Haunted by Death

Note- I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I never realized just how difficult it is to juggle adulthood with your passions. It seems like the older you get, the less motivation (and time) you have. I apologize to all of you, my loyal fans, who have been sucked into this series of dramatic stories, and haven't let go. I appreciate you. I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have, because, truthfully, it's been so long since I've been so enveloped in this story that I've lost my way. Thank you.

Summary (Full)- Kagome is finally free of her psychotic cousins, their friends, and her nightmares. Her life has, basically, returned to normal. She's shopping and having fun with her friends. Her relationship with Inuyasha is going perfectly fine. Things couldn't be more perfect. But then, when she signs on one day, Death sends her an Instant Message, threatening her once again. Is it really possible to Escape Death a fourth time?

Haunted by Death

Chapter 7

Sweat was dripping from her forehead, and her muscles were aching, but she didn't care. Kagome continued pummeling the punching bag until her hands could no longer take the abuse. She sat down in the chair across the room and began chugging a bottle of water in between trying to catch her breath. Once finished, she got down onto the floor to do push ups.

One, two, three, four…

Images from earlier in the night flashed through her mind. She had made her way home after Death left her lying on the pavement in the alley. Inuyasha wasn't around, and she figured it probably had to do with the murder she witnessed at the candlelight vigil; he most likely got called to the scene. She hadn't heard from Miroku, but, after answering a call from Sango, she was informed that, despite feeling disappointed in himself, he was doing okay. He was giving a statement to police. Sango had just gotten home and sat down, trying to calm herself after the commotion of the night.

"Are you okay?" Sango had asked.

"I'm fine," Kagome had lied, as she made her way up steps to her front porch. "Why would you ask?"

"Well," Sango began. Kagome could hear Ichiro in the background playing with some building blocks. It sounded like they all tumbled down in a heap on the floor, and he giggled, clapping his hands with joy. "I got out of there in such a rush. I feel terrible that I didn't even offer you a ride home."

Kagome paused. She felt eyes watching her from the shadows. She turned to examine the empty, abandoned house across the street, her eyes carefully scanning the bushes and the dilapidated shed in the back. There were no signs of a person, but she knew Death was much more meticulous than that - whoever Death was at the time. It didn't matter. Each person who assumed the role of this psychotic madman was vigilant and clever.

"Are you still there?"

Kagome snapped to attention. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry." She said, tucking her phone between her cheek and shoulder so she could hurriedly unlock her front door, step inside, and lock it back. "It's okay, Sango, you were thinking about your son. I'm not going to hold that against you."

"I know," Sango said, sighing woefully. "I still feel bad."

"Well, don't, it's okay." Kagome insisted firmly. "But I'm getting off here. I need to blow off some steam, and work out."

"What's going on, Kagome?" Sango asked, suddenly very concerned and suspicious. "You haven't done any working out since…" her friend trailed off. "Either way…you haven't really gone to your den to work out."

"Nothing, I promise. I'm just uptight. If you need anything, call me." Kagome said, staring at herself in the mirror that was hanging in the foyer. "Bye."

"Bye."

Kagome had hung up, tossed her phone onto the counter in the kitchen, and made her way into the den where they had a treadmill and weights. And here was, doing push ups in the middle of the room. She wasn't just blowing off steam; she was doing with Death suggested she do - get back into training. He was right - she was rusty. Her poor fighting skills and lack of responsiveness proved it out in that alley.

Twenty, twenty one, twenty two…

Who in the hell was Death this time? She wondered. What was his plan? Maybe he didn't have one. 'He certainly spoke as if he did,' she reminded herself.

"Perhaps," he concurred. "We will see in time, I suppose."

"What's that mean?" Kagome asked. He said nothing, and she got into his face and snarled, "What do you mean?"

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and shoved her back. "You will see, my dear. All will be revealed in time."

Kagome shook her head. It was all a ruse. He was lying, just to make her think something was going to happen. What in the world could he possibly have planned? Nothing! They were all either in jail, or dead. She would know; she got them locked up, or she killed them herself. There was absolutely no way in hell they had escaped. Inuyasha would've been the first one to tell her, and he would've done everything in his power to get her the heck out of there.

Thirty two, thirty three, thirty four…

Then who was Death? Who was this crazy madman, tormenting her via instant message and email? Who was this psycho, running around, slicing peoples' throats at her command? Who was the man out there tonight, the one who killed that woman in the middle of a crowd, and no one else saw him but Kagome?

"You should have stayed," the figure said heatedly. "You didn't have to leave. Things were going just fine with you there."

Kagome couldn't even make it to fifty push ups. She collapsed onto her stomach on the floor in a sweaty, breathless, dissatisfied heap. Ryura had said those exact words to her. She shook her head. 'It can't be,' her mind told her. 'He is locked away. He can't be hurting these people.'

Kagome just had to go see for herself. She hadn't set foot in the prison since the day they were locked away, not even to visit Inuyasha. Maybe, if she saw them locked behind steel bars, and saw just how confined they were in their cold, unforgiving cages, it would become more real to her.

She stood up slowly, her muscles feeling stiff and tired, and made her way upstairs to shower and change. Once in her room, she logged on to type her mom a quick email.

"Hey, mom, it's me. Just checking in with you. I wanted to tell you I miss you and that everything here has been good. Sango and her family are well.

I will have to stop by sometime. Take care of yourself, okay?

Love you,

Kagome."

Closing out her email, she went into her closet, grabbed an outfit to change into, and went into her bathroom. She turned the water on to let it warm up as she undressed. Climbing into the tub, she stood beneath the cascade of hot water, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of it as it relaxed her muscles, and for just a few moments, everything felt okay.

Kagome stood outside of Inuyasha's workplace, trying to swallow back her fear. She had her hands in the pockets of her jeans and her hair was tied securely in a ponytail. She had no idea what she was doing at this place, or what she was going to say. All she knew was they she was afraid, and wanted to put those fears to rest by confirming, in person, with her own eyes, that the people who hurt her most were locked securely behind steel bars.

Bracing herself, she walked through the doors and headed to the front desk. She didn't recognize the younger gentleman there, but he smiled kindly to her. "Can I help you, ma'am?"

"I'm here to visit someone," she began.

He nodded and said, "Who might that be?"

Kagome frowned slightly. Who was she here to visit, exactly? She just needed to see one of them, it didn't matter who. "Ryura-" The man at the desk scowled, causing Kagome to cut herself off. Apparently, everyone knew who he was. "This way, please," he said, stepping around the counter and leading her down a hallway to the side of the counter. The walk was relatively short, but Kagome spent the entire time living inside her mind. She prayed she didn't run into Inuyasha, or anyone else that knew her. How in the world would she be able to explain why she was here visiting the people who tortured her? She couldn't. At least, not without giving up her secret - that she was being harassed once again, and the current murders were connected to the ones at her high school.

Kagome was led into a room with a glass wall in the middle, separating convicts from visitors. There were eight slots in the glass wall, each sectioned off for privacy, and each contained a metal chair and a phone. "Have a seat," the young man told her, disappearing through a door on the left.

Shakily, Kagome took a seat in the fourth slot and leaned against the counter top, clenching her fists in nervous anticipation. She gulped back something hard and foul tasting, and did her best to keep her heart at a normal rhythm.

At length, she saw him. He walked slowly through the door, chains around his ankles and wrists. Her heart, despite her mind's protests, leapt straight up into her throat. As soon as his red eyes made contact with her, he stopped walking. After a moment, he smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, either. It was almost cocky and arrogant. She took this time to look him over. It truly was him. His purple hair hadn't changed much, and was still in a long braid. His fangs were still as sharp as ever, his face the same.

He finally sat down in the chair on the other side of the glass, his chains clanking noisily against the floor and the counter. She lifted the phone on her side of the glass, and nodded to him, asking him to do the same thing.

"Well, well," he said, before she could get a word out. Her breath hitched, and he heard it, his smirk growing bigger. "I knew you'd come back. How's life on the outside?"

Kagome couldn't speak. This man…she loved this man. At one point, he meant something to her. It disgusted her now to think of it, but she had been fond of him. At one time, she thought he was one of the nicer ones. She had thought that she could save him, and get him to start over. Even after Inuyasha had come along and she regained her memory, she wanted Ryura to free himself, and stop being the psychopath that he was.

You can't, she learned, fix everyone.

"Hello? Earth to Kagome." He was waving to get her attention.

"Stop emailing me," she blurted. To say his face was shocked was an understatement, but she continued, "And stop instant messaging me."

After a brief hesitation, he laughed. Laughed! "Oh, I see. Someone is still out to get you, huh?" He shook his head, still chuckling. "Oh, this is priceless. Well, look, sweetheart, it isn't me." He looked around for a moment before cradling the phone against his shoulder, beneath his cheek so he could raise his chained wrists for emphasis. "You put me in here, remember?"

"Then who is it?" She found herself yelling, leaning forward, her voice cracking with desperation. "Who is blackmailing me this time? Who is out there killing people now?"

"I don't know anything about blackmailing you, or the murders," he said, his face taking on a more serious expression, but never truly letting go of that trace of humor. "Heck," he said, leaning back in his chair, "I wish I was the one blackmailing you. It'd be much better than rotting in here."

Kagome's shoulders slumped. This was pointless.

"Don't look so down," he said.

Kagome just stared at the countertop. If Ryura didn't know, one of them did. She was just going to have to visit with each one of them until she came up with the information she needed. Just as Kagome was about to request a visit with Suikotsu, the man who had led her to the visiting room entered and said "I'm sorry, ma'am, but visiting hours are over. You can come back tomorrow."

"Aw, too bad," Ryura said, his smirk back. "I was enjoying our little chat. It's been far too long. Honestly, I would like to do more than chat."

Scowling, Kagome responded, "You're sick."

"Miss you, too, Kagome." He said with a wink. "See you later." He hung up the phone, climbed to his feet, and slowly made his way back to his cell.

Sighing, Kagome placed her phone back in its cradle and headed back out the door she came through. 'Ryura doesn't know,' her mind said, in a panicked voice. 'If he doesn't know, who does?'

She walked down the hallway and ended up back in the lobby. Staring out the door, she noticed it had begun to rain. 'I will just have to talk to them all, then,' she thought firmly. 'One of them has to know.'

"Kagome?"

She jumped, whirling around, and came nose to chin with Inuyasha. "Oh, Inuyasha, you scared me," she said, with a nervous chuckle.

"Kagome, where the hell have you been? And why are you here now?" He demanded. His amber eyes were filled with worry and smoldering with anger.

"I, uh, I was at the vigil," she stammered.

"I know that!" He yelled. "That's why I was worried! I was called to the scene and you weren't there."

"I went home," she said simply.

"You went home." Inuyasha responded, his voice flat. "And you didn't call me?"

Kagome flinched away from him. "I'm sorry! I was so caught up in it all. I guess I was freaked out. But I'm here now. I came to see you."

This didn't seem the placate him in any way. He grabbed her by the hand and began to lead her back towards his office. "Good," he muttered, "'cause you need to give a statement about what happened."