Chapter Two

"I'm not sure this is a world I belong in anymore. I'm not sure that I want to wake up."

― Gayle Forman, If I Stay

The morning was spent cooking, making ramen from scratch, and then cookies. Kagome was surprised to find a hand mixer set out for her, but Miroku was nowhere to be found. Didn't he request this meal? What the heck was she doing all this for herself? Kagome didn't like ramen that much!

That said, she wasn't going to let it go to waste, heading back to the kitchen after a long afternoon of waxing parka floors. Only to nearly wet herself when a man was standing in the kitchen, helping himself.

"Hey!" He jumped a little but not nearly as much as she had, glaring at her over his shoulder. "That… that food is… for the owner of this house!"

Kagome's heart was still racing, but she took in the man's appearance. A ratty baseball cap on his head didn't cover even a tiny portion of the long, pure white hair that spilled down his back. Add in his ripped jeans and stained t-shirt, and she was sure he was some homeless guy that wandered in.

That might explain why he said nothing, ignoring her and continuing to eat. He was probably deaf or mute. Or both. Because otherwise there was no indication as to why he wouldn't be able to work, his body was in fine working order.

Kagome shook the unnecessary thoughts out of her head quickly since he walked towards her with his bowl. "I... I mean… I guess it's okay… if you have a l.. little?" He didn't stop, and neither did she, backing up as he came closer. "L… look, I just… I just work here! I don't… I don't care if you have some food or sleep here, but I'll have to tell my boss, and I don't know what he'll do probably call the cops, and then you'll be put in jail, but at least you'd have a place to sleep and food…."

"Move."

During her rambling and freak out, she'd backed to the steps in the hall and stood blocking them. This guy wanted to go upstairs? Glancing down, she noticed he also had gloves on his hands. Strange, he wore short sleeves and gloves? Did his hands get cold and not the rest of him?

"I said, move!"

Jumping at his gruffness, Kagome jibbered out of the way. Because it was far from a smooth movement as she shuffled and shook to the side. He didn't even spare her another glance, taking the stairs two at a time.

"You sing too damn much."

That was the last thing the stranger said, and Kagome was a puddle of freak out on the floor.

oOo

"I probably should have warned you," Miroku blundered, but Kagome was far from amused, "he's the owner of the house, not me. And he lives here."

"Is he here all the time?" She asked, keeping her arms crossed firmly over her chest and tapping a toe at the man.

Miroku winced, "Yes," now he had his palms pressed together and his hands in front of his chest, "please don't be mad. He likes his privacy."

"It's not as if I'd go barging into his room if I'd known he was here." But she had been singing at the top of her lungs the entire time she'd been working there. And dancing. Both things she only did in privacy.

"Please don't quit. You are needed; this place is already in much better shape!"

"Really?" She thought, looking around and still seeing nothing more than a pretty shack. "What the heck did he see that she didn't?" She wondered to herself.

"You bring… light into this place. I won't keep anything more from you. Except what I'm not allowed to say that is."

Well, it's not like Kagome expected him to tell her bank account numbers, just that she wasn't the only person inside the place. "So it was him that ate my cooking and requested cookies? Not you?"

Guilt wiped away from Miroku's face, a grin replacing it. "Yes. Are you disappointed?"

She was relieved. Miroku was a nice guy and good-looking, but the last thing she needed was a guy like him in her life. The man she met last night… was gorgeous but far from friendly. She was in no danger with him.

Miroku was still grinning, waiting. "I… I don't have time for you. Or anyone, I'm not interested in anything romantic right now."

His eyes went wide, and a laugh barked out of him. "Wow. Honest. I appreciate it."

"Any time."

Turning her around, Miroku wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a friendly manner. "Kagome, I think you and I are going to have a beautiful friendship."

"Anything else I should know? Before it's sprung on me unnecessarily?!"

Miroku was leading her towards the back set of stairs, which were originally meant for servants when the house was new. "Hmmm…. just make sure you leave before nightfall. The master wants some time to himself."

"Not a problem."

With her time spent with her mother at night and being far too creeped out by the place to stay past twilight, Kagome would never be there without daylight to protect her. The master was most likely a vampire. That would explain his need for privacy and crazy good looks. At least his body, she didn't look at his face, and his attitude sucked.

"Oh, and if you wouldn't mind cooking a little extra when you do? It would be good if the Master stopped living off of freeze-dried noodles with far too much salt, don't you agree?"

She really couldn't care less about the guy. "Sure."

oOo

Dragging herself to class, Kagome had never felt more like the dirt on the ground. All she wanted to do was lay down and just let everyone tread over her. They clearly wouldn't mind; the other students around her glaring whenever they bumped into her! So what if she was going slower than the rest? She hadn't slept at all last night!

Her mother had a bad night, and they had to hook her up to a respirator. That was a fun one to explain to Grampa when he arrived that morning. And now she needed to make sure she was there when Souta came in to keep him from freaking out too much. Which meant she didn't have time to lag like this; she needed to hurry on over to the hospital.

"Higurashi-san!"

Kagome's cringe had nothing to do with the voice that called to her. It was more about how little time she had to deal with him. "Hojo, what's up?"

"Long time no see… um, are you okay?"

"Just tired. And in a hurry." Kagome didn't mean to be rude, but…

"Oh? Are you leaving campus? I could give you a ride if you like?"

Normally, she would say no. Kagome had no problems riding public transportation. But the prospect of taking a nap in his car… "Okay."

The hospital loomed next to her as Kagome was gently shaken awake. "Here we are. Please tell your Aunt I said 'congratulations on the baby'."

It took her a moment to catch back up to her lie, giving Hojo a nod and hopping out of his car. Visiting a new mother was a happy occasion, one lacking sadness and stress. If she ever told her friends about her mother, she'd also have to tell them about her father.

That was a conversation Kagome wanted to have about as much as she wanted all her teeth pulled without novocaine.

Even with Hojo's help, she didn't beat Souta to the hospital. He sat, staring at their mother with tears in his eyes. It was a hard sight to take; Mom hooked up to so many machines. It also wasn't the first time seeing her like this, unfortunately. Mom had been sick for a few years now, and it was only getting worse. Last year Kagome's mom told them that there was a treatment for her disease. But since it's experimental, insurance won't pay, and they didn't have the funds.

So here they were, watching their mother dying a slow death while they drowned in debt.

Currently, her mother was drowning in fluids, hence the aspirator. Something Kagome explained in full to Souta. Her sudden arrival kept him from shedding too many tears while she contained all of hers. What does one say to a twelve-year-old to comfort them when their mother is dying? Kagome supposed if she knew, those exact words would calm herself as well.

There was only one thing she could say and know that it was true. "Everything is going to be okay, Souta."

oOo

A quick stop at home to grab some things, and then she headed back to the hospital. That's what Kagome told herself anyway, but as soon as she neared, the two tall men standing in her way had her thinking otherwise. They were unknown to her, she didn't know their names or anything about them, but she didn't need to. One look and she knew what they were there for.

"I've told you guys already; my father isn't here."

The nice suits they wore and the expensive haircuts made them look like gentle business professionals. But their smiles didn't fool her. "Have you seen him?"

"Not since the last time you guys came by and asked!"

They looked offended; one of them removed their shades to show his grimace more. "Then maybe we should squeeze you and your family until Daddy pops?"

Her heart dropped into her belly, but it wasn't anything they hadn't tried before. "If you think a man that left his family behind like he did his debts cared about them then, you're not very smart."

One pulled his arm back to hit her, and the other grabbed ahold to stop him. "If you see him, let us know, Gorgeous."

The one not threatening her held out a card for her to take. How many of these had she received so far? She could start a bonfire with them… if she kept them. At least they were concise, keeping her from being jammed up for too long.

As if she didn't have enough on her hands like bills, a sick mother, a young brother, and an aging Grandfather to care for, school, work, she didn't have the time or the care to worry about her father's past. She had far more pressing matters… like her test on Friday in Biochemistry.

Last night, when she couldn't sleep, she recorded all her notes. So now, she listened to herself say them while she swept the long halls of the withered house. Along the backside of the house was a strange and long room. Its width didn't leave much room for anything, and the only things in it were a bunch of mix-matched chairs. There was even an ancient desk from a schoolroom. The kind with the desk on the back was useless without another desk to accompany it.

Setting her broom aside, she inspected a corner at the end that was full of random things: a crate filled with old newspapers and magazines, some old toys, an old high chair, a power generator still in its box, a 70's amplifier, and a dust-covered dartboard. Kagome was inspecting the game, looking for the darts that went with it when her voice cut off. At the end of her notes, she planned on starting them over again once she finished snooping.

"YOU PLAY?"

Screaming and jumping, Kagome once again considered herself lucky she didn't wet herself. This time, she growled as she spun, the Master standing at the other end of the strange, skinny room. He pointed to his ears under his long hair to gesture to hers. The idiot scared the shit out of her because he thought she was blasting music again.

Ripping her earbuds out, she continued to glare while he started pointing at the dartboard next to her. "Darts?" Now he looked at her like she was the dumb one while pointing and screaming at her. "No, I don't know how."

His disappointment was clear, but she could care less. Instead, she took in his appearance a little more thoroughly this time. From this distance, his face was charming. A strong jaw and high cheekbones with unblemished pale skin, he was pretty.

Great.

He wasn't dressed any better than before; a thin t-shirt, ripped jeans, gloves, and hat on. A strange combination, but if she ignored the gloves, she could focus on the muscles.

And there were a lot.

She shook her head free again and turned away from him, going back to work. "You should open a window if you're going to kick up all that dust!"

He was already cracking open one of the ones along the wall. The windows split the wood in half on the outside of the hall, bringing bright sunlight in. And now crisp winter air leaked in and chilled her. It reminded her of the day she saw that 'ghost'. "That was you, last week behind me while I cleaned those windows! You scared me!"

He huffed. "Doesn't appear to be hard; scaring you."

"You can't blame me for being jumpy. This place is creepy. Made creepier by the resident ghost popping up whenever he pleases!"

This wasn't how one was supposed to talk to their boss, but he smiled in return, and her heart skipped a little. "No singing today?"

He was pointing to her earbuds again, and she blanched at the reminder. Picking them up, she shoved them back into her ears. "No, I have a final exam I'm studying for. So if you'll excuse me…."

"Can you make ramen again?"

She paused, mainly for the pleading in his tone but also in surprise. "You liked it?"

Shrugging and turning, he left Kagome with that as his answer. Guess she would have to take that as a 'yes'.

oOo

Kagome was on a high. It was called 'two hours of sleep in five days and finishing her final'. She was pretty sure she aced it; staying up all night studying by her mother's side had its benefits after all.

And now, she was at 684 Concord with no time to rest or sleep. All of it left her feeling a little… giddy. Perfect time to tackle a bathroom! She'd been putting them off for the month she'd been working there. Her mood was just weird enough to go into the small and (undoubtedly) disgusting room to clean. Currently, she was running on coffee and cookies; caffeine and sugar were the only things keeping her going.

If it were anyone else, they probably would have called in sick, but she'd already missed days for her mom. And she needed this job. Sure, it was super weird and tiring, but it paid better than anything she'd come across before. If she kept at it, she'd have more than enough for school. Of course, all the 'extra' would go to Kagome's mom and family, but that was needed just as badly.

All she needed to do was survive a bit longer. Once out of pre-med, Kagome could get an internship and then residency. They didn't pay as much as a surgeon, but it was better than nothing. Maybe she could keep this job too? Then she'd make more than enough for sure.

Now she just had to survive scrubbing toilets. Rubber gloves on and a bucket in her hold, she gently kicked the door open. The white-painted door held a lovely green glass in the middle. It was bubbled, distorted so someone couldn't spy on you during your private time.

The bathroom was small, which meant less to clean. Pulling a bottle of vinegar out of her bucket, Kagome sprayed the room from top to bottom to disinfect and then scrubbed it down with lavender-scented soap. It wasn't that bad inside, but the walls slowly turned back to white if that said anything. Maybe it was the lavender soap or her exhaustion, but she was half done when the room began to spin. A tiny window in the room would be her salvation. Too bad she didn't open it before she started, and now the chemicals were bearing down on her even with the door wide open.

Her last acts were to try and push the window open, but she was fading fast, struggling to get it to crack with years of paint keeping it closed. All she could do was pray she didn't land in the toilet as it all went black.

oOo

Fuzzy. Kagome's mouth was fuzzy. So was her brain, like she was dehydrated. Why would she be dehydrated, though? All she had done that day was go to work…

Sitting up like Kagome was a mistake; hitting her head on the underside of the sink only made her head sing and the world spin more. Crawling out, she felt the floor, leaving the bathroom behind. Her fingers found a wall. Wait, not a wall, t was the stairs; the wood split under her touch into spindles for the banister.

Weak, she pulled herself to her feet using the smooth edges of the rounded pegs that held up the handrail for the stairs. Then, taking a few deep breaths, Kagome got her head in the game and rallied as much as she could. The first thing she noticed? She was starving. But that didn't matter because the next thing she noticed was that it was completely dark.

Spinning and then waiting for her brain to stop twirling, she frantically took in her surroundings. The sun had set, hours ago probably, and the house was completely dark. Kagome was still at 684 Concord. The one thing Miroku told her not to do, and here she was, standing in the middle of the house like a fool.

Tripping and making an awful racket, she stumbled back to the kitchen, grabbing her backpack. That was all she needed, hoping to rush out sight unseen. What was that they said about plans? How they made God laugh? Well, she hoped he was enjoying himself because she sure as shit wasn't laughing as she stared back into the face of the Master.

"What the fuck are you still doing here?"

He was at the other end of the hall while she stood several feet from the front door. Her escape. "I'm sorry I passed out…."

"I asked for one thing, one fucking thing, and that was to be alone at night. What the hell is so hard about that?"

She stumbled backward as fear raced in her veins. Her brain wasn't working right because now the Master's eyes were glowing red. "I didn't… I didn't mean to…."

"GET OUT!"

When Kagome still didn't move, her legs and breath froze, he started to move towards her. Slow and purposeful at first but then fast and deadly. Like an animal.

Falling back on her ass, she scrambled the rest of the way out the door. Kagome didn't bother pulling it shut behind her; the sound of her feet slipping on the gravel matched her racing heart. For some reason, she looked back. It was probably her freaked-out brain making sure she wasn't being chased. She wasn't. The Master stood in the doorway, his red eyes glowing back at her. Red eyes her brain made up, just like the silhouette of ears on top of his head.

Kagome was never using that lavender soap again.