Hey, this is my first fanfic….so, I hope you enjoy .;;

Standard disclaimers apply

Kagome's POV

Two years…I smile ruefully as I look back on the festivities occurring behind me. Two years since I've last been attacked by a demon. The familiar flood of reluctant relief floods my veins at that thought as I leave for my now regular evening walk. Two years since I've had to stitch up any treacherous wounds, or watch helplessly as my friends were injured in the heat of battle. I look up when I finally reach my destination: The God Tree. My left arm begins to rise, as if of its own accord, to trace the familiar scar that the old tree bares. When my fingers brushed across the bark, my other hand left its position at my side to brush my collarbone, expecting to grasp a thin chain that held a precious jewel. Instead, my fingers are met with only soft flesh, and I am compelled to glance at my wrist. I only wear one piece of jewelry constantly these days, and I step away from the God Tree so that I can bring my hands together and fondle the beads and teeth that lay innocently on my wrist. 'Inuyasha…' The soft clinking the beads make at my caress is a small reminder to what once was…Small, but enough.

I turn and head to the well house, as I do every night. I can feel my mother's eyes on my back. She worries about me more each day it seems. She no longer tries to prevent me from visiting the well though. She used to argue with me so much about what I was doing…what decisions I had made. The worst was when I got my college acceptance letter...

Flashback

I let the paper slip from my fingers. I had made it in? How?...Why aren't I happy about it? My Mom walked into the kitchen, carrying various brown bags with her from the store when she saw me.

"honey?" She inquired, concern lacing her voice, "Are you alright?"

I somehow managed to make a strangled sound in the back of my throat and nod towards the paper lying on the counter. Mom spared me a strange look before grasping the sheet and lifting it slowly to her gaze. When she put it down she had tears in her eyes.

"You did it…"

As those words passed her lips, my face crumpled and tears fell from my eyes in rivers. I couldn't quite place why I was crying exactly…happiness that my hard work paid off, relief in knowing I still had a place here. But there was sadness, a kind that ripped pieces of your heart viciously from your soul. I didn't want this. I didn't want a place here. I wanted to be flying…I wanted to feel the wind whipping my face as I fell from the sky. I wanted to sit around a camp fire and tell stories…I wanted to sing a little kitsune to sleep each night, while being protected by my best friend. What was I doing here? My last thought knocked me from my nostalgic state, and I blinked rapidly.

"I…I have to go…I can't be here…" I took a shaky step forward, then another until I was sprinting towards the well house. I had all but shoved my mother out of the way in my haste.

"KAGOME!" She yelled, having finally recovered from my abuse, "you cannot keep doing this! Do you hear me?" I paused at this, my breathing ragged in an attempt to control my emotions.

"I need to see him, mom…I need…I need to tell him" I turned my head to look at her over my shoulder, and I could visibly see her steel herself for what she was about to say.

"If you go to that well, Kagome, I will have it torn down. You can't do this anymore! You have a life here. You need to go to college….find a husband. Leave this house. You need to make a life, Kagome. You're wasting away here" She took a deep breath, and I swore I saw her tremble slightly. "You will confirm that you will be attending college, and you will never enter that well house again. If I see you near it I WILL tear it down."

I had turned around fully by this point, and I could only stare at her in disbelief while I tried to gather my thoughts.

"Mom…I need to do this. Please understand…" I gazed at her pleadingly. I didn't have the will to fight anymore…There wasn't anything worth fighting for.

"Kagome, you have family here! How can you even consider leaving us? You're being selfish" A single tear seeped from my mother's eye. She suddenly looked so old…like she had seen so much life. We had been arguing a lot lately, all about me…my eating habits, my newfound love of being a hermit. I tried to feel compassionate, and to an extent I did, but it was so hard to care about anything anymore.

"I have family there too" And with that I ran the rest of the way to the well house, and jumped.

End Flashback

I had stayed down there for two weeks. I felt so lost. I knew it was useless, but as I was falling in the darkness, I had fooled myself into hoping that maybe, just maybe, this time would be different. I ended up landing harshly back in cruel reality with a sickening thud, but I couldn't make myself leave the bottom of that well. I told myself to close my eyes and look up, and if I tried hard enough I would see the clear blue sky. When that didn't work I thought 'Inuyasha will come'…and I wanted to be there when he did. So I waited, scratched marks into the side of the well so I knew how long I was there….and then, I gave up. My Mom didn't have the heart to take the well down after all, and once I came back, the arguments ceased. I still got veiled glances of desperation from her each time I headed in the direction of the well house, but I couldn't stop myself. I still can't.

I never answered that acceptance letter, but I applied to a different college in the States a few months ago. My mom thought it was best I leave this place in its entirety. I never want to leave these memories…this tree; Things that I can touch and know that he could have done so too, at some point in the past. I will be leaving all of this in four months…and I'm scared.

I finally make my way inside the well house, and perch on the edge of the well, looking down. Staring down into the darkness brings me peace sometimes. Other times it wrecks havoc on my already fragile grasp on my life. But I keep coming back…

My fingers pick up the familiar rhythm of rubbing back and forth across the surface of the beads on my bracelet. 'Inuyasha…' I glance downward one last time before straightening myself and righting my clothes. The short walk to the doors is painful and time seems to slow in order to mock me, as it always does in these moments. I spare the well one last glance before shutting the doors softly and turning to head back to the house.

Two years….

'Where are you?'

I'm sure you all know the drill. Click the button! And be honest )