DEPTHS OF THE DAMNED

...The Year Before...

Disclaimer: I don't and never will own InuYasha.

Kagome Higurashi, a wavy raven-haired girl with brown eyes, heard the doorbell ring and smiled. She raced from her bedroom and descended down the staircase. Before answering the door, she made sure she looked good, and admired herself in the hallway mirror. She frowned as she pulled out the tucked white blouse from her pants, and smiled, turning the knob on the door. It burst open and happy chattering filled the air, as well as Kagome's ears... The first inside was Sango, her life-long best friend.

Sango had long, flowing dark chestnut-colored hair that shined like there was no tomorrow when she was outside in the sunlight. She was much taller than Kagome, but of course, shorter than Miroku. She pulled off her pink hoody, and hung it on the rack. She walked over to Kagome, and the two best friends embraced for what seemed an eternity.

InuYasha, a snowy-white long haired boy with amber orbs shining brightly, who was Kagome's boyfriend, hustled inside, since it was freezing out there, and Miroku, a boy with short obsidian hair pulled in a dragon's tail and had violet eyes, followed suit. Kagome embraced him too, although a bit quick for him, and her cheeks tinged with a bright magenta. She mumbled a quiet sorry, and stepped back as he brushed off the sleeves on the red sweater Kagome had given him for Christmas. InuYasha was her first boyfriend, and they had been dating for about a month, although Sango never really had a chance to get to know him.

Miroku proceeded to turn off the hallway light. In cue, Kagome led her three friends down the dark hallway. Candles were lit and hung along the walls. Kagome's parents were out of town for the week and weekend, so as long as Kagome and her friends didn't break anything, her parents wouldn't know. Although her mom could tell so easily if anyone put one foot inside their dining room, which no one went into except for special occasions.

Miroku tripped over himself, and "accidentally" fell atop Sango. She blushed like mad as he helped her up. Kagome tapped her foot impatiently as the two were gazing into each other's eyes.

The group finally entered a small room, which also had candles lit and placed everywhere. The room smelled of fresh peaches. Peach-flavored candles were Kagome and Sango's favorite. In the middle amongst the room was a small coffee table and four cushions were placed around it, two on each side. Kagome and InuYasha sat on one side, and Sango and Miroku on the other.

"Okay, so are you guys ready?" Kagome chirped.

Everyone nodded simultaneously.

"Well, then...who's first...?"

InuYasha and Miroku pointed at solemn Sango, who sighed briefly and reluctantly walked over to a clear area on the carpeted floor, and settled herself down. The others followed and she smacked away a wandering hand.

"Well, who's going to start?" Sango exclaimed, closing her eyes in a huff.

"I will." Miroku sat down by her head, and looked at Kagome and InuYasha, who just sat themselves on each side of Sango. "You're leaving your boyfriend's house and he waves you goodbye. You start to hurry down the sidewalk and board the waiting city bus. A short amount of time flies by, and the bus stops as you pull the cord, and step off to arrive home. Unknown to you, a shadowy figure follows.

"You happen to turn your head and you see the dark figure. You sprint into the dark forest to lose it...But it follows suit. You change your path and go into the thick trees, while the figure walks by." [Sango is breathing lightly and Miroku squeezes her hand as she frowns.]

"You catch your breath and look up, horrified, as you see your boyfriend dead and hanging from the branches by a noose.

"The figure comes from no where, and attacks you with a knife. It tears into your side..."

Kagome and InuYasha started chanting with Miroku as they lifted Sango up with their fingertips:

"Light as a feather, stiff as a board...light as a feather, stiff as a board...light as a feather...stiff as a board..."

Sango's eyes twitched as she was lifted higher up, her nose barely touching the ceiling. Her eyes snapped open and she was dropped, accidentally, landing on Kagome and Miroku's backs. InuYasha just stood by and "feh"d.

"I—I saw...his face..." Sango whispered and trembled as Kagome nodded and patted her shoulder assuringly.

"Well, who's next? How 'bout you, Kagome?" InuYasha interrupted curtly.

"Outta the way, Inu," Kagome pushed InuYasha to the side and lay down in Sango's spot. It was warm in the room, but the spot was cold... She shrugged it off and closed her eyes, extending her fingers loosely. Sango started to speak, but InuYasha interrupted her again. Sango frowned and crawled over to Kagome's side and sat Indian-style as she closed her eyes.

"You're in your bedroom. It's a cold spring day, and you just got back from the movies. You lean out your window, and it suddenly starts to rain. You slip and fall down to the concrete and you lay there, wondering how you didn't get hurt, falling from a three-story house.

"You suddenly see something being pushed out from the window and realize it's a piano. You stand up and barely run out of the way as it crashes to the ground. You see a shadowed figure standing inside the window, and it leaps out onto the ground in front of you. You run off to the pool and try to get away from it, but it pushes you in, and starts drowning you..."

"Light as a feather, stiff as a board...light as a feather, stiff as a board...light as a feather...stiff as a board..."

Kagome felt herself being lifted into the air, higher and higher she went. After a few moments, she couldn't feel the presence of her friends anymore! She was descending below the earth's core! She then saw the face of a demon and closed her eyes fiercely, scared for her life.

'Is it the devil? Please, God, don't let it be...' she thought anxiously.

The face became clearer.

"NO! STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! LET ME GO BACK!" the frightened girl cried desperately.

"My name is Naraku, but others like to think of me as Kojigoku..."

The demon just chuckled. He turned his finger and Kagome twirled around in the air like a puppet.

"Oh, I'll let you go... but it won't be the same..." it said.

Kagome stared. What did the demon mean "it won't be the same..."? Naraku suddenly took shape, and lunged at her. Kagome shrieked as he entrapped her with his jaws. He then bit into her lower abdomen. Kagome shrieked again as blood poured from her wounds, the pain spreading throughout her body. His teeth sank in deeper once more, and then he released her from his jaws. With that, Kagome fell, no; her spirit fell back into her body back on Earth.

"Kagome! Kagome, are you all right??" Sango gasped.

Kagome had blood smeared all over her white blouse. She had hate in her eyes and raised herself up on her legs and threw Sango against the wall, rushing from the house without a word.

Sango looked up with a tear-stricken face and stared after Kagome as she crawled into Miroku's open arms. (InuYasha watched after his girlfriend sadly and sat back down on the couch reluctantly.) How could her best friend do that to her...? There was only one possibility... Her best friend was...possessed...