Ch. 4: Tears of Blood

me: you know what? I'm so happy that ya'll like this fanfic, that I'm going to: ::lets Kikyo out of her box::

Kikyo: ::is soaking wet:: .............

me: uh oh...

Kikyo: .....

Kagome examined the tip of the rusted arrow, testing its sharpness with her finger. The arrow drew a droplet of crimson blood, which sharply contrasted against Kagome's light complexion. She could feel the throbbing in her finger, and she smiled lightly. At least she could feel something.

After all, her friends had gone through much worse. Sango, Miroku and InuYasha had been completely dismembered by the explosion. And here she was, with a tiny pain in her finger. Angrily, Kagome sliced across her arm, very close to the vein in her wrist. The blood dripped onto the beige carpet, staining it. She repeated the process, cutting across her shoulders and legs. Her whole body was throbbing with pain, and she had to stop for a moment, her hand was shaking so badly. Slowly, she reached up with the bloody arrow, and cut into her cheek. The blood dripped down her face, like crimson tears. Sobbing quietly, she lay the arrow down on her desk and slipped her head into her hands. She stayed in that position for about four minutes, her eyes closed and her body aching with physical and mental pain.

"MOM! Kagome's bleeding!!" Sota's young voice ricocheted around her room, causing Kagome to snap her head up. Her younger brother was standing in the doorway, his face a mask of horror, as he took in the scene.

"Sota?! What are you talking- oh my god!" Suddenly, her mother was in the doorway, the hallway light silhouetting her horrified figure. In an instant, Mrs. Higurashi was halfway across the room, and she ripped the crimson arrow from her daughter's desktop. Angrily, she grabbed Kagome by the arm, earning a handful of blood.

"Mom? What are you doing?" Kagome asked, as her mother forcefully led her to the bathroom. Once there, Mrs. Higurashi cleaned the numerous cuts, shaking her head and mumbling as she went.

"Kagome...if Sota hadn't seen you....I just can't believe you'd pull something like this!"

"Mom..."

"Quiet! Do you know how painful it is to see you like this? Good Lord, Kagome, I know it hurts, but you can't do this!"

"But....mom..."

Her mother let out a long sigh. "What is it?"

"I...I can't....InuYasha was..."

"Kagome, you had a life before InuYasha, and you will have one after it. I guarantee it."

"I needed to say goodbye..." Kagome let a tear drip down her cheek, the salt stinging the long cut. Her mother looked at her sadly, pushing some dark hair away from her daughter's eyes.

"Just try to forget about it all, okay?"

"I guess...."

"Heeey, you're at school today!" Hojo's voice rang in Kagome's ears as she walked up the stone steps. Self-consciously, she pulled her shirt over her hands more, to cover the cuts.

"Yeah..."

"What's up with your face?" Hojo stopped to examine the thin mark on her cheek. She slapped her hand over it and laughed.

"Buyo-chan scratched me yesterday.... I scared him a little...."

"Aw, that sucks. Does it still hurt?"

"Mmm. Not really."

"Oh." Hojo looked out across the field, watching the other students file in. His face paled when he saw Alisa, and he averted his eyes as she walked past.

"God, Hojo. You still have a problem with her?" Kagome sighed, smoothing down her green skirt. Hojo smiled sheepishly.

"Yesterday, she was talking to this really creepy guy in a black car...he was scary!"

Kagome laughed. "Oh, c'mon Hojo. She's four times smaller than you!"

"Size isn't necessarily power..." Hojo stated wisely. Smiling, Kagome whapped him over the head with her backpack. The chiming bell rang, and the two hurried to their homeroom.

I can do it...I can forget all about him....

For the first time in quite a while, Kagome found herself paying attention in class. The day went by relatively quickly, and as the last bell rang, Kagome began to think she could handle losing InuYasha. Happily, she walked toward the fast food place where she was going to meet Hojo and her friends for a quick snack after school. As she crossed the dark alleyway, a voice came softly from the shadows.

"...Higurashi-san..."

"Who's there?"

"...Satoshi Alisa. I'm in your...classes." The small Albino stepped out of the shadows in the alleyway, still toting her school backpack.

"Oh, hi Alisa!" Kagome smiled, bowing slightly. Alisa returned the bow, but did not smile.

"Are you...on your way....home?"

"No, I'm actually meeting some friends."

"Hm. Friends are...special, aren't they?"

"Um, yeah..." Kagome replied, raising an eyebrow.

"They don't...let one other down...they're always...there for each other...." Alisa smiled coldly, her eyes overflowing with frost.

"Yeah..." Kagome's throat had become very dry. She swallowed loudly, and adjusted her backpack straps.

"I don't...think...that friends should leave one other...it's just...not...right. They should...be there...through...whatever happens...."

Kagome bit her lip. She hadn't been there for InuYasha. She could have helped. But how would Alisa know that?

"Just something...to think about, Higurashi-san. Try not to let anyone...down, anymore....if you can...manage even that...." Alisa closed her frosty eyes and walked away, her black shoes clicking on the pavement.

"I wasn't there for InuYasha..." Kagome said quietly. She stared at the ground, her once bright eyes depressed. Quickly, she crossed the alley and passed the fast food place, hoping the others didn't see her. She needed to be by herself right now.

"Hey Kagome-chan! I thought you were out with your friends today!" Her mother was overly chipper, trying to make up for the incident of last night. Kagome shrugged and started up the stairs.

"Hold on a minute, Kagome." Her grandfather held up a wrinkled hand and motioned for her to sit down. Grudgingly, she obliged, plopping herself into a wooden chair.

"What is it, Grandpa?"

"Your mother and I have been talking, and we agreed that you should see a therapist. He has a bit of a group going on, and I think it would be especially beneficial for you to join it."

"What?!" Kagome shot out of her chair, her eyes filled with anger.

"Just for a little while! After all, summer is coming up soon. Think of it as a camp. It's only for about a week..." Feebly, her grandfather smiled. She scowled at him even more.

"I'm not going. "

"Look, Kagome-chan. It's just a sort of camp. I think you stay there overnight for a few days. You'll be dealing with people quite like yourself, who have just lost loved ones." Her mother smiled. "We've even got the brochure!" She held up a blue pamphlet, which Kagome took.

"Aralia? It looks like some sort of crazy house. Forget it, I have better things to do."

"...like sit in your room and cut yourself? I'm sorry, but I won't allow that!" Mrs. Higurashi sighed sadly. "I would ordinarily not trust this kind of stuff, but I met a very kind young man at work today, and he owns Aralia. It's a house for helping people like you."

"I'm not insane!"

"I didn't say you were! But you could have killed yourself yesterday, Kagome." Now her mother's eyes were angry. "You don't know how scared I was to see you in all that blood. I don't want it to happen again, yet I don't trust you to stay cheerful."

"I'm not going."

"You don't make the decisions in this house, Kagome. Now, you'll get to meet this young man. He's-" she checked her watch. "Actually, he should be here any minute. Now, I want you to be nice, and if he decides that this place would be suitable for you, then you'll leave the day after school ends. Which is in, what? Three days?"

"Whatever." Kagome pushed back her chair and walked up the stairs. She could feel her relatives' worried looks on her as she stepped into her room. Angrily, she slammed her backpack onto the bed and looked out the window.

"I'm not crazy..." She said softly, fingering the cut on her arm. Deep inside, she couldn't help wanting to go, just a little. Maybe it would help...maybe....

Outside the Higurashi household, a young man with his ebony hair tied back into a loose ponytail stepped out of his dark car, a smug smile pasted on his lips. With a click of a button, he locked the car and began his walk toward the front door. With one last straightening of his tie, he reached out and pressed the doorbell.
Me: sry for the long wait! School is hard!

Kikyo: yes, that it is....