...He was maybe ten or so steps away form where I stood. Motionless, he glared at me. I couldn't see his face, but I could feel his gaze. It seeped through me like icy, black water as it drowned me.

Thank God, she answered me. She was in the trees right ahead of me. I raced forwards to the edge of the trees.

"Kagome, where?"

Silence.

"Kagome!"

Nothing.

I burst through the dense forest, continuously calling her name. Just one sound, just one, I would find her, I had to. I couldn't see a damn thing however, I blinked frantically to adjust my vision faster. What in the hell was she doing in here?

I tripped over a upturned root, tripping was not something I was used to. Nor was such a poor sense of smell, or this useless vision, or this depleted hearing, or this lack of speed and strength. All I could do was fumble through the forest, hoping for a scream to provide direction and a miracle to keep my beloved alive.

"INUYASHA! PLEASE HELP!" The blood-curdling sound rang in the darkness. It was petrifying. She sounded absolutely panicked, like whatever attempts she was making to get away were failing fast.

I veered left, following the sound. She was heading out of the trees, running from something.

"Kagome! Hold on! I'm coming!"

"NO..." I whimpered. Backing away until I felt my heels hit another stump, I didn't take my eyes off him. It was horrifying to look at him, but also horrifying not to. It's not a good idea to break eye contact with a psycho murderer. His head turned, following my movement. He stayed still other than that, his dark form so close and so menacing. I heard Inuyasha calling my name. He wasn't close enough. He wasn't going to be able to save me. And even if he did get to me in time, I did not want him to face this man, not for me, not at all. I couldn't take any more, I turned and jumped over the stump, racing away as fast as I could. I pumped my arms faster, pushing off from the ground with all my strength. I jumped over another tree and broke into a clear spot. When I looked back again, he was still standing there, watching me. My stomach churned, he was messing with me on purpose.

"INUYASHA! PLEASE HELP!" I was shrieking now, this was too much.

"Kagome! Hold on! I'm coming!" I couldn't tell where he was or which direction he was in. His voice echoed through the trees.

I mumbled a prayer through my teeth as I made a mad dash for the light that was glowing brighter through the black silhouettes of the trees, they looked like jail bars. Was this forest meant to keep me locked in for eternity? Was this to be my death bed? How ironic. Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me, you are a bird in a cage.That chant played over and over, I think I was on the brink of insanity, hysteria, something.

I thought I heard someone trudging behind me, I ran faster. Screamed as loud as I could. My legs were giving up, my lungs were drying up, so was my hope.

Practically launching myself off a fallen tree, I braced myself before I tumbled to the ground. I stood, picking up momentum again. I broke free of the tangled branches of a willow, and there it was. A strait shot. The distance: maybe half a football field long dash down the path, out of the trees, and into the field. Not that I was positive that this crazy stalker wouldn't follow me out of the forest, but at least we'd be in the open. I could run without getting hit in the face by mother nature.

Just as I pumped my remaining energy to my legs and feet, preparing to make the final push to the finish line, a dark figure suddenly leapt onto the trail a few feet ahead of me. I couldn't stop soon enough, and I fell right into his grasp. He grabbed my wrists and held them firmly. I decided to use the last bit of strength I had fighting him. I didn't care what he was, I would kick, scream, bite, claw, whatever. I wasn't going to go down as the weakling that went down easy.

I lashed my fists at him, getting a jump start on my pointless struggle.

"Let go! Let go!" I screamed and cried at the same time. I realized I was basically pleading for him to spare me.

"Kagome! Kagome!"

It was like a pin dropping, a flame cracking, or fingers snapping. Suddenly, something clicked and I understood. Something snapped and I went numb, the fear melted away and was replaced with a dull apprehension that was barely frantic enough to be called so.

"Inu-Yasha " I paused in shock for a moment, absorbing his presence. I was utterly astounded and relieved beyond words. Then, the fear set in again.
He stared back at me; no peircing golden orbs. He clutched me tightly; no claws. I could barely see anything in the deep darkness of the night; there was no moon.

I realized we weren't out of the woods yet, literally.

"Come on, we have to go!" I pulled desperately at his arms, trying to drag him away. He stayed put, then started asking questions.

"Kagome, what happened?" He looked crazed out of his mind, most likely an after-effect of my screaming. "Who's after you? What's wrong? Tell me!"

I couldn't possibly explain in time. I looked past his questioning, fixated gaze and into the black forest. My eyes were playing tricks on me, the shadows were dancing.

"Lets go! Please! Lets just go! Please, Please." I begged.

Reluctantly, he obeyed. He turned and walked backwards between me and the darkness, where the stranger lurked. I couldn't believe that that maniac would let us leave. Was all that a game to scare me out of my mind? Was he trying to make me look like a lunatic who was running from nothing? I backed up faster and pulled him with me. He kept his arm out to keep me behind him.

While still watching the dark trees, his eyes darting quickly from the forest floor to the tree tops, he asked, "What am I dealing with here Kagome?"

I hesitated. I still felt vulnerable. I didn't want to answer questions even though it would make things easier for Inuyasha. There would hopefully be time for questions later. However, with my luck, I'd get cut off mid-sentence when the maniac would suddenly turn up right behind me and finish the job. I fidgeted nervously with Inuyasha's sleeve, jerking my head around to search for any sign of an impending attack. What were we dealing with exactly?

Who was he? Where did he come from? And why did he all of a sudden come after me? What did I do to him? That's what didn't make any sense. He zeroed in on me for no apparent reason, it was random. He just wanted me dead, or he wanted me to squirm, one of the two.

Sometimes I believe in coincidences, but this was not one of those times. This was one ginormous coincidence, made up of little tiny coincidences. And somehow, this guy had slithered his way into my dreams, prior to any incident. I had a bad feeling he was the reason I walked to the well against my will in the first place and the reason I was experiencing major deja vu.

So what were we dealing with?

"I don't know." I murmured.