InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sleep Paralysis ❯ She Cried His Name ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/n: Original post- Mar 14, 2006.




Kagome whirled around on a white expanse. She was frantic.

And once again, she was alone.

Not again… please no, not again…

Where she was had no boundaries. She was trapped in an abyss, alone, with no escape.

Kagome threw her hands up, to cover her ears. The silence was deafening. It was surrounding her, reminding her of her own mind. Her own life, it was burying her in the truth of the entire situation. What she had made happen, the reality of her life and what had become of it. It was all her fault, all her fault, she was the only one to blame for it...

And as she whimpered, whispering Inuyasha's name just a hair under an octave, it echoed around her to remind her of her situation.

Alonealonealonealonealone---

Kagome felt as if the loneliness might obliterate her. She sobbed out loud, whispering his name louder.

“Inuyasha…”

Still, no response.

Only the echo of her own voice, her very empty and very singular voice.

She shuddered, falling to her knees. It reverberated around her, every motion, every breath, every pathetic whimper. It pounded at her the realness of the choices she had made. She was vulnerable, unprotected.

Wasn't this what she wanted…? To leave everyone behind to protect them?

But… who's going to protect me…?

A heart wrenching sob escaped her pale, cracked and bloodless lips as she tried to deny the swell of pain that ached within her chest in a dull throb. Why couldn't she ignore it? Why couldn't she leave it behind… ignore it as she always did?

“Inu… Inuyasha…!”

She didn't want to keep crying his name, she didn't want to drag him down… but he was the air she breathed, he was her last hope. He had just offered a hand when she was drowning, to help her out when she was on the verge of breaking to pieces. He had given her hope when she had none left within herself. He had faith in her when hers was gone. He gave her a shoulder to cry on, he was her light and her dark… and without him, she was nothing.

Nothing.

It scared her just how thoroughly he had managed to squirm back into her heart, so quickly.

...In all honesty, he had never left.

“Inuyasha!”

She couldn't take it anymore. The torment threatened to consume her. She knew she needed him. She knew she couldn't live without him.

My Inuyasha…

And golden eyes peered into hers from the confines of her mind's eye, confirming a truth she already knew. A truth she had been trying to adamantly deny, the person who she had loved so thoroughly physically and spiritually, feeling him metaphysically when he had been too afraid to approach her physically.

She was dead inside, and he would be the one to bring her back to life.

She heard her name whispered once, and her head snapped up, as she stared out disbelievingly into the oblivion that surrounded her. Never once had she been answered in this prison… Straining her ears, thinking it was almost too good to be true, she listened once more…

“…kagome…”

His voice called for her… it was time for her to return.

A bright light consumed her, as she finally screamed out his name for all the world to hear.

 

 
Inuyasha's foot twitched nervously as he sat on a chair across the room from Kagome. The bleeding had finally ceased, but his growing agitation with her unconsciousness could hardly be concealed. He absently wondered at one point if he should fetch Sesshomaru, but the minute he thought of the consequences of that, he put that light out quickly despite his worry.

The reprocussions of such a decision were dire, and unless she took a turn for the worse, he could not risk it.

`Sesshomaru… uh, Kagome had a nightmare, a really weird one… and she suddenly began to bleed from her vagina and now it is all over my sheets… and I can't wake her up, no matter how hard I try. Can you help me?'

Inuyasha snorted, his brows drawing together in frustration.

Yeah, that'd go over well…

His eyes still trained on Kagome, Inuyasha stood and stretched. He watched suspiciously as her breath became labored, her lashes fluttering against the apples of her cheeks in a sign of distress. Inuyasha's last want was to wake her forcibly, even though he had tried without success previously, but even less did he want her to experience another nightmare.

Quietly, he made his way over to where she occupied his bed, and he peered down at her. He watched as her lips trembled, and her lashes became thick and wet. He frowned again, watching as her lips moved to make out a word.

But he couldn't hear what she was saying.

Cautiously, he bent lower in hopes to catch what she mumbled in her sleep.

It was to no avail, for once again she spoke so softly he couldn't even catch broken syllables. Sighing in exasperation, Inuyasha sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over her smaller form to listen to her muttering.

“…inu…inuyasha…”

Inuyasha reeled back somewhat, taken aback that she had spoken his name. Is… is she dreaming of me?

Inuyasha felt a flush creep in to his cheeks… what if she dreamt of something…

Smacking himself lightly across the face, Inuyasha mentally scolded himself for thinking it could be anything remotely perverted.

As if… I'm not worthy… I'm just a fucking coward who ran away…

Growling to himself softly, he was surprised when once again she spoke his name. This time, it seemed a little more desperate, as if seeking a response.

Inuyasha blinked, hesitantly replying softly, “K…Kagome?”

Her body turned toward his, responding to the sound of his voice. Inuyasha watched as her brows came together in a look of combined concentration and astonishment. Carefully, Inuyasha reached out and pushed a lock of hair from her face, and she seemed to visibly relax as she called out his name softly again, as if she was unsure she heard him correctly.

“Kagome… I'm here, Kagome. I'm not going anywhere. You're okay.”

To his massive shock, she screamed out his name loudly. He blanched, falling off the bed feeling as if he had a heart attack. Immediately, Sesshomaru was at the door, banging on it. “Inuyasha, open the door.” Lurching at the thought of Sesshomaru seeing the state of his bed, Inuyasha didn't fail to miss the annoyance in his older brother's voice. Nervously, he stood and composed himself as he yanked the door wide open to reveal said brother, though he clicked off the light beforehand as an afterthought. Dark brown eyes were narrowed at him suspiciously, trying to assess the situation within the dark of his bedroom, though Inuyasha prayed he could not make out much in the thick blackness. “What is going on?”

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, running a trembling hand through his unkempt hair, “She's having another bad dream.”

Sesshomaru seemed to ease up a bit, but shifted around on his feet regardless, as if trying to ascertain something palpable.

“…all right, but can you try and keep her quiet? I was attempting to settle in for the night, since I have to be up early… and I would appreciate it if you could keep her volume low…”

Inuyasha's brow wrinkled, as his head whipped around to look at his alarm clock.

11:43?!

It couldn't have been that late! Inuyasha wracked his brain as to how so much time had passed. It was only mid afternoon when they stopped by the coffee shop… his eyes searched the darkness of his room for answers, his teeth biting his bottom lip in consternation.

There's no way...

“I hope you are planning on sleeping soon yourself, since you have school in the morning, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha felt the door handle being grasped from his hand as his door was softly pull shut, and he whirled back around to stare at Kagome. The world had taken on a surreal quality, and he drifted to her in disbelief.

Slowly her eyes were opening, and as she did she threw her hands up to cover her eyes. Her body tensed as if she was in pain.

“Inu…,” her voice called out hoarsely, and Inuyasha understood immediately. He reassured her, "The light is already off, Kags."

Inuyasha's eyes quickly adjusted from the light of the hall to pure blackness as he went silently to the bed, looking down upon her. She timidly removed her hands from her eyes when she was certain it was in fact dark enough not to cause her head to hurt, and she looked at him. Her body bathed in moonlight that shone through her window, and caused her eyes to turn to ice as they occasionally did.

His heart clenched at the familiar color… those eyes… those eyes that haunted him in his dreams.

“Kagome…” He ground out thickly, unsure of… something…

She blinked softly at him, her cheeks warmed at him.

A lifeless hand reached for him, tugging on him in a silent request for him to join her. “But… Kagome…”

She whimpered in protest. He felt his resolve crack slightly.

“Don't you have to be home...”

Kagome's head lowered imperceptibly, yet just enough for shadows to hide half her face. Either way, shame etched its way into her countenance. “…they won't miss me…”

Inuyasha looked at her gravely, not wanting to cause her any trouble.

“…please…?” she pleaded. It was so soft, so hard to catch. But she did.

For the second time that day, she had begged for him to stay.

And just like that, his resolve fell into a million pieces as he laid down next to her.

She curled up into his body as he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders, keeping her close to him.

“Inuyasha…”

“Hm?”

She shifted around shyly, physical pain evident in her jerky movements.

“Promise me something.”

“…what?”

“You'l l always be here, from now on. I'm so tired...” her voice trailed off lightly, but Inuyasha was curious...

"Tired of what?"

She was silent for a moment, and he almost thought she wouldn't answer him...

But...

A heavy sigh was followed by a quivering response, full of strained emotion.

"...I'm tired of being alone."

She felt Inuyasha's arms tense around her for a moment. They tightened, bringing her ever the more closer. She nestled into his arms easily, too easily...

“…I promised that a long time ago, Kagome.”

I've always been here… right here… you never left my mind, Kagome…

She seemed satisfied, breathing deeply as she moved to rest against him.

Inuyasha knew no time in the future of that very night would they be sleeping again… But just to have the warmth of her near him, Inuyasha was also sure… in the least bit, he never minded…

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