Chapter 1- The Books and the Girl

It was a cold day in January two-thousand four. My Mom and I had decided to go shopping. When we were walking up the avenue I saw the bookstore Borders and decided to stop by and see if there was anything good. My Mom gave me the 'OK' to go in, while she had a look in Talbot's, a clothing store, next door.

I went in to the bookstore and over to the young adult section. I looked at all the books on the shelves. None of them I fancied much, I went around the corner in search for more, and then I saw it. In the anime section, I found a comic book (in English) of my favorite anime, Inuyasha. I had started watching this anime over the summer, but since it was really late, I could not continue to watch it once school started. I looked at the summaries, and found the book which looked like it had the part where I thought I had left off at, and walked over to the cashier and slipped her some money for the graphic novel. When I got home I immediately sat down and started to read my precious Inuyasha book. I was so entranced by the adventure and action of the story that I started to become obsessed. I finished the book within a hour, but I wanted more, I had to know what would happen next.

The next day my Mom was really busy and I could not go out to get more Inuyasha comic books. I called my best friend Brittany and told her about the Inuyasha comic. Since she had watched an episode at my house when we were having a sleepover, she understood the brilliance of Inuyasha. But it had been a while since she had seen the show, so I had to remind her.

"Inuyasha," I began. "Is a half-demon who is after the power of the Shikon Jewel (the Jewel of four souls). Kikyo a powerful priestess pinned him to a tree with a magical arrow that would put him to sleep forever as long as the arrow remained in him. Kikyo had to shoot him because he stole the Shikon Jewel, which had been entrusted to her. Kikyo died afterwards, but before she did she told her younger sister Kaede to burn the jewel along with her.

Fifty years later a Japanese school girl, named Kagome gets pulled in the old well (which is in the shrine where her mother, grandfather, brother and her live). She sees Inuyasha pinned to the tree and tries to talk to him, but he is still asleep. Some men spot Kagome and bring her to the village. There Kikyo's sister Kaede tells her about the Shikon Jewel and about her sister Kikyo, who had been the jewels protectress, and how her sister Kikyo had died, asking to be burned along with the Shikon Jewel. Then all of a sudden the thing that pulled Kagome down the well starts to attack the village. Kagome starts to run back to the forest where Inuyasha and the well are. The thing (which turned out to be a giant centipede woman) is chasing Kagome and has started to attack her.

Inuyasha had woken up and thinks that Kagome is Kikyo. Once Kagome explains that she is not Kikyo, the centipede woman bites Kagome and the Shikon Jewel comes out of her. She is Kikyo's reincarnation since the Shikon Jewel was found in her; Kagome's spiritual power is just as strong as Kikyo's. The centipede woman takes it and eats it, she then becomes more powerful! Inuyasha tells Kagome to remove the arrow from him so that he can kill Madam Centipede (which is what the centipede woman is called). Even after being warned by Kaede not to, she pulls the arrow out.

After Kagome pulls the arrow out of Inuyasha, he kills the centipede in one blow. Kagome somehow senses the jewel and picks it up out of the centipede woman's carcass. But Inuyasha still wants the jewel and starts to attack Kagome. Before Inuyasha could hurt Kagome and steal the Shikon Jewel, Kaede throws prayer beads over his head, and tells Kagome to say a word that would subdue him. Kagome says sit, and Inuyasha falls flat on his face. With that single word Kagome can subdue him, so Inuyasha has no choice but to stop attacking her.

A little later, a demon bird takes the jewel. Inuyasha tells her that Kikyo was the master of the bow and since Kagome is meant to be her reincarnation, she should try, Kagome says she is the reincarnation of no one but tries anyway. Kagome picks up a bow and some arrows, and shoots the demon bird. But by doing so the bird doesn't only die but the jewel breaks and scatters everywhere. Kaede tells Kagome and Inuyasha to work together to find the sacred jewel shards, before someone else does. Kagome has to help Inuyasha because she can sense the jewel shards, and Inuyasha does not want anyone else to get the jewel. So they team and are traveling around battling the bad guys, and getting shards, before Naraku or anyone else does. Narraku is a demon they meet a little later in the story who tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo into turning against each other, because he was after Kikyo and the Shikon jewel. He is their greatest enemy. "

"Oh yeah, I remember now." Brittany said. Mean while I am gasping for breath, after exclaiming Inuyasha in a nut shell. It wasn't completely accurate, but it gave her the idea of what it was basically about.

I then proceeded to tell Brittany about how my Mom was too busy to take me shopping, to buy another Inuyasha book. "Kirsty," said Brittany in a thoughtful voice. "I just happen to be going shopping today!"

"Sure go ahead rub it in." I said jealously.

"No you fool," There was a pause, by the sound of it Brittany had taken off her classes and was clutching her face, in disbelief that her best friend was such an idiot. Once she put them back on she continued "I could go to Barnes and Noble, they will probably have the Inuyasha book you want."

"Brittany, you're brilliant!" I squealed, as I danced around my room.

"What volume would you like?" She asked sounding very smug.

"Volume fourteen or sixteen please." I said thinking about how I had just read fifteen, and how there was still a part I had not seen in number fourteen.

"I'll try," Brittany said. I could hear her in the background getting ready to go. "I'll call you later Kirsty. Bye!"

She hung up. Thinking of Brittany handing me my new Inuyasha book tomorrow, I went down stairs and reread my volume fifteen Inuyasha comic book.

Brittany called a few hours later to say that she had gotten volume fourteen. I jumped for joy; I would soon have another Inuyasha to read. I thanked Brittany, and promised that I would pay her back. Once we hung up, I went upstairs and put nine dollars in my school bag. After that I started to get ready for bed. I climbed into my queen size bed with one thought on my mind. I fell asleep thinking of how wonderful it would be to be a part of the feudal world that Inuyasha and his friends lived in. I wished that I could be a part of that.

At seven A.M. my alarm rang, instantaneously my hand hit the snooze button. I remembered the beginning of volume fifteen, which I had practically memorized. It was the scene a little bit after Inuyasha and Kagome had gotten into a fight, and Kagome had gone home. Inuyasha later went after her to bring her back, but Kagome was sleeping. Inuyasha stares at her and moments later her alarm rings and a startled Inuyasha picks up the alarm and runs away. Kagome's hand instinctively goes to the snooze button only to find her alarm gone.

"Boy, I really am obsessed." I said to myself. But I couldn't help wishing that my alarm had not been there when I awoke. I went into the bathroom and brushed my long brown hair. I was still very sleepy so I washed my face; my blue eyes seemed to perk up once again.

I went back into my room and put on my winter school uniform. Once I had put on my navy sweater, I walked back into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and put my hair in a high pony tail. I packed up my books, and put them into my dark blue backpack, and lifted it onto my shoulders. I quickly glanced around my room to see if I had forgotten anything. Once I had confirmed that I had everything I needed. I trudged downstairs into the kitchen.

I dumped my backpack on the chair next to me and started to search around the kitchen for breakfast. Once I had found some cereal, I sat down and ate my cheerios. Half way through I dropped my spoon as I remembered something very important. I ran up to my room and snatched my Inuyasha comic book off the shelf. I had almost forgot that day I would be receiving the volume fourteen Inuyasha comic today from Brittany. I brought the comic downstairs and put it in my school bag next to me. I knew that Brittany would want to see it. I sat back down and continued to eat my breakfast.

Just as I finished, my Mom came downstairs. With out being told I went into the hall and put on my school shoes and jacket. It was just a part of my morning routine. Fifteen minutes later I was at school, and in my locker room. I opened my locker and looked at its contents. My locker door was filled with photographs and pictures, and my locker was just full of junk I needed for school. I glanced at my locker door again. I had a feeling I was going to fill it with Inuyasha pictures instead of family and friends.

I quickly grabbed the books I would need for my morning classes, and the book and money I needed to give Brittany. I ran into homeroom, and just made it for morning prayer. I fought my way through the crowd of tired, oblivious tenth graders over to Brittany's side. Once prayer had finished Brittany and I made our exchange. I had a feeling that Brittany would of read volume fourteen before handing it over to me and I was right.

"Thanks for bringing me the next comic book." Brittany said.

"No problem." I replied. "And thanks for getting volume fourteen." We grinned at each other and went our separate ways to our morning classes. All the way to my first period English class, I had my nose stuck in my new Inuyasha book. And my nose remained in the book until Miss Seligman (my English teacher) started to speak.

I had finished volume fourteen by lunch time, and out of everything my teacher had taught me this morning, I felt like I had learned more from Inuyasha.