Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not claim to own the plot concepts of "Yu Yu Hakusho," nor do I claim ownership over the characters as both were created by Yoshihiro Togashi and published by Shueisha. "Yu Yu Hakusho," the television series, was directed by Akiyuki Arafusa and Noriyuki Abe and written by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi. The television series of "Yu Yu Hakusho" was licensed by Madman Entertainment, MVM Films, and Funimation. Due to the fact that I have clearly accredited both genres of "Yu Yu Hakusho" I expect to remain free of all plagiaristic directed allegations. I will not be making money through this work; therefore, there is no copyright infringement intended. This work is purely and only meant to be a practice for me, and to learn what others may think of my work.

Authors Note: Enjoy!

Chapter One

Fool in the Rain

Rain hit the dirty glass, creating a sound like scrapping tin in the late night. Lea stared at her computer screen re-reading the same typed sentence over and over with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in hand; A daily routine for the up and coming writer of the year. Stacks of used paper littered the remaining space on her desk and parts of the floor slowly surrounding her like a cage. In time she would be able to publish her work as non-fiction, her research depended on it. Countless hours and sleepless nights were spent as a result of pride and determination.

'They need to know what's out there.'

When she first informed her former peers about the idea of another world existing some laughed, while others acknowledged the tale just for Lea's wellbeing. She tried to explain what happened to her the week she missed work, but everyone smiled at her lies. Rumors had fluttered around the office that Lea had finally found herself a guy who only broke her heart, and in the end she hid in sorrow.

In her opinion it was a tasteless story.

Taking a sip from the worn New York Rangers hockey mug, she opened up another screen to her private collection of photos and viewed one in particular. The screen displayed a silhouette of a man hovering a foot off the ground with a body lying beneath him. When Lea first came across this image in her mailbox, she thought it was faked. A cruel joke from a so called fan, but when the news broadcasted the following week, Lea realized that unconscious man on the ground was no other than deceased thirty-four year old Jeremiah Shanks.

Immediately the writer contacted the owner of the photo and questioned them relentlessly. The man explained the neighborhood had recently been experiencing looting problems in the area and had purchased a security system to place in the field surrounding his ranch. When Lea asked if she would be able to see the tape and ask him a few questions in a one on one interview, the line mysteriously went dead. After a few call backs and unanswered voicemails she finally gave up. He was found dead a month later within a mile radius of Jeremiah, and as a response a curfew for the town was put in place.

When Lea published her first book, the media announced it as a freshly new and well imagined piece of Fiction, thus creating a war within her to prove them wrong.

"Watch Yourself"

The #1 Supernatural fiction pick for the past two years.

The book circulated through every T.V. and Radio Station across the states. College professors used the piece to help Psychology majors understand the workings of the human mind. 'A twenty-first century Freud in the making.' When it came to the fans surrounding the novel, the author split them into two categories.

The dreamers and the critics.

The dreamers constantly begged for more. Her story was closely compared to a hard addiction for the mind. They bombarded her publishers' website with questions, praises, and demands of wanting more. A cult classic creating followers in every corner.

The critics raved about originality and sense of wonder. Even though her work was a little eccentric and on the horror side; it portrayed the true inner human thoughts, and what people create to escape the disturbing downfalls of reality. They named her a Picasso with words.

But no one really believed.

A small mewl took Lea's attention away from the screen and she smiled warmly at her cat. Sphinx never judged, and always let Lea know she was loved with subtle rubs to the brunette's calves. Another low rumble of thunder echoed throughout the empty home and Lea's eyes shifted to her handed down grandfather clock. Slowly she stretched back and raised her arms above her head.

Tiredness started to creep into her bones and when she dropped her arms back down and slumped forward the small tingles of sleep washed over her skin. Her publisher Max demanded to see another rough draft by the end of the month and Lea forced herself to write more about the other world. Or what she could dig up from memory and works of unexplained historical events. But it was difficult, and the strangers she reached out to never responded back.

She closed her eyes at the thought, and languidly her mind went back to her encounter.

It happened one afternoon in the middle of September. Fall was slowly showing itself through the changes of leaves and smoke smell in the air. It was Lea's favorite time to jog through the park outside the busy streets of New York City.

She was already halfway through the trail when a large gust swept besides her making the woman stop in her tracks. The current was strong as another wave of wind came right after and pushed harder against her back, almost making her lose her footing. A small sigh escaped her cold lips and she turned to cut through the woods towards her car.

It took Lea some time to realize that her 'shortcut' was anything but.

When she checked the clock on her phone to see thirty minutes had rolled by and her view hadn't changed; she started to panic. The ending trail was nowhere in sight and the woods still looked as if she had just entered. After a few more minutes rolled by, the sun started to settle behind the trees creating a strange purple color above the clouds, and the cold began to creep up her back. Putting her phone in her pocket she started to run.

And run,

And run.

Sweat began to drip from her brows, and her corneas stung from the wind. The weather felt harsher, like a dangerous storm making its presence known. Her heart stammered against her ribs, and she had to stop briefly by a dying tree to cough out the exhaustion. There was no way she got lost. Her Jeep was only parked a few miles away, and the trail was categorized under beginners. 'Did I take a wrong turn?' The sound of crunching leaves behind her made her turn and before she could see what it was the world went black.

The dark cloaked figure watched with a grimace as the woman fell heavily to the ground. Humans were such careless fragile creatures with no purpose but to unconsciously destroy the realm they lived in. To keep them from destroying a home his kind called their own was difficult, but it was his job along with so many others. So he grabbed her leg and walked forward.

It wasn't long before Lea began to gain consciousness and tried to hurriedly blink away the blurriness of her vision. The brunette could feel herself being dragged against the cold earth but her mind was numb, and she tried with difficulty to focus on the person holding her ankle. Her heart dropped down into her stomach and her throat closed considerably in shock. As quiet as she could be, Lea began to study her kidnapper.

His entire outfit was black and the color faded in different areas along this shirt. A white scarf that once looked thick wrapped loosely around his neck and small raised scar lines littered the exposing skin. The wind moved through them, pushing away the shirt to give Lea a glimpse of an object attached to his hip.

Her eyes squinted to figure out what it was. It was too long to be a gun, and too thin to be a heavy object. A small shine caught against the deserting sun and Lea's eyes widened in realization. 'A sword!' Instantly she could feel the tightness of her throat and chest becoming worse. The one day she left her gun at home.

'Somebody help me!'

'Please God I don't want to die.'

'Fuck! Help me please!'

'Where is everybody?!'

The wind no longer made a sound and his boots refused to make a crunch against the fallen leaves. The dragging of her body didn't reach her ears, and she realized everything was silent. The pounding of her heart was the only thing she could feel, and watched wide eyed at the stranger before her. Different scenarios flickered across her mind as each minute dragged out slowly. Small sticks and rocks were scratching at her lower back and hands, and the constant pain was challenging to remain still.

To this day Lea never understood what possessed her to move, but she was glad she did.

It seemed like ages before she felt the stranger slow down, and the sound of running water immediately caught her attention. Slowly lifting her head, Lea could somewhat make out the small waterfall before her. This was her only way to survive and she knew this part of the forest. Her car was parked close to the trail surrounding the landmark and she had to get to it fast. Carefully she braced her hands flat behind her to lean herself up the slightest bit, and then she rolled her body quickly. Her foot twisted in his grasp and she felt him let go from the shock. By the time he turned to hit her again, she was already on the edge of the cliff and he latched on to the back of her hoodie to pull her away.

Lea reacted by turning to face him and pulled his headband as her foot connected with his stomach. He let go of her from the contact and when she felt herself falling back, their eyes connected.

Beautiful red irises glared back at her as a scowl raised his lip and then, a larger third eye opened along his forehead.

She screamed until she hit the freezing water.

Back at Lea's apartment, the picture burned against the screen silently begging her to travel to the mysterious spot. Something clearly was lurking in the small section of the woods and if Lea wanted to finish her second book by the deadline she would have to do some investigating.

"Tomorrow," She said sleepily. "I'll go tomorrow."

Unbeknownst to the mere mortal, a shadowy figure stood waiting in the dark corner of her living room, a flash of lightening showing off the handle of a sword. Groggily Lea got up and made her way to the kitchen to dispose of the left over coffee while her cat stayed behind in her office. As the radio played quietly in the background, Lea made a mental list of what she might need on her small trip. It would take at least three hours to get there and with the summer weather only getting warmer; she wanted to be prepared. A small howl caught the brunettes' attention as she shut off the faucet. Slowly she leaned back and craned her neck to look through the doorway.

"…Sphinx?"

Another howl, screech, and hiss answered her and Lea instantly pulled out her .9 millimeter from the top kitchen draw.

'I want to hold you close...'

"If somebody is in here I'm giving you fair warning to surrender or feel the pain of my hollow point."

'Soft breath, beating heart...'

For extra emphasis she cocked back the barrel to load her gun. The sound to any person would be deafening, maybe even a bit frightening, but the strange man in her home didn't flinch. Her mind and body were on full alert, as her dark eyes scanned every crevice visible to her from the doorway. With both arms extended out, and her back pressed against the wall; she moved.

'As I whisper in your ear…'

Lightening continued to flash across her window, lighting the darkness for small periods of time, and she studied everything that she could in the short time that was given to her.

"Sphinx," She called out quietly. "Sphinx."

'I want to fucking tear you apart.'

In that moment, something odd hit Lea's stomach the second she moved to the other wall separating the living room and the office. The tug started off slowly and grew into a throb as she inched near the doorway. She took two steps back against the all as the feeling in her body began to calm down. The brunette stayed silent for a few more minutes, waiting to see if whoever it was would move.

But nothing happened.

Quietly the intruder moved to the opposite side of the wall Lea was currently resting against. Their backs now separated a mere few inches of drywall. A calloused hand reached for the handle of his weapon, ready for her to enter through the doorway. He had to be quick or the sound from her gun would attract attention he didn't want or need.

'I'm probably just being paranoid.' She thought. 'Then again…'

Turning slightly she carefully aimed her newly cleaned Smith & Wesson at the pale painted green wall and fired. The sound ricocheted around the room creating a large echo, and finally…Her intruder showed himself. The edge of the sword pierced suddenly through the drywall missing Lea's neck by a hair. Quickly she leaned back and pulled the trigger a few more times, creating craters around the thin piece of metal as her arm shook from the force.

"Die you fucking scumbag!"

The sword disappeared and the man moved quickly to the large living room window clutching his right arm before smashing through the thick glass. Lea shot her last few rounds at his retreating figure and stopped when her eye caught something odd.

A white scarf stuck against the broken glass, and the realization hit her.

'How did he find me?'

After a few moments, hard knocking against her front door helped her snap out of her thoughts and she ran towards the broken window to look for her kidnapper. Crushed glass on the concrete sidewalk was the only thing that greeted her.

'He's gone!'

Lea's front door burst open, letting in Frank the security guard and two terrified neighbors. They scanned the area as the brunette stood still staring out the window.

"Ms. Freeman?" Frank asked nervously as his hand clutched the Taser. "Are you okay?"

A few drops of rain fell against Lea's bare arms before she had to pull herself away from the window and turned to the three familiar faces. "Did you see him?" She questioned. "Did you see the guy?" A million thoughts raced around her mind, and for a moment she was numb. Like the fuzzy feeling you got when you stood up too quickly.

"What guy Ms. Freeman? What did he look like?"

Lea noticed they were eyeing her gun uncomfortably, and she instantly removed the magazine before throwing both pieces onto the couch. "Someone broke into my place and tried to kill me." She tried to say steadily, but the fear was slowly taking over. "Don't worry." Frank said as he walked over to the young woman and rested a hand on her shoulder. "The authorities are on their way." Her eyes shifted to the older shaggy haired man and his shorter partner. "I think you two should go." She tried to say kindly. "Thank you for checking on me."

Getting the hint, her neighbors left at her command after turning back one more time to look at the damaged wall and window. Frank uneasily waited with the young woman until the authorities arrived.

"Need a drink?" She asked the burly man.

"Uh…"

"Whiskey it is."

Twenty Minutes Later…

"And you said you've seen this person before?" The suited man questioned.

"Yes, he's the one I reported trying to kidnap me a few years ago." Lea answered through gritted teeth.

"Of course, and are you on any medications or were prescribed any medications in the last six months?"

'Seriously? You fucking dick."

"No, like I said, I was working on my next book then went to get ready for bed and my cat started making these weird noises. I go to check on him and a fucking sword comes jamming through my wall."

So her story was a little skewed, so what. Who would believe her if she stated she shot first just because Lea felt something was off. The detectives' eyebrow rose a little. Clearly he wasn't buying that part of the story.

"And you just happened to have your gun on you?" He asked.

"My cat was making strange noises. You know the ones that warn you something bad is fucking coming."

A small sigh left his lips and quietly took a seat next to her. The brunette eyed him suspiciously as he placed the pen and pad in his coat pocket. "Ms. Freeman I can understand why you're upset but try to see through my eyes in this particular scenario." He started. "The man that tried to abduct you somehow found out where you lived, failed to kill you, jumped out of the fifth story window with no padding of any sort to land on, and vanished."

'Okay, so this guy definitely has a point.'

"Lea I want to help you, but this is a li-" "Sir, we found something."

Both heads turned suddenly to see one of the police officers holding a white piece of bloodied cloth in a plastic bag. Relief washed over Lea instantly, before she smirked at the astonished detective.

"Still think I'm making this up?"


"Seriously what the hell were you thinking? It's all over the goddamn news!"

"Relax Max; I'd be dead and no longer providing you a fucking paycheck."

"…your fans are going ballistic all over the site, and fan page. I can't even keep up with the press alone."

"Good, maybe they'll find that asshole before the cops do. Listen I have to go, I planned to do some traveling today and the whole investigation is putting me off."

"Doing this for the book right?"

'Motherfucker.'

"Bye."

Lea's thumb couldn't have hit the end button harder or fast enough before she fell back against the couch. Her publisher wasn't a bad guy; he was just a bit socially impaired. Glancing down at her feet, Sphinx meowed softly as he moved against her legs. She groaned getting back up from the couch and moved towards the kitchen to make her spoiled pet an early dinner. Brown eyes drifted to the plastic covered window, and her attitude became a bit more nerved.

There were so many scenarios created to understand how and why he came back for her after so long. Did he think she saw something he didn't want her to see? Or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? She froze instantly. 'His eye!' It was the only thing she kept silent about during her questioning with the police and sketch artist. After dumping the canned food into a bowl she quickly grabbed her bag and keys before running out the door.

After her attack the police questioned her relentlessly and for a short period of time she was kept under witness protection. Her employer at the time knew about the incident but was informed no one else within the business would be allowed to know. It was then that the rumors started when Lea went M.I.A.

Her inspiration started in the beginning of that week. Hours were spent on the internet studying every case similar to the one she experienced, but no one was able to receive an answer. It took a year to finish her first draft, and then Max came into the picture. He noticed her at a hole in the wall bar, sitting in the corner with a full warm beer beside a stack of papers. They spoke briefly, until Max read the first chapter while Lea continued to work. He made her a business deal that night, and she quit her job before the end of month.

The main floor to her building was packed with real state agents and potential residents. They moved swiftly out of the way when Lea moved her way through the crowd in a rush, and Frank eyed her suspiciously.

"Mrs. Freeman, are you alright?" Frank asked from the front desk of the lobby as he watched the young brunette running through the door.

"Fine Frank just late!"

The two security guards looked at one another before the older man shrugged his shoulders. "It's like last night didn't happen." Keith commented. Frank nodded in agreement. "She could still be in shock, do me a favor and wait a bit before you ask her out." Immediately the younger guard went back to looking at his comic. "…damn."

The drive to the forbidden landmark was more than nerve-wracking. Her body tingled with anxiety, fear, and excitement, while music blasted throughout the car. There was a time when Lea had no need for adventure, and risk taking. She was fine working as an accountant, and had a good group of friends she could rely on. Nothing was ever strange, and the stories people did hear about were from the phony tabloids at the stands. But when her incident occurred and her obsession took over, more friends started to slowly venture away.

"Lea stop this!"

"You're not yourself. You need psychological help, let me make an appointment."

"This isn't healthy for anyone."

"He's an asshole; there are plenty of guys out there."

"Enough!"

She could still remember the astonished looks. All of them were fearful for her mind and wellbeing. Her phone rang throughout the car speakers, halting the rock music for a few moments. Quickly she pressed the answer button on the back of her steering wheel.

"Lea here."

"Ms. Freeman its detective Locke, how are you doing?"

Her eyes shut momentarily in annoyance. "I'm fine as anyone could be in this situation. How are you?" 'Please go away.'

"I'm a little confused to be completely honest." He began. "Are you sure it was a man that attacked you?"

Lea's brows furrowed together in question. Why would he ask that? "Yes, why?"

A sighed came through the battered speakers and what sounded like a coffee mug hitting the desk non to gently. "Forensics just came back with the evidence. Traces of unknown reptilian blood were found on the clothing. Nothing to determine it was human or what kind of creature it actually was. So I'm going to ask again Ms. Freeman. Are you sure it was a man?"

"Are you joking with me?" Lea snapped back. "Because clearly your forensics teams are a bunch of morons who bought their degrees." A few silent moments passed before Lea thought the detective hung up.

"I apologize; this is just a little unorthodox. We haven't had an issue like this before."

'Of course this is strange; he isn't human.'

"Its fine, just let me when you do find something, I'm curious just as you are." She was just about to hang up when he interrupted her.

"Lea, just do me a favor and don't go snooping where you're not supposed to. I know your work means a lot to you, but your life is worth much more."

"…Got it."

Both lines disconnected and the music began to play again. Her hypothesis was looking to be more realistic than she would like to swallow. In her first piece of work, Lea explained there were other beings out there that very little knew about. Sure there were talks of aliens, ghosts, and your occasional big foot. But when it came to demons it was almost a taboo. Movies always incorporated them with possession, exorcisms, and churches. But what if there was more? What if there was actually something out there larger than what others perceived as their world. The GPS spoke through the speaker and the hair on the back of the brunette's neck stood.

She was here.

An abandoned trailer home sat in the middle of an overgrown lawn, and she parked her jeep behind the decrepit building. The sun was still high in the sky and Lea mentally gave herself four hours before dusk would start to settle. Grabbing her back pack and checking her items over for the fifth time, she got out of the car.

The back of the deceased man's house was almost silent compared to New York City's Central Park. The thick forest surrounding the rusted surveillance systems gave off an ominous feel, and the lack of people Lea was accustomed to seemed wrong. The small town close by was full of sincerely kind folks who would have been more than willing to lend a hand. When she stopped to get gas and a few snacks, one young man in particular almost pleaded with the brunette to let him come along.

Lea gave herself a few moments to collect her thoughts and changed the settings on her camera before making her way through the thick brush. It would take her at least two miles to reach the final resting places of her mystery helper and Jeremiah. When the News Stations covered both oddly deaths they never mentioned a murderer. Even with one photo to prove otherwise, they always reverted back to a large animal attack. Each body was mangled, and torn in ways a human being wouldn't be able to accomplish on their own, and it made a lot of people question. Conspiracy theorists always fought back when the authorities finally came out with their ending statement, but the town officials pushed away their silly ideas. Everyone finally just took it as it was and by the following week, went back to their normal lives.

Some time later into the writers hike, a jingle rang through Lea's pocket, and she quickly fished for it. The screen was fogged from the heat of her legs and she wiped away the condensation the best that she could. The app was connected through a GPS tracker to coordinate her location and from what was being shown; Lea was dead center of her goal. Her eyes scanned the area, almost hoping to see evidence left over. Strangely, the spot was clear of bushes, leaves, grass and trees. A questioning scene that made her feel a little uncomfortable. Quickly she placed the phone in her backpack then lifted her camera to take a few photos. The area was barren of anything, and only small lumps of freshly piled dirt were pressed against the grass creating a large circle.

And then finally…something caught her eye through the lens.

Lea rested the camera back against her chest and walked over to the small mound at the edge of the circle. A sparkle flickered with every chance the sun touched it through the leaves, and Lea crouched to get a closer look as she retrieved her camera again to take a few more pictures. The item was small. So small in fact, that it couldn't have been bigger than a dime. It had the color of mixed blues and whites, almost making the object to appear clear, then full. Carefully she picked it up and her mind wanted nothing more than to keep it. The chain holding the pendant in place was rusted with age and falling apart. But the jewel itself looked freshly made.

Grabbing a Ziploc bag from her backpack she went to place what she assumed to be a necklace inside, but a sudden sharp piece of metal against her throat stopped her.

"Give it to me."

Authors Note: Please let me know what you think. I have been trying to find a BETA for three months now with little success. If you would like to help please message me.

Thank you,

Christina