InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unlayering the Soul ❯ Lighting the Fuse ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Unlayering the Soul

Chapter 1

Lighting the Fuse

It had not been a good day to begin with. To start off, her tired mind woke up at three in the morning instead of six, which left her with a grand total of two hours of sleep due to her inability to return to her dreams.

However, her bad `day' had actually begun yesterday.

She had stayed late at work to finish tailoring the designs to fit perfectly for the runway show the next day followed by the photo shoot. However, that was no easy task with an entire line and ten models to fit into twenty-six outfits. It had taken her three hours to go through all the designs on the respective models to which they were assigned.

Kagome was a skilled fitter for Tenseiga West, one of the lesser known subsidiaries of the extremely prominent Takahashi Inc.

Usually, she made the clothes fit well with just some measurements to work with. But, that was not the case this time. One of the `genius' executives wanted all future fittings to be performed with models present to get a flawless fit. The guy had probably never even been to a fashion show.

Once again, under ordinary circumstances, this didn't present any difficulty. However, with two other fitters fired last week and the only other fitter beside Kagome going on maternity a month early, Kagome had to do it all alone.

By the time she finished the entire collection and arrived home, the babysitter informed Kagome about her daughter's fever.

It wasn't after the fever broke that Kagome felt okay to go to bed. Her babysitter, next door neighbor, and the first friend she made in the city had a lot of experience with babies after practically raising his sister. Manten had done a lot to soothe Seiki's fussy temperament and Kagome's constant anxiety over her precious baby girl. Some woman would be lucky to settle down with him one day.

Upon getting into bed Kagome tossed and turned. Despite the overwhelming exhaustion that plagued her body, she could not find her escape into the realm of dreams. It was too bad. Her insomnia plagued her with unwanted memories of heartbreak and betrayal. She thought she had moved on. She thought she had transcended the torment to a new life in New York City, but apparently some part of her was that seventeen-year-old girl who had her heart broken.

Couldn't anything go her way? Her heart was still in pieces after her ex-husband's betrayal. He had left without a trace before she even knew she was pregnant. She was working a dead-end job she hated with no room for advancement, no potential boyfriend, and a baby to support. Her beloved daughter was the only reason she was able to keep going. Her baby deserved a good life, and Kagome would to everything possible to ensure that happened.

She felt her eyes close for only a fraction of a second, but a loud, shrill noise forced them open. Not being able to take in her surroundings for a few seconds, shock filled her as sunlight filtered into her room. It was gray cloud-covered sunlight, but sunlight nonetheless.

She knew it was going to be a cold day in the city. It was ironic. The city was enfolded in a white, wintry blanket of snow, and here she was about to descend into the depths of hell.

From the moment she removed herself from the safe-haven of her bed; it all went downhill from there.

AN-short prologue