CHAPTER SIX
.
The first thing that Kagome fell when she woke up was a splitting headache. Her stomach was churning, and her eyes felt as if they had sand in them. "Uggghhh," she groaned, pushing herself onto her hands and knees. "Ohhh, my head... I-Inuyasha, what-"
Then she froze.
Inuyasha wasn't there. Neither were any of the others...
Oh no, Kagome thought, looking around. Where am I? How did I get here? What happened to me?
She was in a cell of some kind, about the size of a handicapped bathroom stall. The walls were made of solid stone, dirty gray and cracked and crumbled at the edges. A heavy metal door took up most of the far wall, surrounded by heavy steel bars like a cage. Behind her, a small window let in gusts of cold air.
Kagome stuck her head out the window, and immediately felt dizzy. Now she knew why there weren't any bars on the windows -- it was a sheep drop down a cliffside, with a violent, rapid-filled river at the bottom. Even if she survived the fall, she would be smashed to bits on the rocks.
Kagome sat up on the wobbly wooden bench. "Oh man," she whispered. "How did this happen?"
I remember, she thought, my tests were cancelled for the next few weeks, because there was a flu bug that was making the teachers and half the students sick. I got some more first aid supplies, and went through the well. I was thinking about how pleased Inuyasha would be that we could leave right away...
Her heart began to beat faster. And then... something happened. I heard someone coming from the woods, but I thought Inuyasha was just coming for me. Then I felt a little pain on the back of my neck, like a bee had stung me. Then... everything is a blur.
Kagome pressed her hands to her face. How did I get into this mess? she thought. "Inuyasha.... where are you?" she whispered.
.
Inuyasha blinked, and glanced around Kaede's dusty old hut. Damn, my mind is playing tricks on me, he thought. I could have sworn I heard Kagome's voice there for a minute.
He pulled her backpack open again. Inside were a tangle of things from her own era that she said were essential, like her toothbrush, textbooks, shampoo, and various other things that Inuyasha was only vaguely familiar with. "Most of it's useless anyway," he said darkly. "No reason to bring the stuff along."
He paused for a moment.
Then he pulled out a tangle of Kagome's things and stared at them hollowly. "I should've known she was coming back," he said softly. "She left all her stuff here."
"Inuyasha?" Miroku stepped inside. "What are you doing?"
Inuyasha didn't reply.
"Inuyasha?" Miroku came closer, and peered over Inuyasha's head. The half-demon was holding the jar of Shikon shards in one hand, and clutching at Kagome's backpack with the other. "Inuyasha, we're about to leave."
"Yeah, okay." Inuyasha hurriedly stuffed the jar into the backpack. Then he slung it over his shoulder.
"You're bringing that?" the monk asked dubiously.
"Course I am. Kagome's gonna need it when we find her."
Inuyasha strode out, with Miroku behind him. Kaede and Sango were talking quietly at the end of the road. "I have not seen any emblem like this," Kaede was saying gravely, looking at the heavy pendant. "Certainly, unlike the spider scar, it does not seem to lead to Naraku directly. Yet I would search for one who might know its meaning before attempting anything more. It may lead to Kagome."
"Thank you, Lady Kaede," Miroku said. He handed the necklace to Inuyasha.
A few minutes later, Kirara bounded down the road with Miroku and Sango on her back. Inuyasha ran just ahead, with Shippo poking his head out of the overstuffed backpack.
"Be safe," Kaede called after them. "And I wish ye luck in finding Kagome!"
"We'll find her," Inuyasha said grimly. I just hope she's safe, he added silently. And if she's not, someone is going to pay dearly.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
The first thing that Kagome fell when she woke up was a splitting headache. Her stomach was churning, and her eyes felt as if they had sand in them. "Uggghhh," she groaned, pushing herself onto her hands and knees. "Ohhh, my head... I-Inuyasha, what-"
Then she froze.
Inuyasha wasn't there. Neither were any of the others...
Oh no, Kagome thought, looking around. Where am I? How did I get here? What happened to me?
She was in a cell of some kind, about the size of a handicapped bathroom stall. The walls were made of solid stone, dirty gray and cracked and crumbled at the edges. A heavy metal door took up most of the far wall, surrounded by heavy steel bars like a cage. Behind her, a small window let in gusts of cold air.
Kagome stuck her head out the window, and immediately felt dizzy. Now she knew why there weren't any bars on the windows -- it was a sheep drop down a cliffside, with a violent, rapid-filled river at the bottom. Even if she survived the fall, she would be smashed to bits on the rocks.
Kagome sat up on the wobbly wooden bench. "Oh man," she whispered. "How did this happen?"
I remember, she thought, my tests were cancelled for the next few weeks, because there was a flu bug that was making the teachers and half the students sick. I got some more first aid supplies, and went through the well. I was thinking about how pleased Inuyasha would be that we could leave right away...
Her heart began to beat faster. And then... something happened. I heard someone coming from the woods, but I thought Inuyasha was just coming for me. Then I felt a little pain on the back of my neck, like a bee had stung me. Then... everything is a blur.
Kagome pressed her hands to her face. How did I get into this mess? she thought. "Inuyasha.... where are you?" she whispered.
.
Inuyasha blinked, and glanced around Kaede's dusty old hut. Damn, my mind is playing tricks on me, he thought. I could have sworn I heard Kagome's voice there for a minute.
He pulled her backpack open again. Inside were a tangle of things from her own era that she said were essential, like her toothbrush, textbooks, shampoo, and various other things that Inuyasha was only vaguely familiar with. "Most of it's useless anyway," he said darkly. "No reason to bring the stuff along."
He paused for a moment.
Then he pulled out a tangle of Kagome's things and stared at them hollowly. "I should've known she was coming back," he said softly. "She left all her stuff here."
"Inuyasha?" Miroku stepped inside. "What are you doing?"
Inuyasha didn't reply.
"Inuyasha?" Miroku came closer, and peered over Inuyasha's head. The half-demon was holding the jar of Shikon shards in one hand, and clutching at Kagome's backpack with the other. "Inuyasha, we're about to leave."
"Yeah, okay." Inuyasha hurriedly stuffed the jar into the backpack. Then he slung it over his shoulder.
"You're bringing that?" the monk asked dubiously.
"Course I am. Kagome's gonna need it when we find her."
Inuyasha strode out, with Miroku behind him. Kaede and Sango were talking quietly at the end of the road. "I have not seen any emblem like this," Kaede was saying gravely, looking at the heavy pendant. "Certainly, unlike the spider scar, it does not seem to lead to Naraku directly. Yet I would search for one who might know its meaning before attempting anything more. It may lead to Kagome."
"Thank you, Lady Kaede," Miroku said. He handed the necklace to Inuyasha.
A few minutes later, Kirara bounded down the road with Miroku and Sango on her back. Inuyasha ran just ahead, with Shippo poking his head out of the overstuffed backpack.
"Be safe," Kaede called after them. "And I wish ye luck in finding Kagome!"
"We'll find her," Inuyasha said grimly. I just hope she's safe, he added silently. And if she's not, someone is going to pay dearly.
TO BE CONTINUED