Maintaining short chapters on this one, still around 1200 I guess. I don't want to waste too much energy on something people don't read. If you've been reading my notes on Sight, then you just might know that I love reviews. I'm getting heartbroken by the lack. Seeing as there are more reviews for this story (though none for chapter three...hm...is this a forewarning?) I've decided to experiment.

That said and done, rereading this work makes me happy. I've evolved! But I do feel that the transition and grief of Kagome and Souta is a bit abrupt. There, I've admitted it. Any suggestions, dear readers?

Just note, I haven't really edited this before I posted it so that...Heh, there may be errors. Hey, if you want perfection read Sight! ...okay, that was my attempt at advertising.

I'll try to keep the formatting the same, but that can get difficult. When I do rewrite this, I'm not going to condense it like I did with Dark Lineage, I'll just add details.

A Different Way

Chapter Four: Survival of the Smartest

They didn't wake until noon, and that was only because the sun was shining straight down the well. It hit Kagome's eyes, making her turn to the side before opening them. She was faced with the familiar stones and packed dirt. She shook Souta awake, and was halfway up the well when realization dawned on her.

The well had stayed uncovered for hundreds of years, until her ancestors had decided to preserve the purity by building a roof over it. It had evolved into the well house, and the structure had stood strong for many decades. It must have fallen for the sun to be able to pierce straight into the well. Considering the events of the night before, it was very likely that some monstrosity had taken it upon itself to destroy one of the only sanctuaries left.

Cautiously swinging herself over the edge she waited for Souta. He stood up groggily and also stepped up the ladder sleepily. He retained a bit of the childlike innocence a boy of his age should have. It wasn't going to last, only until he regained his memory of the bloody night before.

He came awake immediately when he fell over the side.

"Wow sis, the sky's really blue!" Kagome mock fell over, and sat next to the lying form of Souta.

"You do have a point there. I would take more about the green grass and tall trees though." She teased gently, poking him. He pretended to punch her in reply. They tried to forget, but it was futile. After a few awkward moments, he pulled himself up.

"Why are we here?" he asked, more serious.

"I dunno." Kagome shrugged, standing up also. "I guess we better just pretend we're camping." She sighed, tearing. Both Higurashis unknowingly began to form a mental block of the murders of their friends and family.

Unwilling to dwell on past events, they separated with a promise to return in an hour. Each covered a section of the thick forest that surrounded the well. The trees weren't close together, but their thick roots barred passage into some of the lighter areas of wood. Kagome found evidence of humans, a rotting arrow, some sharpened stones. She hadn't been observant in her old life, but survival made her now. She picked her way along the lighter areas that formed the maze of plants.

Observing a fruit tree, she tried to memorize the path as she returned to their 'campsite' This time, although some effort was still required, the way was easy and fast.

Souta had chosen a more worn area of the forest. Barely present and visible paths snaked in loops, taking you on longer detours than often necessary. Even so, Souta made it to the outskirts of the forest. It would have been more help if it had opened onto a village or similar sign of civilization, but it ended over a gorge hundreds of feet deep. A swiftly moving river flowed along the bottom, the waves crashing at every rock and bend. The other side was clear, but it seemed to be the same as the side Souta stood on.

He walked back, taking a straight path across the mass of trees. It took considerably less time than before. Souta, unlike Kagome, had always paid close attention to details, so he bent and examined the broken plant he had just tripped over. It was a little too convenient, the placement of the vine. Upon his observation he noted that some leaves and flowers had been neatly sliced off. Tucking the matter to the back of his mind, he set off in a run, watching where he stepped this time.

It didn't help, as less than 10 yards from the clearing; he tripped again, this time over a root.

'Geez, these trees must be out to get me. It's abnormal for me to trip so much.'

Souta wasn't conceited; it was a fact that he was sure-footed.

Kagome was sitting, leaning on the side of the well. She looked in his direction as he stepped on a brittle branch.

"Kagome, these roots keep tripping me."ﾝ He complained, taking off his shoes and peering at his toes. Kagome refrained from giggling at his comical position, and replied,

"Really? In that case they must not like you. I had no trouble getting anywhere."

This was truer than she knew. Because the miko blood was stronger in her, nature accepted her although she was foreign. Souta had experienced less discomfort than most strangers would have, as he also had miko blood. Both descended from Midoriko, it was likely that the forest recognized it. Or, perhaps, they sensed their relationship to their miko.

As night fell, Kagome took inventory of what they did have. Making a list out of her notebook paper, this is what she got.

4 water bottles

2 sleeping bags

5 flashlights 20 extra batteries

1 toolbox w/ various wrenches, hammers, etc.

Dry packaged food

3 bags of clothes

1 yellow backpack (notebook writing utensils)

The smaller items weren't recorded. Considering the list, she asked absentmindedly,

"What do ya think Souta, how can we use this?" Souta didn't respond, but climbed back into his sleeping bag.

Kagome sighed, and followed suit. Before the light completely vanished, she entered her first journal entry.

May 21st

I don't know what to put down for year. If it was at home, I would, but I think that we're in the same place, but in a different time. I refuse to let fate drag me down so easily, and explored a bit today of the forest that surrounds this clearing. Souta and I are still staying in the well, it was lucky that we decided to fortify it. Maybe we're smart that way, or maybe this was meant to happen. I hope we find some people soon, friendly ones of course. I wonder if maybe we are on a different world altogether? Souta seems to have recovered from what happened last night. I can only hope that we can forget the past and move on.

Strange, but this environment seems to perk my senses. Spiderman's spidey sense must feel like this, always tingling in the back of your head.

I feel so uncertain of myself now, but there is one thing I can control. I'm gonna make Souta keep a journal too, I do have like 5 notebooks. I don't know why I brought my huge backpack with me, or why it's filled with my school supplies, but I guess it'll come in handy.

It's kinda hard for me to keep it to 1200, but I guess one section is good enough for one chapter. Once again, if you have a better idea of how I can make this flow better, speak up.

Review. It'll make me feel better about my 78 on the math test, which never happens. I usually get 100's.