She was running.

Frantically, she shouted for him, begging that this was a nightmare, a terrible illusion that plagued her only for a night. A terror that she would wake up from and find everything was normal, Inuyasha making some snarky comment on her waking him and the others up with her constant screaming, but comforting her in a way only he can. She would get up and start walking back to the others as they continue their journey to defeat Naraku, laughing at the thought that this could actually happen.

But no, this wasn't a dream, in fact, what she so desperately wanted right now was naught but an illusion, a lost hope, a silly wish. In reality, Kagome was running as fast as she possibly could through the dark trees, jumping over branches as the moon shone dimly through the dead tree tops, lighting a small path of possible escape. Right now there was only one thing on her mind, one command she gave herself, not sparing any space for any other trivial thought, like, is he coming to rescue me or, what will happen if I am found by the wrong guy, and cannot hold the hope of escaping and going back home, where others are probably worried about me? No, only one thought filled her vast mind.

And that was to run.

As Kagome ran for her life and her sanity, memories started to unwillingly flash through her mind of that day's earlier events.

She was in her kitchen, just getting home from Inuyasha and the others. She spent an hour with her family, before they went out to do "grocery shopping", or get Kagome presents for her upcoming sixteenth birthday, leaving her alone in the house. After taking a shower and watching some needed television time, Kagome decided that taking a walk would help her feel more at home for the little time she actually had there.

"Maybe seeing some of the modern city lights, I'll feel a bit better."

So against her inner conscience that told Kagome not to go alone, the young woman walked out the door in sweatpants and a tank top on that early spring day.

Everything after that was a blur. She could vaguely remember walking through a park, watching the sun set behind the mountains behind the city, and also she remembered the feeling of being followed, but after a few glances behind her, figured it was nothing.

And what a mistake that was, for now she was running for her life from a guy she never met before who had apparently been following her about five minutes into the walk. He hit her on the head, hard, and she was barely conscience when he was dragging her through a forest, bound tightly allowing no chance of becoming free again. Her pants were ripped and torn, and her tank top was no longer there, she was just in a bra, gapes on her stomach, sides, and legs from where he tried to cut her clothes off with a knife. By that time she could only guess what he wanted to do to her.

Kagome's mind was racing at that point, and she took the only chance she had, grabbing the knife when he set it down, to cut her bounds and run while he was getting ready to do the unforgiveable. She heard him shout and start to follow her, so she started running in different patterns until she didn't know where he was, or where she was, for the matter.

Which lead to where she is now, running frantically from her brutal captor and well into the forest as Kagome thought it had to be somewhere around midnight right now. She thought of him again, thought of her love for him even though she couldn't admit it to him yet, than her thoughts, which finally came through, drifted to her family, who would, by now either think she went back to the feudal era, or is calling the police to find her. She hoped it was the latter.

Finally, when Kagome was beginning to think there was no hope of seeing them again, a light shone through the trees. She started running faster, trying her absolute hardest to ignore the pain in her ribs, the blood continually dripping from her multiple wounds as she thought this was her last chance. Finally, at the fastest sprint she had ever performed, she ran out of the forest, and directly into something….no… someone?

"Inuyasha?"

"Kagome?! What the hell happened to you? Why didn't you stay with me so I could have protected you? What were you thinking?!" It was him, Inuyasha, the one savoir she would always be glad to see. She had the most confidence in him, but she could hear more running and shouting behind her, meaning he was close again. Kagome started to drift out of consciousness, leaving everything to her personal protector, hoping to Kami that she would survive, with him, and wake up eventually in his arms. Oh how she wished this was a dream! She could only hear the following before everything went black…

"What are you doing with my bitch you weirdo? Who the hell are you?!"

"Your death wish."