I'm BACK! Took my like a year, huh? Okay, for right now I'm going through this story (not my other ones) and correcting a lot of grammar…changing dialogue to sound more…mature in a sense, and trying to make the story have and keep a flow…it seems so choppy to me now that I reread it. I've matured a great deal over the last year…and I want this story to mirror that…not to be as 'goofy' like Rumors Ruin Reputations. I'll start putting new chapters and stuff up within the next few days, I have to proof read all my old chapters first. I'm a little rusty…so bare with me. I think this is the only story I'm going to continue, though. As for Ecstasy…it depends. I'm not sure if that story is really that good or not.
"If we could read the secret history of our enemies,
We should find in each man's life,
Enough suffering and sorrow to disarm all hostility."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
CHAPTER ONE: Nobody is Going to Believe This.
A young teenage girl who looked to be somewhere around sixteen or seventeen was slowly crept along an abandoned graveyard, scrambling for cover behind an old and worn tombstone; fearing that the neighbors might see her. The night was cold; and the wind was harsh, whipping at her bare arms and cheeks. It was almost chilling to the bone.
Kagome Higurashi was your run of the mill 'misguided' teenager. She was known about the streets of her hometown Salem, Massachusetts as unwanted garbage. She lived with her mother, but in Kagome's eyes, she lived alone. For as long as Kagome could remember her mother had never been at home that much. For her entire life, Kagome had always had to fend for herself, even if that meant stealing a hotdog or hamburger from the local deli…sometimes she was forced to result even lower.
Many of the town's people felt sorry for her; but most of them treated her like a thorn in their side. It seemed like almost everyday a kid at school picked a fight with Kagome, sometimes for no reason at all. Of course Kagome being Kagome, she really didn't care, she always ended up winning the fights anyway; street smarts had pretty much been forced into her veins when she was a small child.
She was a pretty girl; don't get me wrong, she had a pretty face and a shapely figure. She had bright green eyes and long silky black hair. In all honesty, Kagome was one of the more attractive girls in her high school, but her reputation overshadowed her beauty.
Kagome's long black hair and bushy bangs hid her pale face in the dark night air as she eyed the large broken down mansion surrounded by the rundown cemetery. The Osuwari Estate, one of the many 'haunted' houses in Salem, it was the perfect haven for her, she was sure she could fine a large amount antiques to barter off at a pawn shop. It was said that a horrid creature of some sort lived inside that manor; he was supposed to be some kind of psycho killer who sucked the blood of his victims or something like that…yeah right. Kagome didn't believe in the old myth, it was just all stupid superstition. That's what Salem was known for wasn't it? It's superstitious nature?
Kagome had been in the old house many times; she had even found a secret entrance that opened up to the basement, though she had to admit she'd never made it past the boiler room, she had never even seen what the upstairs looked like, though she promised herself that tonight she would find out.
Kagome smirked as she slowly lurked around the corner of the old unkempt building. All the windows and doors were boarded up, but of course, she knew something everyone else didn't. She tiptoed up to the back porch, and slipped between a crack in the lattice underpinning. There she found a hoard of deserted spider webs and musky dirt and dust. She took her hands and began pushing the soil aside until trapdoor appeared underneath the rotted wooden porch. Kagome cautiously lifted the small door and stared down at the slanted stairs that lead into the cellar.
"Here goes." Kagome gulped as she awkwardly climbed into the stairway, taking her first step onto the stair. They were slippery and moldy from the recent winter rain. She eased her way down them, as they creaked with her every movement.
She let out a sigh of relief when her tennis shoe-covered feet landed safely on the dirt floor.
The boiler room was dark and damp, it was almost impossible to see your hand in front of your face, but miraculously Kagome made it across the underground room safely before she eased up the steps heading towards the upper part of the estate. She pulled at the door only to find that it was padlocked on the other side. She stepped down one step and grabbed onto the railing for balance before she gave the door a good kick, swinging it wide open.
Kagome hesitantly peeked her head through the new entrance, a slight chill shivered down her spine. Okay so maybe I am afraid… the place was spooky looking like those houses you see in all the old Dracula movies. It had an eerie aspect to it. But Kagome being the stupid 'brave' person that she was, swallowed up her fear and pushed herself out into the open; accidentally slamming the door behind her so loudly that it fell off its rusty hinges.
"Great!" Kagome murmured under her breath, "If Johnny the Homicidal Maniac didn't know I was here before, he does now." She gazed around the room in awe. She was in the living room, or at least she thought it was anyway. It was a large room that you could tell in its day had been very elegant, with its big chandelier and her Persian rug, but unfortunately, everything had become gray and covered in dust and cobwebs over the years.
"This place isn't so haunted." Kagome laughed as her 'cold feet' washed away. "I bet there's all kinds of antiques and expensive things here I can make some money off of…it's not like anyone will miss it." She smirked.
Kagome walked across the room and entered the hallway.
"Sweet!" She ran up to a statue of a samurai's armor, including helmet, shield, and all. "I wonder how much I could get for you." She waved her hand in front of the statue's face, or at least where the face would have been. She giggled as thoughts of the manikin coming to life filled her head. Kagome was just about to pull a necklace off from around the warrior's neck when she heard footsteps coming from the upper level. She ran behind the armor and hid as she gazed up at the ceiling fearfully. Someone's upstairs.
She gulped; what if that psycho killer thing really does exist…you're kidding me right, it's probably just some poor homeless guy who found a way in just like I did. I bet he's harmless or maybe it's a stray cat seeking shelter from the cold. That's it…I'm sure. Kagome laughed nervously at herself as she tentatively stepped out from behind the samurai. Her conscience told her to run like mad but her ego refused to let her do it.
"I'm not afraid!" She coaxed as she skeptically moved up the grand staircase, making sure to be as silent as possible. Everything inside of her was telling her she was doing something stupid but her curiosity got the better of her; she had to know for certain who or what was upstairs. Once she had reached the second floor, she glided down the long and stretching hallway very quietly checking every room as she went.
Kagome reached the fifth door on the right, twisting the doorknob she pushed it open and gazed around the dark room. She could barely see; the only light was the mild amount of moonlight that seeped through the gapes in the boards on the window. Kagome made out a candle on a small round table sitting in the corner. She grabbed it, pulling a lighter out of her jeans' pocket and lit the wax stick. She gasped when she saw a large wooden coffin, which she had originally thought was a coffee table sitting in the middle of the floor.
"It's just a casket." Kagome persuaded with herself. "Nothing but a harmless wooden box…nothing deadly…except the fact that a dead body's supposed to be in there." She whined as she stared down at its lush velvety red interior.
Kagome glanced around the room holding the candle out in front of her. She glimpsed down at a pile of wooden railroad stakes in the corner and above that, a gothic cross hung on the door. And to Kagome's horror there was a giant red stain on the carpet right beside the sarcophagus that suspiciously looked like blood to her. "Why do I have the feeling Dracula is going to pop out any second now and kill me." Kagome growled sarcastically.
"I'm not Dracula." A cold voice echoed from the doorway. It was a man's voice, a deep melancholy voice that sounded so sad and yet so stern and dangerous that it made her heart stop. It was hoarse and menacing.
Kagome jumped from the intruder's sudden appearance, but she quickly regained her cocky attitude. "So…then who the heck are you?" Kagome spat coldly, but despite her rash words she backed away from the figure who was hid in the shadows. She held out her candle to get a good look at his face but an abrupt burst of wind through the cracks in the window blew out her small flame.
Kagome glared unfaltering at the unidentifiable figure. "Well are we just gonna stand around or are you gonna tell me who you are?"
The man ignored her rude words. "Why've you broken into my home?"
Kagome stood there speechless. He has a point; wait a second… "What do you mean your home? This place is supposed to be abandoned. What are you doing here?" Kagome snapped.
"I live here."
"I said 'this place is supposed to be abandoned!'" She put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot on the ground. Who is this guy? Who does he think he is?
"Well it's not." The voice sighed softly almost in a whiny sort of way.
Kagome stared at the figure with a raised eyebrow. "So who are you anyway…are you that psycho killer or whatever?"
"No…" The figure sighed as he took a step into the room, walking into the moonlight. Kagome relit her candle before gazing back up at the man. Her eyes widened. He was…gorgeous. He had long waist length hair that was as black as ebony and dull soulless amber eyes that seemed to mesmerize you if you stared into them. His face was flawless with the exception of a small scar under his right eye; he reflected the kind of image you get of the hero from an action-adventure novel. He had strong arms and a carved torso that shown through his black T-shirt. He literally looked like some kind of famous person or something, with his denim jeans and his slightly tattoo covered arms, but he wasn't a grown man like she had originally thought upon seeing him. Kagome guessed he was maybe seventeen or eighteen, possibly even in his early twenties. He looked harmless to her; sure he had 'vampire' written all over him, but he didn't seem very dangerous.
"How old are you?" Kagome asked quizzically.
The boy just smiled sadly. "A lot older than you think."
"Oh…how old?"
He rolled his eyes. "Do you always ask rude questions when you trespass onto other people's property? I would like you to leave now, please?"
Kagome ignored him. "So…uh, what's your name anyway?"
"If I tell you will you leave?" He moaned.
She smirked. "Nope…but it's a start."
"I'm Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha…that's a weird name."
"I'm so glad you like it." He groaned sarcastically.
"I'm Kagome." She offered him her hand, but he just stared at it.
"You're an awfully friendly burglar."
Kagome laughed nervously. "Uh…yeah. Sorry about that." Please don't press charges. Please don't press charges. Please don't press charges. "I didn't know anyone actually lived here." Kagome stared down at the coffin guiltily.
"It's fine…but, you should leave now."
Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha giving him the puppy dog eyes, which basically was asking 'do I have too?' It was so cold outside, and oddly enough it was warm inside the manor.
Inuyasha's stern look remained unyielding.
Kagome gave up and nodded as she slowly walked passed him. "You know?" She sighed. "You're not exactly what I expected."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed worriedly. "What do you mean?"
"Well look at you." Kagome giggled. "Jeans and a T-shirt, Tattoos…you're not exactly the vampire I expected."
Inuyasha gulped before he turned around and stared Kagome in the face. "I'm not a vampire." He stuttered.
Kagome just giggled. "Dude, a casket is in the middle of your bedroom floor. We live in Salem, it's kind of a no brainer." She smiled at him. "So you're like into that whole occult thing right…I mean you're not really a vampire, vampire. There's no such thing impossible…unless you're one of those really delusional people who actually believe they're vampires...if so, I didn't mean to offend you."
"Oh…." Inuyasha stared at Kagome in awe. She was just a normal human girl and yet she wasn't scared of him, though she was a little clueless. Occult? She was the one acting delusional.
Kagome held her hand up beside her, giving him the scout's honor. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you being up here or your little 'secret'."
Inuyasha sighed. This girl thinks I'm human…dimwit. He smirked. "Leave now, Miss."
Kagome gave a small gasp as she completely disregarded his command; instead she stared at his teeth in a perplexed manner. "Whoa…you have fangs." She leaned in closer and stared at the sharp canine like teeth. "A girl at my school has a pair of plaster ones just like these. She got them made especially for her. They like glue onto your teeth. Where'd you get yours made?"
"…"
Kagome, neglecting to think about his privacy; reached up and touched the sharp point of one of his fangs. She let out a load shriek before she jerked her finger away, holding it close to her. She stared down at the abnormally large amount of blood trickling down her index finger. "They…they're…re-real." She stuttered. She didn't know how she knew, but the instant his fang cut into her skin she knew…she knew exactly what he was. "Your…you're a, a…vamp-vampire." And with that she fainted.
Inuyasha stared down at the raven-haired girl's lifeless body. "Females." He muttered before he hoisted the girl up into his arms with ease. He had half a mind just to throw her out the window, but for some odd reason he liked her. He stared down at the crook of her neck, knowing he could have a bite, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. This annoying little chatterbox, despite her ill-mannered questions and impolite comments, had grown on him. Little did Kagome know; Inuyasha had observed her over the years, walking past his house or sneaking around in his cemetery. He had literally watched her and the rest of the town grow up. Many times he had watched kids from Kagome's school follow her home, trying to pick a fight with her inside his gloomy graveyard, and every time he had watched her end up the victor...even though she cheated. She was a tough girl; she definitely had a strong will and a stubborn personality, sure she was a little bit of a kleptomaniac and very independent, but she seemed sweet really deep, deep, deep down inside.
He sighed as he carried her down the stairs and laid her down on the couch in the living room. He quickly lit all the lanterns and candles that were dispersed throughout the great room; filling the den with a warm yellow glow.
"You sure are a nuisance." He muttered before he journeyed into the rusty old kitchen and returned with a wet washcloth and surprisingly a Band-Aid, why a vampire has a bandage the world may never know. He placed the washcloth on her forehead; he wasn't sure what it was supposed to do but he remembered once when he was human, his mother did the same to him when he had fallen ill.
Inuyasha cautiously went about the task of putting a Band-Aid on the bleeding finger of an unconscious person…trust me it's not an easy task, especially if you think of blood as a meal.
"You stupid girl," he grumbled once he had finished. He smiled down at her, giving him a weird feeling, like he was looking down at himself or something. He could see himself befriending someone like her, which of course doesn't happen very often between…individuals as different as these two. He shuttered. Oh yeah, when she wakes up he was sending her packing.
Hours later Kagome groggily sat up, letting the now dried washcloth fall to her lap. She dizzily gazed out at her surroundings, her vision too blurry to really focus. "Where am I?" She moaned, not really expecting an answer.
"Where do you think?" A voice called from across the room.
Kagome glanced in the direction she had heard someone speak. "I think I just had a really freaky nightmare." She moaned as she rubbed her eyes.
"Oh really…care to share?"
Kagome nodded as she slowly eased onto her feet, right before her knees gave-way and she fell down to the dusty carpeted floor. "You were in it. I…I think…this-this…"she froze instantly, right in the middle of helping herself up. She stared down at the Band-Aid placed on her index finger, horror in her eyes. "It wasn't a dream was it?" she frantically glanced over at Inuyasha and whimpered.
Inuyasha smirked as he went to her side and cautiously helped her to her feet. "You're something else; you know that?" He chuckled.
Kagome nodded, biting her lower lip.
Inuyasha guided the distressed girl back onto the couch. She stared up at him, her sight finally returning to her.
"I'm gonna go ahead and tell you right now you're not getting a bite from me without a fight." She snapped at him.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed as he handed her a glass of water. She stared down at the clear liquid suspiciously. I bet it's poisoned.
"Please Miss, if I had wanted to have a taste of you I would have already done so." He gave her a small cocky smirk.
Kagome glared at him, her courage running back to her by leaps and bounds. "What am I not good enough?" she snarled.
Inuyasha snickered as he sat down in an old armchair diagonal from the human girl. "Aren't we the eager one."
Kagome gulped and shook her head frantically. "No."
The bloodsucker smirked and shook his head in disdain. "You've got to be the weirdest company I've ever had…of course you're probably the only company I've ever had." He thought aloud.
"Does it hurt…becoming a 'you know what', is it really painful?" She asked bashfully.
He gazed down at the floor in deep thought. "Why should I tell you?"
She glared at him. "Because I asked."
He sighed; he'd liked her better when she was unconscious. "I don't remember. It's been so long."
"That's sad." Kagome glanced down at her shoes timidly. "Hey." She stared back up at him, "why didn't you bite me?"
Inuyasha snorted as he stood to his feet; he gazed out at the rising sunrise through a hole in the boards over the fore-window. "You're not in my diet." He laughed.
"Diet?" Kagome questioned. "You don't eat…humans?"
"No." He sighed, his gaze never breaking away from the brilliant dawn flowing through the opening in the lumber.
"Then what do you eat?"
He turned to her, staring at her with sorrowful eyes. "Cattle."
"Cattle…you mean you eat poor, defenseless cows?"
Inuyasha sighed as he messaged him temples. "Would you rather me eat you?"
Kagome shook her head violently before she stood to her feet. She calmly walked up beside him. "So you're some kind of good Samaritan vampire aren't you?"
He nodded. "Got a problem with it?" he snapped at her, getting annoyed by her constant chattering. Oh yeah, should have thrown her out the window when I had the chance.
"But…I thought vampires were all supposed to be evil."
Sweatdrop. Inuyasha shook his head no, staring down at the girl before him. "We're not evil, not all of us anyway. It's just legend." He put his hand out in a stray beam of sunlight, forcing Kagome to gasp in fear until she saw his hand was unharmed. "Some of us are good and some are bad. Many things you've heard about us are not true…like the myth that we can't go out into the sun, untrue. 'Only those that have drunk the blood of man are banished to the shadows'."
Kagome stared up into his face in awe as he kept his gaze on his hand. "Wow…being a vampire…must be really weird…you're the first one I've ever met." She examined him, scanning the poor guy from head to toe. "I didn't think they actually existed to be perfectly honest." She gave him a goofy grin. "It sounds really cool…I wish I was one." That did it.
Inuyasha turned on her, grabbing her arms and glaring angrily into the raven-haired girl's eyes. "Don't ever say that again." He screamed harshly, forcing her to jerk free and back away fearfully. "Get out of here now!" He ordered coldly but she didn't move; instead her stubbornness kicked in.
"Excuse me, Mister Grumpy Pants. What's your problem?" She shouted furiously. "I don't know what crawled up your ass and died, but you don't have to be so damn rude."
"Rude? Me? Rude? You're the one who won't leave…and it's my house!"
"I'm not going anywhere." She roared. "You're just gonna have to bite me!"
"That's fine with me!"
Kagome smirked as she titled her head to the side and swept her hair away from her neck. "Go ahead. Do it. I dare you."
He gaped down at the crook of her neck. "…" He couldn't do it.
Kagome smiled triumphantly as she straightened her head back to its original position. "I figured as much, you goody-goody."
Inuyasha growled at her, she knew she had power over him…women and power, not a good mix.
"So..." Kagome sighed as she collapsed onto the lush couch cushion. "You don't remember if it hurt becoming a vampire…do you remember anything before you became all…Mr. Fang-y?"
Inuyasha stared down at her skeptically. "Bits and pieces." Please just leave. Leave me in peace.
Kagome smiled. "Like what?"
He groaned, as despite his wishes of secrecy he sat back down in his seat, "What do you want to know?"
Kagome smiled at him as she propped her feet up on the coffee table and took a swig of her water. "First things first. Just how old are you exactly?" There's no getting rid of her now is there?
Inuyasha closed his eyes, deep in concentration. "I was born in 1948…which date exactly I'm no longer sure…" he began rubbing his temples with his index fingers. " I was 'bitten' in 1966…so I'd say I'm technically in my mid to late fifties."
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "You look like you're eighteen."
Inuyasha snorted as he took a sip of beer from his Budweiser can. "Shocking ain't it?"
Kagome nodded. "You're old enough to be my grandfather."
He smirked, reliving old memories in his head. "Knowing me I could be."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"Just kidding." He sighed. "Anything else you want to know?"
"Well for one thing…I thought vampires drink blood not beer." She stared at the can in his hand, which just made him laugh harder.
"Another one of the many things you've heard about us that is not true. Blood is like an elixir to us. We cannot survive without it. It is what makes us immortal. But that doesn't mean we can no longer enjoy the things we used to eat and drink when we were human, on the contrary, Ms. Hirugashi." He leaned in, placing the beer on the coffee table in front of her feet. "Think of it this way; what's the point of living forever if you can't enjoy it?"
She thought for a moment and then nodded. "So why are you a good vampire? I mean isn't it like some kind of rebellious act against some vampire code or something?"
He stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Vampire code?" He snickered. "There's no such thing…not that I know of anyway."
"So why are you good then?"
Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure exactly. I've been told it was because of the way I 'died'."
"The way you died? What do you mean?"
"According to…someone I once knew, if a human becomes a vampire willingly or out of greed…then their hearts become black as devils and they loose their soul, turning them into blood thirsty animals…this can also occur to good vampires if they drink human blood. But if you became one unwillingly or out of selflessness, and restrain your urge to drink human blood your soul stays intact."
"How can you become a vampire out of selflessness?" She asked doubtfully.
The vampire leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, crossing his arms behind his head. God this girl never stops with the questions…do I really have to answer them? If I want to get ride of her. "Well it doesn't happen often. But I've heard of one instance where there was this one vampire who had two lovers or whatever locked up, threatening to turn the girl into a vampire, the boy caring for the girl's safety took her place instead."
Kagome picked up Inuyasha's can and stared at it. "Well that doesn't sound that bad, if the guy became a good vampire, then the girl and guy could still be together in the end."
"You're forgetting something…a vampire lives forever, they're immortal, but a human only lives for a short lifetime. The girl grew old and died, while the boy would have had to go on living eternally. Not to mention that particular story took place during the seventeenth century. Back in those days vampires and witches and anyone even remotely related to the darkness they were murdered…burned at the stake, hung, sent to the iron maiden or guillotine; you get the picture…so both boy and girl ended up six feet under in the end."
Kagome gulped. "They killed him…that's horrible."
Inuyasha sighed. "Yeah well, that's life."
"So how did you become a vampire?"
Inuyasha's glared at the human girl. "None of your damn business."
Kagome gave him a wry and threatening look. "I'll stake you if you don't tell me."
He snorted. "Is that a threat?"
"Damn straight…now just tell me already."
He grumbled something about pesky 'females' before his eyes grew sad and he began to gaze at the floor, "I died trying to save a girl I once knew. You happy now?"
"Oh." Kagome watched him sadly. "Who was she, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Her name was Kikyo." He stared up at Kagome. "She was my Fiancée."
"What happened to her?"
He sighed, "She died in the accident." Kagome nodded, knowing that her questions were disturbing him but he continued anyway. "We were attacked that night…it was just the two of us…walking along the mansion's grounds. Then Sesshomaru…my brother, jumped out of nowhere and attacked us. It wasn't until later that I found out he'd been turned into a vampire…and had killed our entire family before he sought out Kikyo and I. I fought him, but no matter how hard I tried he kept going after Kikyo. Sesshomaru had always had a thing for her ever since we were younger, and he had always hated me because she had chosen me. "
He paused and then continued. "Finally when Sesshomaru leapt out to bite Kikyo I turned to her and yelled at her to run…but it was too late. My brother had brought a couple of his 'friends'. They'd already killed her."
Kagome covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide in horror. "I'm so sorry."
But he just continued. "I remember…when I saw her body lying on the ground." Inuyasha's eyes grew painful as he lost himself in his memory. "I remember seeing all those monsters feasting on her…and I…I just lost it. I cried out and began kicking the demons off of her; I scrambled to her side. My face covered with blood. And as I laid there holding onto her I felt my brother sink his teeth into me." Inuyasha pounded his fist angrily. "That's when I completely went over the edge, I killed him. I killed my own flesh and blood…breaking his neck in two. When I had realized what I had done, I fell to my knees and…and just laid there on the ground as rain poured all around me. There was at least five to six vampires left, so I laid perfectly still and gave up…I closed my eyes, and readied myself to die, embracing death…so I could be with Kikyo again."
Inuyasha glared angrily as he stood to his feet and kicked the coffee table clear across the room, smashing it into the wall. "But they didn't kill me." He screamed. "They condemned me to hell! Instead they made me what I am today…a devil." He fell to the floor, beating his knuckles into his knees.
Kagome stood abruptly, running to his side. "Now wait a minute." She yelled at him before she grabbed his face forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Listen here, quit feeling sorry for yourself. I don't know what it feels like to be immortal, or to kill someone; but I do know what it's like to loose someone and give up. I may have just met you, and even thought you're a vampire, you don't sound like a monster."
"That's just it." Inuyasha growled. "When I became a vampire I became a killer. I killed them, you stupid girl…every last one of them."
She didn't listen to him, as her mother's intuition kicked in. "You're not a monster. You're a good person. From what it sounds like, you fought to save someone's life…you didn't succeed, but you tried…it's not your fault. You didn't kill your brother. How can you kill something if it's already dead?"
"By breaking its neck, we may be immortal but we're not Energizer Bunnies."
"He was dead to begin with."
"Kikyo wasn't!" He protested angrily.
"Stop it. Stop carrying her death on your shoulders…it wasn't you fault."
Inuyasha stared up into Kagome's eyes. "Oh what would you know?" He spat. Oops.
Kagome slapped him clear across the face, her eyes blaring. "Excuse me you over grown bloodsucker; I don't care how sad of a story you have…you shouldn't feel so damn guilty about everything. Get over it…yeah I'm sure you loved her…and I'm sure you felt sorry for your brother and all those other vampires…but it was over fifty years ago." She slapped him again before she stood up, towering over the vampire boy. It thoroughly pissed her off when people did nothing but feel sorry for themselves all day…she had learned from her own experiences that there was no surviving on your own if you couldn't be strong.
"I'm leaving." She screamed as she stormed up to the front door and kicked it open, breaking it and the boards over top of it down.
"You broke my door." Inuyasha gasped. "You broke another door."
Kagome turned around, standing in the doorway. "Tell me." She snapped. "For a creature of the night you act an awful lot like a big cry baby…how is it you've survived up here in this big house all by yourself?"
Inuyasha stood to his feet. "I'm a big boy, Ms. Higurashi; I can take care of myself."
"Oh well then." Kagome sneered. "Let me commend you on your great house keeping." She glared over at the cobweb covered banister above the fireplace. "The place looks lovely." She snorted. "I'm sure your mommy would be proud."
"Thanks." Inuyasha scorned. "I'm sure she would be too, had her oldest son not brutally murdered her…in this very room."
Kagome gulped before she surveyed around the four walls.
"I found her body right over there." Inuyasha pointed to a corner behind a large piano near the staircase.
Kagome got that uneasy feeling of pity again. "Oh my God." She gasped.
"Not so abundant with strong words anymore, hmmm, Ms. Higurashi?"
Kagome stood silently in the doorframe, her eyes never leaving the spot where he had indicated that he had found his mother's body.
"They blamed me." Inuyasha snorted as he collapsed back down in his trusty armchair. "When the police went to investigate the missing persons report…I had already buried the bodies…all fifteen of them, including the vampires that had killed Kikyo. At first I kept myself hidden, not letting my whereabouts known. Then the police started to suspect that I had killed everyone, and they were going to have a search warrant put out for me…it was then that I knew I had to…kill myself. I couldn't just have all these people hunting me…breaking into my house. I knew as long as people thought I was alive I could never live in peace."
Kagome slowly walked back into the room. "You killed yourself?"
Inuyasha nodded. "Vampires have no pulse…nor a need for oxygen, ergo the living dead. We're basically just a walking corpse, as the legend goes. So one night I called the police…hid my identity…I told them I had seen a body of a young boy lying in the old cemetery, up inside the bushes next to the gazebo. When I hung up…I ran out to the place I'd told them to find me…and took a little nap."
"Took a little nap?"
Inuyasha chuckled. "For someone who wanted to die as much as I did, I really just wanted to live in peace. But you know what they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I played dead, Ms. Hirugashi. I laid perfectly still…and seeing as the technology in those days is nothing in comparison to today's…the autopsy was a breeze. They didn't even have to cut me open…they just said I had died from suicide. I just sort of stayed still in this kind of comatose state…and by the end of the day I was six feet under."
"Six feet under?" Kagome repeated as she collapsed onto the couch, blowing dust into the air.
"Of course once I knew the coast was clear I had to dig myself out again. That was a bitch if I ever remember one. But I guess on the bright side I was free to be alone…that is until you came along. You're something else, Higurashi."
Kagome stared at him. "How do you know my last name?"
"Oh I know a lot about you, sweetheart. So much that it scares me sometimes."
"But how…I don't understand?"
"Please Miss, I may be dead but I'm not dull…you're the talk of the town, ever since your father passed away. I do get out of this house a time or two. I mean a man's got to buy his beer doesn't he?"
Kagome nodded, "Yeah, but for someone like you…and the tattoos. From the way you sound, and from such a rich family, you seemed more like the little rich boy who fought in the war, was captain of the football team, and president of the student body."
Inuyasha chuckled as he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, pulled one out, and stuck it in a neighboring candle, lighting her before he stuck the cigarette in-between his lips. "Oh I was…but then I got a life. Besides…at night is when the real party animals come out to play. You don't think I stay up here in this old hellhole and feel sorry for myself all the time do you? For your information Little Miss Princess…I haven't thought of that incident in over…God, ten years. But thanks to you and your big mouth I've been reminded of just how bad my life really sucks."
Kagome glared at him. "So you go out at night. Aren't you ever scared? You act all tough, but I saw you cry like a baby a few minutes ago. I don't think you have the balls to walk around at night by yourself; not here in Salem anyway."
Inuyasha snorted as he rolled his eyes. "Why should I be afraid of the dark, Sweetheart. When I'm what goes bump in the night."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Sure. Just keep telling yourself that."
He sighed. "You know what? For such a pretty girl you sure are a stubborn pain in my ass. I've only known you a couple of hours and I already can't stand you."
"The feelings mutual."
"So then." Inuyasha groaned. "Why haven't you left yet?"
Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it's because I found someone to talk to. Sure we've only argued…but it's better than nothing."
Inuyasha stared at the raven-haired girl with a dumbfounded expression. That's when it occurred to him that she knew exactly what it was like to be separated from the rest of the world and to have no one care about you. "You've never really had a good life either have you?"
Kagome huffed angrily. "Why don't you tell me Mr. 'I know a lot about you, sweetheart. So much that it scares me sometimes'?"
Inuyasha sighed. "I say we call it a truce." He held out his hand; this time it was Kagome's turn to stare at the offered gesture. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, every part of his being wanted to kick her out of his broken down front door. Maybe it was his whole pity of the damsel in distress…she was no damsel.
"Truce? Why the heck do you want to call a truce for? I thought I was a 'stubborn pain in your ass'?"
Inuyasha groaned as he continued to hold his hand out. "You have a nasty habit of using what people say against them. Come on." He encouraged. "We both know that neither of us really have any friends or family…I admit it would be nice to have someone to talk to from time to time." Okay, someone to talk to? Now he was scaring himself. Inuyasha liked being the all secretive and quiet type…he hated talking or 'being friends' with people. Why did he suddenly have the change of heart with this girl? "Hell." He continued. "Maybe we'll even play checkers sometime."
Kagome giggled still neglecting his offer. "You're beginning to sound your age you old fart." She laughed. "Sorry but I don't…" she broke off when she realized what time it was, she stared down at her wristwatch and gave out a small gasp. " Seven forty-five! I'm gonna be late for school!" Kagome quickly grabbed her jacket lying on the couch and ran out the door. "See 'ya'!" She called back at the vampire.
Inuyasha sighed as he retreated his unshaken hand back to his side. "Now." He moaned. "To fix my doors…where did I put that tool box?" He pondered. Stupid girl. He wasn't sure why he trusted her not to go tell the whole town he was still living in the mansion. But he did.
I hope you liked it. I know Inuyasha and Kagome are a bit out of character but…oh well. I like the way they fit together. A nosey girl and a stubborn vampire.
Have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Just leave them in a review or email them to me. I'd be more than happy to answer them. I hope you liked my first chapter. Blame this story on reading too many Anne Rice books before I watched Adult Swim and then went to bed…you can only imagine the nightmares I have sometimes.