Prologue:
Once upon a time, I had a real, normal life. I went to school, worried about grades, hung out with my friends, and enjoyed family dinners at home.
I was a good student- I tried to work and study hard…. I had three best friends, a possible boyfriend, a little brother, a caring mother, and a strange grandfather.
Everything was boringly normal in my life- until that fateful day….
. ………………………………..
"Bye Kagome!" Ayumi exclaimed with a bright smile.
"See you, Kagome." Yuka squealed, giving me a suffocating hug.
"Catch ya later." Eri grinned with a wave as they started down the shrine steps.
I waved back at them forlornly.
Today had been a long day of lessons, tests, studying and so on… and a long, hot bath sounded more than welcoming.
As I turned, I came face to face with my grandfather, who was carrying some unusual objects that came from the storage shed.
"Can I take a look?" I asked of him, hoping I could find another arrow-head to go with my others in my bag..
He gave me a sharp look.
"These objects are highly spiritual and pure-"
"It's my birthday tomorrow Gramps…." I stated, blinking innocently.
He sighed, "fine…"
……………………………………
15 minutes later, I stared into the box as my grandpa removed the last item – yet another mummified looking hand.
I recoiled backwards, as I came dangerously close to my face.
Somehow, I had been expecting something more interesting than 'sacred sutra's', man eating noh-masks, dried up demon jerky, or marbles.
"Is that ALL gramps?" I questioned, somewhat sulkily.
He nodded sagely
"Did you know that in my youth, the noh-mask supposedly the cause for a storage shed fire?" Gramps babbled, "and that demon jerky? If boiled it turn back into demons…like a kurodenmudaki or a-"
"Gramps…" I groaned pleadingly, yet he continued on mirthlessly, as he held up the neon pink marble.
"This is a replica of the lengendary sacred shikon no tama… a jewel comprised of 4 souls- Aramitama, Sakimitama, Kushimitama, & Nagimitama. It was supposedly made from the soul of a brave priestess, who battled demons… as legend has it, her soul, and the demons souls continue to battle on inside it. However, the jewel supposedly shattered into many pieces, years and years ago. It is said that a single shard has the power of the entire jewel and that-"
"Gramps!"
He started.
"There are no such things as demons." I sighed in exasperation.
"Or so you say." Gramps replied snappishly, "You've heard the rumors since you were born young lady! The sightings of a dog demon down in the west, the monkey sprites near Fujii, the Pig demon in Tokyo… the spider demon at the neighbors which caused the fire…."
"But aren't those just urban legends? To scare people- no… kids? Ghost stories?"
When he gave a disgruntled sigh, I rolled my eyes, and picked up a small purple-ish fragment of a stone off the bottom of the box.
"I'll take this, k?" I muttered, looking away, "How about we go in – dinner should be ready 'bout now.."
………………………………………………………
I woke with a start as my alarm clock went off on my bedside table.
I glanced at the time and groane. If only I had remembered to set my alarm later….
I sighed and knew it would be useless to try falling back asleep,so I sat up, and swung my feet out of bed.
My birthday. Isn't a birthday supposed to be something you look forward to, and are excited about it on the day of? Especially you're 16th birthday?
Yet, somehow I had a strange sense of foreboding about today…
Shaking the feeling off, I lurched to my feet and started off to the bathroom to run some hot water for my bath…
………….
After my long soak in the tub, and a long internal debate over what to wear, I hurried downstairs to eat breakfast.
"Happy birthday, Kagome!" My mom exclaimed with a cheerful smile, obviously the only other one up, "you look great in that dress!"
I caught a glance of reflection off the glare of the window, and shrugged. I had started to wonder whether I should have worn my blue sweater and skirt instead of the yellow dress and blue jacket, but I quickly turned my attention to breakfast.
I flopped down at the breakfast table to fill myself with a steaming hot bowl of ramen.
"Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat?" My mom asked worriedly.
"mhhhmm." I replied through a mouthful of noodles.
She laughed softly, "Of course dear- bet you're just excited."
I give a fake smile as a random shiver runs up my spine. Talk about being paranoid!
………………………………..
I looked at the small shard of the purple stone, watching it sparkle in the light, before putting the metal clasp around it, and connecting it to a chain. It actually made a pretty nice necklace…I'd have to thank gramps later…
Throwing my messenger bag over my shoulder, I started down the stairs, and hurried outside, on a mission to buy some food for my 'starving' fat cat, and maybe some ice cream.
Sota's voice rang out from behind me… he was probably poking around the well house again.
"Sis! Heads up!"
If I hadn't paused to look back at him, his soccer ball would've flattened me in seconds.
I glared back at my brother.
"Be more careful." I snapped at him.
Sota gave a sheepish grin.
"Sorry, Sis- have you seen Buyo?"
Buyo,our extremely fat cat is not much of a travler- so it was obvious he hadn't gone far.
"Not since he was begging for food at 7 this morning… check, the old well house or something." I replied, starting away.
"I already checked there!" he called after me, his voice hinting worry, "All I found in there, was a HUGE centipede.
Rolling my eyes, I started down the steps to the street wondering about the growing anxiety I was getting in the pit of my stomach, like something life changing was about to happen.
Hoping it was just because it was my "Sweet Sixteen", and not some sign that I had Gramps, 'hireditary spiritual powers' that had somehow bypassed the rest of the family, I came to a halt at the cross walk, and the end of the street.
The pedestrian light was green, and I had just started walking down the road when I saw it.
A way too familiar fat calico cat lumbering out into the middle of the road- Buyo.
Without thinking, I dove into the street after the cat, and had just grabbed him, when the crosswalk light turned red, and something hit .
And that's how I came to be..here….