The Essence

Chapter 2

The Father

Kagome's POV

I stand in the darkness, a spotlight on me. Cold and vacant darkness. I look around searching for any sign of life and not finding any. I walk through the darkness the spotlight following me as if I'm a one man show. I feel scared, it's happening again. Choking me of breath and peace. Suddenly I can't breath. 'What! I can't breath! AIR!AIR!' I chant in my mined. I look down at my throat and there is a white hand wrapped around my throat. I gasp my mouth bobbing open and close. "You little bitch! You won't escape." came his cold voice. I freeze unable to move, unable to function, cause the fear is so great.

Someone is shaking me, out of the dream. 'What's going on, why is someone shaking me?' I think as I rub the sleep out my eyes. "Kagome, are you all right." came a voice I never heard before. I get scared, I don't kow this person, what does he want? "Oh, sorry for my manners. I'm Shippo." smiled the boy. "So you're the one who spotted up the couch." I wonder out loud. "Anyways, are you all right? You were crying in your sleep." Shippo asked as I became aware of my wet cheeks. "Yeah, I'm all right. Just a bad dream, that's all." I smile, faking for the boy. "All right, well it's almost time to get up anyway. Kaedae just restocked on bath sponges and soaps if you want to take a shower." Shippo said hopping off the bed and heading out the doorway.

I think about the dream and it frightens me. I pull my knees closer to me, still no comfort or relief of the fear. "I gotta get on with my life." I mumble to myself. Feeling so stupid. "Kagome! Breakfast is ready!" came Sango's voice from downstairs. But instead I stay in bed my knees pulled close to me and my arms wrapped around me. I miss momma, I'll be glad when she comes to get me, if she ever does. Slowly begin to remember where I'm at and I get out of bed, put on my new clothes, and head downstairs for breakfast. "It's about time you came down we were starting to get worried." Kaedae said to me a smile gracing her features. "Oh you didn't have to worry." I say at barely even a whisper. So, I sit down and eat breakfast at a snail's pace.

"My name is Mrs.Hibiya, and I am you're counsler. I hope we can get to know eachother well." said Mrs.Hibiya. I just keep a blank face not sure of what to do. "my name is...Kagome." I whisper. "Nice to meet you. But I'm sure you can talk louder than that my dear." the lady said her lips dressed in pink lipstick smiled. "My name's Kagome." I say a bit bolder this time. "Now we're getting somewhere. Oh, you can call me Kagura if you want." Kagura said to me. First she tells me her last name then her first. This lady is weird. I just sit on the couch quietly looking at all the books on her shelf. "What are some of the things you like to do?" Kagura asked me. I never really thought about it that much. "I don't know, I've never had anytime to myself to think about them." I say. Why am I telling her this. I barely even know her and I'm telling her things. Must be something in the air.

"I mean come on there must be somethings you like to do." Kaguar asked her smile brightening. "How about reading,drawing, or any sports." she asked me. As I think about it, I do like to read and play volleyball. "I guess. I do like to read and play volleyball." I say shrugging, not knowing where this was going. As the time passed and I ended up telling her stuff not even I knew about myself AND I was smiling. I liked smiling. I smiled so much me jaws and cheeks hurt. "What about your mother, what does she like to do?" Kaguar asked. "Oh, me and her loved to paint the pots I made at school before I went to hig school she also loved to garden." I smile remembering mother's garden. I missed the smell of the exotic flowers she used to grow. Like the orchids or the lilies. And I felt myself saying those things. "What about your father, what are his hobbies?" Kagura asked handing me a cup of tea.

I pause not really knowing what to say. I look at Kagura and I see the sympathy in her eyes. "I don't want your pity. If you want to know, the bastards favorite hobbies were beating up on me and my mom." I spit out and it felt good. Finally getting out in the open what my father did to me. But I feel the fear. I had just told. My dad's going to kill me when I get home! Oh wait, I don't live there anymore. Kagura looks at me as if I'm a hero. "That's the first step of feeling better about yourself Kagome. Saying what you feel and telling yourself it's not your fault." Kagaura said smiling at me. "Here, when ever you get scared or frustarted or anything about things, just look at this, read it, and believe it." Kagura said handing me a sheet of paper.

It's not my fault

I'm not weak

I AM beautiful

I am uniqe

I'm going to suceed

But slowly I started doing what Kagura said to and I felt better. I didn't feel weak or scraed as often and I think if I wanted to I caould handel a visit to the pen to cuss out my 'father'

"Inuyasha! Are you here?" I ask walking into his room. He wasn't there. I go downstairs to the back and see him just standing there looking into space. "Inuyasha? Are you all right?" I asked. He looks at me and smiles grimly. "Yeah, you can say that." he looks at me. Suddenly I feel all hot and flushed. What's wrong with me and what's going on. I walk over to Inuyasha. "My counsler says I'm making a quick progress." I simle putting an arm over his neck in a friendly manner. "I'm glad to hear that. Do you want to go out tonight with me and Sango?" Inuyasha askes. Shocked ad stuttering I accept and rush upstairs to control my choppy breath. But for the first time in my life I felt beautiful. A boy, not just any boy, the 'hottest' boy in the home asked me to go on a date. But I don't see Inuyasha as hot or fine. He's just Inuyasha.

'Woah, where is this coming from. Why am I feeling like this?' I ask my self ripping my closet open. But I get the feeling Inuyasha's not telling me something. But I push it out my mind and continue looking at outfits in a happiness I've never felt in a long time.