Chapter 1: A Familiar Beginning
Author's Note: This is the first time that I have uploaded any of my writing to a site. I would greatly appreciate reviews and comments. I promise to take them into consideration. I would really like to improve my writing and what better way than peer-review? The story begins 32 years after Kagome has graduated and returned to the Feudal Era to remain with Inuyasha.
"Hey Ren! Hurry up! I want to get to see the shrine before it gets dark!" Sara yelled from the top of the stairs. Ren gave one final look around the street before she ran up the stairs. Sara, Jordan, and Beth had already started towards the main house. Ren had to admit that the place was beautiful, even more so than the other numerous places she had been dragged to over the last week with her classmates. She never should have let them talk her into this trip, but they had done so much to ensure that she'd be able to come – fundraising for the money to go, asking her bosses for a weeks' leave to let her fly to Japan. She'd been so surprised that she hadn't been able to come up with a cogent argument to not come, not that she wasn't enjoying herself. She just wasn't an adventurous person.
She caught up to the other girls just as an older man stepped out the house to greet them. All four bowed to the gentleman and he gave a slight bow back. Sara looked to Ren to start the conversation. Ren had always done better in her Japanese class than the others and they used it as an excuse to make her speak to more strangers, even though Ren told them (repeatedly) that most of the people spoke English as well. Ren took a step forward as she introduced her friends and then herself, and asked for room and board for the night. The man graciously invited them into his home, adding that after he showed them their rooms, they should feel free to look around the shrine.
As he led them inside and upstairs, he kept up a running conversation with Ren, mostly about the history of the shrine. Ren was distracted, looking at all of the pictures hanging on the wall as they walked past. She saw what must have the host as a young boy standing with his sister, mother, and grandfather in front of the shrine. There were many pictures of him and the young girl but she didn't see any of her as she got older. The older pictures included the host as he grew up, with his wife, then their children and more family portraits, but the sister was missing from the rest of the pictures, just as the mother and grandfather faded out of the pictures. Something must have happened to her, Ren thought sadly. The young girl looked so happy, especially in the last picture of her – a large one of her high school graduation.
Just then the host interrupted her reflections by touching her shoulder and pointing at the last room. She noticed that all of the other girls had already been given their rooms and were getting ready to explore the shrine. She politely bowed but asked quickly as he turned away, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."
"I apologize. My name is Sota." And with that he turned and headed back down the stairs.
After dinner, all of the girls sat in the living room as Sota told them tales that he'd been told by his grandfather. He laughed about all of the times his grandfather would swear about some demon-inhabited object and would be slapping sutras on everything in sight. Altogether, the evening was spent enjoyably by all. After a time, the girls excused themselves since they were flying home the next day and wanted to make sure they could get up early enough. Each of the girls called out goodnight as they split off to their own rooms.
Ren entered her room last, giving a small smile. She was happy to be going home, back to her old, ordinary life. Japan was nice, but it wasn't her. She lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about her life back in the US. She had carved out a spot for herself there. Even after her parents had died, she had managed to stay out of the foster system, maintained school and two jobs to pay for the tiny apartment that she had. It may be hard at times, but it was all hers. She fell asleep, dreaming about her home.
Something woke her up. She sat up, cocking her head to the side to try and hear it again. There it was again, but it wasn't a sound, more like a pull. She slid her legs out from under the covers and stood up, looking around her room. Nothing seemed out of place, but there was something nagging at her. She went to the window and leaned out slightly, looking around. She didn't see anything, but just as she was pulling herself back inside, she caught a glimmer. Something had sparkled out there. She looked out, trying to see it again. Just as she was turning her head to the right, she saw it again. It looked to be coming from a large well house. She stole one more look then made up her mind. It would drive her mad if she didn't find out what it was, so she slowly tiptoed down the hall, pausing to make sure that she wasn't waking any of the other girls up.
She was all the way down the stairs and almost out the door before she remembered her shoes. She quickly slipped them on and stepped into the cool night air. She made her way over to the well house, relaxing in the silence. She felt at peace here. Ren slowed down as she approached the well house. She didn't see anything that might have sparkled at her. She ascended the stairs and peeked inside. She saw something lying on the floor near the well inside. She gently pulled on the door to see if it would slide open. It moved noiselessly, so she added a little more force to open it enough for her to slip inside.
The moonlight spotlighted the item that had caught her attention. It shimmered in the light as she picked it up. It was a small, reflective piece of metal, mostly round. Ren looked around to see if she could find where it came from, but the well house was completely empty except for the giant hole in the center for the well.
Ren moved a little closer, putting her hands on the lip. She leaned forward slightly to get a better look, peering down into the darkness inside the well. She heard a loud crack and suddenly found her body falling forward. She scrambled to grab onto the lip to prevent it, but it was already past her reach. She tumbled head first into the well. She closed her eyes in preparation for the collision, but she never felt the hit that knocked her out.