Title: Rhapsody in Eight Movements
Author: LuxKen27
Universe: Alternate (modern day Japan)
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Rating: T
Warning(s): Mentions of death, the treatment of mental illnesses
Summary: When a mysterious man washes ashore on Halloween night, it becomes a race against time to uncover his identity – and the circumstances that left him there.
DISCLAIMER: The Inuyasha concept, storyline, and characters are © 1996-2008 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Viz Media. No money is being made from the creation of this material. No copyright infringement is intended.
Further author's notes can be found at my Dreamwidth and/or LiveJournal.
"I frequently hear music in the very heart of noise."
– George Gershwin, 1931
I remember…
…catching fleeting glimpses of the night sky above me – how the dark, threatening clouds steadily rolled in, blotting out the meager light from the moon and the stars. I could smell the rain in the air, I could sense the heaviness of the storm that was about the break – but I was powerless to stop it.
I remember…
concentrating, continuing my steady pace in the sea. My clothes were heavy and cumbersome, but I could not shed them without a struggle. The saltiness of the water stung me – my eyes, my hands, my feet, every patch of exposed skin rubbed raw from the hours of struggle to reach land. My muscles screamed in agony, my joints locking and seizing with every kick and stroke, but still, I continued.
I had to be strong.
I had to keep going.
I was almost there…
I remember…
…that first streak of lightning hurtling across the sky, followed closely by a clap of thunder that promised serious return. The ocean began to swirl violently around me, its waves climbing up and crashing over me. The rip current developed in an instant, pulling at my legs, dragging me down into the murderous depths below. I fought it with all of my might, gasping for breath even as my head sank beneath the surface.
I remember…
…thinking: this was the wrong ending.