CHAPTER SIX
*
Kagome stiffened. "Was that a wolf?" she said out loud.
She listened carefully, slowing her bike to a crawl. Beside the mountains, the last hints of the sun were fading away to rose. "I could have sworn I heard a howl... no, maybe it was just the wind."
A breeze ruffled her long hair. In the distance, another faint howl rose from the woods -- and was joined by a second. And a third.
"Yes, it was a wolf," Kagome said, shivering. "Sounds like a pack of them. To make things worse, I'm talking to myself now. If I don't stop, people are gonna wonder about me."
As she started a campfire, she heard more howling in the distance. A pair of red eyes stared at her from the darkness, then vanished. Kagome clutched her bow to her chest, waiting for any more sounds. She was in a place with few humans. Who knew what kinds of demons might be lurking in these woods? Anything from Kikyo to a band of harmless fox-demons -- something that might try to kill her, or else just ask her for a serving of noodles.
I wish Inuyasha were here, she thought with a pang. But the rustling faded away, and another howl rose in the distance.
Kagome closed her eyes. When morning comes, I have to be fast, she thought. If Koga had heard of Inuyasha's death, he would be after Kagome in an instant. If the wolves were tracking her but not attacking, it meant that the wolf-demons were nearby. If Koga came across her, she would have a hard time convincing him to go away -- especially if he found out what her plans were.
"He can be so thick," she murmured. "He doesn't get what I think at all..."
Sighing, Kagome reached into her backpack and pulled out a package. Her stomach lurched as she saw what it was. Ramen. He always loved it when I brought it for him, she thought, feeling tears form in her eyes. He wouldn't admit that, but one of the first nice things he said to me was about ramen.
She clutched the ramen cup to her chest. "I won't just leave you dead," she mumbled. "Inuyasha, I miss you..."
*
The faint howling of wolves kept her awake long into the night. Kagome lay on her back, with her bow in her hand and her eyes on the stars. The crackle of the campfire was a comforting reminder of what had happened in the past, when Inuyasha would sit in the trees and watch over her in the evenings...
I gotta get him back, she thought drowsily, closing her eyes. I can't leave him... I can't let him just stay dead. Everything reminds me of him -- trees, mountains, my bike, wolves, ramen, even this sweater.
She felt guilty for leaving her friends behind. Shippo needed her. And Kaede, Miroku and Sango were worried about her. But she knew that they would all think she was nuts to do this. Maybe she was nuts. But it was better than just sitting there, missing him...
She yawned and snuggled against her inflatable pillow.
When she looked up again, she saw Inuyasha cradled in her arms, his silver head resting in the crook of her elbow. There was dried blood under his eyes, and his bare chest and arms were covered in black oozing slashes. Thin streams of dark poison ran like worms under his pale skin. She couldn't tell if he was conscious or not, or even if he was still alive.
She touched his pallid face, gently resting her fingers on his chin. A breath seemed to brush her hand, but perhaps it had only been the wind. Kagome tried to wipe the blood away, but it seemed to have stained his eyelids. More poisoned blood seeped over his still chest; some of it was staining his hair.
She rested her cheek against his forehead. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry..."
Suddenly Kagome sat up with a gasp. Her dream shattered and faded away.
She slowly looked around the cold, windless clearing. The fire was dying, and the pink glow in the distance showed that the sun would be rising soon. Shivering, Kagome packed her things and bicycled off across the misty clearing. Wolves howled in the distance.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kagome stiffened. "Was that a wolf?" she said out loud.
She listened carefully, slowing her bike to a crawl. Beside the mountains, the last hints of the sun were fading away to rose. "I could have sworn I heard a howl... no, maybe it was just the wind."
A breeze ruffled her long hair. In the distance, another faint howl rose from the woods -- and was joined by a second. And a third.
"Yes, it was a wolf," Kagome said, shivering. "Sounds like a pack of them. To make things worse, I'm talking to myself now. If I don't stop, people are gonna wonder about me."
As she started a campfire, she heard more howling in the distance. A pair of red eyes stared at her from the darkness, then vanished. Kagome clutched her bow to her chest, waiting for any more sounds. She was in a place with few humans. Who knew what kinds of demons might be lurking in these woods? Anything from Kikyo to a band of harmless fox-demons -- something that might try to kill her, or else just ask her for a serving of noodles.
I wish Inuyasha were here, she thought with a pang. But the rustling faded away, and another howl rose in the distance.
Kagome closed her eyes. When morning comes, I have to be fast, she thought. If Koga had heard of Inuyasha's death, he would be after Kagome in an instant. If the wolves were tracking her but not attacking, it meant that the wolf-demons were nearby. If Koga came across her, she would have a hard time convincing him to go away -- especially if he found out what her plans were.
"He can be so thick," she murmured. "He doesn't get what I think at all..."
Sighing, Kagome reached into her backpack and pulled out a package. Her stomach lurched as she saw what it was. Ramen. He always loved it when I brought it for him, she thought, feeling tears form in her eyes. He wouldn't admit that, but one of the first nice things he said to me was about ramen.
She clutched the ramen cup to her chest. "I won't just leave you dead," she mumbled. "Inuyasha, I miss you..."
*
The faint howling of wolves kept her awake long into the night. Kagome lay on her back, with her bow in her hand and her eyes on the stars. The crackle of the campfire was a comforting reminder of what had happened in the past, when Inuyasha would sit in the trees and watch over her in the evenings...
I gotta get him back, she thought drowsily, closing her eyes. I can't leave him... I can't let him just stay dead. Everything reminds me of him -- trees, mountains, my bike, wolves, ramen, even this sweater.
She felt guilty for leaving her friends behind. Shippo needed her. And Kaede, Miroku and Sango were worried about her. But she knew that they would all think she was nuts to do this. Maybe she was nuts. But it was better than just sitting there, missing him...
She yawned and snuggled against her inflatable pillow.
When she looked up again, she saw Inuyasha cradled in her arms, his silver head resting in the crook of her elbow. There was dried blood under his eyes, and his bare chest and arms were covered in black oozing slashes. Thin streams of dark poison ran like worms under his pale skin. She couldn't tell if he was conscious or not, or even if he was still alive.
She touched his pallid face, gently resting her fingers on his chin. A breath seemed to brush her hand, but perhaps it had only been the wind. Kagome tried to wipe the blood away, but it seemed to have stained his eyelids. More poisoned blood seeped over his still chest; some of it was staining his hair.
She rested her cheek against his forehead. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry..."
Suddenly Kagome sat up with a gasp. Her dream shattered and faded away.
She slowly looked around the cold, windless clearing. The fire was dying, and the pink glow in the distance showed that the sun would be rising soon. Shivering, Kagome packed her things and bicycled off across the misty clearing. Wolves howled in the distance.
TO BE CONTINUED