Mmm... Hello.

I have no idea why I'm updating this… I'm in a musical at my school in a week and I should be working on homework or something instead of writing.

Ah well. I'm a slacker. What can I say.

And it's late, so I'm going to keep the a/n to a minimum.

So yeah. Enjoy her. And have a great day… night… afternoon… morning… whatever. Have a great whenever-you're-reading-this, you great person you.

Sugarsprite.

Cloud nine can't last long when you're stuck in a small room with no idea what your fate shall be.

She sleeps with her head on my chest. Her hair smells faintly of shampoo, and she makes a warm spot on my shirt. She looks almost relaxed as she sleeps, almost peaceful.

The lights flicker, but show no signs of turning off. I suppose our keeper wants to watch us and make sure we don't escape… something that seems impossible to me. I close my eyes and sigh.

What am I going to do?

I wrack my mind, sorting through all the kidnapping movies I've seen, all the stories I've read, all the newspaper articles I've poured over. They all amount to nothing.

I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it.

I stroke Kagome's hair, bringing up my handcuffed wrists, one hand touching Kagome's dark locks, the other brushing against the side of my head.

My head really hurts. It kind of reminds me of when I got the implant, except on a different place on my head, and more I-was-hit-with-a-blunt-object-y rather than I-had-electrodes-implanted-in-my-skull-after-doctors-cut-me-open-y.

Oh my.

This wounded skull of mine may still have ideas yet.

What I'm going to do reminds me of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs; though I like to think that I'm not a deranged psychopathic sociopath who eats people.

I move slightly in my great agitation, and somehow manage to rouse a sleepy eyed Kagome. She yawns, smiles, realizes where she is, then winces.

"Kagome!"

She focuses her pretty eyes on me, "Yes?"

"I've got an idea."

There is no toilet in our cell. The next morning brings a creep into our little concrete prison, who holds a note card in his hand, reading 'Toilet.' in dodgy handwriting. His face shows us exactly what he means, "Come to the bathroom, you little bastards, and you'd better do what I say."

I follow him, boring a hole into his back with my eyes. Kagome is left in the room, waiting for him to return with me so she can go.

I am wary. 'Toilet.' could mean toilet, but then again, it could also mean 'Firing Squad.' He leads me to a men's bathroom, however, and stands over and watches while I pee.

This isn't going anywhere. I gesture at the stall, indicating I might have to do the other kind. He scowls, but nods. I go into the tiny cubicle and close the door.

I remove the receiver from behind my ear and scratch at it with my fingernails. The backing of it falls off without too much difficulty. I pull out all the wires and things, and, after taking all the useful things I need, I place the wires, bits of metal, and electronic equipment in my mouth, fix the plastic parts of the receiver and replace it on my ear and flush the toilet.

He leads me back into the room, and Kagome exits with him while I turn my back to the camera.

I have a way to get out, and it's definitely in my mouth right now. Silently I spit the foul tasting metal into my palm, fiddling with the pieces. Urgh. I don't believe I'm touching this.

I play with the metal in my hands until I have it the way I want it, then replace it in the plastic backing of the hearing aid just as Kagome reenters.

We wait for our captor to leave the room. He's got a rather unsightly stain on his butt.

"Did you do it?" she signs, back to camera.

I nod, and stretch out on the bed. I yawn and curl into a ball on the bed. I want to sleep. I want to sleep. I want to sleep.

Kagome lies down beside me, flicking her hair back from her face as she makes a sleepy face and unconsciously brushes my chest with the back of my hand.

Darn it. Now I don't want to sleep.

It's hard not to, especially since I spent most of last night thinking and worrying. Kagome closes her eyes and relaxes her face.

I'll do the same. Just close your eyes, Inuyasha, and it won't be too hard to visit the land of nod.

But she's so cute when she sleeps…

I steal a glance at her. Her eyes open at the same instant. We both shut our eyes quickly, embarrassed.

I wait a good long time before opening my eyes again.

Her skin… it's so clear and pale… and her nose is so sweet… and her eyelashes are so long and fluttery…

She opens her eyes again, and I'm caught up with the perfection of her eyes. We don't close ours this time, but look at each other until some sort of unconscious agreement is reached and we both shut our eyes at the exact same time.

Gawd she's cute.

What am I thinking? I'm NOT supposed to be attracted to a stupid girl when I'm lying on an uncomfortable camp bed, expecting to face a deadly foe in a very short amount of time. I'm such a stupid boy! What am I doing, thinking about kissing at a time like this!

I look at her again, promising myself it will be the last time I do for this morning.

Then I close my eyes and doze for a while.

…

…

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

I have no idea how long I have been asleep. I dreamed of playing monopoly with a rather large turtle on a chessboard. But I know now that someone is coming. I automatically shut my eyes tighter than they already are and feign sleep.

I feel them through the floor, feel the door opening, feel them walking about the cell; smell the sweat on their bodies, the leather in their jackets, the blood in their veins. I sense them stop next to the bed, smell the sharp odor of duct tape newly pulled off the roll, feel, with familiarity, the duct tape reconnect with my face, over my eyes. They unlock my handcuffs and tape my wrists together.

Kagome writhes on the bed, obviously awake. She fights the men… I immediately remember my promise and worry about whether or not she's safe with these men about. I roll over on top of her, making sure they keep off.

I think they're laughing at me.

They separate us, and I feel myself being thrown uncomfortably over someone's shoulder. I smell Kagome nearby. At least they're not doing things to her.

The person (I assume he's a man from the size of his shoulders, but one can rarely tell) jolts me about, and their collar bone sticks out into my gut. By the ascension I feel, I assume we are going up stairs, then all of a sudden they stop for a brief moment, then I think we might be outside, then I know we are from the scent of the air.

The person stops and waits for a moment, then I am thrust into a tight space that has a rough exterior and smells of beer and gasoline. I think it is the trunk of a car. Kagome is thrust unceremoniously on top of me, then I feel a sharp vibration that I take to be the slamming of the trunk.

The thugs open doors to the car. By the slight shift of weight in the vehicle I can tell they're entering the car, then by the shaking I can tell they have closed the doors.

The engine starts up.

We begin to move.

Whatever the mortal peril is… we don't have to wait for it anymore.

Because it's here.