re smoking, do you have any more of it?” he asked, earning a dirty look from the future doctor.

 

“If you don’t believe me, just go on in there and look at the marks on his neck for yourself,” she countered.

 

Uninterested in calling her bluff, Hiten waved it off before giving Manten permission to raid the kitchen.

 

“Oh boy!” the younger brother exclaimed excitedly before disappearing through the dining hall.

 

“I’m not sure splitting up is a good idea,” Kagome said then, to no avail, as Tsubaki dismissed herself to head back up to her room for the night.

 

“Perhaps just retiring for the evening is indeed the best course of action,” Miroku stated then.

 

Sango nodded her agreement, and then noticing the frightened look in Kagome’s eyes, fear she was trying yet failing to hide, the older women asked, “Would you like to stay with us in our room, Kagome?”

 

It’s not like she and Miroku were going to do anything that night, despite her husband’s dirty jokes to the contrary during the drive. Making love on a who-knew-how-old mattress undoubtedly full of dust mites, in a possibly haunted house that also quite possibly had hidden cameras, was not her idea of a good time.

 

“Yes, please,” Kagome answered, heading with Sango and Miroku upstairs.

 

Hiten looked at Inuyasha, Kikyou and Yura.

 

“You lot gonna chicken out, too?”

 

“Not me,” Yura answered. “I wanna go explore!” That said, she disappeared down the hallway.

 

“A woman after my own heart,” Hiten said with a dark chuckle, as he made his own way down the hall at a much more leisurely pace.

 

To Inuyasha, it looked as if he were actually following Yura rather than planning on exploring the house, but he shrugged it off, figuring it was none of his concern.

 

“Come on, Kikyou, let’s go up to our room,” Inuyasha stated then.

 

“You go ahead,” she answered, waving him off.

 

“And where are you going?” he asked, as she made to head back down the main hallway as well

 

“Just back in the study,” she answered, gesturing to the first room on the right. “There’s all sorts of neat old books and I want to see if they actually have any first editions.”

 

“What for?” Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

 

Sighing, she struck an exasperated pose with her hand on her hip.

 

“To see about buying them, of course. You know my aunt Kaede is a collector.”

 

So you’d offer to buy books off the homeowner with my money, Inuyasha thought, although he decided not to argue the point.

 

He actually really liked Kaede, having met the woman a couple of times. He supposed it was a nice gesture, in a way, that she wanted to see if these people had anything that her aunt might like, that she might be able to buy, although he’d still question her priorities, under the circumstances. They were all weirded out about Kagewaki dying and then suddenly she was cool with it and wanted to go shopping?

 

Still, the only time Kikyou wasn’t truly selfish was when she was thinking of her aunt, the woman having actually raised Kikyou after her parents died in a car crash. Considering Kaede was such a sweet lady, Inuyasha wondered at times how Kikyou had become such a stuck up gold digger in the first place, but since thinking about her aunt always did mellow her out to some degree he would let it go.

 

“Don’t get lost,” was all he said, as he turned and made his own way upstairs. “Or killed,” he added under his breath. Since she’d already made her way back into the study she didn’t hear that last part.

 

Don’t get lost, Kikyou mocked to herself. “Please, it’s not like this place is a huge mansion with twists and turns everywhere.”

 

Exhaling a pleased sigh at the rows upon rows of books, she started to get to work, checking out what each and every one of them actually were.

 

Back upstairs, Inuyasha dug in their overnight bag for his pajamas and toothbrush, two of the few items of his own that he’d brought, the majority of their bag filled with Kikyou’s various skin care products. Also finding their shared tube of toothpaste, he first headed down to the bathroom by the top of the stairs and did his nightly bathroom rituals, saying a polite goodnight to Kagome who was waiting for her turn for the bathroom as he exited and returned to his and Kikyou’s bedroom to change.

 

Yeah, there might be hidden cameras, but he honestly didn’t give a shit as he kicked off his shoes before stripping out of his jeans and t-shirt, leaving his red boxer briefs on as he slipped into a nice loose pair of red drawstring pants and a matching oversized, baggy red long sleeve shirt. One thing he and Kikyou actually did have in common was their love for the color red.

 

Getting his container for his contact lenses, he removed his lenses to let them soak overnight and crawled into bed, deciding to leave the lamp on the nightstand on as a courtesy for Kikyou since it was dim enough to not disturb him.