Speak
Chapter 10: Flames of Horror
"I say we watch this one," Sango vouched, picking up a romance movie.
Miroku grinned. "Dear Sango, the passion and fiery loved shared between two people is a beautiful thing. Even a story such as this," he said, gesturing towards the cover. It was a remake of Romeo and Juliet in a modern day tale, telling the story of two star-crossed lovers destined to die in each others arms. The dark-haired boy put a hand over his heart as his other hand reached towards the ceiling. "'But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun! Arise fair sun and kill the envious m-'" A loud smack resounded through the room, cutting off Miroku's speech.
Sango glared at him dangerously. "Watch yourself," she warned bitterly, placing the movie back on the shelf. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch, trying to ignore the stream of words coming from the man's mouth.
"But Sango," he begged, kneeling before her in a respectful manner. "I only wish to express my feelings towards you in the words of Shakespeare, as he was the god of romance."
"Miroku!" the brunette growled, fisting her hands at her side and threatening to knock him unconscious. "Say one more word ... "
He gulped and threw up his hands defensively. Even the perverted boy knew when to quit and having Sango angry at him was not on his wish list. A sheepish smile flitted across his lips as he retreated to sitting next to her. The girl's eyes followed his movements, daring him to do something he would regret.
Inuyasha watched from the sidelines and Kagome couldn't help but smile. She felt as if she were part of this small group of friends now. Even though they had only been together for a few days, she knew more about them then any of her friends at her old school. "Idiot," the half-demon mumbled under his breath as he watched Miroku's lame attempt at romance. "When is he gonna learn?"
He knelt down and searched through the various movies he had acquired over the years and finally settled on one. "Oh no!" Sango intercepted, grabbing the disk before he could slip it into the DVD player. "We are not watching Friday the 13th. Don't you remember what happened last time?"
Miroku laughed behind her, receiving a glare from the brunette. "Oh, right," Inuyasha sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in exasperation. When he stole a glance at Kagome's confused gaze, he decided to clue her in on the joke. "You see, Sango has some problems when it comes to really scary flicks. Turns out there's a monster in her closet." He smirked and dodged the oncoming pillow as his attacker crossed her arms and glared at him.
"That was years ago!" she complained, feeling the burn in her cheeks from embarrassment.
Miroku came up beside her and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Last time you watched a scary movie, you were only here with Inuyasha and had been twelve at the time. You still aren't scared of monsters under the bed, now are you?" He gave her a sympathetic smile.
"It was the closet," she mumbled half-heartily, turning away from the man at her side. After a moment of hesitation, she plopped down on the couch with a huff. "You better not try anything, Miroku," she said dangerously as he sat down beside her. He smiled to show he was there for no harm and cautiously seated himself furthest away from her.
Kagome watched in amusement and couldn't help but giggle at her friends' strange behavior. All eyes turned her once more as the group wasn't yet accustomed to her rare laughs and secret smiles. Inuyasha gulped, the sound of her voice ringing in his ears.
Sango's eyes darted between the boys and her silent friend and decided some action was in order. "Hey, Kags, why don't we go change?" she suggested, getting up from the couch and taking her friend's hand. She received a thankful smile in response and she led the way towards the bathroom. Not comfortable with bringing up the subject of Kagome's secret, the brunette decided against asking her about it. After all, she had a feeling that the girl would speak to them when she was ready.
Moments later, Sango emerged from the bathroom clothed in a pink silk pair of shorts and a tank top. "Go ahead, Kags, your turn." The silent girl smiled and proceeded into the small room before she was stopped. "Wait, you're not wearing those are you?" The brunette pointed to the pair of sweats in her hands. The expression on her face made Sango realize that her friend only brought her sweats and a swimsuit. "Here, I have an extra pair." Kagome gave her questioning looks as to why she had an extra pair in the first place, but she was simply ignored.
She quickly swapped the sweats for the pajamas. They were similar to Sango's, but instead held a deep green color. The dark-haired maiden self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest, not used to the sudden revealing of her skin. Hesitantly, Kagome followed her friend and they set their things near Sango's duffel bag before returning to the television room.
The stone tiles were cold beneath Kagome's bare feet as she followed the brunette through the hallway and into the living room. A warm, brown carpet met her as she entered, noticing the boys already waiting for their arrival. A large plasma screen television sat at the far end of the room, accompanied by a love seat. Perpendicular to the couch sat another sofa and a recliner stood alone in the corner. Dark, purple curtains were drawn against the windows, creating semi-darkness. It was, as Inuyasha liked to call it, a home movie theater. Miroku and Sango, having been here many times before, seemed unfazed by the amazement of the room.
The silver-haired man sat on the love seat directly in front of the plasma TV. Cautiously, Sango sat down next to Miroku, eyeing him warily and watching his every movement. "What?" he mumbled to her, feigning innocence concerning his lecherous behavior. She only shook her head and turned her attention to the screen.
"If you try anything," she whispered in the dark. "I'll throw you to the ground before you can blink." The perverted boy faked a look of fear before smiling in amusement. Kagome sighed and noticed the only available seat was next to Inuyasha. No way was she going to sit alone during a scary movie. She plopped down next to the half-demon and smiled at him, waiting for him to start the film. He broke his gaze from hers and clicked play.
A shriek echoed through the house as Sango buried her face into the pillow placed on her lap. Miroku tried to put his arm around her to quell her fears, but it was to no avail as she gave him a slap in the face, her eyes never leaving the screen.
Frightened, Kagome grabbed the closest thing to her, burying her face into the red fabric and closing her eyes. When the sounds from the movie calmed, giving her warning that there was no more blood and gore, she glanced at the screen and then down to what she held between her fingers. It was Inuyasha's shirt.
She immediately drew away, her face turning crimson at her actions. He didn't seem to mind though and smirked at the flustered look on her face. The rest of the movie continued like that, with a few slaps sounding in between. As the film ended, the lights automatically began to brighten, allowing everyone's eyes time to slowly adjust. Kagome's heart still pounded from the final scene, and she clutched her chest, hoping to calm it.
Although she wasn't a huge fan of gory movies, she rather liked getting the shit scared out of her every now and then. But she couldn't help the ache in her heart from the memories of that fateful night not too long ago. She could remember the overwhelming fear and heart-wrenching pain that she felt, knowing their was nothing she could do to help. She shuddered at the thought.
"Watch out, Kagome," Inuyasha said, pulling her to her feet. She went to stand by Sango, watching as him and Miroku removed the cushions and pulled the love seats out into full sized beds. The brunette squeezed her shoulder gently as a sign of affection before treading to the opposite side of the room to retrieve blankets, pillows, and a couple of sleeping bags.
When she came back, she immediately began to explain the procedure, already accustomed to Kagome's constant confusion. "You see, we'll each take the beds," she said, placing the blankets and pillows on the two mattresses. "The boys will get the floor." She chuckled in amusement, memories of past Friday nights flashing through her mind. Kagome didn't understand as to why the boys couldn't share one and the girls couldn't share one, but seeing as how she had already made a fool out of herself today, she didn't want to push it.
After the beds were prepped, Inuyasha glanced at the clock above the television. "Hey guys, want to get some snacks and watch another movie?"
"Sure," Miroku agreed, getting nods of approval from the girls. They left to fetch some snacks, leaving Sango and Kagome alone in the living room.
The brunette began to rummage through the movies. "Since the boys chose a scary one, we should get to pick out the next one." Her eyes held a mischievous gleam as she held up a chick flick. Kagome smiled at her friend's devious plan and held back a giggle. Popping the movie in, Sango flicked to the main menu. The girls sat in their own beds and waited until the guys finally walked in.
"Hell no," Inuyasha protested as he saw House Bunnyon the screen. "We are not watching this." Miroku sighed, already knowing the battle had been lost. Sango smirked and Kagome let out a giggle at the boys' reaction. Everyone immediately turned their heads in her direction. Grabbing the remote off the end table, she hit play. The lights dimmed and the blush dusting Kagome's cheeks was hidden in the darkness as Inuyasha and Miroku took their places on the floor.
By the end of the movie, Kagome had fallen asleep, quite worn out from the day's events. After all, she had never done so much in a single day since the accident and it had really tuckered her out. "That's the last time I let girls pick out a movie," Inuyasha whispered, sensing Kagome's steady breathing. Sango's laughter reverberated in the semi-darkness. The half-demon gathered up all the empty cups and dishes, depositing them in the kitchen across the hall. When he returned, he shut off the lights. Sango and Miroku were already curled up, trying to be swept off to dreamland. The clock struck one in the morning and the group knew they needed energy for the following day.
Unnoticed by the trio, Kagome's face twisted in pain as she dreamt. A reoccuring dream greeted each night she began to forget the painful memories.
Kagome ran down a deserted hallway. She didn't know where she was, but flames leapt all around her, dancing in front of her as if to mock her. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and her body screamed for her to stop, for her to rest. But she couldn't. Her mind wouldn't allow her too, so she kept running.
A black figure appeared before her. As she closed the distance between them, his face lit up from the fire's glow. "Dad?" she questioned, willing her legs to run faster.
His eyes filled with remorse and his face clouded over with desolation. "Why didn't you save me, Kagome?" His voice floated over to her through the surrounding smoke. Her eyes began to tear, irritated from the contact with the thick mist. But she didn't blink, because she knew if she did, he would disappear and she would be left alone.
"I'm sorry, dad! I tried, I tried so hard!" He drew away from her, backing up into the darkness beyond the flames. She pushed herself to run faster, to be able to grasp her father and keep him there. She ran until her body numbed and then finally, her legs gave out and she slowly fell to the ground.
She couldn't move, she couldn't see, all she could do was breathe. Breathe in the smoke that was like oxygen for her. She felt the heat of the flames as they surrounded her. She tried to scream out in pain as they touched her, searing her skin, but she found she had no voice. All she had left was her mind and that was slowly fading ...
Inuyasha woke up in the middle of the night by small whimpers. He groggily glanced over at the clock, noting it was three in the morning. Letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, he sat up and took in the familiar surroundings. Sango was spread out, taking up the entire bed, and Miroku slept peacefully, curled up in the blankets as he snored lightly. They were unable to hear the soft cry and Inuyasha didn't blame them. Even with his sensitive ears, the half-demon could barely detect it. He stood up from his make-shift bed and tried to follow the sound.
At first, he didn't realize where it came from, but soon found Kagome at the source. Her face was consumed by pain and sweat adorned her pale figure. He leaned down to hear what she was mumbling. "Dad," she repeated over and over again. It was faint, but he could hear the sorrow in her voice. It sounded as if an angel was crying.
"Kagome," he whispered, lightly shoving her arm in an attempt to wake her. "Kagome, wake up." She continued to toss and turn in her sleep, her heartache becoming evident in his eyes. Inuyasha sat on her bed and wrapped her into his arms. "Kagome," he repeated to no avail. She thrashed, struggling to get free. He held fast, though, and tried to calm the shaking girl. Her voice rose as she continued to call for her dad.
Finally, after a moment, Kagome opened her eyes and saw a pair of golden spheres staring down at her with concern. Instantly recognizing it to be her half-demon friend, she grabbed his shirt and began to cry into it, no longer caring if she made a fool of herself.
Inuyasha's heart lurched as he felt her tears soak into his shirt. He gently caressed her arm, trying to quiet her troubled nerves. After a few minutes, her tears slackened to whimpers and sniffles. "Its okay, Kags," he whispered soothingly. "It was only a dream." He set her back on the bed, noting how her eyes widened with hurt and fear, her head shaking slightly at his words. Confusion crossed his eyes, but it quickly fled, knowing it wouldn't do any good to interrogate her now. He gave her a reassuring smirk and began to go back to where his bed lay. A soft tug on his wrist prevented him from doing so.
He glanced back to see Kagome looked up at him, a light blush resting upon her cheeks. Her eyes shifted to the spot next to her, silently begging him to stay. Seeing how scared she seemed and hearing her heart pound furiously in her chest ... an overwhelming emotion of protectiveness came over him and he nodded his head slighlty in agreement.
The silver-haired boy lay down on the bed beside her, allowing her to wrap her arms around him and snuggle into his chest. He seemed surprise for a moment, but slowly relaxed under Kagome's touch and embraced her in return. He pulled the blanket up around her, making sure to keep her warm as the air conditioner blew cool air into the room.
Soon, the broken girl fell into a dreamless slumber, leaving Inuyasha to his thoughts. What could have caused her so much fear? Whatever happened in her dream had a huge impact on her life, he could tell. His senses picked up her scent of vanilla and lilac and buried his nose into her hair. It calmed his racing thoughts until he felt his heart slow, bringing him into a peaceful sleep.
A/N: I am so sorry this took so long to come out. I planned on having it out yesterday, but things came up and I was unable to finish editing. In this chapter we got a glimpse at Kagome's past and she spoke for the first time. Hope it keeps you interested because it won't be much longer before she begins speaking. Look forward to that. Anyways, please leave a review. I'll start editing the next chapter asap!
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