Chapter Eight:
Flashback
He pulled the old sweater over his head as he made his way towards the door of his small bedroom. Like any boy his age, he didn't keep the room very straight, so he found himself hopping over some clothes and his math binder in order to get out. 'Shit! I slept late! Sango's gonna kill me! I was supposed to meet her ten minutes ago!' He hopped over one last stack of comic books before he placed his hand on the gleaming knob.
It turned with a soft click and he quickly made his way down the long hall way. The house was so quiet all morning; it had surprised him because he was normally woken up by the sounds his family made while getting dressed in the morning. 'Wonder where everyone is.' He thought absently, a little distracted while maneuvering his way through the house. He couldn't help but let the eerie silence puzzle him, it was so...unnatural.
He walked into the small rectangular kitchen and made his way towards the off-white colored refrigerator. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and he sure as hell wasn't about to miss it, even if he was running late. 'You think that's why Sango is always mad at me? Because I am always eating?'
'No, because you are a pervert.' His inner voice answered rather quickly. Ouch. Okay...so maybe that was the truth, but did he have to be so mean about it?
He pulled out a carton of milk and a container of what looked like yogurt...he was too hungry to picky this morning, so he didn't mind much. He searched the drawers in the kitchen for a spoon, and he stuffed one in what he hoped was strawberry kiwi yogurt. He grimaced at the watery surface though, so he decided he could wait until lunch to eat...maybe he'd be lucky enough to find something that wouldn't kill him.
He tossed the yogurt in the trash can from across the room, ever the basketball player, and slid the spoon down the counter so that it would eventually fall into the sink. Then he quickly chugged the milk directly from the carton, then tossed it in the trash can as well. 'Come on Miroku, gotta be fast.' He chanted to himself as he ran to the living room for his backpack, his shoes squeaked on the floor.
He scrambled to throw all his folders which were lying across the floor into his bag, and shuffled some crumpled papers in as well. Sure the bag was a mess...but at least he had everything.
Once he had gathered everything, he stretched his arms, yawned, and headed towards the door.
"And where do you think you're going?"
His heart stopped there. 'He's not supposed to be at home now.' He thought as his eyes stretched open in surprise.
"T-to w-work on an as-ssignment." He stuttered. He turned to face his father, his drunk father. 'Why is he drinking so early?' He thought frantically to himself as he backed up towards the door.
"So, does 'an assignment' come before manners? You left the kitchen a mess." The tall man said, wearing a sadistic grin.
Miroku bit his lip, drawing out some of his own coppery blood. He looked at his father fearlessly, ignoring the sour metallic taste spreading through his mouth. There he was, a seemingly average middle aged man. He was of an average height, average build. His clothes were nothing extravagant, a gray t-shirt and fading jeans. If it wasn't for the smile planted across his lips, or the dim smell of alcohol radiating from him, Miroku wouldn't have felt intimidated at all. But...it WAS there, and he DID feel intimidated. Something about that look he was wearing: that smile, those eyes.
Something was different, and Miroku didn't want to know why.
"I-I am sorry. I didn't think I made a mess of things." Despite his stuttering, he looked calm enough.
"Didn't think?" His father questioned. Right there Miroku saw what was coming at him, a horrible cliché he thought he'd never experience. "Didn't think?" The man repeated.
The younger male felt an odd tingling flow through his veins. If this didn't feel so tense, so serious...if he wasn't scared for his life...he would have laughed. 'This conversation...it never happens in real life.' That's what he'd say. 'You only read it in books, only see it in movies...'
It's amazing how realistic books and movies can be sometimes...
And then, as if it were all being rehearsed for a play, "Maybe you should have 'thought' about it this time." His smile turned into a frown, as if he were prepared to make a long, disappointing speech. "I'm tired of you always acting so stupid. I mean, what kind of retard did I bring up, anyway? You're failing half of your classes...always chasing around girls without a chance of getting them, and to top it all off: You can't even clean up after yourself!" He glared at his son from across the wide living room. From the twinkle in his eye, Miroku could tell he was enjoying this.
'He's drunk, don't listen to what he says.' He warned himself as he stared respectfully at his father. What was he doing, anyways? He felt nervous, looked fearless, and spoke respectfully. What did he think he could accomplish that way?
He then saw his father crouch down, and the next thing he knew...he was on the ground, his face being pounded by strong fists.
"I'll teach you, son." The drunken man laughed. "Bet you'll think twice about making a mess next time, won't you?"...and he threw his fist at Miroku's face.
What was his father thinking now? Could he be that drunk? Miroku couldn't hear anything right then. His head was being punched hard, and in all the right places. He was quickly loosing his consciousness, but could do nothing to stop the drunkard. He wasn't strong enough, not even when his father wasn't being driven by alcohol. And he had been too surprised this time...not that he would have fought back or anything.
It was a strange sensation, each and every time this happened...it was the exact same. He was pummeled with emotions every time...not to mention fists. What was he supposed to do? Hit his father? Was this really worth military school? No. As satisfying as it would be to fight his father back right now...it wasn't worth it, not at all. He was still young. He may be a teenager, but that didn't make him old. If he fought back now he would screw up his whole future.
Maybe he was as stupid as his father always told him he was. He wouldn't' t even save himself right now because he was didn't want his life to change.
Not to mention he was scared shitless about what his father would do if he swung at him. Could he stand up to the older man? Not likely. He may be stupid, but not that stupid. 'Sango...' He thought to himself as he felt this father's last swing hit him directly in the jaw. 'I don't think I'll make it to the library today.'
His mind hazed over for what felt like just a couple of short, painful seconds. His head was spinning, but he wasn't moving. He felt like he was being pulled apart by someone, but he also knew that his father had just left the room. And even though he wanted to just give into the pain, drown into the darkness hanging over him, he fought back. He slowly got up and grabbed his head in agony and slowly rose, grabbing onto a chair near him for support.
And then the phone rang.
He slowly straightened himself up and stared at the phone across the room. Should he get it? He didn't want to...but if he answered it the ringing would soon end. He decided on getting rid of the sharp sound that was echoing in his ears and picked up the phone.
End of Flashback
"Hello?" He asked heartlessly as he brought the phone to his ear.
"Miroku?"
"Sango!" He shouted as he bolted up at the sound of the familiar voice. "I'm sorry, I can't go to the library." He said quickly as he thought of the best way to explain his absence.
"What are you talking about?" Her voice echoed in his brain for a moment. What was he talking about, again? He looked down. He was sitting on his bed, twisted in his pale sheets. Then the memory of his dream flooded back into his mind,
"It was only a dream?" He said softly to himself, grasping the sheets wrapped around his body.
"What was only a dream?" Sango asked from the other line. She sounded completely bewildered.
"Nothing." He answered quickly, a little too quickly.
It wasn't really a dream, it was a memory. And dream he was glad as hell to wake up from.
He grabbed his head, making sure he was really awake. He felt no pain though, he was okay. 'Why did I suddenly remember that?' He shook his head. 'I need to get more sleep.'
He then remembered the phone in his hand. "Oh, hey." He adjusted his title from earlier. "Sorry about that, you just woke me up." He laughed lightly. "What's up?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think it was that early." She said quickly. She sounded embarrassed suddenly.
"Don't worry about it. I should be up by now anyway." He comforted. 'Just anxiety dreams, Miroku. It happens whenever you break up with a girl, get over it.' "So what did you call for?"
"Nothing much. Just thought today would be a good day to go...spy on Kouga." She said. "Damn...I feel like a bad person when I say 'spy'." She added, a little more to herself then anyone else.
He sighed. "Don't worry about it, really. You know yourself there's nothing wrong with following the kid around."
"What? There's a lot wrong with-"
"Calm down. Just...just let it go. Don't worry about wrong or right. Just think about helping Inuyasha. This will be for his good, remember that. This is the only way." He said placidly.
"It's not that easy for me, you know. I've kinda always been one to play by the rules." She admitted lightly over the phone.
"I know, but hey, breaking them just this once won't hurt anyone." He said, hoping to get her spirits up a bit.
"What about Kouga? He could get in trouble." She added quickly.
"We're not on his side!" he shouted back aggressively. "Look, don't worry about it. Just focus on Inuyasha's safety. I'll meet you at the cafe after work. Bye." He added on a softer note as he tried to convince her to feel better.
"Oh alright." She gave in. "I guess I'll be seeing you in a few hours then."
The line clicked...she hung up. He put down the phone he had couldn't even remember picking up. Something was wrong with him.
His head was spinning, racing, and being viciously beaten up. Not only was he suffering from a hangover from the other night, but now he was being chewed out.
"...and why a hooker? You could have at least had your fun with one of the skanks at your school!"...and the point of this was...?
"Look Sesshy," The older brother's eyes narrowed considerably, but Inuyasha ignored them. "I'm okay now, so what does it matter? You tracked me down before anything happened." Inuyasha looked at his brother dryly. "I don't know what the problem is with you, maybe you're just over protective or something, but don't get all bitchy with me." He rolled his eyes and made his way towards his room.
"Bitchy? I'm a fucking guy, if anything I'm bastard-y." It seemed the older brother was still a little gender sensitive these days after some past misunderstandings. "What does it matter? I'm responsible for you! If you had gotten caught in the act you'd be in a foster home and I'd loose my job."
"So that's it, isn't it." Inuyasha laughed. "You just care about your job." He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I promise to be good from now on Sesshy, don't worry about your precious credentials." He spun around, sure to send the older man a one fingered wave.
He left his brother staring at the door, slightly confused. 'All I care about is my job?'
Inuyasha practically flew out of the door as he traveled as far away from his brother's home as he could. His head was downcast and his hair floated around his head, moving with the gentle breeze. This wasn't the first time he had run out of that house, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
Every time he did something wrong, every time he stepped over the line...he would just run away. Call it over reacting if you will, but that's what would happen. But it is a fact that Inuyasha wasn't a drama queen, not some confused teenager. In fact, he wasn't over exaggerating at all, and he knew exactly why he was upset.
Sesshoumaru was the kind of guy who cared about his reputation and about the way people viewed him, and even though outsiders would consider those to be noble qualities, Inuyasha certainly didn't. He was perfectly fine with the idea of his brother having a conventional life, and was, at most times, happy to claim Sesshoumaru as family. But then there were times like these...
Yes, he does realize that he shouldn't have done what he had. And he knows that he jeopardized the future of both of their lives...but didn't Sesshoumaru see that? Inuyasha may not have been the smart sibling, but he wasn't stupid. And his grades could be accredited to his laziness, not his stupidity. So what really got on his nerves was Sesshoumaru's blindness. After living together for most of their lives, couldn't he at least begin to understand Inuyasha?
All he talked about was his job, his position, his importance. Inuyasha was happy for him and all, but he felt more and more worthless with every new adjective added to his brother's list of compliments. Inuyasha was the bad child, the complete opposite of his older brother. He didn't have a job, he got bad grades, he fought at school, and no matter where he went, who he would go to, he would get the same complaints.
That's what made Kagome so special to him. She saw things differently. And it hit him right then as he was walking down the gloomy street how much he missed her right now and how much he wanted to get her back from wherever she was. She was the light of his life, and when she wasn't around...life was a lot like the weather that day.
The clouds hung low in the sky and the air was feeling quite humid. Unfortunately for him, Inuyasha was feeling faint from the heat. His head was sore, he had a fever and the air was muggy. Today was definitely not his day.
'If only Kagome was here...' He thought to himself as he walked down the empty sidewalk. 'If she was here...I...I wouldn't be so...I don't know...I wouldn't be so much like my mopey self.
He slowly closed the door behind him, careful to not make any noise. He was trying to get out of that boring room, skip work. Not only were they still looking at those same pictures for No Man, but today he had better things to do.
No Man...how long had he been on that case anyway? How long had anyone been on that case? No one had any clue who could be the murderer. How did they expect a rookie like him to help in a case like this? There were no leads, barely any clues. The only thing he could figure is what he had told Sango. And he was starting to forget some details in his hypothesis.
'Let's see, ' He thought to himself as he made his way through the maze like halls. 'There was some kind of wooden doll at every scene. Each woman had common features...black hair and brown eyes. The victims looked a lot a like, but that was a common trait of serial killers: to kill people with some physical feature in common. There were never any fingerprints, and no one owned the homes in which someone was killed, the houses were often run down and hadn't been lived in for years. Each house had a common trait...about three of the rooms would appear lived in. One of those rooms, which had the most fingerprints from the victim, could have many small holes in the wall. Those holes were similar to the holes made by tacks, but that didn't help much. There were never any tacks left, and there was nothing in the room that could tell us what was being held up by the tack.' He combed the front of his hair back with his hand and sighed with exasperation.
He silently walked past Sesshoumaru's door, no need to call his attention. If his boss caught him skipping...well, that wouldn't be pretty.
'Ugg, this case makes absolutely no sense. What do they think? I'll be able to tell them exactly what happened in all those houses with those small traces of evidence? I can't do that...there's no way.' He rolled his eyes and turned another corner.
His eyes glazed over as he walked, he was so accustomed to the building after such a short time, he didn't need to see in order to get himself out.
And even though his progress wasn't getting too far because of the lack of evidence, he was still mad. He had an alibi for not knowing what was doing on with No Man. After all, who expected a rookie to know a case back and forth with so little evidence? But that excuse didn't make him feel any better. He was mad at himself. He might not have been able to solve this case, but he should at least be trying harder.
It was obvious enough to him that he was being lazy with this case, either that or preoccupied. But he wasn't usually lazy, so what was he preoccupied with? He didn't know...but whatever it was he had better get over it soon because someone else could die. If No Man wasn't arrested soon, he would be off killing some other woman. 'Come to think of it...Sango fits the description of the victims...' And at that thought he mentally slapped himself.
That was it. She was what he was preoccupied with, she was the one distracting him. But after thinking it over for a minute, he wasn't really so surprised. She always did have a way of infecting his thoughts. He could be thinking of getting new plumbing, and the next thing he knew he was thinking of what kind of sink Sango would approve of him getting. Or one time he was shopping for flowers for Koharu, and even then Sango had been on his mind. Just a few weeks ago he would have never admitted it. But now that Koharu was no longer part of his life, what was there to deny?
He shook his head, 'Why can't I stop thinking about this?' He gritted his teeth as he neared the door.
"And where are you going?"
'Shit, shit, shit!' He cursed himself. He knew he shouldn't have left early, he knew it! But...he had anyway. How dumb was he?
'Face it, Miroku, you're as dumb as they get, always were...' The inner voice just had to say.
Miroku rolled his eyes and slowly turned to face the person who spoke to him. "Hmm?" He asked as he turned...and then he froze as he noticed who was talking to him. "What was that, Sesshoumaru sir?" He suddenly felt tiny needles picking at his skin as he nervously awaited for his bosses response.
His boss stood tall and straight, as per usual. His glassy amber eyes glinted in the fluorescent light of the hallway. His arms were crossed and his face was expressionless. Miroku couldn't tell if he was angry at him for attempting to leave early, or curious as to why he was in the hall at all. "I said, where are you going? I hope you aren't planning on leaving early." He sent Miroku a condescending look as he stared down his nose at him.
"Uhh..." Miroku dumbly mumbled as he thought of an excuse.
"Forget it. I know you were skipping, it's a little obvious when you're the only one walking the halls." He sighed while taking a few steps closer to the younger man. "Look, this job is just as boring to the rest of the people in that room, and they aren't even getting paid half as much as you are." His bright eyes darted from all sides of the room. "Why is this so hard for you? You don't even have to come in three hours a day."
Miroku looked down guiltily. In all honesty, he really didn't know why it was so hard, it just was. It was a confusing job, and he just wasn't making any progress. No puzzle pieces were fitting together, in fact, half of them were still missing. "I don't know...I'm just...bored I guess..." He pursed his lips and looked down the hall through the glass door. Freedom was on the other side of that door, he wanted to leave the confinement of this building as soon as possible. "I get tired of being here." He looked at Sesshoumaru straight in the eyes.
The older man stared blankly at Miroku for a few quick seconds before a side smirk formed on his face. "I don't believe it." He shook his head. "I don't believe a word of it." He checked his wristwatch for the time and then looked up again. "Look, you have an hour left. Do me a favor and do something worthwhile in that time." He nodded briskly and began to walk down the hall, patting Miroku on the shoulder as he walked by.
Miroku unclenched his fists and stood still for a moment. 'Why?' "Why?" He echoed his thoughts. "Why is it so important that I'm here?" He turned around to see that Sesshoumaru had stopped further down the hallway and was looking past him.
He shook his head, his long silver hair floating around him gracefully. 'I knew he'd ask eventually.'
"It's kind of obvious." Miroku continued, staring hardly at the demon. "You give me a lot of money for barely anything in return. You hired me, a rookie, for such a difficult case. You keep giving me chances whenever I screw up. Why?" Miroku turned around fully, his footsteps echoing in the desolate hall.
Sesshoumaru bit the inside of his mouth. 'He finally caught on.' He clicked his tongue and stared back at Miroku. "We thought you'd be a valuable accet." He said simply.
Miroku took a step back and shot Sesshoumaru a confused look. "What? Why?" 'Why? What's so special about me?'
"Look kid, you've got something in common with the murderer, as simple as that. When we heard you were looking for a job, we thought we might be able to use you for this case. But don't start thinking you're anything special." He stepped closer. "We do this for most of the hard cases. The easiest way to catch a criminal is to understand him. And frankly- we don't understand No Man." He eyed a specifically boring picture that hung on the white wall. "
"So...what do I have in common with him?" Miroku asked skeptically as he walked closer to his boss.
Memories of college classes came flooding back to him: 'Not every case you encounter will be solved, criminal master minds are no fools, nor are most murderers. These people have skill and won't leave us many links. They aren't stupid, and they don't plan on going to jail any time soon. Cold cases, unsolved ones, are still being reported today. And the way these cases are solved, if and when, you generally need to understand the criminal's way of thinking. Sometimes you can't understand the criminal until you know their past, if we knew that already there would be no need for this job now would there?'
"You already know." Sesshoumaru asked dully, waking Miroku up from his day dream. I overheard Shippo informing you on the matter. He didn't say exactly what it was, but I could tell by the look in your eyes that you understood him perfectly." He crossed his arms and stared down at Miroku.
Miroku sent him a quizzical look. "What are yo-" And then he remembered.
Flashback
He walked into the main hallway; he was definitely late for work now.
"Miroku!" He looked up at Mr. Shippo.
"Yes sir?" He asked guiltily, he knew he was in trouble.
"You've practically been given a free ride! We've given you a home, helped you pay for your flashy car, and even given you a decent job! You could at least work up to your responsibility! You're an important part of this case, you have to be on time from now on, and you have to be prepared to do your job!"
That reminds me... "Why is it so important that I take this job?"
The red haired man looked down. "No reason in particular." He nodded his head, as if clearing his own answer.
"There must be some reason!" Miroku yelled.
Shippo looked to the left and to the right. Then he leaned in, close to Miroku's ear. "Look, all I know is that you and the murderer have suffered the same kind of trauma. No one understands him, so the guys high up there thought that you might." Shippo backed up. Looked both ways, and walked down the hall to his office.
Trauma? Could that mean...? But that wasn't anything physical, why would they care about that anyways?
End of Flashback
He shook his head. "So you mean that's why you hired me? Because I was abused as a kid?" He looked down at the ground and bit his lip.
"Sorry if that brought back bad memories, but that is the reason."
Miroku raised his head. "No, it's okay. That's not it." He looked down again and began to laugh. "Couldn't you have at least told me that? I was thinking it was just a case about demons and youkai, but now I know. I wasn't sure if that was what Shippo meant, but, whatever." He smiled darkly and began walking past Sesshoumaru. "It would be nice to be told the truth every once in a while. This case might have been easier to start with."
'It's about youkai and demons? What did he mean by that? If he's right, then we were really wrong...'
She slowly blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the morning sunlight coming through the window. She rolled over in the bed, the sheets rustling with her movement. 'I wonder what time it is.' She thought to herself as she yawned. She managed to sit up, even though she was still tired. The room was a bright yellow, colored by the early light.
She licked her dry lips and stretched her arms high above her head. 'Maybe I should just go back to sleep, it's not like there's anything I can do around here anyway.' She took a final glance around the room, at the walls, at the pictures, and at the clay model, all of which were becoming way too familiar for her liking.
Growl...
'Ugg...' She looked down at her stomach from where she laid on the bed. 'I Am hungry, but I'm not ready to get up.' She made a soft whimpering sound as she dropped her head onto her pillow. The pillow case was crumpled and she was sure to have lines imprinted on her face when she woke up, but she didn't really care. She was in that state of laziness which comes with just waking up.
Rumble
She made a fake sobbing sound as she sat up for the second time. She then began to glare at her stomach. 'But I was sleeping so peacefully before you had to come and wake me up!' Stomachs can be so inconsiderate sometimes...
She slowly scooted of the bed, the sheets making a smothered crunching sound as she put her feet on the cold floor and sat on the edge of the bed. 'These sheets really are uncomfortable, like sleeping on parchment.' She stretched her legs out, almost reaching the nearby wall, and then she stood.
She stretched again, this time bringing her arms up and standing on her toes. When she came down she felt much more limber. She straightened the night gown down and combed her fingers idly through her short hair. She then looked disdainfully at the rest off her hair which just so happened to have been cut off. She rolled her eyes. 'He's so very inconsiderate, everyone's so inconsiderate. But then again...I don't think he cares much speaking as he kidnapped me. But then again, he didn't sound too mean last night.'
She briefly remembered their conversation from the other night. She was convinced now that he really was an odd man. Even though he admitted to kidnapping women (well he really only admitted to bringing them home, but even Kagome wasn't that dumb), he didn't hurt the women. It was strange, the look in his eyes when he was talking about the girls, that far off look...she guessed that he was probably in love with them or something. But all that talk about how dolls couldn't hurt him, it just didn't make sense. She couldn't imagine how a girl could hurt him, but then again, Kagome's pretty naive.
She shook her head now. 'I don't understand him, and that's exactly why I'm going to talk to him again today.' Her usual bright smile appeared on her face as she opened the hallway door. She instinctively turned left towards the kitchen where she had gotten the little food she'd had to eat the whole time she was in the strange house.
She looked at all the closed doors in the hallway as she walked past them, wondering how long it had been since anyone stepped foot in them. Because, as far as she could tell, the only rooms being used were the kitchen, the living room, her room (well that's what she was beginning to think of it as), and his room. She hadn't seen nor heard anyone walk through those other doors. She shrugged at her curiosity and went to the kitchen.
She walked through the open doorway of the old kitchen. The filthy yellow tiles and the battered wooden cabinets fit quite well with the rest of the dreary house. She walked straight to the top cabinets by the sink, adjacent to the window. She had become vaguely familiar with the kitchen layout so she knew enough of the arrangement to find some food. She reached for a random can that was near the edge of the shelf and brought it down to face level. It looked fairly decent, whatever it was, and the expiration date hadn't come yet. 'It's hard to believe he goes shopping at all. It's like he does nothing all day. You'd think the people at school would call him up for not doing his janitorial duties. Whatever.'
She sighed as she found a can opener and opened the can. 'Now where are those forks?'
He wasn't stupid. Kagome hadn't been to school in a week, and even Inuyasha was worried about her. And for all Kouga knew, Inuyasha was the closest person to her, besides those two girls, but he didn't care about them at the moment.
It was absurd! Or at least, that's what he thought of it. Inuyasha was so frantic because Kagome hadn't been at school the other day, but he hadn't once gone to find her. As far as Kouga was concerned, when something important to you is missing, you go look for it. And that's exactly what he was doing.
He wasn't sure why, but her scent was leading him all through town. But of course, it was week, and it could have been from a weekend that she was with family and they went shopping around town. He wasn't sure, it's not like he stalked her or anything. But he was hoping that this trail would lead him somewhere, give him some clues.
He was sure Kagome wasn't at home. Through the news he had heard that her brother was killed, he didn't know how, but that was a fact. And when he checked the funeral home, he didn't see Kagome anywhere. And the Kagome he knew was sure to be there. Even if she was very distraught, she would have at least been there for her mother, or doing all that she could to respect her younger sibling. The Kagome he knew would have been there, but she wasn't, and that was the only sign he had that proved she was gone, missing. And even though Inuyasha hadn't gone to school for a while (Kouga hadn't either, but he got word from his friends) when he was at school a few days ago he freaked when he thought Kouga had Kagome. Obviously Inuyasha knew she was missing then, and was trying to figure out who took her.
But through his connections, Kouga knew that for the rest of the week Inuyasha was just being a lazy bum. And that's when he decided that he better try and save Kagome himself. If only he knew where she was...
And it was so hard to follow her faint scent. 'If only I had Inuyasha's nose right now.' He stopped in his tracks, surprised at his own thoughts. 'What am I thinking? That half breed can probably only smell half of what I can.' He lied to himself. He knew how wrong he was, how good the hanyou's sense of smell was.
'But anyway, why was that mutt so whiny when she was first gone, but now he's given up? What an ass. Does he think she'll just appear out of no where?' He shook his head. He had almost thought Inuyasha would have been a good ally, but he stopped thinking that once he heard word of that hooker from last night. 'Dog...'
She had finished eating by now. What she had eaten she wasn't quite sure of, but it tasted okay. She hoped. 'Okay, now where is he? I hope he doesn't think I'll just remain idle all day. If he's going to keep me in his house for this long he might as well let me clean or something.' (Kagome, you're so odd, I swear)
She stretched again, still feeling stiff from sleep. Then she began to make her way to the living room, hoping to find the janitor.
"And who are you looking for?"
A small squeak escaped her lips as she turned around, facing the kitchen she had just left. She hadn't thought there was anyone behind her.
Her shoulders relaxed at the voice. "Well actually, I was looking for you." She smiled. 'I'm glad he was right behind me, I'd rather not have to look all over the place for him.' "Do you have any chores I could do around here?" She asked as she smiled brightly up at him.
A frown formed on his face. "Miss, I don't think we've ever met before." He replied, with a twist of confusion evident on his face.
"But, you're the janitor. Of course we've met! You kind of kidnapped me!" She ended her statement with a touch of anger. Did he think he could just make a fool of her? She was still confused as to where she was, but she would not allow him to trick her any further. "Don't lie to me."
He sent her a fierce glance. "Don't mistake me for that moron. Just because we look a like doesn't mean we have anything else in common."
Her eyes widened in realization as she looked up at the man before her. He looked just like the janitor...but, he never spoke that way. He seemed pretty kind.
"Humph." A small smile spread across the strange man's face as he began to walk toward her. He resembled the janitor greatly...but Kagome could tell that there was a difference in the men. Their clothes, their accent, their eyes, two different colors. Relatives, maybe?
"Uh...sir? Wh-what do you want?" She felt a little intimidated as the newly discovered stranger moved towards her. His smile growing wide, his arms spread out as if...as if to attack her?
She took a step back as he approached her, aware of his sadistic smile as he flexed his long bony fingers. "What are you doing?" She asked wide eyed, on the verge of shouting as she slide back, away from his nearing grasp.
His eyes shined brightly as his smile grew larger yet again. "Oh nothing, just having a little fun." His eyebrows rose higher as he walked even closer. "Are you afraid?"
She mustered a weak smile as she steadied her trembling hands. "N-no. Just surprised." She tried her best to look calm and collected, though her body wouldn't stop shaking.
"Well, there's nothing to be surprised about. My friend Onigumo told you exactly what would be happening to you." He smiled when he saw her stop short of saying something.
'Onigumo? Is that the janitor? He told me what was going to happen? No, I don't think so.' "Mister, I think you've got something wrong. I have no idea who Onigumo is. And if he's the janitor...well, he didn't tell me anything. Sure, we talked a little last night, but then he fell asleep on me." She looked at him, pleading him to believe her. She was telling the truth, she just needed to get him to believe that.
"Oh, he told you. Believe me, it may not have been clear, but he told you."
Flashback
"Girls?" She asked, her curiosity growing.
"Yea, the girls. Like you..." He turned back to face her. "I always find these girls that are...familiar, and I bring them home. But...like the dolls...with each one, they start looking more and more different then the first." He stared at her face longingly, making her slightly uncomfortable. "But," Something...sadness, flashed in his eyes. "You look a lot like the first. Every part of you , in fact, except for your eyes." He smiled at her and peeled off another thin slice of wood from the doll.
"Who's this 'first'" She asked nervously, not sure if she really wanted to know.
"I don't really know." He answered looking defeated. "It doesn't really matter, she left me anyway." He looked down at the ground again. "They all leave me."
"Why do they leave you? Do they ever tell you?" Yes, this was typical of Kagome, to be one part concerned, another part nosy.
"I don't know. All I know is they get all scared of something in their room, and then they're gone..." He trailed off.
End of Flashback
She tried so hard to remember the fragments of their conversation, but she was at a loss. They had discussed so much, how could she remember one small part? She couldn't. But the way this man was talking to her, she felt that she desperately needed to. 'What's going to happen to me? What will he do?'
Her hands began to tremble and she slowly began walking backwards, hoping she could get away from the strange man before her. "I...I don't know what you are talking about. He didn't tell me anything. He told me about some dolls...but he didn't say that he was going to do anything to me. You must have the wrong person." She looked up at him, begging him with her large pleading eyes to leave her alone. She was confused and in danger. Kagome, being the kind of sheltered girl she is, didn't know what to do. Everything was so overwhelming. And her nerves definitely weren't being calmed by the fact that the man was slowly walking towards her.
"Girl, you look frightened. Is it me? Am I scaring you?" He asked as he patted his chest. He let out a deep chuckle as he stepped right in front of her. "Don't be frightened. Everything will be all over soon. I'm just going to show you what happens to the girls. Is that okay with you?"
She tilted her head to the side in confusion. 'Girls...that sounds familiar. But...what happens to them? I'd like to know, not find out personally.'
"Now if you would just come to me." He beckoned to her even though she was only inches away from him.
"No." She answered flatly, as she stepped back.
"Look, don't make this difficult, come here." He directed her.
"No, I'm not going to come to you." Kagome may not be the smartest person out there, but she wasn't dumb enough to come to the strange man offering her his hand. At this point she really didn't care what it was that happened to all of the 'girls' she just knew she didn't want it to happen to her. "Get away from me." She took another step back, though he just followed her.
"Do not make this difficult for me." He instructed her as he stepped forward. "I'll make this quick, I promise."
"What do you plan on doing to me?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"That's none of your concern."
"Oh, I think it is." She replied coolly, in the toughest voice she could muster.
"Don't worry about it!" He shouted as he jumped towards her. But she was one step ahead as she turned and began running down the hall to the living room.
"I don't know who you are, but I'm not about to let you touch me!" She shouted at him, making sure they were separated by the old couch.
He laughed. "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice." His smile grew larger as large tentacles sprang from under his clothes, whipping around in the air, quickly settling around him, pointed at her.
"Wha- what are those!" She stepped back, and pointed towards the slim growths that appeared wooden. Her eyes widened in fear once again, and she continued stepping back until she bumped into the wall.
"If you would have just surrendered...this would have been a whole lot easier fir me. All of you girls, so difficult." He shook his head and looked down at his feet for a moment. "But I do thank you." He began as he slowly raised his head, a strange glint in his eyes. "This way is so much more fun." With a quick motion of his hands the vine like growths twisted and jerked forward, grabbing her arms and wrapping around them.
She just stood in shock, looking from one arm to another. 'What is this?' Her mouth was wide in confusion as the tentacles tugged on her arms, forcing her to stumble forward.
"Now I can either do this the short way or the long way. If you cooperate with me, it will be nice and short and done with in a few seconds." He began to explain.
"No!" She shouted wildly as she pulled against the chords and attempted to break loose.
"...well I guess we're doing this the hard way." He mumbled to himself as two more chords shot forward, grabbing her bare ankles and pulling her down to the floor.
She fell on her head, a loud 'thunk' sounding as her skull hit the wooden floor. 'Why? Why is this happening to me?'
"I guess I should have known that you would be difficult. It was just too easy to get you here in the first place." He shook his head and pulled her towards him with the tentacles, her body rising high in the air as it was carried towards him.
"Please don't do anything to me." She pleaded through her teeth.
He laughed. "Well, I wasn't going to do anything too bad, but then you were uncooperative. I would've made this much easier for you."
She was being held erect, facing him, but without control of her body.
Two more tentacles twisted up behind his head, and jotted forward, towards her neck. They coiled around her, capturing some of her now short hair as well as her throat.
Her body instantly stiffened from fright, and she began to wriggle free, but the chords wound themselves tighter around her limbs and neck. She felt paralyzed, her wrists and ankles became numb from the vines' tight grasp. Her neck was soar from the grip as the tentacles tightened, beginning to choke her.
"Now wouldn't you have preferred dying wuickly? I didn't want to make you suffer through this." He mocked her, as large tears welded up in her eyes. "It will all be over in a xecond, I promise." He smiled as the pressure around her neck and limbs grew greater.
"What's going on here!"
Through the tears that streaked her vision she could see the bright sunshine that entered the room. By the rectangular shape of the bright glare, she assumed someone had just entered the room through the front door. 'Help me...' She tried to reach her hand out to the person, but she couldn't beat the strength of the chord holding her arms in place. The pain overwhelmed her, and her body fell limp, the chords the only thing holding her up.
"Wait!" The newest arriva to the room shouted as he reached his arm out to her.
"You're too late Onigumo." The menacing stranger answered cockily as he brought the tentacles back, letting Kagome's body drop to the floor.
"Why did you do that?" The janitor asked with surprised eyes as he walked towards Kagome.
"It's what I always do."
"But why?"
"Because-"
She covered her face from the bright sunlight, her hand acting as a visor. "Miroku, did we have to come in the middle of the day? It's so hot out." Sango looked to her right, eying the man standing next to her.
"Look, I know it's uncomfortable right now, but the heat's the least of our problems." He looked across the street at the person they were following, Kouga. "We've been following him all day, and all he's done is walk around town. I didn't expect him to go out and rob a store or something to prove that he isn't trust worthy, but I thought we'd get something out of following him." He shook his head. "But at least I learned something from all of this."
Sango looked up at him expectantly "And what is that?"
"You look excepsionally sexy in the heat."
Whack
"You pig, I thought you might have actually learned something helpful, but I guess not. You're helpless, you and your one tracked mind." She shook her head, now self conscious about her black tank top. (Not that she would ever admit that). "And don't you have that wonderful little girlfriend waiting for you to return to her after a long day of work?" She raised an eyebrow as she looked at her companion.
"Well actually," He looked sown to the ground. "Not anymore. I'm a free man again." He shot her a smile, but she could see that it was anything but genuine.
"You okay?" She changed her tone immediately, slightly embarassed that she mentioned the subject. 'They seemed happy the other day.' She thought a little darkly.
"I'm fine." He blew at the hair that hung over his face. "really" He turned to her, sending a small smile.
She nodded grimly. 'Still a fresh wound...' She guessed as she turned to face the youkai that was crossing the street a few blocks ahead of them. "Where do you think he's going anyway?" She asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.
Miroku covered his eyes with his hand and looked down the street. "Your guess is as good as mine." He replied honestly.
They began to make their way down the street. The air between them was tense. Sango felt bad for her old friend but she was happy all the same. Something just felt unnatural about the Miorku she knew being held down by a girl friend. She was also comforted by the fact that she and Koharu didn't have a common link anymore. She didn't like sharing her Miroku with the enemy.
She looked over at her old friend, a warm smile plastered on her face. "It really is nice to have you back in my life." She admitted, though it seemed random.
"You already told me a few nights ago." He answered cockily, his dangerous smile spreading over his face. "I didn't realize you like me so much Sango." He added flirtatiously.
Thunk.
"Don't make me change my mind." She tried to look angry, but a small smile graced her features. "But seriously, it is nice. It was worth saying twice."
"Three times."
Pow
Her smell was stronger, he was getting closer, so much closer. 'Kagome, I'm coming for you." He said in his mind for about the fiftieth time that day.
He had marked this day in particular his 'go find Kagome day.' And so far, he was making good progress. Even though he had walked all through the town, several times, he finally racked down a scent and he was sure he had found the right trail. He was being lead to the outskirts of town and he was nearing a small neighborhood where her scent was concentrated.
'I'm so close, I can almost feel her presence. I hope she's okay!' With that thought in mind he picked up the pace and tried to get to her as fast as he could.
"Why is he moving so fast?" Miroku asked, his tone becoming serious as he began to run.
"Miroku!" Sango yelled after him. "We're going to look really suspicious if we start running in the middle of the street." She hissed in his ear as she kept up with his pace.
"Well then, let's make this look natural." He said as he stopped abruptly, Sango taking a few seconds to register his change in motion.
"How?" She asked as she jogged back in his direction. She leaned on his shoulder with her hand as she caught her breath. "Two adults running just doesn't look natural."
"Well, we could act like we're playing tag or something." He suggested.
"Once again, two adults running around isn't natural."
"Looking like a young couple having a moment isn't horribly natural, but it isn't suspicious. If we run around and giggle we could pull that off." He looked at her, awaiting for a response.
"I don't know..." She trailed off as she looked down at Kouga's retreating figure. "Besides, he would hear us and start wondering why we are bringing our game in his direction." She looked up at him thoughtfully.
"I bet you're just scared to act like you're in a relationship with me." He teased.
"Oh please." She rolled her eyes, letting her arm drop to her side.
He looked down at his shoulder once her hand left. Why did he tense at her touch? When was he nervous about a girl touching him, Sango of all girls?
"Why don't we just jog after him, keeping our distance, we'll look like we're exercising if we keep the same pace." She offered.
"Good enough for me." He shrugged and they both began to follow the youkai.
Soon enough the teenager stopped in front of an abandoned house and they hid behind a car parked on the street.
"What do you think he stopped there for?" Sango whispered to Miroku as she peered over the hood of the old pick up.
"Why are you whispering?" he asked back.
She ducked under the hood as Kouga turned around to look across the street. "Because he's a demon with good hearing and if I talk in a normal voice he can hear me."
"Oh." He answered dumbly as he turned back to face the youkai.
He was standing on the porch of the house, searching for an open window it seemed.
"Is he trying to break in?"
"No, I think he's trying to see something."
"Is he spying?"
"He might just be hearing something."
Then the demon began to beat on the door and the two could hear him calling out.
"What's he doing now?"
"Trying to get someone's attention?'
"Then why isn't the door opening?"
Sango stood up from her kneeling position. "I think something is happening in that house."
Miroku stood up beside her, staring across the street at the troubled teenager. "I think you're right."
They began to walk down the street, across from Kouga and the strange house.
"I hear fighting." Sango began slowly, tilting her ear in the direction of the house.
"Two male voices. And there is something being smacked around."
"Are you sure it isn't just the two hitting each other?"
"Well, if it is, someone is using something to hit the other guy."
"What's he doing now?" Sango asked skeptically as the youkai began to pull at the door knob.
"He's trying to get in?"
"Yea."
"Saving a friend?"
"No, Inuyasha said his friends travel in packs. Kouga's the only one you'll ever see alone."
"Then who?"
"Kagome?" Miroku looked down.
"Kagome? That girl Inuyasha's always talking about?"
"Yea."
"Do you hear her voice or something?" She asked, looking up in curiosity.
"No, but from what I was told she's the only thing he'd fight for besides his friends."
'Well. I don't know..." Sango trailed off. "Look! The door's opening!" She pointed to the old wooden door.
The old door could be seen opening, but from their position they couldn't see who was opening the door.
"Look, someone's hand is grabbing his neck!" Sango whispered as she leaned her head forward. "We have to help him!" She began to stand up, but Miroku grabbed his arm.
"We can't do anything." He said firmly, looking straight at the youkai. Sango looked down at him with her dark eyes, and slowly sat down next to him.
"So we just watch? He's being choked!"
"What can we do? he's a fighter, he can handle himself." Miroku reasoned as he continued to stare at the youkai clawing at his neck.
"Wait, why did the hand shrink back now?" Sango questioned as she stared as Kouga who was now rubbing his neck and holding the door open.
"Something inside hit the guy." Miroku answered quickly as he looked at the action across the street intently.
Kouga took a few steps back, threw something through the doorway as the door closed, and ran off.
"What was that?"
"I'm not sure."
"Why'd he leave?"
"Guess everything's okay in there..."
"Should we check up on it?"
"No."
"Why not?" Sango turned to dace Miroku, he was wearing a stern impression.
"I have no idea what just happened, but I think it was just a fight."
"WE should still say Something!"
He shook his head. "All we could say is that some teenagers were fighting. It's not worth it."
"But someone could be in danger."
"Kouga wouldn't have left. Inuyasha swore that he wouldn't leave anyone in danger if they couldn't defend themselves. I was told the only person he wouldn't save or pity was Inuyasha himself." Miroku laughed at the last comment.
"I'll trust your judgment on this one." Sango confided.
"But you're the attorney, you should know what to do." Miroku turned to her. "What's the most lawful decision?"
She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. If they're going to play games with each other, let them suffer."
Miroku raised an eyebrow at her change in voice, but shrugged his shoulders. "Alright..." 'What did she mean by that?'
Kagome slowly opened her eyes as the pain of her headache dissipated. She had to blink her eyes a few times before everything came into focus. 'Where am I?' She thought to herself as she felt around her body. She hit something cold with her fingers. "What's this?" She asked aloud as she held a small metal box in her hand. She could barely register her surroundings as the living room of the strange house, the darkness from outside provided her with no light and she had never seen the room from this angle. She could only mildly make out what she was holding. 'A cell phone...where did this come from?'
Yes, weird, I know. I hope those page breaks show up! I have to leave now...Oh! And this is a whopping 26 pages! That's definately a first... Please review, tell me how confusing it was!