InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wooden Nickels ❯ Fading Light ( Chapter 2 )

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

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi



The curtains were drawn to the point of a single line's division, the open ends swaying in ghostly fashion from wind drifting between the cracks of the window. The plain black sheets lifted only as high as one's waist before falling back against the wall, making shadows dance across the small room. Although the outside world was seen through this tiny break in the fabric, and the clock against the north wall read 12:00PM; the area was dressed in black. There were a few boxes along the four walls, piled up on top with unidentified objects that could give rise to any imagination.

Through this darkness, a single light shone. A lone beam of, perhaps, afternoon sun fell down to the center of the floor where a pile of green ruffles lay still. The silken fabric reflected this light, making the emerald-green glow in an unearthly way. Amidst these ruffles a slow movement began, slow at first, until a face rose above the rest. The immortal glow extended to the girl's very skin, making her flesh sparkle as if made of diamonds. The first sound to show life was a short, soft breathe.

Kagome's eyes grew wide, half to fear and half to adjust her vision to the shadows. Her big blue eyes searched the room in confusion, her memory trying in vain to place her surroundings. Around her the boxes loomed high, mocking in silence and threatening to tip if only there was a chance she could be crushed. The objects, once hard to discern, on top of the boxes were piles of fabric. And although less menacing then the rows of cardboard cartons, did nothing to alleviate her beating heart.

Beneath her fingers she felt something coarse yet smooth. A cloth. The cloth that had been used to cover her mouth.

Tears burning her eyes, she flung the cloth upon one of the boxes and turned her back to it. Her head was still light from the chloroform but she managed to gain enough balance to rise and take a better look at her surroundings. Her first step forward made her silk shimmer, but two more steps to the nearest wall robbed her of her unearthly glow as the light remained unmoved against the shadows. Her fingers brushed against the blankets hesitantly, taking in the coarse material with a blank look. Along the whole wall she let her fingers run across the material, her face slowly melting into one of question. At the corner she pulled back, as if burned, and backed up towards the center once more.

The single beam washed over her again, making her shine as bright as a star amongst the night sky. Her piercing blue eyes turned to look at the window, watching the curtains sway meekly before her. Her gown rippled about her, filling the room with a soft crunching sound, as she made her way towards the light. Pulling the curtains all the way open bathed her in no more light than the single beam. Outside there was no light.

Kagome gasped softly, her eyes frantically running over the sights that were forced upon her. Dark streets, people in faded colors, rusty cars, and shinny children rolling around in the dirt; there were people sleeping on the curbs, a fire in a trash can, and women at the corner in short skirts. Her eyes only lingered on the last for a few seconds until a car pulled up and they disappeared behind its shaded windows.

Her head seemed to grow ten times heavier as she began to realize where she was. Not only was she across town, she was on the edge. The very edge. Never had she been in the area before, and it was only through rumors that she was able to call it the "Area of Darkness."

No matter how much she tried, she couldn't pull herself from the sight. It was so different, so sad, so scary. The streets gave her chills, but so many questions that needed answers. Her mind rolled over so many things about the people below, about their lives and events that she nearly forgot her own problems until a voice from beyond and a slamming door forced her back with a jump.

The realization that she had been kidnapped came back too harsh for her to anticipate and Kagome found herself biting her lip to keep the tears away. Instead of falling and crying, she gently turned her back on the light and started to follow the voice toward the door that served as her only barrier.

"As if I don't have enough fuckin' trouble from the first woman's death---get rid of her yourself. My hands are already stained"

"Why the hell did you take her if you weren't going to kill her?"

"Kill her!" the first voice shouted "That's not the way of revenge. I'd have to hold her to prove a fuckin' point. Corpses only last in a guy's memory for so long"

"Ah ha! So you did do this to get back at Kouga for--"

"I haven't done anything--yet" The deep voice said angrily "Get her the fuck outta her. The cops already have my place as high of a watch as any"

"Oh no--I ain't taking her. If you didn't want her, or ain't gonna kill her--what's the point of taking her in the first place?"

As Kagome steadied herself against the frame, from not only the fuzzy truth of these words, but the force they were said in by the first speaker; she heard a short tread upon the cement floor in the next room. After a quick pace filled in silence the first voice muffled a curse.

"I'll have to bury her underground"

"Kouga won't find her there; that's for sure"

"That damned wolf knows the underground almost as much as I do. Don't give me that fuckin' shit"

"It'd still be easier if you killed her like you did the oth--"

A crash was heard from beyond the door followed by a---snarl? Or was that a growl? She looked down by her feet, wondering if there was a dog hiding in the shadows.

"We all know it was you!" The now shaky voice proceeded "Might as well fess up to it! Once they find you, you're--"

Another crash was heard followed by yet another, sounding more violent than the last. She heard with horror the sharp breaths of someone struggling, followed by what sounded like a tree branch snapping.

"Get off me!" The weaker voice called

"Fuckin' stop trying to knock my skull out and I--" Another crash "might"

A fierce struggle echoed through the area, filling Kagome's ears with the increasing cries of one of the men. The weaker. The harsh voice had kidnapped her, killed another apparently and now was out for this man as well!

Without thinking what she was doing, she flung open the door and started shouting. Neither looked over to her from the words and it wasn't until she tried pulling on the bigger man that she received any notice. The moment she pulled on his arm, she was flung back by such an utterly powerful force. Her body flew back to meet with a bookcase, making several books fall around her feet as her body shook the structure.

The one who flung her looked over his shoulder. His breathing was heavy, his eyes wild, and face made into an expression of furious rage. The man who he had been speaking with was kept from escaping from an unrelenting grip on his collar. On the first, a single trail of blood ran along each cheek. On the second, a single piece of ivory shone against all the blood.

Her eyes were as wild as the first man's from the sudden attack, but she found voice enough to shout "Let him go!"

Dark violet eyes arrested her for a minute, as his breathing cooled and died in one last huff. The man with purple eyes practically threw the other against what Kagome assumed was the front door.

"Show your face around her one more time and you're finished. Repeat this to anyone, and it's the last time your lips move in this lifetime"

One turned his back and walked past Kagome, the other scrambled out of the dark room. With the resounding slam of the door, Kagome allowed herself to breathe a sigh in the form of partial relief. Though it quickly turned into a startled gasp as she jumped from her spot and spun around. The violet-eyed man had disappeared. Her captor was out of sight and the door was right before her!

Kagome ran across the room, reaching her hand out for the handle but quickly drew it back and stopped. The man appeared before her, brow lowered and face stern. Despite the sheer power she felt from his look, Kagome raised her chin and drew her own brows together.

"Let me pass"

His peculiar eyes searched her own once more. Through this look, she felt such a chill that could only account to her very soul trying to be gutted and figured. A deep flush, not of embarrassment but anger, rose from her cheeks from such an odd and entirely rude act and pressed her to take a step forwards. A slight twitch came from his right eye, but no more.

Then slowly, he reached behind him, pulled out the handle as if picking out a flower; and walked away.

Her anger melted with confusion before realization made it come back ten times harder. She gasped, trying to pull open the door with her nails. She pushed against it, beat upon it, and kicked it. The only thing it did was leave her with a shortened breath and an even shorter temper towards the man who had kidnapped her.

Drawing up her chin once more, she spun and went after him into the dark room. The single beam of light still fell in the center of the dusty wood boards, unmoved, despite the shift in time. She walked right into it and crossed her arms with a furious glare to the man's back. He took no notice of this and continued shuffling through one of the boxes in the corner.

From only looking behind, Kagome was able to tell he was a very lean and muscular man. He held himself tall and straight, almost too straight. His clothes were made of dark red, rather heavy looking fabrics and faded jean which were covered in dirt and wrinkled. If the two had been standing in broad daylight, she was certain the clothes would prove to be filthier. His long black hair fell across one shoulder as he bent over the box, now tossing things in an unrelenting manner around him. One of the objects nearly hit her, dropping only an inch to her left side. A single glance down gave her the knowledge that he was tossing books, but to this she took no interest.

After being ignored so completely for a good ten minutes, in which he had now moved to another box, Kagome found herself growing angry once more.

"You've never kidnapped anyone before have you?" No answer. More shuffling "I mean, do you even know I'm standing here? What if I decided to throw something at you? And what do you mean kidnapping me anyways?" her voice rose "I don't know what's going on but I'm sure there's been some sort of mistake. I don't see what Kouga would be doing with people like....you. So, if you'd kindly hand over that doorknob I'll be taking leave. I'm sure you've killed enough in your life, but if you wish to raise that record I ask you to do it with someone else. There's been a mistake"

The shuffling grew louder only to come to a sudden stop. He stood in that abnormally tall and straight way again and was silent for a moment. Kagome waited for him to turn around and face her, but he didn't. With a giant exasperated, and horrifically incoherent, sound; the man flung one of the boxes across the room. Books flew everywhere but not a single novel hit the two humans. Kagome continued watching him, and he continued avoiding her.

"Fine" she said after what she felt was an overdramatic pause "Excuse me while I call the cops"

As she left the room she heard the shuffling pick up again and a repetitive flow of curses. In the darkened front room, or what she assumed it to be, there were boxes lined up against the walls as well. The bookcase she had been thrown against was the only piece of furniture, and from the shape not a good one. The bottom hem of her silky dress, though only a little shorter than knee high, was already getting splattered in dust. Each ruffle in the dress now only made for a pocket to hold the rising filth and fuzz of the dirty place.

After a good walk around, not pleased with the way her dress was getting worse, Kagome still found nothing that resembled a phone. Only boxes, the decrepit bookcase, and the lone lamp that gave off an eerie orange glow. With a sudden thought that maybe there was a phone inside the boxes that had not been hooked up, she opened one that was leaning against the bookcase. Possibly the very thing holding it up. But there was only one class of articles in the boxes--books. Kagome had never seen so many old books in her life. The binding was shot, the words were worn, and they smelled as old as they looked.

The thought of what sort of man he was rose from these boxes, but stopped. It didn't matter she decided, snapping a copy of Purgatorio closed; he was a kidnapper and a murderer. Though with no sight to a phone and the door unable to move without a handle or her gaining 500 more pounds, how was she to expose him? How was she to survive?

Something told her that she was supposed to be afraid. People were always afraid in the movies. Especially of murderers and those who knocked you out with chloroform. But, then again, those in the movies and novels were tied up and being threatened. He seemed as if he wanted to keep her here, by robbing her of the doorknob, but not wanting anything to do with her all the same!

Again Kagome took her place in the stationary beam of light. The ray called up her immortal shine once more and seemed to give her courage, if not defiance, to walk up to the silent man. With a quick tap on the shoulder, she addressed him as "sir." This finally called up his attention and from the look on his face, his confusion. She disregarded it and opened her mouth to speak but hadn't the chance as he picked that moment to walk past, around the beam of light, and out into the larger room.

Now, she was exasperated. For a few moments she remained with her arms crossed, staring blankly at a book on the ground. A collection of poetry. What in the seven hells would he be doing with poetry she wondered. So, through the abused books that lay about the floor she walked. Back into the bigger room she went. She found him sitting on a box with his face in his hands but her eye nor mind cared for his look of grief; instead her attention fell on the doorknob which was resting on the box next to him.

With a steady sweep of her dress, she walked past him, taking the knob, and going to the door once more. Though the whole effort was put to shame. It wouldn't piece back together no matter how much she aligned it. She ended up going about in another mini rage of banging on the door and even started calling out for help, but there was only the dying echo of her own torment to answer these calls.

Tears finally too painful to hold, she allowed the salty water to flow down her cheeks as her voice rose with desperation. At once point she was sure she had at least loosened the door and pressed her body against it for a final push but it was all in vain. The tears, the hoarse throat, the shouts now turned to sobs lead to nothing but a girl in emerald green curled up against an unbreakable door.

And her kidnapper? He was as still as the shadows.

"What's wrong with you?!" she shouted, turning her violent lashes away from the door "What do you want with me? And why did you bring me here? It's people like you that make this world so wrong. Unfeeling, heartless people who make everyone live in fear and torment. Do you go around murdering people because you're dead inside and need to see others suffer as you? I have a good mind to start shouting out the window and--"

He looked up from her sudden break but she was quicker. Running with as much speed as a recently knocked out person could, Kagome made it to the window with the black curtains. Her heart beat fast and her skin turned cold as she felt rather than heard the man following her. It made her go faster though. Quickly she threw open the window and with a force that could only come from panic, punched the screen out.

Her hands sought the outside, grasping onto bricks as she tried pulling the rest of herself out. But her flight went no further. As soon as he took her around the waist, she started shouting violently of rape and murder to the life below. Tears came out harder than before as she screamed until her voice was cracking and dry. She kicked and punched, and swung her arms, but that strong grasp kept her waist to his side as he effortlessly shut the window and drew the curtains.

The terrifying effect of the darkness hushed her up immediately. With huge tearful eyes she looked up into the man with violet eyes. So unfeeling was his gaze, so mechanical and cold. She didn't want to be so near that emotionless face, didn't want the hands of a murder to be holding her in such an intimate fashion. With a great shove that called upon what remained of her panic induced state, Kagome pushed away from him and fell to her knees.

Her dress gently followed her fall and laid about her like the petals on a sunflower. Although the curtains were drawn once more, that single beam of light shone down upon her as she sat there in tears and chills. At that moment, even in her pain, the sheer beauty she radiated was hard to distinguish from that of a goddess’s in the ancient drawings.

"There's no use shouting to them. They care less about you than I do" She didn't lift her head, was too distraught by the words, when his heavy steps tread across the room "We're leaving tomorrow"

She was sure that at that point she didn't care what happened. Her mind flashed with the image of the man from earlier. His face filled with blood--he was not against beating people, kidnappings, or murders. She cringed as he stopped before her, expecting a blow or a kick to make the journey to the underground easier for him. Instead of receiving something, she felt a loss. The chill from her skin started melting as the coarse material fell about her shoulders, covering her body and dress. Kagome raised her head to him as the red blanket was thrown upon her, but he had already turned.

It was only after he had closed the door and many hours had passed did she find out that the beam of light that made her shine was artificial. There was a crack in the ceiling.