Summery: Kagome lives in a world not suited to her. Everyday since she can remember she has awakened with the same disappointing sadness. Like she never belonged with her family. As she enters into her old home town her family buying back their old home that they had to sell when her father killed himself. She meets people that best be described as strange. ((Author's note: Look for the stars in slightly unfamiliar terms in this fanfic. At the bottom is a dictionary/ explanation of such terms.))
Drown My Devil
Kagome sighed and looked up at the white ceiling of her old room from when she was a child and her brother Souta just a baby. She felt the sadness in her. A deep pain that bore no physical symptoms. She fancied a hole cut deep into her body where her heart should be. She sighed the pain going away with sentient thinking. This pain roared in her dreams making them nightmares. Nightmares every night to her now is no big thing. Used to the profound pain with nothing to make its cause.
"KAGOME TIME TO WAKE UP!!!" her mother yelled from the kitchen down below. She stared at her new uniform, now going into highschool. Kagome put it on quickly pulling off her simple cotton pajamas and sliding into the fresh fabric of her uniform. "KAAGOOOMEEE!!!" her mother yelled. Kagome grabbed stocking and slipped those one before running down the stairs with a fake smile. She had done it so many years the fake smile was second nature.
"I'm here mom." she told her mother. "Whats for breakfast?" she asked excitedly. Her mother beamed at how her daughter looked.
"Just the usual. For now." her mother replied turning back to her cooking. Souta jumped in in his own uniform carrying his old school bag. "Sit down you two before I make you both sit down!" her mother chastised gently. Souta jumping into his seat laughed merrily. Kagome smiled back at him and watched her grandfather shuffle in.
"We must remember to purify that shrine and put new wards on it." he said seriously. He was always superstitious and overly cautious, liking the ways things were done back in the feudal era. "We don't want evil spirits to come out of it." Kagome paused at that, since when has there been no evil sprits tormenting her family. The death of her father haunts all of them, like a evil shadow that will never disappear.
"Okay dad. Me and Souta will help you after school." her mother told him. Her mother was a school teacher at Souta's school. Kagome found herself in silence eating the food her mother made without relish. In fact she could hardly taste the food anymore. Or any food for that matter. She held back a sigh and looked up at her family.
She couldn't help finding that she didn't feel at home with them. Like they weren't even related to her. While her grandfather was old and looked like her mother, like Souta looked like his mother. Who did she look like? No one. Not even her late father. Kagome felt like the black sheep in her family. Not exactly shunned but not well liked. She figured they would be over her death soon. Rather the painful mourning of her father which still went on today.
It was ten years ago! Get over it already! She yelled at herself. Kagome flashed on the terrible memory and dropped her chop-sticks. Her family looked at her all at once. She smiled and picked them up gathering her bowl and plate and putting them in the sink. "Thanks for the breakfast mom!" she said happily and ran out grabbing her school bag by the door. She breathed in the crisp outside air gratefully and ran to the bus stop. She stopped for a moment to stare at the little wood shrine. She remembered playing there with her imaginary friend, Hakaku. Kagome stayed clear from the well ever since she 'killed' her friend on that dark day. She imagined Hakaku's bones littering the bottom of the well in there. A shiver ran up her spine and she quickly fled the gaze of the little shrine.
Kagome looked up balefully at the teacher who called her to the front. Feeling her cheeks grow hot as she introduced herself to the rest of the class. It was like first grade all over again. The teacher was a older American man who had learned Japanese from somewhere. He was short with deep set blue eyes and white hair and beard. He wore a 'Sponge Bob' tie and hula shirt with his kakis. He seemed overly cheerful about everything being the art and creative writing teacher. She sat down gratefully immersing herself into the crowd with little difficulty since the young man who came up next tripped on his own feet.
Kagome looked down at her own sketch book filled with her drawings that some dare to call art. Like some psychotic person she drew everything nice twisted into something dark. Then again…no. Kagome shook her head gently refusing her mind to bring that dark day up. She opened her book and flipped past a tree made up of dead bodies, a cat with demon horns and a spike tail, a ocean with dark demonic figures emerging from the dark waves. Each was amazingly detailed and only done in black and white.
"Now class," the teacher began. "I would like a sample of your drawing if I may." he passed out blank pieced of white paper to every student in the class. Kagome felt the paper and sighed. It wasn't good paper for drawing if your standards were as high as hers. "Please draw whatever you like just make it school appropriate." A few guys taking this class purely for credits snickered. Kagome looked down at the white sheet. Nothing she drew was school appropriate in her thoughts.
She lifted her pencil and started to draw keeping her mind blank and unthinking. Soon a bell rang. "That's the ten minute bell." the teacher announced. Kagome looked down and sighed again. She drew a classroom full of empty old desks like the one she was at, black spots thick with graphite could pass for shadows but she knew them for blood stains. She signed the quick sketch, it not perfectly black and white like her others. More like gray, and more gray for this.
"Mr. Anderson?" piped a small girls voice. He nodded to the young girl. Kagome gave a cursory glance to the young woman. She had brown hair and bright deep hazel green eyes. Her hair was down in a tight ponytail behind her head. "I would just like to know if we'll be doing much painting in this class?" the teacher Mr. Anderson thought for a moment.
"We should be spending at least a mouth or so devoted to painting…Miss. Ayume." He told her kindly. "Now can I see your drawings?" he asked gathering up the drawing of the students. He paused at Kagome's desk the longest staring at her drawing as if it were the devil himself. This is going to be a terrible class. Kagome though to herself. He simply nodded at the end and gave a small smile. Just as the last drawing is taken the bell rang for her next class. History. Kagome darted out the door before Mr. Anderson could say anything to her.
She slipped quietly into the room taking a sheet far in the back with a black haired young man. He had his hair pulled back in a small pigtail as their called. A few bangs persisted to be let out and he wiped them from his dark brown eyes. He was handsome no doubt. He wore a string of topaz prayer beads on his right hand. He smiled at her grandly holding out his hand in a greeting. "Hello I'm Miroku." he told her. She smiled and shook his hand turning back to the front of the class. "What's you name sweet heart?" Kagome sighed and looked at him.
"Kagome." she replied simply as if it were a well known fact. He smiled and nodded at her as he too turned to the class. A quiet bell rang as the warning bell to get to class. A few students rushed in and sat down in the seats available. They chatted happily and Kagome found herself envying them greatly. The bell for class rang and a primp youngish woman stepped up to the front. She began spouting the class rules and such. She handed out papers for her parents to sign. The teacher slightly glowered at the students in the back.
A young man walked in with a slight smirk on his face. His long black hair tossed behind his shoulders and hiding his ears. He had soft amber eyes that seemed to melt the women's hearts in the classroom. So many dreamy sighs from the girls in the class. Kagome just stared at him registering only that he did look handsome but hardly anything noticeable about him. He looked at Kagome once in what seemed to be slight shock that a new girl came into school. "INUYASHA!!!" Screamed the teacher. He smirked wider.
"Yeah what do you want?" he replied smugly. The students looked form him to her. She glared at him. Obviously he wasn't friends with the teacher.
"Just take your seat." she growled at him. Inuyasha sat between two giggling girls and began talking to them right away. They giggled every so often, their faces red in blushes. Kagome paid no attention at what they said fixing her gaze on the teacher. The class droned on slowly as the teacher, Ms. Hajun, read over the papers she handed out explaining the class. The ten minute bell rang distantly. One of the girls by Inuyasha burst out laughing. Her merry chortles ringing out like sliver bells. The teacher glared at her but mostly at Inuyasha since it was his fault.
"That Inuyasha thinks himself a ladies man." Miroku told her quietly. "He may come after you. Just because your new." Kagome pursed her lips.
"I don't really care." she replied stiffly. What me romance? You've got to be kidding me! No one would want dreary me. She thought.
"He's not the one you've got to worry about though." Kagome looked to Miroku who stared at her intently.
"Really?" she said only sounding interested.
"Yes you've only got to look out for-" The bell rang cutting him off. She nodded and left ignoring the black haired boy Inuyasha following her closely. She stopped looking around seeing him stop just the same in her side vision. She walked on sliding into the oncoming crowd, pushing and shoving her way through the stream of students.
"Hey wait!" he yelled. The stream ebbed and he grabbed her wrist. Her body tensed and Inuyasha stopped. She rose her bag and crashed it into the side of his head. Inuyasha fell down with a thump and a growl. Kagome rubbed her wrist and glared at Inuyasha. "What was that for?!?!" He yelled pushing himself to a sitting position. He blinked up at her.
"I don't like being touched." she told him seriously. A laugh made her look beside her to an athletic male. He had a brown sweat band around his head that said the name of the track team. Inuyasha glared death at him. The young man had black hair pulled up in a fashion that reminded her of those samurai cartoons she used to watch. He was lean and not exactly handsome, plain, but he was attractive in his own way. He had bright green eyes.
"Heh Inuyasha finally get rejected?" he said smugly.
"Shut up Koga!" Inuyasha retorted jumping up. Koga turned to Kagome and smiled slyly.
"My name's Koga. If that mutt over there is giving you any problems just tell me." He slowly reached for one of her hands. When she didn't pull away he took one. "I'll take care of him for you." Kagome couldn't help but smile with him. She even laughed a little. "Just remember that." the warning bell rang. She nodded and he left her and the small crowd with a fuming Inuyasha.
"I swear I'll kill him one day." Inuyasha growled through his teeth. She slipped away quietly. Her next class would be…English. With a Mr. Tanaka. She gazed around and found the room number three yards away. She slipped inside as the bell rang. A few heads turned to look at her. The back seats where all filled and so where every seat say for the front row. Kagome sat down in one to the middle. She pulled out a one subject notebook and waited.
The teacher five minutes late flowed into the room. Kagome found herself staring at the man. He had long white hair pulled into a lose tie behind his head. His skin was pale, or rather white. Albino. was the first word that came to her mind. He looked around the class and paused on the only student in the front row. Kagome locked eyes with him. His eyes were a bright yellow, and behind a pair of glasses. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. He didn't smile as one might.
Kagome lips were lightly parted as he took in the whole class. "Children." he said, though he could not be older than his early twenties. "I'm am your knew teacher Mr. Tanaka. The previous teacher her Mr. Black died last month due to a heart attack." the students murmured to each other. Mr. Tanaka sighed and pushed his glasses closer to his nose. "I shall let you know now that I will not allow and horseplay, or talking out of turn in this class." the class quieted. "First shall be roll call." He went to the desk in the back of the classroom. She was the only one who's gaze stayed ahead of her.
Her heart skipped when he started role call. He past a few names, She noted there was not many people in this class. "Kagome Higurashi?" she paused at her name then raised her hand. She didn't glance back to make sure he saw her. He went on calling names until the list was through. Gracefully he swept past her, she felt the current of wind he made on her cheek. Forcing her hand to stay down she stared at Mr. Tanaka. "We will get right into this class, I want you to get up and grab a book and we will start right now." Kagome was the first up and grabbed a book before the crowd pushed in. She sat down looking at the book so she would have an excuse to divert her eyes.
Five-minutes of lolling around and every student had gotten a book. Shakespeare…Kagome kept her gaze down to prevent anyone from seeing her light blush. She flipped through the book having read most if not all of his work already. He always seemed lacking in the women part but otherwise he was a good writer. "Who has read Shakespeare before?" Mr. Tanaka inquired. Kagome cursed underneath her breath and rose her hand into the air. She looked around and found she was the only one who had. "Well now, would you mind reciting one you like?" Kagome nodded and closed the book having no need of it. She began lowly in a sweet voice.
"How can I then return in happy plight,
That am debarred the benefit of rest?
When day's oppression is not eas'd by night,
But day by night and night by day oppress'd,
And each, though enemies to either's reign,
Do in consent shake hands to torture me,
The one by toil, the other to complain
How far I toil, still farther off from thee.
I tell the day, to please him thou art bright,
And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:
So flatter I the swart-complexion'd night,
When sparkling stars tire not thou gild'st the even.
But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,
And night doth nightly make grief's length seem stronger."
It was one of her favorites. It and the new teacher seemed to sober up the classroom. "It sort of goes with another he wrote before this one…I think that they are a pair." she said quietly. Mr. Tanaka didn't smile but nodded at her. He turned to the rest of the class.
"I would like everyone to pick a sonnet to memorize by next week and recite it for credit. Mrs. Higurashi?" She looked up at him and nodded. "You will already get credit for this assignment and you may go for extra credit by reciting another one." she smiled lightly and nodded at him. "Now go ahead and pick your poem and begin memorizing it now. This will be the only class time for this project." He fluidly went back to his desk ignoring the now constant chatter of voices. Kagome closed her mouth again finding her lips parted once again.
"Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head…" she said lightly with her eyes closed. She looked up sharply looking to the plate windows on the other side of the room. Feeling eyes bore into her soul she searched what she could see nothing, nothing was there but sky and trees. A shiver ran up her spin and she sat up straighter and kept her eyes fixed on the door. No one is there. So stop being so paranoid. Nothing is there. she told herself. She could still feel the eyes boring into her.
Kagome was sure they could see the deep down darkness inside her that she hid so well. Her onyx eyes the only path into this melancholy of hers, but it was well hid and covered by fake smiles and laughs. The feeling that someone knew her this intimately was frightening. Then the feeling lifted like it was never there, that it was only imaginary. She shivered and pulled her arms to her chest feeling chilled. She felt more eyes on her but these were not the malicious feeling eyes that bore into her. What the hell was that? she asked herself. Kagome looked down at her book and turned to a random page and began to read.
The book felt heavy in her hands even though it could not be more than a pound. Kagome found herself reading the same few lines over and over again unable to concentrate. She snapped the book shut and glared around the classroom. She looked back down and breathed inwards, then she let the breath out. She cursed under her breath again. She jumped when the bell rang suddenly. The other students got up grabbing their things and crowding at the door to get out.
She shoved the book into her bag and joined them, pushing and shoving when necessary. The rest of school passed in a blur. She barely remembered anything that went on. Lunch at least was passable since she went out to a nearby fast food restaurant. She remembered dully that Inuyasha was there talking to her without any prompt. Sooner than later she found herself slumped on her bed breathing in the clean smell of the sheets. She closed her eyes…and fell.
Terms: Hakaku was Kagome's imaginary friend since her parents spent most their time working around the shrine. Hakaku is basically a human in Kagome's mind. Kagome saw her father kill himself and feeling that terror, sadness, and lack of understanding she 'killed' her friend by hitting her with a plank of wood and pushing the dazed friend into the well. It is not known if Hakaku was real or not since Kagome seemed to be able to see her and not anyone else. She was very real to Kagome and her death is a lasting wound that sucks Kagome dry.
Drown My Devil
Chapter One:
Finding Home Again
Kagome sighed and looked up at the white ceiling of her old room from when she was a child and her brother Souta just a baby. She felt the sadness in her. A deep pain that bore no physical symptoms. She fancied a hole cut deep into her body where her heart should be. She sighed the pain going away with sentient thinking. This pain roared in her dreams making them nightmares. Nightmares every night to her now is no big thing. Used to the profound pain with nothing to make its cause.
"KAGOME TIME TO WAKE UP!!!" her mother yelled from the kitchen down below. She stared at her new uniform, now going into highschool. Kagome put it on quickly pulling off her simple cotton pajamas and sliding into the fresh fabric of her uniform. "KAAGOOOMEEE!!!" her mother yelled. Kagome grabbed stocking and slipped those one before running down the stairs with a fake smile. She had done it so many years the fake smile was second nature.
"I'm here mom." she told her mother. "Whats for breakfast?" she asked excitedly. Her mother beamed at how her daughter looked.
"Just the usual. For now." her mother replied turning back to her cooking. Souta jumped in in his own uniform carrying his old school bag. "Sit down you two before I make you both sit down!" her mother chastised gently. Souta jumping into his seat laughed merrily. Kagome smiled back at him and watched her grandfather shuffle in.
"We must remember to purify that shrine and put new wards on it." he said seriously. He was always superstitious and overly cautious, liking the ways things were done back in the feudal era. "We don't want evil spirits to come out of it." Kagome paused at that, since when has there been no evil sprits tormenting her family. The death of her father haunts all of them, like a evil shadow that will never disappear.
"Okay dad. Me and Souta will help you after school." her mother told him. Her mother was a school teacher at Souta's school. Kagome found herself in silence eating the food her mother made without relish. In fact she could hardly taste the food anymore. Or any food for that matter. She held back a sigh and looked up at her family.
She couldn't help finding that she didn't feel at home with them. Like they weren't even related to her. While her grandfather was old and looked like her mother, like Souta looked like his mother. Who did she look like? No one. Not even her late father. Kagome felt like the black sheep in her family. Not exactly shunned but not well liked. She figured they would be over her death soon. Rather the painful mourning of her father which still went on today.
It was ten years ago! Get over it already! She yelled at herself. Kagome flashed on the terrible memory and dropped her chop-sticks. Her family looked at her all at once. She smiled and picked them up gathering her bowl and plate and putting them in the sink. "Thanks for the breakfast mom!" she said happily and ran out grabbing her school bag by the door. She breathed in the crisp outside air gratefully and ran to the bus stop. She stopped for a moment to stare at the little wood shrine. She remembered playing there with her imaginary friend, Hakaku. Kagome stayed clear from the well ever since she 'killed' her friend on that dark day. She imagined Hakaku's bones littering the bottom of the well in there. A shiver ran up her spine and she quickly fled the gaze of the little shrine.
Kagome looked up balefully at the teacher who called her to the front. Feeling her cheeks grow hot as she introduced herself to the rest of the class. It was like first grade all over again. The teacher was a older American man who had learned Japanese from somewhere. He was short with deep set blue eyes and white hair and beard. He wore a 'Sponge Bob' tie and hula shirt with his kakis. He seemed overly cheerful about everything being the art and creative writing teacher. She sat down gratefully immersing herself into the crowd with little difficulty since the young man who came up next tripped on his own feet.
Kagome looked down at her own sketch book filled with her drawings that some dare to call art. Like some psychotic person she drew everything nice twisted into something dark. Then again…no. Kagome shook her head gently refusing her mind to bring that dark day up. She opened her book and flipped past a tree made up of dead bodies, a cat with demon horns and a spike tail, a ocean with dark demonic figures emerging from the dark waves. Each was amazingly detailed and only done in black and white.
"Now class," the teacher began. "I would like a sample of your drawing if I may." he passed out blank pieced of white paper to every student in the class. Kagome felt the paper and sighed. It wasn't good paper for drawing if your standards were as high as hers. "Please draw whatever you like just make it school appropriate." A few guys taking this class purely for credits snickered. Kagome looked down at the white sheet. Nothing she drew was school appropriate in her thoughts.
She lifted her pencil and started to draw keeping her mind blank and unthinking. Soon a bell rang. "That's the ten minute bell." the teacher announced. Kagome looked down and sighed again. She drew a classroom full of empty old desks like the one she was at, black spots thick with graphite could pass for shadows but she knew them for blood stains. She signed the quick sketch, it not perfectly black and white like her others. More like gray, and more gray for this.
"Mr. Anderson?" piped a small girls voice. He nodded to the young girl. Kagome gave a cursory glance to the young woman. She had brown hair and bright deep hazel green eyes. Her hair was down in a tight ponytail behind her head. "I would just like to know if we'll be doing much painting in this class?" the teacher Mr. Anderson thought for a moment.
"We should be spending at least a mouth or so devoted to painting…Miss. Ayume." He told her kindly. "Now can I see your drawings?" he asked gathering up the drawing of the students. He paused at Kagome's desk the longest staring at her drawing as if it were the devil himself. This is going to be a terrible class. Kagome though to herself. He simply nodded at the end and gave a small smile. Just as the last drawing is taken the bell rang for her next class. History. Kagome darted out the door before Mr. Anderson could say anything to her.
She slipped quietly into the room taking a sheet far in the back with a black haired young man. He had his hair pulled back in a small pigtail as their called. A few bangs persisted to be let out and he wiped them from his dark brown eyes. He was handsome no doubt. He wore a string of topaz prayer beads on his right hand. He smiled at her grandly holding out his hand in a greeting. "Hello I'm Miroku." he told her. She smiled and shook his hand turning back to the front of the class. "What's you name sweet heart?" Kagome sighed and looked at him.
"Kagome." she replied simply as if it were a well known fact. He smiled and nodded at her as he too turned to the class. A quiet bell rang as the warning bell to get to class. A few students rushed in and sat down in the seats available. They chatted happily and Kagome found herself envying them greatly. The bell for class rang and a primp youngish woman stepped up to the front. She began spouting the class rules and such. She handed out papers for her parents to sign. The teacher slightly glowered at the students in the back.
A young man walked in with a slight smirk on his face. His long black hair tossed behind his shoulders and hiding his ears. He had soft amber eyes that seemed to melt the women's hearts in the classroom. So many dreamy sighs from the girls in the class. Kagome just stared at him registering only that he did look handsome but hardly anything noticeable about him. He looked at Kagome once in what seemed to be slight shock that a new girl came into school. "INUYASHA!!!" Screamed the teacher. He smirked wider.
"Yeah what do you want?" he replied smugly. The students looked form him to her. She glared at him. Obviously he wasn't friends with the teacher.
"Just take your seat." she growled at him. Inuyasha sat between two giggling girls and began talking to them right away. They giggled every so often, their faces red in blushes. Kagome paid no attention at what they said fixing her gaze on the teacher. The class droned on slowly as the teacher, Ms. Hajun, read over the papers she handed out explaining the class. The ten minute bell rang distantly. One of the girls by Inuyasha burst out laughing. Her merry chortles ringing out like sliver bells. The teacher glared at her but mostly at Inuyasha since it was his fault.
"That Inuyasha thinks himself a ladies man." Miroku told her quietly. "He may come after you. Just because your new." Kagome pursed her lips.
"I don't really care." she replied stiffly. What me romance? You've got to be kidding me! No one would want dreary me. She thought.
"He's not the one you've got to worry about though." Kagome looked to Miroku who stared at her intently.
"Really?" she said only sounding interested.
"Yes you've only got to look out for-" The bell rang cutting him off. She nodded and left ignoring the black haired boy Inuyasha following her closely. She stopped looking around seeing him stop just the same in her side vision. She walked on sliding into the oncoming crowd, pushing and shoving her way through the stream of students.
"Hey wait!" he yelled. The stream ebbed and he grabbed her wrist. Her body tensed and Inuyasha stopped. She rose her bag and crashed it into the side of his head. Inuyasha fell down with a thump and a growl. Kagome rubbed her wrist and glared at Inuyasha. "What was that for?!?!" He yelled pushing himself to a sitting position. He blinked up at her.
"I don't like being touched." she told him seriously. A laugh made her look beside her to an athletic male. He had a brown sweat band around his head that said the name of the track team. Inuyasha glared death at him. The young man had black hair pulled up in a fashion that reminded her of those samurai cartoons she used to watch. He was lean and not exactly handsome, plain, but he was attractive in his own way. He had bright green eyes.
"Heh Inuyasha finally get rejected?" he said smugly.
"Shut up Koga!" Inuyasha retorted jumping up. Koga turned to Kagome and smiled slyly.
"My name's Koga. If that mutt over there is giving you any problems just tell me." He slowly reached for one of her hands. When she didn't pull away he took one. "I'll take care of him for you." Kagome couldn't help but smile with him. She even laughed a little. "Just remember that." the warning bell rang. She nodded and he left her and the small crowd with a fuming Inuyasha.
"I swear I'll kill him one day." Inuyasha growled through his teeth. She slipped away quietly. Her next class would be…English. With a Mr. Tanaka. She gazed around and found the room number three yards away. She slipped inside as the bell rang. A few heads turned to look at her. The back seats where all filled and so where every seat say for the front row. Kagome sat down in one to the middle. She pulled out a one subject notebook and waited.
The teacher five minutes late flowed into the room. Kagome found herself staring at the man. He had long white hair pulled into a lose tie behind his head. His skin was pale, or rather white. Albino. was the first word that came to her mind. He looked around the class and paused on the only student in the front row. Kagome locked eyes with him. His eyes were a bright yellow, and behind a pair of glasses. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. He didn't smile as one might.
Kagome lips were lightly parted as he took in the whole class. "Children." he said, though he could not be older than his early twenties. "I'm am your knew teacher Mr. Tanaka. The previous teacher her Mr. Black died last month due to a heart attack." the students murmured to each other. Mr. Tanaka sighed and pushed his glasses closer to his nose. "I shall let you know now that I will not allow and horseplay, or talking out of turn in this class." the class quieted. "First shall be roll call." He went to the desk in the back of the classroom. She was the only one who's gaze stayed ahead of her.
Her heart skipped when he started role call. He past a few names, She noted there was not many people in this class. "Kagome Higurashi?" she paused at her name then raised her hand. She didn't glance back to make sure he saw her. He went on calling names until the list was through. Gracefully he swept past her, she felt the current of wind he made on her cheek. Forcing her hand to stay down she stared at Mr. Tanaka. "We will get right into this class, I want you to get up and grab a book and we will start right now." Kagome was the first up and grabbed a book before the crowd pushed in. She sat down looking at the book so she would have an excuse to divert her eyes.
Five-minutes of lolling around and every student had gotten a book. Shakespeare…Kagome kept her gaze down to prevent anyone from seeing her light blush. She flipped through the book having read most if not all of his work already. He always seemed lacking in the women part but otherwise he was a good writer. "Who has read Shakespeare before?" Mr. Tanaka inquired. Kagome cursed underneath her breath and rose her hand into the air. She looked around and found she was the only one who had. "Well now, would you mind reciting one you like?" Kagome nodded and closed the book having no need of it. She began lowly in a sweet voice.
"How can I then return in happy plight,
That am debarred the benefit of rest?
When day's oppression is not eas'd by night,
But day by night and night by day oppress'd,
And each, though enemies to either's reign,
Do in consent shake hands to torture me,
The one by toil, the other to complain
How far I toil, still farther off from thee.
I tell the day, to please him thou art bright,
And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:
So flatter I the swart-complexion'd night,
When sparkling stars tire not thou gild'st the even.
But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,
And night doth nightly make grief's length seem stronger."
It was one of her favorites. It and the new teacher seemed to sober up the classroom. "It sort of goes with another he wrote before this one…I think that they are a pair." she said quietly. Mr. Tanaka didn't smile but nodded at her. He turned to the rest of the class.
"I would like everyone to pick a sonnet to memorize by next week and recite it for credit. Mrs. Higurashi?" She looked up at him and nodded. "You will already get credit for this assignment and you may go for extra credit by reciting another one." she smiled lightly and nodded at him. "Now go ahead and pick your poem and begin memorizing it now. This will be the only class time for this project." He fluidly went back to his desk ignoring the now constant chatter of voices. Kagome closed her mouth again finding her lips parted once again.
"Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head…" she said lightly with her eyes closed. She looked up sharply looking to the plate windows on the other side of the room. Feeling eyes bore into her soul she searched what she could see nothing, nothing was there but sky and trees. A shiver ran up her spin and she sat up straighter and kept her eyes fixed on the door. No one is there. So stop being so paranoid. Nothing is there. she told herself. She could still feel the eyes boring into her.
Kagome was sure they could see the deep down darkness inside her that she hid so well. Her onyx eyes the only path into this melancholy of hers, but it was well hid and covered by fake smiles and laughs. The feeling that someone knew her this intimately was frightening. Then the feeling lifted like it was never there, that it was only imaginary. She shivered and pulled her arms to her chest feeling chilled. She felt more eyes on her but these were not the malicious feeling eyes that bore into her. What the hell was that? she asked herself. Kagome looked down at her book and turned to a random page and began to read.
The book felt heavy in her hands even though it could not be more than a pound. Kagome found herself reading the same few lines over and over again unable to concentrate. She snapped the book shut and glared around the classroom. She looked back down and breathed inwards, then she let the breath out. She cursed under her breath again. She jumped when the bell rang suddenly. The other students got up grabbing their things and crowding at the door to get out.
She shoved the book into her bag and joined them, pushing and shoving when necessary. The rest of school passed in a blur. She barely remembered anything that went on. Lunch at least was passable since she went out to a nearby fast food restaurant. She remembered dully that Inuyasha was there talking to her without any prompt. Sooner than later she found herself slumped on her bed breathing in the clean smell of the sheets. She closed her eyes…and fell.
Terms: Hakaku was Kagome's imaginary friend since her parents spent most their time working around the shrine. Hakaku is basically a human in Kagome's mind. Kagome saw her father kill himself and feeling that terror, sadness, and lack of understanding she 'killed' her friend by hitting her with a plank of wood and pushing the dazed friend into the well. It is not known if Hakaku was real or not since Kagome seemed to be able to see her and not anyone else. She was very real to Kagome and her death is a lasting wound that sucks Kagome dry.