Art In Death
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything related to the said work. The plot of this story was inspired by a book I once read.
Chapter One: Memories ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please, please, let me in. I want to come home. Don't shut me out; I want to come back home. Please...
Kagome fought her way out of the dream, and her face was wet with sweat and tears. With her trembling hands, she reached for the bedside lamp, and after a few minutes of fumbling, she finally managed to turn the light on.
Kagome hugged her knees closer to herself and tried to rock herself to be calm.
* It's only a dream, a nightmare...* Thought Kagome as she looked around. She was in her room, in her apartment and miles away from the island where Shikon stood.
She didn't know why her dreams brought her back to the island of Four Souls and the home she'd escaped from at the age of sixteen. She was now nearing the age that her mother had left the island. Disappeared, abandoning her father and four children without a second glace.
* Why did she leave us, did she ever thought about coming home? And dreamed that the door was locked to her? * Wondered Kagome.
She didn't want to think about her mother, the woman who broke her heart twenty years before.
* I don't need her. I'd lived without her, without Shikon and my family...* Kagome reminded herself.
She got up from her bed and walked toward the darkroom. Inside, she studied the photos that she had taken a week before and smiled to herself. These photos are to be published into an art book; it was too good a deal to pass up. Just think Wonders of Nature by Kagome Higruashi; it would be a huge step in her career as a photographer.
* Should I send a copy home? * Wondered Kagome.
Would it end up gracing one of the coffee tables where an overnight guest could flip through it and wonder if Kagome Hirguashi was related to the Hirguashis who ran the Shikon Inn? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two hours later, as Kagome went to get the morning mail, she spotted a small, white envelope lying on the floor – it was identical to the one that she received a month before, with only her name written across it. For a moment, she stood still and simply stared at it. Her hands began to shake as she ordered herself to close the door and lock it, but instead, she bent down and pick it up.
As Kagome went back into her apartment, she tapped continuously at the envelope, and finally, she opened it.
Inside was a photo, a very well done photograph. Just as the other three had been. A woman's eyes, heavy lidded, with long lashes and delicately arched brows. Kagome knew their color would be brown, dark brown, because the eyes were her own and in them was pure horror.
Terror swept through her, as she rushed back into her darkroom. Swiftly, she opened a drawer and found the envelope that she has buried there. In there, were three black and white photos.
Kagome's heart thundered as she lined the photos up. In the first, the eyes were closed, as if she'd been photographed while sleeping. The others followed the process, lashes barely lifted, showing only a hint of iris. In the third photo, the eyes were open, but unfocused and clouded with confusion.
Those photos haven't frightened her, only startled and disturbed, but the last shot, centered on her eyes, fully awake and bright with fear, had.
* What is the meaning of this? Why only the eyes? * Wondered Kagome as she took as step back.
* No, I'm not going to let it get to me. That's probably what the person wanted. I will not live my life in fear. * Thought Kagome as she went to get her morning coffee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By nine, Kagome had developed the last of her negatives and for a moment, she felt a flash of panic and despair. Every print she looked at was out of focus, blurry. Kagome shut her eyes for a second and opened them again, the images were perfectly clear.
With a laugh, Kagome sat back and relaxed her shoulders. "It's not the prints that are blurry and out of focus, it's you."
She set the print aside and closed her eyes to rest them. Just then, Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder and she screamed.
"Wow, Kagome, it's just me." Shippo scrambled back, scattering the mail he carried onto the floor.
"What are you doing here?" Kagome jumped down from the stool that she was sitting on and sent it crashing.
"I...you said you wanted to start at nine. I'm only a few minutes late." Answered Shippo as Kagome fought for calmness, gripping the edge of her worktable to keep herself upright.
"I said nine?"
Her student assistant nodded cautiously. He swallowed hard and kept his distance - to him, she still looked wild. It was his second semester working with her, and he thought he'd learned how to anticipate her orders, and avoid her temper, but he have no clue on how to handle that hot fear in her eyes.
"Why didn't you knock?" Kagome snapped at him.
"I did, but you didn't answer. I figured you must be in here, so I used the key you gave me when you went on you last assignment." Shippo answered.
"Then give it back."
"Sure, whatever..." Shippo reached into the front pocket of his faded jean and took out key. "I didn't mean to scare you..."
Kagome took the key that he handed her. "It's okay, I just had a rough night."
Shippo nodded and Kagome smiled at him. He was a good student, with a good-eye and a lot of potential, maybe a little too confident, but he was only twenty-one.
"You look exhausted. You ought to see a doctor, you have lost ten pounds during the last week." Shippo offered.
"So nice of you to notice." Kagome responded.
Shippo bent down and picked up the mail. Of course he noticed. She had a face that drew attention. He'd never seen her wear makeup, and she kept her hair pulled back, but anyone with an eye could see it should be framing that oval face with its delicate bones, exotic eyes, and sexy mouth.
Shippo caught himself as he felt the heat rise to his cheeks. Kagome would sure laughed at him if she knew he'd had a little crush on her when she first took his as her student assistants. Now, he'd gotten over the attraction part, well, mostly.
There is no doubt that if she would do the minimum to enhance that face of hers, dab some colors on that top-heavy mouth and smudge up those long-lidded eyes, she would be a knockout.
"Here's your mail." Shippo said as he handed the envelope to Kagome.
Kagome stared at the envelope and noticed that her name was written across the front as it has been for the other two envelopes. Her stomach did a little flip that made her sick.
The envelope was thicker than the rest.
* Don't open it, throw it away...* Her mind screamed, but her fingers were already scraping along the flap. This time a series of photo spilled onto the floor. Kagome picked one up and it was an image of her with her camera bag over her shoulder.
"Hey, that's a pretty good shot of you." Said Shippo as he bent down to pick a photo.
"Don't touch them!" Snapped Kagome.
"Kagome, I..."
Kagome didn't hear him, all she could think was that he was watching, everywhere she go, he was watching, hunting her, until...
Kagome froze as she stared at the photo in her hand. There seemed to be no air inside her – she couldn't feel her body anymore.
The photograph was brilliantly produced, the lighting, the use of shadows and textures was masterful. The woman on the print was naked, her skin glowing in the light. Her body was arranged in a restful pose, the chin dipped down, the head gently angled, one arm draped across her midriff, the other was placed over her head in a position of dreaming sleep, but the eyes were open and staring. A doll's eye. Dead eyes.
For a moment, Kagome was thrown back into her nightmare, unable to fight her way out of the darkness.
Even through the terror, she could see the difference. The woman in the photo had a waving mass of hair that framed her face, and the face was softer, the body ripper than her own.
"Mother?" Kagome whispered, and gripped the picture with both hands. "Mother?"
"What is it, Kagome?" Shippo stared into Kagome's eyes, never had he seen her like this.
"Where are her clothes?" Kagome began to rock herself. "Where is she?"
"Take it easy." Shippo said as he took a step forward.
Kagome's head snapped up. "Stay away." The color was gone from her cheeks and her eyes had this look that he couldn't describe. "Don't touch me, don't touch her."
Shippo straightened again. "It's okay Kagome."
"I don't want you to touch her." She was cold, so cold. She looked down at the photo again. It was her mother, young, beautiful, and cold as death. "She shouldn't have left us. She shouldn't have gone away. Why did she go?"
Tears stained Kagome's cheek. "She's so beautiful, like a princess. I used to think so. She left us, and went away. Now, she's dead."
Kagome's vision blurred and her skin went pale. Pressing the photo against her, she began to weep.
"Kagome, you should get some rest." Advised Shippo.
"I just, just want to go to bed." Kagome answered between sobs.
"Okay, just close your eyes now."
The photo dropped from her hands and silently onto the floor, facedown on top of all the other photos. She saw the writing on the back, in large bold letters.
Death Of An Angel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There you go, the first chapter.
What do you think?
Please tell me in your reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything related to the said work. The plot of this story was inspired by a book I once read.
Chapter One: Memories ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please, please, let me in. I want to come home. Don't shut me out; I want to come back home. Please...
Kagome fought her way out of the dream, and her face was wet with sweat and tears. With her trembling hands, she reached for the bedside lamp, and after a few minutes of fumbling, she finally managed to turn the light on.
Kagome hugged her knees closer to herself and tried to rock herself to be calm.
* It's only a dream, a nightmare...* Thought Kagome as she looked around. She was in her room, in her apartment and miles away from the island where Shikon stood.
She didn't know why her dreams brought her back to the island of Four Souls and the home she'd escaped from at the age of sixteen. She was now nearing the age that her mother had left the island. Disappeared, abandoning her father and four children without a second glace.
* Why did she leave us, did she ever thought about coming home? And dreamed that the door was locked to her? * Wondered Kagome.
She didn't want to think about her mother, the woman who broke her heart twenty years before.
* I don't need her. I'd lived without her, without Shikon and my family...* Kagome reminded herself.
She got up from her bed and walked toward the darkroom. Inside, she studied the photos that she had taken a week before and smiled to herself. These photos are to be published into an art book; it was too good a deal to pass up. Just think Wonders of Nature by Kagome Higruashi; it would be a huge step in her career as a photographer.
* Should I send a copy home? * Wondered Kagome.
Would it end up gracing one of the coffee tables where an overnight guest could flip through it and wonder if Kagome Hirguashi was related to the Hirguashis who ran the Shikon Inn? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two hours later, as Kagome went to get the morning mail, she spotted a small, white envelope lying on the floor – it was identical to the one that she received a month before, with only her name written across it. For a moment, she stood still and simply stared at it. Her hands began to shake as she ordered herself to close the door and lock it, but instead, she bent down and pick it up.
As Kagome went back into her apartment, she tapped continuously at the envelope, and finally, she opened it.
Inside was a photo, a very well done photograph. Just as the other three had been. A woman's eyes, heavy lidded, with long lashes and delicately arched brows. Kagome knew their color would be brown, dark brown, because the eyes were her own and in them was pure horror.
Terror swept through her, as she rushed back into her darkroom. Swiftly, she opened a drawer and found the envelope that she has buried there. In there, were three black and white photos.
Kagome's heart thundered as she lined the photos up. In the first, the eyes were closed, as if she'd been photographed while sleeping. The others followed the process, lashes barely lifted, showing only a hint of iris. In the third photo, the eyes were open, but unfocused and clouded with confusion.
Those photos haven't frightened her, only startled and disturbed, but the last shot, centered on her eyes, fully awake and bright with fear, had.
* What is the meaning of this? Why only the eyes? * Wondered Kagome as she took as step back.
* No, I'm not going to let it get to me. That's probably what the person wanted. I will not live my life in fear. * Thought Kagome as she went to get her morning coffee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By nine, Kagome had developed the last of her negatives and for a moment, she felt a flash of panic and despair. Every print she looked at was out of focus, blurry. Kagome shut her eyes for a second and opened them again, the images were perfectly clear.
With a laugh, Kagome sat back and relaxed her shoulders. "It's not the prints that are blurry and out of focus, it's you."
She set the print aside and closed her eyes to rest them. Just then, Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder and she screamed.
"Wow, Kagome, it's just me." Shippo scrambled back, scattering the mail he carried onto the floor.
"What are you doing here?" Kagome jumped down from the stool that she was sitting on and sent it crashing.
"I...you said you wanted to start at nine. I'm only a few minutes late." Answered Shippo as Kagome fought for calmness, gripping the edge of her worktable to keep herself upright.
"I said nine?"
Her student assistant nodded cautiously. He swallowed hard and kept his distance - to him, she still looked wild. It was his second semester working with her, and he thought he'd learned how to anticipate her orders, and avoid her temper, but he have no clue on how to handle that hot fear in her eyes.
"Why didn't you knock?" Kagome snapped at him.
"I did, but you didn't answer. I figured you must be in here, so I used the key you gave me when you went on you last assignment." Shippo answered.
"Then give it back."
"Sure, whatever..." Shippo reached into the front pocket of his faded jean and took out key. "I didn't mean to scare you..."
Kagome took the key that he handed her. "It's okay, I just had a rough night."
Shippo nodded and Kagome smiled at him. He was a good student, with a good-eye and a lot of potential, maybe a little too confident, but he was only twenty-one.
"You look exhausted. You ought to see a doctor, you have lost ten pounds during the last week." Shippo offered.
"So nice of you to notice." Kagome responded.
Shippo bent down and picked up the mail. Of course he noticed. She had a face that drew attention. He'd never seen her wear makeup, and she kept her hair pulled back, but anyone with an eye could see it should be framing that oval face with its delicate bones, exotic eyes, and sexy mouth.
Shippo caught himself as he felt the heat rise to his cheeks. Kagome would sure laughed at him if she knew he'd had a little crush on her when she first took his as her student assistants. Now, he'd gotten over the attraction part, well, mostly.
There is no doubt that if she would do the minimum to enhance that face of hers, dab some colors on that top-heavy mouth and smudge up those long-lidded eyes, she would be a knockout.
"Here's your mail." Shippo said as he handed the envelope to Kagome.
Kagome stared at the envelope and noticed that her name was written across the front as it has been for the other two envelopes. Her stomach did a little flip that made her sick.
The envelope was thicker than the rest.
* Don't open it, throw it away...* Her mind screamed, but her fingers were already scraping along the flap. This time a series of photo spilled onto the floor. Kagome picked one up and it was an image of her with her camera bag over her shoulder.
"Hey, that's a pretty good shot of you." Said Shippo as he bent down to pick a photo.
"Don't touch them!" Snapped Kagome.
"Kagome, I..."
Kagome didn't hear him, all she could think was that he was watching, everywhere she go, he was watching, hunting her, until...
Kagome froze as she stared at the photo in her hand. There seemed to be no air inside her – she couldn't feel her body anymore.
The photograph was brilliantly produced, the lighting, the use of shadows and textures was masterful. The woman on the print was naked, her skin glowing in the light. Her body was arranged in a restful pose, the chin dipped down, the head gently angled, one arm draped across her midriff, the other was placed over her head in a position of dreaming sleep, but the eyes were open and staring. A doll's eye. Dead eyes.
For a moment, Kagome was thrown back into her nightmare, unable to fight her way out of the darkness.
Even through the terror, she could see the difference. The woman in the photo had a waving mass of hair that framed her face, and the face was softer, the body ripper than her own.
"Mother?" Kagome whispered, and gripped the picture with both hands. "Mother?"
"What is it, Kagome?" Shippo stared into Kagome's eyes, never had he seen her like this.
"Where are her clothes?" Kagome began to rock herself. "Where is she?"
"Take it easy." Shippo said as he took a step forward.
Kagome's head snapped up. "Stay away." The color was gone from her cheeks and her eyes had this look that he couldn't describe. "Don't touch me, don't touch her."
Shippo straightened again. "It's okay Kagome."
"I don't want you to touch her." She was cold, so cold. She looked down at the photo again. It was her mother, young, beautiful, and cold as death. "She shouldn't have left us. She shouldn't have gone away. Why did she go?"
Tears stained Kagome's cheek. "She's so beautiful, like a princess. I used to think so. She left us, and went away. Now, she's dead."
Kagome's vision blurred and her skin went pale. Pressing the photo against her, she began to weep.
"Kagome, you should get some rest." Advised Shippo.
"I just, just want to go to bed." Kagome answered between sobs.
"Okay, just close your eyes now."
The photo dropped from her hands and silently onto the floor, facedown on top of all the other photos. She saw the writing on the back, in large bold letters.
Death Of An Angel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There you go, the first chapter.
What do you think?
Please tell me in your reviews.