.......................
Chapter 3
.......................
A/N: Thank you to all reviewers!! You all rock soo much!! I'm glad you enjoy my stories, and say such kind words to me ; ) Anywho, I'm sorry for taking so long to update...I just have other stories that need my attention too... but this chapter will be nice and long and be a bit humorous because of the connection between Inuyasha and Kagome...plus Miroku is always funny. Enjoy!!
..........................
Kagome felt herself drift in and out of consciousness over a long period of time. She would be shook awake long enough to feel liquids slip down her throat and to eat soft food fed from a cold metal spoon.
She briefly recognized the faces of her friends during her small periods of being awake. Everything around her head was spinning and seemed cold.
Kagome would sleep for hours at a time. Long, deep, dream-less sleeps that pulled her deep into her subconscious.
......
Finally, Kagome awoke to find herself lying on a deep velvet couch in a darkly lit tent. The tent was decorated with many glow-in-the-dark stars and planets. The sharp smell of incense struck her noise.
She recognized the tent, it was Miroku's. Where he gave all his swami premonitions and fortunes.
Her head was pounding. She reached up to feel a bandage wrapped around her skull. She winced under the irritating sharp prickles of pain that came from the wound.
As her thoughts returned to her, Kagome knew she had, again, thrown herself into another one of her fits over her brother. Just the memories of him were enough to make her feel light-headed and dizzy. Although she couldn't remember anything since she blacked out, she only could remember hearing voices, seeing her father's face, and then feeling the sharp cuff to her head.
Kagome propped herself up on her elbows and squinted in the darkness of the tent. She looked toward the back of the tent, to see Miroku sitting at a desk writing something, under the light of a single candle.
Kagome stirred and swung her legs off the couch and onto the floor. Miroku's head shot up and he moved towards her.
"Take it easy Kagome..." He told her softly; approaching her where she lay.
"I'm fine." Kagome answered shortly. She supported herself to stand up. As she attempted to rise, her knees buckled and she fell back down onto the couch.
"Yea right." He said, kneeling down in front of her and placing a gentle hand on her knee.
"How long have I been out for?" Kagome asked Miroku.
"About three days, waking up off and on." Miroku answered.
Kagome frowned at herself. Miroku continued,
"Wait until Sango gets back, she'll take you back to your trailer."
"I can manage." Kagome said. "I've got work to do anyway."
"You need rest for awhile, Kagome." Miroku said, "Your fits consume allot of your energy."
"I can handle it, Miroku." Kagome answered sharply. Attempting to stand up fully again, succeeding, and beginning to walk.
"Kagome..." Miroku said, grabbing her hand, "I know working hard takes your mind off of your thoughts. But maybe we need to have another therapy session...you know, just to help you relax."
Kagome forced her hand from his, "I'm fine, Miroku. I don't need any of your help. I can handle this." She snapped, and walked from the tent out into the gathering darkness of whatever day it was.
Miroku heard her run into Sango as she walked out. They exchanged a few words. Sango pleaded with her to let her help, but Kagome denied the need for assistance sharply. Kagome's foot steps grew fainter and fainter as she walked away.
Miroku walked out and stood with Sango as she watched Kagome walk away. They both sighed out of concern for their friend.
Sango turned her face up to Miroku's, "Do you think she still blames herself for her brother's death?" she asked.
"I do indeed." Miroku told Sango, "Lady Kagome won't admit to it, but I know she still deeply believes that it was her fault for the accident."
"What can we do?" Sango asked, turning her gaze back in the direction Kagome had gone.
Miroku took this opportunity and snuck a quick hand to Sango's waist, and slowly inched down to her butt.
Sango jumped as his fingers touched her rear, with a sharp slap from her he let go and she cried, "Miroku! Get your head out of the gutter for ten seconds and help me think of a way to help Kagome!!"
Miroku cleared his throat and stood back up. (Now, bearing a huge red hand mark on his cheek.) "I...umm...I just...I don't really know. Lady Kagome does not seem to want help. She tells me she can handle it, but I don't quite know if she means what she says."
Sango stopped being angry at him and nodded, "We've just got to make sure she stays active and happy. I think that's all we can do for her..."
"It's really a shame." Miroku added, "She was really talented. Better than all the others combined."
"I agree," Sango said, "But don't mention anything to her about it. She's got to deal with this on her own time. I just hope she will be ok..."
......................................
Kagome's head was spinning as she marched away from Miroku and Sango. She knew they were only trying to help, but she didn't need their sympathy.
Other people avoided Kagome as she walked by. Ducking behind tents or lowering their heads so as to not meet her gaze.
Kagome ignored them. She couldn't be bothered by their stares; not when she had work to do. She had neglected her chores while she had been recovering, now they certainly had piled up.
Work. Work would keep her mind occupied, so she wouldn't think about other things. As long as she kept busy, her feelings wouldn't interfere.
...
Kagome entered the animal tent through the back entrance. She took an educated guess that the animals hadn't been fed yet, so that would be her fist priority.
The animals paced in their cages; they knew it was dinner time.
Kagome found herself alone in the animal tent, something rather unusual. She shrugged it off, she really didn't feel like dealing with anyone now; she liked being alone with her animals.
Kagome busied herself with the horses and ponies; racking new hay into their stalls and giving them their feed. She pulled down new straw from the loft and spread it around their feet. As well as refilling their water buckets and petting their soft, wet noses as she worked.
Next, she crushed up the ground meal for the elephants and served it to them in buckets. Their giant, dark eyes watched her as she worked around them. Animals have a strange and uncanny ability to sense when something is wrong. And they were all extremely quiet as Kagome moved from cage to cage.
Kagome removed the meat from the freezer and broke off a large chunk with a butcher knife. As she carried the half frozen piece of bloody meat to her workplace, she moved past the hanyou's electric cage, still emitting its low, safe hum of power.
Kagome gave a sideways glance into the cage, searching for the creature within it. But, in the growing evening hours, the cage was dark with shadows.
As Kagome fed the giant cats their dinners. She remembered to save a few scraps for Kirara, although her father didn't allow it.
As Kagome turned away from the cat's cages, her eyes came to rest on the hanyou's cage again. The hanyou stood right at the bars and was staring at her with his glowing golden eyes.
Kagome shot the creature a half smile and said, "Don't worry little hanyou, I haven't forgotten about you!" Her voice was a strange sing-song tone.
She could feel his eyes bearing into her back as she prepared his meal. The keepers had taken a guess at what a hanyou eats. They had assumed he ate some foods like humans, but with a bit of blood, that demons desire.
Together the dinner consisted of chopped up vegetables, rotten or fresh; dog-food like pellets; and tiny bits of chopped up meat drizzled with the leftover blood of the cat's meat. Everything was mixed together in a large bowl and dumped on the floor of the hanyou's cage.
Kagome thought the dish foul and horrible; she couldn't imagine a creature even attempting to eat it. But the hanyou did, weirdly. Perhaps it was because that's all he got.
Kagome approached the hanyou's cage with the concoction. She carefully slipped her hand in between the electric bars and dumped the contents of the bowl on the floor and then quickly pulled her hands back through the bars.
The hanyou jumped for the food, standing over it, and devouring it on the spot. Kagome jumped back as he hastily consumed his food.
'He needs more than just that...' she thought to herself. But she had to follow orders.
For a few seconds, she stayed and stared at the creature. He ate as though he hadn't eaten in days and he always leaned over his food, as if... protecting it from others who might take it away from him.
"I'm sorry, hanyou. But you know that's all I'm allowed to give you." Kagome spoke to him.
Suddenly, the hanyou turned his attention from his dinner and fixed his stare on Kagome again. Half a potato skin hung from his upper lip, his cheeks bulging like a squirrels.
The site made Kagome snicker, and her mood lightened. She turned away from the cage and walked over to clean up. As she reached her station, she noticed the scraps of meat she had saved for Kirara lying to the side.
She could hear the sound of the hanyou behind her scraping the last bits of food from the floor of his cage.
'Perhaps...just this once...' she thought, looking over her shoulder at the hanyou, who had finished eating.
Kagome placed the bowl on the counter and picked up the meat pieces, carrying them over to the hanyou.
The hanyou's eyes followed her every move as she moved back over towards him. And they stared at her as she stood in front of him, clutching the scraps of meat.
Timidly, Kagome put her hand through the bars and dropped the pieces onto the floor of the cage, and then she quickly removed her hand again.
"I could get in big trouble for that, but you look like you need it more than Kirara does." Kagome said to the hanyou.
The hanyou didn't jump at the food. He only stared at it with an inquisitive look in his eyes. His eyes moved from Kagome to the meat, back to Kagome and then to the meat again.
Kagome put her hands on her hips, "Its ok, you can eat it. It's not like I poisoned it or anything..."
The hanyou took a shy step forward towards the scraps but pulled back.
"Come on!" Kagome pleaded, "Don't you trust me?" Then she remembered the first time she met him, and what she did to him.
"Well, I guess you kinda don't. Considering the first time we met I pulled on your ear." Kagome said with a slight laugh.
The hanyou just continued to glare at her and then the meat and then her again. Kagome threw her hands up in the air and cried, "Fine! Don't trust me, I don't care." And she turned and walked away.
She had only turned her back for a second and moved a few feet away when she could hear the sound of the hanyou scarf down the meat scraps. Kagome smiled to herself.
Kagome turned on the hose and began to wash off her hands, then the bowls and knifes that she used to feed the animals.
After that, she shut the water off and put the items away in there proper places for breakfast the next morning.
Kagome over turned a bucket and sat down for a moment. Her head was still pounding under the tight fit bandage around her skull. She gently rubbed her temples to try and ease the pain.
Her thoughts shifted to her fit she had thrown. She thought she had gotten over them; it had been over a month since she had had one. Kagome shrugged and sighed to herself.
Her eyes scanned over the animals as they got comfortable for the night. The tigers turned in large circles before lying down close together. The lions yawned, showing their massive fangs, before dropping down onto the straw and tucking their paws under them. The horses turned their backs and stayed standing up to sleep. The white ponies lay flat on their sides with all four legs stretched out across the straw. Even the elephants relaxed and moved closer together for the night.
Every animal seemed to at least have another like itself near by to cuddle with for the night. All animals...except the hanyou.
Kagome watched the hanyou as he sat on the floor of his prison. His legs curled under him, and his arms crossed across his chest. Kagome tilted her head as she watched him. He seemed so much like a human, it amazed her.
Kagome stood up, grabbed her bucket, and moved it closer to the hanyou's cage. She sat again, and stared at him. He gazed up, from under his hair, at her. His ears twitched in circles around his silver hair, and his breathing was slow and even.
"You asleep hanyou?" Kagome asked him.
He raised his head and stared at her, his eyes open.
"I guess not..." Kagome answered for him. She put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "You know, if you didn't have those claws, ears, and fangs, you would be practically human. I guess that's why you're so easy to talk to."
The hanyou raised an eyebrow and turned his nose up. His movement had such attitude, definitive attitude...it was almost as if...he could...
Kagome's eyes widened, her hands dropped and she leaned closer to the cage. "Can you understand me?!?" Her mouth hung open slightly; she stood up and stood directly in front of the bars. "Hanyou, do you know what I'm saying?"
The hanyou turned his face back to her, and rolled his eyes. He made a noise that sounded like a, "Feh."
Kagome's face lit up. "You can understand me! Oh my gosh, this is so awesome!"
Kagome took a step back from the bars and stood tall. She raised her hand and pointed to herself, "Me...Kagome...Ka-Go-Me..."
She waited for some kind of a remark or acknowledgment from the hanyou. When she got none, her face dropped.
"Can you talk?" Kagome asked. She pressed closer to him, her face held sorrow. "You can't talk can you?"
She stared hard at the hanyou, who just gazed back at her with an expression of confusion.
"Can you say Kagome? Say...Kagome...Ka...go...me...come on hanyou....Ka...go...me..." Kagome tried to teach him.
The hanyou lowered his head and a deep noise came from him that sounded like a low laugh.
Kagome was perplexed, she put her face as close as possible to the bars to try and hear better. Her body was tense as she tired to hear the sound that was coming out of him.
"Stupid wench, of course I can talk!" he suddenly said.
Kagome was so surprised that she screamed and jumped backwards. She knocked into the bucket she had been sitting on and lost her balance. She tripped and fell backwards; landing with a deep grunt on the ground.
Before Kagome could open her eyes she heard the hanyou laughing at her. She opened her eyes and sat up. She reached out with a quivering hand, pointing at the hanyou.
"You...you CAN talk!!" Kagome said.
The hanyou crossed his arms across his chest and muttered a "Feh."
Kagome pulled herself up onto her feet and moved towards him, "How long have you been able to talk?" she asked.
"Since I was born, stupid girl!" the hanyou said coldly.
Despite the rude comment, Kagome was stunned. Her lips curved into an astonished smile.
"So...that means, that you..." Kagome began.
"Hello?" a voice called from outside the animal tent. Kagome stopped talking and turned her head in the direction of the call.
"Kagome?" the voice called again. "That you?"
"In here!" Kagome called, moving away from the hanyou, and towards the voice.
The flap of the animal tent opened and a young man appeared. Kagome knew him as one of the animal keepers.
"Kagome," he said, "You're ok...that's good...umm...I heard you scream. Is everything ok?"
Kagome nodded her head shortly.
"You sure? Who were you talking too?" he asked.
"Nobody." Kagome said. She tired not to stare at the hanyou.
"Are you going to stay in the animal tent tonight?" he asked her.
"No. I mean...I wasn't planning on it." Kagome answered.
The man smiled. "Well, a bunch of us were going to go into town tonight and hit some clubs. And I thought I would have to stay to keep watch...but, since you're here...then I guess...you wouldn't mind staying?" he asked hopefully.
Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip. Every night, at least one person stayed in the animal tent, with a shot gun, to keep any wild animals away. Kagome didn't know how to use the gun very well. She could shoot the little pop guns that the sideshow booths used for games...but a real gun?
"Umm...sure...I guess." She answered.
"Ohh, that's great Kagome..." then with that, he turned and hurried away.
Kagome peeked around the tent flap and watched as a bunch of people where all piling into the back of a truck. They were all shouting and cheering. Then, with a roar of the tires, the truck sped away towards the city.
Kagome watched as the red tail lights of the truck disappeared. The whole crew had just up and left the sleepy carnival. She wondered if Miroku and Sango had gone along.
"You're welcome..." she muttered to herself.
Then, she entered the animal tent again and pulled the flap shut and tied it closed. She walked across the interior and got a large blanket from the storage containers. She carried it back and laid it across the ground.
Kagome then walked over to where the shot gun was kept. It hung on two stout posts directly above the freezer. She had to stand on her toes to reach up and take it from the wall. The gun was heavy in her arms, but she carried it back to where she had laid her blanket.
"You know how to shoot that thing?" she heard a voice behind her ask.
Kagome whipped around quick and noticed that it came from the hanyou. "Yes..." she lied.
He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't question her.
Kagome sat down and pulled the gun across her knees. She ran her fingers over the cold steel. The gun was loaded, but the safety switch was on. Kagome wanted it to stay on.
Then she remembered that the hanyou had spoken to her again! She looked up and saw him sitting on the floor of his cage.
"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Kagome asked him.
The hanyou snorted, "Didn't feel like it, what's it to you?"
Kagome narrowed her eyebrows, "I was just wondering. You don't have to be so mean about it!"
The hanyou rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He muttered.
'What a jerk.' Kagome thought.
"...baka..." she mumbled.
"I heard that!" the hanyou said.
"How did you hear that when I'm sitting all the way over here?" Kagome asked, shocked.
"Stupid human, my senses are ten times stronger than yours are. I can hear just about everything you say." He told her in a smart voice.
"Stop calling me stupid!" Kagome cried. "I have a name you know!"
"Stupid girl fits you better." The hanyou said.
Kagome threw the gun off of her lap and marched over to him. She faced him with a stare and had her hands on her hips. "My name is Kagome! Not stupid girl!" she told him.
"I kinda got that already. When you were talking to me like I was a little pup!" the hanyou said.
Kagome blushed slightly. "Well...I...shut up, hanyou!" she cried.
The hanyou suddenly growled at her comment. "Stop calling me that!" he growled.
Kagome jumped back slightly, "Why? I mean...Do you have a name?"
"Duh! Of course I do...stupid girl." The hanyou grumbled.
"Well, what is it?" Kagome asked.
The hanyou rolled his eyes, "Feh...Inuyasha..." he growled.
"Inu- what?" Kagome asked.
"Inu-Yasha!" he said louder.
"Oh...that's a weird name...Inuyasha." She remarked.
"So is Kagome." Inuyasha said.
"No it's not! My name is actually very pretty. My brother used to call...." her voice trailed off, and her face turned solemn.
"What's with you?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome turned away, "Nothing." she answered bleakly.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. Yet, he watched as Kagome turned away and slowly made her way back to her blanket. Once she reached it, she lay down directly on it and pulled her arms close to her body.
Inuyasha stared at her for a few moments, but then decided it wasn't worth his thought. He made a huff and ignored her, sitting down and trying to get comfortable.
He had just shut his eyes, when a scent struck his nose. It was the smell of warm, salty...tears. He opened his eyes and looked over at Kagome.
A few small tears were running down her cheeks and onto her arm, which was under her head.
Inuyasha felt a small tug on his heart. He hated seeing women cry...it was...his...weakness.
"What are you crying for?" he asked her.
Kagome sniffed softly and rolled away; her back now facing him. "What do you care?" she practically whispered, but Inuyasha heard it.
"Look..." he said, getting annoyed, but his voice was soft, "Just stop...ok?"
"Leave me alone." Kagome said.
Inuyasha was slightly shocked by her harsh comment. He wondered what was wrong with her.
'Wait! Why the hell do I care?' he wondered to himself. But, it did bother him.
..................................
Kagome hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep, until she awoke to the sound of one of the horses neighing.
She stirred slightly, and rolled over.
She was about to fall asleep again when the sound of the horses hooves hitting the ground in a nervous manner struck her ears. They were restless. Not a good sign.
Kagome bolted up. Her heart beat in her chest like a drum. Her eyes scanned the interior of the tent. It was impossibly dark within; she could only see the outline of the animals pacing in their cages. The only light came from the flood lights that were outside the tent.
She couldn't hear anything except her own heartbeat and her breathing. Then, she heard the noises. Grunts and bellows from other wild creatures. They were inside the tent. Probably after the meat.
Kagome's breath came in short gasps. Her hand leaned over and searched for the shot gun.
Her fingers flew wildly across the ground searching for it. All the while, her eyes searching to try and find any source of movement other than her animals. Finally, she touched the long, cold, barrel of the gun. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it up into her lap.
Kagome's fingers found the trigger, as she tried to stand up. The gun was impossibly heavy. She only rose as far as her knees, when she saw them. The outlines of the dark figures that moved around the cages.
They moved low to the ground, and on four legs. Their outlines convinced her mind at what they were...wolves.
(A/N: I know what you're thinking, Koga...right? But it's not him...he comes later, these are just real wolves.)
The gun shook in her sweaty hands, the tip swaying and unsteady. The wolves were all moving around the freezer. There were too many shadows to try and figure out how many were there.
Thoughts screamed inside her head:
'Shoot them!'
'...you can't shoot...'
'Shoot into the air, it'll scare them off.'
'Call for help!'
'But who's gonna hear you?'
'Daddy help me!'
'Run away...'
'...but the animals...I can't.'
'Do something!'
Kagome shifted uneasily, she tired to stand up. Maybe she would run. Would they follow her?
Her movement caused a pair of green eyes to turn and stare at her. Kagome panicked. Even in the low light, she could see the glimmer of white, shinning teeth. More sets of eyes turned towards her.
Then, Kagome realized why the wolves had turned to her. The cut on her head! The bandages probably had blood on them and the wolves smelled the wound. She was doomed.
The glowing eyes and shinning teeth moved towards her. The sounds of their deep growls thundered in her ears.
Kagome's finger tightened around the trigger of the gun. The muscles in her arms burned under the weight of the gun. She shook with fear... then, with a prayer, she shut her eyes and pulled the trigger.
She expected a boom. But she only heard a small click. The trigger had only moved half way back...wait! The safety lock!
To late...the wolves knew she had a weapon. They lunged towards her.
Her only defense.
Without second thoughts, Kagome heaved the heavy gun at them. It flew through the air, and landed in front of them. They stopped moving for only a second but then continued moving forward.
"Go Away!" Kagome cried softly. "Leave me Alone!"
The wolve's eyes dropped as they began to encircle her.
.......................
Inuyasha was only half asleep when he heard the sounds of movement to his far left. He woke up more and could smell the scent of hot breath and drool.
'Probably the other animals.' He thought to himself. He stirred slightly, only to shift his weight. He sighed and focused again on sleeping. His ears flattened, twitched slightly, before settling lazily on his head.
"Go Away!"
He opened one eye.
"Leave me Alone!"
He opened the other.
He moved slightly and peered around the bars of his cage. Staring forward he saw Kagome sitting in the middle of a bunch of dark figures.
His eyes widened as he heard the sound of Kagome whimpering and the low growls emitting from the dark shadows.
'The animals got out?' 'No, that's impossible...'
He couldn't tare his eyes from Kagome's face. It was completely white with fear, her hands were clasped together and close to her mouth; her body shaking.
"Kagome?!?" he called out to her.
The shadows turned their eyes and teeth towards him. He saw them, they were wolves. Inuyasha jumped up and called to her again, "Kagome!!"
..........................
Kagome thought she had imagined the first time she heard her name. Even the wolves seemed unsure of where the sound had come from. A few glanced around and sniffed the air.
Then, she heard her name again. She knew the voice. Her eyes left the wolves and flashed towards Inuyasha's cage, he stood up glaring at her with his wondrous eyes. Their gazes met.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out to him. The wolves now noticed the hanyou in the cage. And they began growling at him.
"Don't move!" he yelled back. Kagome nodded once, her heart pounding.
Suddenly, Inuyasha began to growl back at the wolves. Half the wolves focused on him, the other half turned back to Kagome. The sounds that came out of him scared Kagome. This was the demon part of him, sneering and roaring.
He stuck his arms through the bars and flashed his claws at the wolves.
The wolves seemed confused by the noises Inuyasha made. They wavered and lowered their tails under their legs.
Inuyasha continued to snarl and growl. His mouth hung open and his fangs showed underneath his lips. He was terrifying; a menacing, evil, monster. He didn't seem like the same person, he wasn't the same, he was an animal.
Then, Kagome realized what Inuyasha was doing. He was trying to coax the wolves away from her and towards him.
The plan seemed to be working, they turned away from her and answered Inuyasha's growls with their own.
Finally, one of the wolves began an attack. He leapt through the air, claws out, ready to attack Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly pulled his arms back through the bars just as the wolf lunged. As its body struck the bars, the electric charge struck its fur.
Large sparks of electricity flew from the bars. The wolf's body was flung to the ground.
The wolf whimpered and cried with pain as he hit the ground, in front of his comrades. The other wolves drew back and fled at the cries and the sparks.
Kagome watched them go, with deep breaths of thankfulness.
The only wolf that remained was the wolf that had gotten electrocuted. He was on the ground, on his side, and didn't move.
Kagome was frozen in fear mixed with joy. She lowered her hands and looked up toward Inuyasha.
He stood up inside his cage, his shoulders slightly heaving in deep breaths. A few strands of silver hair hung in his face, his eyes flashed with victory.
He drew a short breath in and snapped his head up and stared at her.
Kagome jumped as he suddenly stared at her.
"You ok?" he called his voice husky.
She didn't answer, she couldn't answer, her voice was gone.
Kagome couldn't pull her eyes away from him. The stance his body was in, the aura of power he had given off. The silent strength he held, she was mesmerized.
All of a sudden, the flap of the tent was torn back and many people entered. They all carried flashlights and looked like they had just rolled out of bed.
Her father led the group. He saw Kagome on the ground, along with the wolf, and the gaze that she and the hanyou held. He rushed forward and grasped Kagome by the shoulders.
"Kagome!" He said shaking her wildly. "Kagome what happened?"
"Looks like wolves, sir. Footprints are everywhere." Someone called from behind.
Naraku turned his eyes to the man who had spoken, but then he returned to gazing back at Kagome.
"Kagome, dearest, tell me. What happened here?" Naraku asked her, his voice slightly calmer.
Kagome finally shook herself from her daze, she saw her father's face, and leaned into his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, trembling, and yearning for comfort.
She wanted to cling to something that would offer her protection from the fear.
Her father didn't return his daughter's embrace. He only watched Kagome's face as it buried itself in his nightshirt.
"I'm so sorry father!" Kagome voice shook as she spoke, tears on the verge of spilling. "There were so many of them...they...they were after the meat smell...they started to attack me...I couldn't shoot them...I was too scared...they surrounded me, father...I was so scared..."
Unexpectedly, Naraku tore Kagome's arms off him. He threw her to the ground, and stood up. "Pull yourself together Kagome. You're a big girl, don't act like a baby!" he said coldly.
Kagome groveled at her father's feet, "I'm sorry Daddy. I'm so sorry..." she cried, the tears overflowing from her eyes.
"Stop crying, Kagome. Go back to the trailer; you've caused enough trouble tonight." Her father told her. He turned to walk away, but Kagome grasped onto his leg.
"No...no daddy don't make me go...I wanna stay here with you...please, don't make me go." Kagome cried.
Naraku leaned down and wrenched her fingers from around his leg. "Kagome!" he hissed in her ear, "Stop embarrassing me! Let go!"
He kicked out with his leg, hitting Kagome in the chest, and sending her falling backwards onto her back.
Kagome's vision was extremely blurry from her tears, but she could see her father walk away towards the other people surveying the area.
Her hands, at her sides, balled into shaky fists clenching the grass on the ground. Somehow, she forced herself onto her feet and tore out of the tent.
She ran across the dark field, towards the trailers. Her eyes burned with tears, her body ached with fear and pain.
She reached her own trailer and thrusted the door open. The door slammed behind her as she threw herself onto her cot.
Kagome pulled her knees up to her chest, into a fetal position, and continued to cry. She hugged herself, giving her own self comfort against the pain. She longed to be held in a protective embrace, for once in her life, and not be pulled away; to stay as long as she wanted...to feel safe in the arms of another, instead of her own cold skin and bones in a damp, lonely trailer.
She eventually cried herself into dehydration and passed out; drifting once again into an emotional sleep.
.............................
Chapter 3
.......................
A/N: Thank you to all reviewers!! You all rock soo much!! I'm glad you enjoy my stories, and say such kind words to me ; ) Anywho, I'm sorry for taking so long to update...I just have other stories that need my attention too... but this chapter will be nice and long and be a bit humorous because of the connection between Inuyasha and Kagome...plus Miroku is always funny. Enjoy!!
..........................
Kagome felt herself drift in and out of consciousness over a long period of time. She would be shook awake long enough to feel liquids slip down her throat and to eat soft food fed from a cold metal spoon.
She briefly recognized the faces of her friends during her small periods of being awake. Everything around her head was spinning and seemed cold.
Kagome would sleep for hours at a time. Long, deep, dream-less sleeps that pulled her deep into her subconscious.
......
Finally, Kagome awoke to find herself lying on a deep velvet couch in a darkly lit tent. The tent was decorated with many glow-in-the-dark stars and planets. The sharp smell of incense struck her noise.
She recognized the tent, it was Miroku's. Where he gave all his swami premonitions and fortunes.
Her head was pounding. She reached up to feel a bandage wrapped around her skull. She winced under the irritating sharp prickles of pain that came from the wound.
As her thoughts returned to her, Kagome knew she had, again, thrown herself into another one of her fits over her brother. Just the memories of him were enough to make her feel light-headed and dizzy. Although she couldn't remember anything since she blacked out, she only could remember hearing voices, seeing her father's face, and then feeling the sharp cuff to her head.
Kagome propped herself up on her elbows and squinted in the darkness of the tent. She looked toward the back of the tent, to see Miroku sitting at a desk writing something, under the light of a single candle.
Kagome stirred and swung her legs off the couch and onto the floor. Miroku's head shot up and he moved towards her.
"Take it easy Kagome..." He told her softly; approaching her where she lay.
"I'm fine." Kagome answered shortly. She supported herself to stand up. As she attempted to rise, her knees buckled and she fell back down onto the couch.
"Yea right." He said, kneeling down in front of her and placing a gentle hand on her knee.
"How long have I been out for?" Kagome asked Miroku.
"About three days, waking up off and on." Miroku answered.
Kagome frowned at herself. Miroku continued,
"Wait until Sango gets back, she'll take you back to your trailer."
"I can manage." Kagome said. "I've got work to do anyway."
"You need rest for awhile, Kagome." Miroku said, "Your fits consume allot of your energy."
"I can handle it, Miroku." Kagome answered sharply. Attempting to stand up fully again, succeeding, and beginning to walk.
"Kagome..." Miroku said, grabbing her hand, "I know working hard takes your mind off of your thoughts. But maybe we need to have another therapy session...you know, just to help you relax."
Kagome forced her hand from his, "I'm fine, Miroku. I don't need any of your help. I can handle this." She snapped, and walked from the tent out into the gathering darkness of whatever day it was.
Miroku heard her run into Sango as she walked out. They exchanged a few words. Sango pleaded with her to let her help, but Kagome denied the need for assistance sharply. Kagome's foot steps grew fainter and fainter as she walked away.
Miroku walked out and stood with Sango as she watched Kagome walk away. They both sighed out of concern for their friend.
Sango turned her face up to Miroku's, "Do you think she still blames herself for her brother's death?" she asked.
"I do indeed." Miroku told Sango, "Lady Kagome won't admit to it, but I know she still deeply believes that it was her fault for the accident."
"What can we do?" Sango asked, turning her gaze back in the direction Kagome had gone.
Miroku took this opportunity and snuck a quick hand to Sango's waist, and slowly inched down to her butt.
Sango jumped as his fingers touched her rear, with a sharp slap from her he let go and she cried, "Miroku! Get your head out of the gutter for ten seconds and help me think of a way to help Kagome!!"
Miroku cleared his throat and stood back up. (Now, bearing a huge red hand mark on his cheek.) "I...umm...I just...I don't really know. Lady Kagome does not seem to want help. She tells me she can handle it, but I don't quite know if she means what she says."
Sango stopped being angry at him and nodded, "We've just got to make sure she stays active and happy. I think that's all we can do for her..."
"It's really a shame." Miroku added, "She was really talented. Better than all the others combined."
"I agree," Sango said, "But don't mention anything to her about it. She's got to deal with this on her own time. I just hope she will be ok..."
......................................
Kagome's head was spinning as she marched away from Miroku and Sango. She knew they were only trying to help, but she didn't need their sympathy.
Other people avoided Kagome as she walked by. Ducking behind tents or lowering their heads so as to not meet her gaze.
Kagome ignored them. She couldn't be bothered by their stares; not when she had work to do. She had neglected her chores while she had been recovering, now they certainly had piled up.
Work. Work would keep her mind occupied, so she wouldn't think about other things. As long as she kept busy, her feelings wouldn't interfere.
...
Kagome entered the animal tent through the back entrance. She took an educated guess that the animals hadn't been fed yet, so that would be her fist priority.
The animals paced in their cages; they knew it was dinner time.
Kagome found herself alone in the animal tent, something rather unusual. She shrugged it off, she really didn't feel like dealing with anyone now; she liked being alone with her animals.
Kagome busied herself with the horses and ponies; racking new hay into their stalls and giving them their feed. She pulled down new straw from the loft and spread it around their feet. As well as refilling their water buckets and petting their soft, wet noses as she worked.
Next, she crushed up the ground meal for the elephants and served it to them in buckets. Their giant, dark eyes watched her as she worked around them. Animals have a strange and uncanny ability to sense when something is wrong. And they were all extremely quiet as Kagome moved from cage to cage.
Kagome removed the meat from the freezer and broke off a large chunk with a butcher knife. As she carried the half frozen piece of bloody meat to her workplace, she moved past the hanyou's electric cage, still emitting its low, safe hum of power.
Kagome gave a sideways glance into the cage, searching for the creature within it. But, in the growing evening hours, the cage was dark with shadows.
As Kagome fed the giant cats their dinners. She remembered to save a few scraps for Kirara, although her father didn't allow it.
As Kagome turned away from the cat's cages, her eyes came to rest on the hanyou's cage again. The hanyou stood right at the bars and was staring at her with his glowing golden eyes.
Kagome shot the creature a half smile and said, "Don't worry little hanyou, I haven't forgotten about you!" Her voice was a strange sing-song tone.
She could feel his eyes bearing into her back as she prepared his meal. The keepers had taken a guess at what a hanyou eats. They had assumed he ate some foods like humans, but with a bit of blood, that demons desire.
Together the dinner consisted of chopped up vegetables, rotten or fresh; dog-food like pellets; and tiny bits of chopped up meat drizzled with the leftover blood of the cat's meat. Everything was mixed together in a large bowl and dumped on the floor of the hanyou's cage.
Kagome thought the dish foul and horrible; she couldn't imagine a creature even attempting to eat it. But the hanyou did, weirdly. Perhaps it was because that's all he got.
Kagome approached the hanyou's cage with the concoction. She carefully slipped her hand in between the electric bars and dumped the contents of the bowl on the floor and then quickly pulled her hands back through the bars.
The hanyou jumped for the food, standing over it, and devouring it on the spot. Kagome jumped back as he hastily consumed his food.
'He needs more than just that...' she thought to herself. But she had to follow orders.
For a few seconds, she stayed and stared at the creature. He ate as though he hadn't eaten in days and he always leaned over his food, as if... protecting it from others who might take it away from him.
"I'm sorry, hanyou. But you know that's all I'm allowed to give you." Kagome spoke to him.
Suddenly, the hanyou turned his attention from his dinner and fixed his stare on Kagome again. Half a potato skin hung from his upper lip, his cheeks bulging like a squirrels.
The site made Kagome snicker, and her mood lightened. She turned away from the cage and walked over to clean up. As she reached her station, she noticed the scraps of meat she had saved for Kirara lying to the side.
She could hear the sound of the hanyou behind her scraping the last bits of food from the floor of his cage.
'Perhaps...just this once...' she thought, looking over her shoulder at the hanyou, who had finished eating.
Kagome placed the bowl on the counter and picked up the meat pieces, carrying them over to the hanyou.
The hanyou's eyes followed her every move as she moved back over towards him. And they stared at her as she stood in front of him, clutching the scraps of meat.
Timidly, Kagome put her hand through the bars and dropped the pieces onto the floor of the cage, and then she quickly removed her hand again.
"I could get in big trouble for that, but you look like you need it more than Kirara does." Kagome said to the hanyou.
The hanyou didn't jump at the food. He only stared at it with an inquisitive look in his eyes. His eyes moved from Kagome to the meat, back to Kagome and then to the meat again.
Kagome put her hands on her hips, "Its ok, you can eat it. It's not like I poisoned it or anything..."
The hanyou took a shy step forward towards the scraps but pulled back.
"Come on!" Kagome pleaded, "Don't you trust me?" Then she remembered the first time she met him, and what she did to him.
"Well, I guess you kinda don't. Considering the first time we met I pulled on your ear." Kagome said with a slight laugh.
The hanyou just continued to glare at her and then the meat and then her again. Kagome threw her hands up in the air and cried, "Fine! Don't trust me, I don't care." And she turned and walked away.
She had only turned her back for a second and moved a few feet away when she could hear the sound of the hanyou scarf down the meat scraps. Kagome smiled to herself.
Kagome turned on the hose and began to wash off her hands, then the bowls and knifes that she used to feed the animals.
After that, she shut the water off and put the items away in there proper places for breakfast the next morning.
Kagome over turned a bucket and sat down for a moment. Her head was still pounding under the tight fit bandage around her skull. She gently rubbed her temples to try and ease the pain.
Her thoughts shifted to her fit she had thrown. She thought she had gotten over them; it had been over a month since she had had one. Kagome shrugged and sighed to herself.
Her eyes scanned over the animals as they got comfortable for the night. The tigers turned in large circles before lying down close together. The lions yawned, showing their massive fangs, before dropping down onto the straw and tucking their paws under them. The horses turned their backs and stayed standing up to sleep. The white ponies lay flat on their sides with all four legs stretched out across the straw. Even the elephants relaxed and moved closer together for the night.
Every animal seemed to at least have another like itself near by to cuddle with for the night. All animals...except the hanyou.
Kagome watched the hanyou as he sat on the floor of his prison. His legs curled under him, and his arms crossed across his chest. Kagome tilted her head as she watched him. He seemed so much like a human, it amazed her.
Kagome stood up, grabbed her bucket, and moved it closer to the hanyou's cage. She sat again, and stared at him. He gazed up, from under his hair, at her. His ears twitched in circles around his silver hair, and his breathing was slow and even.
"You asleep hanyou?" Kagome asked him.
He raised his head and stared at her, his eyes open.
"I guess not..." Kagome answered for him. She put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "You know, if you didn't have those claws, ears, and fangs, you would be practically human. I guess that's why you're so easy to talk to."
The hanyou raised an eyebrow and turned his nose up. His movement had such attitude, definitive attitude...it was almost as if...he could...
Kagome's eyes widened, her hands dropped and she leaned closer to the cage. "Can you understand me?!?" Her mouth hung open slightly; she stood up and stood directly in front of the bars. "Hanyou, do you know what I'm saying?"
The hanyou turned his face back to her, and rolled his eyes. He made a noise that sounded like a, "Feh."
Kagome's face lit up. "You can understand me! Oh my gosh, this is so awesome!"
Kagome took a step back from the bars and stood tall. She raised her hand and pointed to herself, "Me...Kagome...Ka-Go-Me..."
She waited for some kind of a remark or acknowledgment from the hanyou. When she got none, her face dropped.
"Can you talk?" Kagome asked. She pressed closer to him, her face held sorrow. "You can't talk can you?"
She stared hard at the hanyou, who just gazed back at her with an expression of confusion.
"Can you say Kagome? Say...Kagome...Ka...go...me...come on hanyou....Ka...go...me..." Kagome tried to teach him.
The hanyou lowered his head and a deep noise came from him that sounded like a low laugh.
Kagome was perplexed, she put her face as close as possible to the bars to try and hear better. Her body was tense as she tired to hear the sound that was coming out of him.
"Stupid wench, of course I can talk!" he suddenly said.
Kagome was so surprised that she screamed and jumped backwards. She knocked into the bucket she had been sitting on and lost her balance. She tripped and fell backwards; landing with a deep grunt on the ground.
Before Kagome could open her eyes she heard the hanyou laughing at her. She opened her eyes and sat up. She reached out with a quivering hand, pointing at the hanyou.
"You...you CAN talk!!" Kagome said.
The hanyou crossed his arms across his chest and muttered a "Feh."
Kagome pulled herself up onto her feet and moved towards him, "How long have you been able to talk?" she asked.
"Since I was born, stupid girl!" the hanyou said coldly.
Despite the rude comment, Kagome was stunned. Her lips curved into an astonished smile.
"So...that means, that you..." Kagome began.
"Hello?" a voice called from outside the animal tent. Kagome stopped talking and turned her head in the direction of the call.
"Kagome?" the voice called again. "That you?"
"In here!" Kagome called, moving away from the hanyou, and towards the voice.
The flap of the animal tent opened and a young man appeared. Kagome knew him as one of the animal keepers.
"Kagome," he said, "You're ok...that's good...umm...I heard you scream. Is everything ok?"
Kagome nodded her head shortly.
"You sure? Who were you talking too?" he asked.
"Nobody." Kagome said. She tired not to stare at the hanyou.
"Are you going to stay in the animal tent tonight?" he asked her.
"No. I mean...I wasn't planning on it." Kagome answered.
The man smiled. "Well, a bunch of us were going to go into town tonight and hit some clubs. And I thought I would have to stay to keep watch...but, since you're here...then I guess...you wouldn't mind staying?" he asked hopefully.
Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip. Every night, at least one person stayed in the animal tent, with a shot gun, to keep any wild animals away. Kagome didn't know how to use the gun very well. She could shoot the little pop guns that the sideshow booths used for games...but a real gun?
"Umm...sure...I guess." She answered.
"Ohh, that's great Kagome..." then with that, he turned and hurried away.
Kagome peeked around the tent flap and watched as a bunch of people where all piling into the back of a truck. They were all shouting and cheering. Then, with a roar of the tires, the truck sped away towards the city.
Kagome watched as the red tail lights of the truck disappeared. The whole crew had just up and left the sleepy carnival. She wondered if Miroku and Sango had gone along.
"You're welcome..." she muttered to herself.
Then, she entered the animal tent again and pulled the flap shut and tied it closed. She walked across the interior and got a large blanket from the storage containers. She carried it back and laid it across the ground.
Kagome then walked over to where the shot gun was kept. It hung on two stout posts directly above the freezer. She had to stand on her toes to reach up and take it from the wall. The gun was heavy in her arms, but she carried it back to where she had laid her blanket.
"You know how to shoot that thing?" she heard a voice behind her ask.
Kagome whipped around quick and noticed that it came from the hanyou. "Yes..." she lied.
He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't question her.
Kagome sat down and pulled the gun across her knees. She ran her fingers over the cold steel. The gun was loaded, but the safety switch was on. Kagome wanted it to stay on.
Then she remembered that the hanyou had spoken to her again! She looked up and saw him sitting on the floor of his cage.
"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Kagome asked him.
The hanyou snorted, "Didn't feel like it, what's it to you?"
Kagome narrowed her eyebrows, "I was just wondering. You don't have to be so mean about it!"
The hanyou rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He muttered.
'What a jerk.' Kagome thought.
"...baka..." she mumbled.
"I heard that!" the hanyou said.
"How did you hear that when I'm sitting all the way over here?" Kagome asked, shocked.
"Stupid human, my senses are ten times stronger than yours are. I can hear just about everything you say." He told her in a smart voice.
"Stop calling me stupid!" Kagome cried. "I have a name you know!"
"Stupid girl fits you better." The hanyou said.
Kagome threw the gun off of her lap and marched over to him. She faced him with a stare and had her hands on her hips. "My name is Kagome! Not stupid girl!" she told him.
"I kinda got that already. When you were talking to me like I was a little pup!" the hanyou said.
Kagome blushed slightly. "Well...I...shut up, hanyou!" she cried.
The hanyou suddenly growled at her comment. "Stop calling me that!" he growled.
Kagome jumped back slightly, "Why? I mean...Do you have a name?"
"Duh! Of course I do...stupid girl." The hanyou grumbled.
"Well, what is it?" Kagome asked.
The hanyou rolled his eyes, "Feh...Inuyasha..." he growled.
"Inu- what?" Kagome asked.
"Inu-Yasha!" he said louder.
"Oh...that's a weird name...Inuyasha." She remarked.
"So is Kagome." Inuyasha said.
"No it's not! My name is actually very pretty. My brother used to call...." her voice trailed off, and her face turned solemn.
"What's with you?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome turned away, "Nothing." she answered bleakly.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. Yet, he watched as Kagome turned away and slowly made her way back to her blanket. Once she reached it, she lay down directly on it and pulled her arms close to her body.
Inuyasha stared at her for a few moments, but then decided it wasn't worth his thought. He made a huff and ignored her, sitting down and trying to get comfortable.
He had just shut his eyes, when a scent struck his nose. It was the smell of warm, salty...tears. He opened his eyes and looked over at Kagome.
A few small tears were running down her cheeks and onto her arm, which was under her head.
Inuyasha felt a small tug on his heart. He hated seeing women cry...it was...his...weakness.
"What are you crying for?" he asked her.
Kagome sniffed softly and rolled away; her back now facing him. "What do you care?" she practically whispered, but Inuyasha heard it.
"Look..." he said, getting annoyed, but his voice was soft, "Just stop...ok?"
"Leave me alone." Kagome said.
Inuyasha was slightly shocked by her harsh comment. He wondered what was wrong with her.
'Wait! Why the hell do I care?' he wondered to himself. But, it did bother him.
..................................
Kagome hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep, until she awoke to the sound of one of the horses neighing.
She stirred slightly, and rolled over.
She was about to fall asleep again when the sound of the horses hooves hitting the ground in a nervous manner struck her ears. They were restless. Not a good sign.
Kagome bolted up. Her heart beat in her chest like a drum. Her eyes scanned the interior of the tent. It was impossibly dark within; she could only see the outline of the animals pacing in their cages. The only light came from the flood lights that were outside the tent.
She couldn't hear anything except her own heartbeat and her breathing. Then, she heard the noises. Grunts and bellows from other wild creatures. They were inside the tent. Probably after the meat.
Kagome's breath came in short gasps. Her hand leaned over and searched for the shot gun.
Her fingers flew wildly across the ground searching for it. All the while, her eyes searching to try and find any source of movement other than her animals. Finally, she touched the long, cold, barrel of the gun. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it up into her lap.
Kagome's fingers found the trigger, as she tried to stand up. The gun was impossibly heavy. She only rose as far as her knees, when she saw them. The outlines of the dark figures that moved around the cages.
They moved low to the ground, and on four legs. Their outlines convinced her mind at what they were...wolves.
(A/N: I know what you're thinking, Koga...right? But it's not him...he comes later, these are just real wolves.)
The gun shook in her sweaty hands, the tip swaying and unsteady. The wolves were all moving around the freezer. There were too many shadows to try and figure out how many were there.
Thoughts screamed inside her head:
'Shoot them!'
'...you can't shoot...'
'Shoot into the air, it'll scare them off.'
'Call for help!'
'But who's gonna hear you?'
'Daddy help me!'
'Run away...'
'...but the animals...I can't.'
'Do something!'
Kagome shifted uneasily, she tired to stand up. Maybe she would run. Would they follow her?
Her movement caused a pair of green eyes to turn and stare at her. Kagome panicked. Even in the low light, she could see the glimmer of white, shinning teeth. More sets of eyes turned towards her.
Then, Kagome realized why the wolves had turned to her. The cut on her head! The bandages probably had blood on them and the wolves smelled the wound. She was doomed.
The glowing eyes and shinning teeth moved towards her. The sounds of their deep growls thundered in her ears.
Kagome's finger tightened around the trigger of the gun. The muscles in her arms burned under the weight of the gun. She shook with fear... then, with a prayer, she shut her eyes and pulled the trigger.
She expected a boom. But she only heard a small click. The trigger had only moved half way back...wait! The safety lock!
To late...the wolves knew she had a weapon. They lunged towards her.
Her only defense.
Without second thoughts, Kagome heaved the heavy gun at them. It flew through the air, and landed in front of them. They stopped moving for only a second but then continued moving forward.
"Go Away!" Kagome cried softly. "Leave me Alone!"
The wolve's eyes dropped as they began to encircle her.
.......................
Inuyasha was only half asleep when he heard the sounds of movement to his far left. He woke up more and could smell the scent of hot breath and drool.
'Probably the other animals.' He thought to himself. He stirred slightly, only to shift his weight. He sighed and focused again on sleeping. His ears flattened, twitched slightly, before settling lazily on his head.
"Go Away!"
He opened one eye.
"Leave me Alone!"
He opened the other.
He moved slightly and peered around the bars of his cage. Staring forward he saw Kagome sitting in the middle of a bunch of dark figures.
His eyes widened as he heard the sound of Kagome whimpering and the low growls emitting from the dark shadows.
'The animals got out?' 'No, that's impossible...'
He couldn't tare his eyes from Kagome's face. It was completely white with fear, her hands were clasped together and close to her mouth; her body shaking.
"Kagome?!?" he called out to her.
The shadows turned their eyes and teeth towards him. He saw them, they were wolves. Inuyasha jumped up and called to her again, "Kagome!!"
..........................
Kagome thought she had imagined the first time she heard her name. Even the wolves seemed unsure of where the sound had come from. A few glanced around and sniffed the air.
Then, she heard her name again. She knew the voice. Her eyes left the wolves and flashed towards Inuyasha's cage, he stood up glaring at her with his wondrous eyes. Their gazes met.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out to him. The wolves now noticed the hanyou in the cage. And they began growling at him.
"Don't move!" he yelled back. Kagome nodded once, her heart pounding.
Suddenly, Inuyasha began to growl back at the wolves. Half the wolves focused on him, the other half turned back to Kagome. The sounds that came out of him scared Kagome. This was the demon part of him, sneering and roaring.
He stuck his arms through the bars and flashed his claws at the wolves.
The wolves seemed confused by the noises Inuyasha made. They wavered and lowered their tails under their legs.
Inuyasha continued to snarl and growl. His mouth hung open and his fangs showed underneath his lips. He was terrifying; a menacing, evil, monster. He didn't seem like the same person, he wasn't the same, he was an animal.
Then, Kagome realized what Inuyasha was doing. He was trying to coax the wolves away from her and towards him.
The plan seemed to be working, they turned away from her and answered Inuyasha's growls with their own.
Finally, one of the wolves began an attack. He leapt through the air, claws out, ready to attack Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly pulled his arms back through the bars just as the wolf lunged. As its body struck the bars, the electric charge struck its fur.
Large sparks of electricity flew from the bars. The wolf's body was flung to the ground.
The wolf whimpered and cried with pain as he hit the ground, in front of his comrades. The other wolves drew back and fled at the cries and the sparks.
Kagome watched them go, with deep breaths of thankfulness.
The only wolf that remained was the wolf that had gotten electrocuted. He was on the ground, on his side, and didn't move.
Kagome was frozen in fear mixed with joy. She lowered her hands and looked up toward Inuyasha.
He stood up inside his cage, his shoulders slightly heaving in deep breaths. A few strands of silver hair hung in his face, his eyes flashed with victory.
He drew a short breath in and snapped his head up and stared at her.
Kagome jumped as he suddenly stared at her.
"You ok?" he called his voice husky.
She didn't answer, she couldn't answer, her voice was gone.
Kagome couldn't pull her eyes away from him. The stance his body was in, the aura of power he had given off. The silent strength he held, she was mesmerized.
All of a sudden, the flap of the tent was torn back and many people entered. They all carried flashlights and looked like they had just rolled out of bed.
Her father led the group. He saw Kagome on the ground, along with the wolf, and the gaze that she and the hanyou held. He rushed forward and grasped Kagome by the shoulders.
"Kagome!" He said shaking her wildly. "Kagome what happened?"
"Looks like wolves, sir. Footprints are everywhere." Someone called from behind.
Naraku turned his eyes to the man who had spoken, but then he returned to gazing back at Kagome.
"Kagome, dearest, tell me. What happened here?" Naraku asked her, his voice slightly calmer.
Kagome finally shook herself from her daze, she saw her father's face, and leaned into his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, trembling, and yearning for comfort.
She wanted to cling to something that would offer her protection from the fear.
Her father didn't return his daughter's embrace. He only watched Kagome's face as it buried itself in his nightshirt.
"I'm so sorry father!" Kagome voice shook as she spoke, tears on the verge of spilling. "There were so many of them...they...they were after the meat smell...they started to attack me...I couldn't shoot them...I was too scared...they surrounded me, father...I was so scared..."
Unexpectedly, Naraku tore Kagome's arms off him. He threw her to the ground, and stood up. "Pull yourself together Kagome. You're a big girl, don't act like a baby!" he said coldly.
Kagome groveled at her father's feet, "I'm sorry Daddy. I'm so sorry..." she cried, the tears overflowing from her eyes.
"Stop crying, Kagome. Go back to the trailer; you've caused enough trouble tonight." Her father told her. He turned to walk away, but Kagome grasped onto his leg.
"No...no daddy don't make me go...I wanna stay here with you...please, don't make me go." Kagome cried.
Naraku leaned down and wrenched her fingers from around his leg. "Kagome!" he hissed in her ear, "Stop embarrassing me! Let go!"
He kicked out with his leg, hitting Kagome in the chest, and sending her falling backwards onto her back.
Kagome's vision was extremely blurry from her tears, but she could see her father walk away towards the other people surveying the area.
Her hands, at her sides, balled into shaky fists clenching the grass on the ground. Somehow, she forced herself onto her feet and tore out of the tent.
She ran across the dark field, towards the trailers. Her eyes burned with tears, her body ached with fear and pain.
She reached her own trailer and thrusted the door open. The door slammed behind her as she threw herself onto her cot.
Kagome pulled her knees up to her chest, into a fetal position, and continued to cry. She hugged herself, giving her own self comfort against the pain. She longed to be held in a protective embrace, for once in her life, and not be pulled away; to stay as long as she wanted...to feel safe in the arms of another, instead of her own cold skin and bones in a damp, lonely trailer.
She eventually cried herself into dehydration and passed out; drifting once again into an emotional sleep.
.............................
