Haunted

She had had this dream before, on the same swing in the same playground in the same type of weather. Only this time it was real.....or was it? Each time she had this dream it felt real so now she had no idea what was real and what wasn't.

Dark clouds rolled overhead until they were surrounding her. It was twilight and the sky was gray. With each second that passed the ominous clouds moved closer. Instead of feeling scared, Kagome felt...happy. Yes, happy. Like this was what she wanted. But was it? Something inside of those clouds was coming to take her away, out of her misery and she was elated.

A smirk crossed her lips as tears stung her eyes. She started to laugh and cry all at the same time. Her laughter was hollow and held no joy. And soon she was doubled over in the little black swing, gasping for breath with tears streaming down her face.

She glanced overhead, the clouds had stopped and time seemed to stand still. She leaned back in the swing, simply gazing at the sky. She had finally gotten a hold of herself but a small smirk remained.

Once she was taken by whatever was inside of those wonderful dark clouds, what would happen? What would happen to those she loved? Kagome unconsciously grabbed the fragment of the Shikon no Tama that hung around her neck. The jewel was already halfway complete but they still had a long way to go if it was going to be whole. And then there was the whole Naraku factor. Oh well they'd deal with him when they crossed that bridge.

The clouds moved closer and her smirk grew. Oh God, she was losing it. Her grip on the jewel tightened. As the clouds advanced, doubt began to consume her. This wasn't what she wanted, was it? No, it couldn't be. What about Inuyasha?

"Inuyasha...."

Inuyasha, the handsome half-demon, who had stolen her heart. And he did it without her knowledge probably even his own for that matter. As much as Kagome hated to admit it she was hopelessly in love with him but she knew she had a snowball's in hell chance of ever being with him for he was still in love Kikyo.

"....why can't you leave me be?"

Screams erupted from the distance followed by strikes of lightening. Kagome gasped and jumped to her feet. Someone was hurt. The screams sounded again and her heart did a back flip. Oh my God, she knew who those bloodcurdling screams belong to.

She took off at a sprint in the general direction of the lightening. But as hard as she ran it was like she was just jogging in place. She was still in the old playground by the shrine. Why can't I move? she thought, exasperated.

The cries were quieter now but the light of the lightening was still visible. Kagome knew that within minutes he was going to be dead if she didn't do something quick.

"Hold on!! Please! I'm coming!"

Her voice seemed to echo off of invisible walls and surround her before fading. She started to take off again and this time she was finally getting somewhere. The houses and apartment buildings were empty as she ran past. She didn't know where she was going but knew that she had to get there before it was too late. She turned into an alley, climbed over a fence, and dropped back into a jog.

I can do this, I'm almost there. Another crack of thunder broke through the quiet air, a scream of pain followed. Kagome increased her speed and willed herself to move like bullet or something really really fast. Her foot caught under a can and she crashed to ground. She lay there motionless, stunned, flat on her face.

Another scream pierced the air but this time it was faint. Kagome shot up. Her vision grew blurry as she stood up on shaky legs. She started running again, her throat felt clogged, and she could barely see. She touched her cheek. She hadn't even realized she'd been crying the whole time.

She could make out the bolts of lightening, but no sound besides thunder met her ears. There was something strange about the lightening, instead of falling down it appeared to be shooting up from the ground like an attack of some kind.

"Oh no..." she whispered. "This can't be happening. Inuyasha!! Don't leave me! I need you! Please don't die! Please I beg you!"

She was shouting now, her cries mixed with her own sobs.

"Inuyasha!!"

"Kagome! Kagome! Honey, wake up."

"C'mon sis! Stop screaming already and wake up!"

"Perhaps I should go to my room and return some talismans. You know, just in case."

"No!"

"Meow."

"I really think I should. Maybe it's some sort of demon that has possessed our Kagome. Or I do know some incantations that'll wake her."

"Do you think those'll work, Grandpa?"

"Meow."

"Of course they woul-"

Kagome cracked open her eyes only to find her entire family looming over her in their pajamas. Her mother smiled in relief and touched her forehead.

"Kagome, it was just a nightmare that's all. Are you okay?" her mother asked worriedly.

Sota and Grandpa had stopped their conversation and turned their attention the two women. Grandpa folded his arms over his chest and muttered something about not being able to use ancient magic. Buyo the cat jumped on Kagome's lap and rubbed against her chin.

"Yeah Kagome," Sota said. "You woke us all up with your screaming."

Kagome blushed and pet Buyo. "Sorry about that. I had a bad dream." More then you'll ever know.

"I'll say, that must have been a really bad dream to make you scream like that," Sota continued. "You must really like Inuyasha." He added.

Her blush grew; she was now officially sure that all the blood in her body was in her face. She must have looked like a tomato head. Kagome Higurashi, your easy to read tomato head.

"Shut up! I do not," she snapped and smacked her brother lightly on the arm. "Whatever gave you the idea that I like that jerk?"

Sota frowned in mock thoughtfulness. "Well hmm let me see, just now you were all," he changed his voice into a high pitch. "'Inuyasha! Don't leave me! I need you!'" his voice returned back to normal. "I dunno about you but I think that you definitely have the hots for him."

Kagome wasn't sure if she could possibly blush anymore without her head exploding. But somehow the heat in her cheeks grew even more. Any second now and Kagome was sure she'd burst. Had her miserable little brother heard that much? Was she really screaming that loud? Oh God! That meant her whole family heard! AHH!

She looked up at her mother, who had picked up the sheets that had kicked onto the floor.

"Is that true?" she asked weakly.

Her mother sent her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid so, sweetheart. We heard every word. That must have been a horrible nightmare."

"E-every word?"

"Just short of you confessing your undying love for him that is," Sota interjected with grin.

Kagome glared at him; he really knew how to make a girl feel good about herself. NOT.

"Can it, twerp, no one asked you," she hissed. "You can go back to bed now, show's over so there's no reason to stay up anymore, Sota."

"That's right Sota, tomorrow's a school day so you better go back to sleep," agreed Kagome's mother.

"Awww but Mom, it's Friday. Can't I just miss school tomorrow?"

"No Sota, now go to bed. It's already three in the morning."

Sota let out a defeated sigh and dragged his little feet back out of the room. Kagome remembered Buyo, who lay in her arms, and got up after her brother.

"Hey!"

Sota paused in the doorway of his room, suddenly looking very sleepy. "Wha?"

"You forgot Buyo," Kagome said with a smile.

They entered his room without another word. It was small but decorated with posters of favorite anime characters and super heroes. Toys were littered on the floor. There was a piece of paper hung over the bed with the scribbled words 'My Hero Inuyasha' in colorful lop sided letters with little doodles of the half-demon on the corners. Kagome couldn't help but smile at the sight.

She set Buyo on the bed as Sota crawled under the sheets. Buyo meowed loudly and made his way to his young master.

"Hey Sota," Kagome sat on the foot of the bed. "Will you promise me something?"

Big curious brown eyes met her azure ones.

"What is it? What do you want me to promise? It isn't anything bad is it?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, its nothing bad. But do you promise not to tell Inuyasha about what happened?"

"Whatdaya mean?" he asked, blinking.

"I mean, don't tell him that I had a dream with him. No, not a dream a nightmare. Do you promise?"

"Sure, of course. But sis, what exactly happened? You sounded pretty scared," Sota asked in a I-don't-really-want-to-know-but-I'm-asking-anyways kind of tone.

I witnessed Inuyasha's death...no I heard it.

"It's nothing, really, just a bad dream."