Author's Note: I'm sure some of you are wondering why this is so familiar once you read it. Well, I deleted the orginal version of this story. It was once called, "Together Forever," and was currently up to four chapters. But, I changed the chapters, alot. For this chapter, I only took some things out, and the second ain't much different either. But the rest after should be foreign to you. And to those who just read this author's note, and still have no idea what I'm blabbing about, then move on and read. Enjoy.
.
Disclaimer: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me.
Inuyasha: Damn straight.
Kaiyouu: Shut up.
The Rumiko Takahashi: Inuyasha, I'm going to have Shippo chain you on a leash in the next episode. ::Gives evil grin::
Inuyasha: ::sweatdrop, walking the other way slowly..::
Kaiyouu: Alright, let's begin the fic already! These readers are getting impatient.
Readers: ::Throwing popcorn and attempting to even throw the keyboard (which is a major bluff)::
Kaiyouu: Alright! I got the message. But I don't really think you're going to throw that keyboard at me......Ok, let's start. .
Revised: 8/12/04
.
Prologue
.
"Come back here you stupid girl!" She put her trembling hands over her ears as the vicious voice rung through the dark halls. She had been battered enough by that woman already. She took a quick look at her arms and legs. They had hurt terribly, and she wasn't sure if they would heal quick enough to sustain more pain in the near future. New black and blue bruises formed, as they overlapped her old ones. She was so scared and didn't know if she could take anymore pain after all these years.
The girl peeked through the crack in the old closet. She wasn't there yet, but she could hear the angry booming footsteps trotting near her. She shrunk back into the depths of the closet. She was so scared. And she was coming for her.
Bam!
The thin walls seem to shake as the door had swung open. A middle-aged woman filled with rage barged into the room. She was holding a rugged-looking stick tightly by her side as she looked around for her destined object. The girl curled up into a ball as the women looked around the room, inspecting certain places such as underneath the bed and the hidden corners.
Suddenly, the closet door flung open as the girl felt herself being dragged roughly out of the closet and hurled to the hard, cold floor like a rag doll. The girl trembled in fear. She knew what was coming, and she couldn't stop it. No one could.
She cried out in agony as the stick collided with flesh repeatedly. She suddenly felt her chest area began to ache in pain. She gasped for air. She couldn't breathe.....
.
.
An Endless Anguish
Chapter One
Kagome Kamatachi
.
.
.
A raven-headed girl sat there, all bunched up into a little ball at the very corner of her room. Heck, this room didn't even look much like a room. Pieces of the pallid walls were peeled off. And the light to her room only had made things seem so pale and dim. On her bare arms and legs, bruises can be seen all over the battered girl's body. Tear streams were dried on her face as her chest fluctuated up and down at an even pace.
Suddenly, a loud bang on the rattled up door could be heard and shook the girl's state of unconsciousness. "Kagome, you little brat! Wake up and wash the floors!" The loud banging and yelling stopped as the footsteps faded into another part of the house. It went like this every single morning. She would get a rude awakening such as this one, only to do her chores and work.
Kagome raised herself from the spot that she had slept all night. She heard an audible bone-crack as she stretched her legs and arms. She raised her arms to rub her reddened eyes. No, she can't let Mutsumi see her like this. She would only beat her up again.
She took out a long-sleeved ragged shirt from her cabinet and pulled it over herself after taking off her tank top. Then she fitted a pair of long pants on. She rushed to the bathroom to wash her face to clear the evidence of the crying session she had last night.
"Kagome! Hurry up!" Kagome walked down the stairs to Mutsumi, who was currently seething in irritation.
"You'll be out of this house in six more years. So you better make yourself useful in these remaining six years."
"Yes, Mutsumi." She said quietly.
After Kagome finished her daily morning routine of washing the floors by getting on her knees and scrubbing the floors, she was given a piece of bread and a glass of water to fill her stomach. Kagome didn't really want to eat it. After all, it was just so.......plain. But after another small beating along with some blasphemies, she unwillingly stuffed it in her stomach. ..
.
.
.
Kagome had finished all her chores. It was now late afternoon. The sun was going to set soon. The orange and pink-tinted sky was beautiful. That was one of the main reasons Kagome wanted to get out of that wretched house other than Mutsumi's daily beatings.She set out to buy some food that was enough for a few nights. Mutsumi only gave her enough money to buy just enough food. Mutsumi Kamatachi wouldn't want her daughter to be buying any unnecessary treats for herself.
As Kagome walked silently through the semi-crowded streets, she gazed at the markets, trying to find the right one. Spotting her destination, she made a right and walked inside.
She walked through the aisles and picked out the needed items. Then, she walked to the check out. "Ah Kagome, it's nice to see you again." It was Myouga. He was very short, and had a moustache. Aside from that, he's a very generous man.
"Myouga, it's nice to see you too." Kagome was glad to see the old man, someone nice for once. Everyday, she had to deal with her screaming mother, and a good-for-nothing father.
"Let's see, that'll be 500 yen please." The old man carefully put the items in plastic bags. Kagome looked in shock. "But Myouga, all the things I bought are likely to be 1000 yen."
(A/N: The money in Japan is indeed different from the money in the U.S. 500 yen is about three to four dollars, and 1000 yen is about 7 to 8 dollars. Reference to those who were just wondering.)
"Yes, that's true Kagome. But for you, it'll be a discount. I know that wretched woman doesn't give you any money. So don't worry about it." Myouga gave her a warm smile. Myouga was the only person on the planet that knew of her beatings aside from her parents. He helped her a lot when she gained so many bruises and cuts. He would even tend to her wounds. But when her mother found out that someone had been helping her heal, she became furious and slapped her.
Myouga didn't dare put any more bandages on little Kagome, so instead he tried many other ways to help her out. Kagome owed him a lot. Given that Kagome doesn't go to school, Myouga taught the young girl a lot of knowledge. He sort of home-schooled her whenever she had time, only that it's not at home. In tough situations, he would comfort her like a grandfather would. In fact, she refers to him as a grandfather already, only that they're not blood-related.
She dropped a 500 yen coin into his outstretched palm and thanked Myouga. As she walked through the darkened streets, she hummed softly. Myouga put her in a happy mood. She was never really at ease since her mother ruins it all.
She walked through the nearly empty streets and decided it would be faster to take a shortcut home. As she walked through the alley, a sudden hand shot over her mouth. Kagome dropped the bags that were filled with groceries and went to peel off the hand at her mouth. She was abruptly knocked to the ground and a shadow hovered over her form. Kagome began to scream but the same hand covered her mouth.
"Shut up or I'll kill you!" Kagome zipped her mouth instantly. She stopped kicking her legs, and stood still. Her fear intensified as her widened eyes lay their attention on the small blade in the person's hands. She didn't want to die. Yet.
She wondered for a moment why she could still breathe after the person's hand had been closing off her ventilation. And she discovered that the hand was only lightly, but firmly, covering her nose and mouth, with the fingers spread so there was air to breathe in. She calmed down.
This person didn't really want to kill her. But then she sort of wanted to die with all that was going on with her messed up life. Okay, so she lied about not wanting to die before.
Her aggressor swung Kagome around to face him. But he still held a firm grip on her shoulders. From a very dim lamppost nearby, she got a good view of him. It was a boy who looked a little older than Kagome. His hair was ruffled and he looked like he didn't shower for weeks. His face and clothes were dirty and smudged with dirt.
He held a table knife at her throat and said, "Hand me all your money or I'll kill you."
.
.
.
.
Author's Note: No, Kagome is not going to be 12 (Yes, she's 12) through the whole story. She's going to grow up a bit and yadda yadda. Can't tell you the 'yadda yadda' yet. What fun is that without some romance?
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Now, all you got to do to show me that you like this story, is to click that blue button over there. That will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
