When the Light Goes Out
Kiwi: Hello, people who may become readers! If you know me, you probably hate me for dropping my other stories. Kagome's Story is definitely dead, but Like A Cinderella Story may just come back. Not sure yet. I don't even know where this is going. I've never watched the movie, Just Like Heaven or something like that, where the guy moves in and there's a woman ghost still there. But I saw the pre-views and thought it had merits. Then I had this idea, going off partly of what I saw, and my own twists. And now, here's your disclaimer!
I don't own Inuyasha or the movie that this was sorta inspired from. Don't sue, you won't get much, and I'm far too lazy to add this every time, so know it now. I OWN NOTHING THAT IS FAMILIAR IN ANY WAY.
So yes… lets see where this goes, shall we? Enjoy.
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Hello my little black book,
For future reference I will never 'dear diary' you. Too disgraceful. And really not who I am at all. You're an odd little thing, and I would ask where you came from and who you belonged to if you could answer. But, that's all right. My own friends talk too much to listen to me anyway. I've always wanted a journal, and now I have found a new journal and a new house. Maybe Mom was right, maybe we can start over here…
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The car pulled in front of the new house and parked, followed by the moving truck.
"Well, it looks a bit old, but we'll help you clean it up," assured the man in the front passenger seat, gray-blue eyes surveying his friend's new house. "At least it's out of the way, in big open country."
"Yeah, just means more work for me to fix it up," grumbled the silver-haired driver, triangle dog ears twitching in annoyance as his amber eyes looked over the place as well.
"Oh c'mon, it's not nearly as bad as you make it seem," the passenger replied, stepping out of the car. "Hey Sango," he called over to the truck, "everything all right back there?"
"Well, I didn't hear anything breaking," Sango replied, stepping out of the moving truck they had rented while the driver got out of his car.
"Sango," the silver hair boy complained, "did you really have to leave me with him?"
"And what, let Miroku touch me again? No, he's your friend." Sango replied, eyes still glinting evilly at the man, now known as Miroku, cowered slightly behind his friend. Sango was scary.
"Yeah, I wonder what was wrong with me," the man replied.
"Inuyasha, I'm hurt. Think of all I have done for you!" Miroku replied, stepping back with a hurt, yet a bit dramatic, gesture.
"Well, you have made life more interesting… but only because it's funny watching Sango beat you up." Miroku cringed slightly. Sango sighed, she could still see the faint impression of her hand on his cheek.
"Well," she huffed, tossing her head and sending her brown hair whirling in irritation, "he deserves it." Her attention turned to the house they stood in front of. "It really does look like a nice place to live, and now you live close to us again." The three companions looked at the house. It was not too old, but rather uncared for, in the design of what a shrine might have been like after renovations. Inuyasha could see the forest in the surrounding area, a single road leading into a near by city. All this land, untamed and untouched for what looked like years, was his. He had moved here to be closer to the school he, Sango and Miroku would be attending. That was his excuse anyway. They were in their summer break now, about to enter the school as seniors. His older brother had bought this house as a summer resort of some kind, but Inuyasha decided he wanted to move in, or just away from his brother.
"All right, enough day dreaming, lets get you moved in!" Sango declared, heading for the back of the truck.
"Of course, my fair Sango," Miroku grinned perversely as images of Sango bending over to life boxes came to his mind.
"Oh no, not you. You can go open the doors," Inuyasha stated as he grabbed the small pony tail Miroku had at the nape of his neck to hold back his black hair.
"What? Why?" he complained as he was pulled back from his fantasies.
"Because, I want my things in one piece, not broken over you're thick head." Miroku took the keys Inuyasha had held out and turned toward the house, grumbling about lack of trust after all he had done for them.
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"Wow," Miroku murmured as he opened the front door, "it's really dusty in here." He looked into a wide front room, with stairs at the back leading to the upper floor. There were a few covered furniture items that looked as if they had not been touched in a vast amount of time. Miroku crossed the room to a doorway by the stairs, where he found a disused kitchen in much the same state. On the back wall, behind a counter that extended from the left wall was a sink and fairly old stove. Miroku guessed the house was at leastthirty years old, judging by the stove. 'But for such an old house, it looks in good condition…' He continued to the right of the room, where there was a large glass sliding door that led to the back and side of the house. Miroku opened this to let some air in, noticing the large tree on the property that stood out before the backyard became wooded area.
Miroku headed back through the house and into the front room to help with the unloading. Hey, he had opened the house up, and he still could admire Sango's butt… Miroku was almost to the door when he saw a figure go up the stairs. 'That's odd, I didn't see Sango or Inuyasha come in,'
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" he called while going up to the stairs. At the top he found a hallway, two doors on each side of the hall. He opened the first door to find it empty save for a dust-ridden bed. The second door led to a bathroom, old, but still functional. He was halfway down the hall way now. The third room was apparently a study of some kind, a desk occupying one corner, a bookshelf devoid of nearly all books on the other. The last room was another bedroom, with another dusty bed, but no person. 'That's weird. I thought I saw someone come up here.' As Miroku headed out of the fourth room, he noticed a small chord at the back of the hall. 'An attic?' He pulled on it and sure enough a set of stairs came down. 'Aha! So this is where you went." Climbing up the steps, he was immediately blinded by the large amount of sunlight coming from a window opposite the stairs. Blinking, he could just make out the figure of a girl turning around to look at him, standing in the light. However, when he cleared his sight, he saw no one there and only a mostly empty attic.
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"What is taking him so long? Is he going to help at all?" Sango complained as she set down the last of Inuyasha's things he had taken with him on the grass.
"What and have him grope you again? It's not like I have much."
"Good point. I hope a dust bunny ate him." Inuyasha smirked a bit at that. He didn't laugh.
"Well, then I'll go get his remains," he decided off-handedly. Walking through the open doorway, he called out "Miroku! What the hell is taking you so long? Where the hell are you!" Just then Miroku began coming down the stairs. "What's with you, man. The dust choke the hamster runnin' on the treadmill in you're head or what?"
"Yeah," Miroku responded, obviously distracted. Inuyasha just gave him a weird look that took Miroku a bit to notice. "Wha- hey!"
"Took you long enough. Since you've taken the tour, where should I put my bed?"
"There's already two in here. You've got an attic too."
"So that's where you were."
"Yeah, I thought I saw somebody."
"Was she a girl?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"You've got the dumbstruck look on your face. So, where is she?"
"That's the thing, I don't know. There one minute, gone the next."
"Man, the dust really is getting' to that hamster, huh?"
"Shut up, I'm serious."
"Seriously delusional."
"Whatever, it's just a bit weird." Inuyasha just shook his head in pity, dodging the playfully hard punch from his friend. (Miroku knew better than to hit him for real.) They headed back out to help Sango move in the stuff. On the top landing of the stairs a pair of brown eyes watched them go.
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Sango and Miroku had stayed late into the night helping make the place livable again, the reason behind their staying the night. They had aired out the rooms, removed the older, rattier looking bed and the worst couch, moved everything in, unpacked, and set up whatever else they had to. Between them the work went by pretty fast, being hampered only when Sango nearly through a toaster at Miroku after kicking him for groping her butt. Miroku was now making himself comfortable on the couch, seeing as that was where he had been condemned while Inuyasha and Sango got the beds.
"It's not fair! I worked harder than to be left on a couch!"
"Tough luck man. My house, I get to sleep in my bed the first night. Go cry to Sango." Inuyasha said, more than a little annoyed with the pervert.
"Don't even bother. It's safer with him on a different floor," she said, entering the kitchen for a glass of water before heading to her room for the night. Grabbing a glass from a cabinet, she turned toward the sink. When it was about halfway full, the faucet stopped running. Turning the handle back and forth to no avail, Sango sighed and headed out. 'Old house.' "'Night guys." Inuyasha headed up soon after her.
His own house. His own freedom, at last. It was big, and dusty, but it was far away from his obnoxious, stuck-up brother. No one to tell him one thing or another, to remind him of his inferiority. Not perfect, but it was good enough. Still one thing bothered him, what Miroku had said about the mysterious, disappearing girl. He did not need a homeless beggar in his house.
"AHHHH!"
Inuyasha sat bolt upright. That was Sango. He charged out of his room in time to hear another scream of fright from Miroku. Inuyasha went down the stairs to find Miroku cowering behind the TV and pleading to Sango as she loomed over him, murder in her eyes.
"S-Sango, please-"
"I don't want you're pathetic excuses! You die today!"
"Please, what did I do?"
"Don't even! What were you going to do as I was asleep! Of all the dirty things you've done-!"
"Wait! I didn't do it!" Sango was about to tear him apart when Miroku ducked behind Inuyasha.
"Don't even try to defend him!" Sango glared at the cowering blob.
"But Sango, I think he's telling the truth. Even he's not that perverted."
"Oh please! I saw someone in my room, right by my bed! He's the only possible culprit!" She pointed an accusing finger in his direction.
"I knew it!" Miroku declared, still behind Inuyasha. "This place is haunted!" Sango and Inuyasha just looked at him oddly, Sango still unconvinced. "What? It's true, and it explains the girl I saw earlier?"
"Wait, what? What girl?" Sango asked.
"I saw someone earlier today, I swear, but she just disappeared. Poof!"
"Poof?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him. "The dust is still suffocating you, huh?" Sango just glared at him.
"Ugh!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in frustration, "I'm too tired for this!"
"But it's true!"
"I'll tell you the truth. I catch you in my room, you won't have any kids." One last glare and she went back to bed. Inuyasha and Miroku just looked at each other.
"Feh. You really need to think of better excuses. That almost didn't work." Inuyasha stated, heading back for his room.
"It wasn't an excuse. Inuyasha, I mean it. Something's going on here."
"Yeah, you being perverted. Nothing supernatural about that."
"No, really-"
"Go back to bed."
Miroku re-positioned himself on the couch, thoroughly convinced he was right. This house was haunted.
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(I know Inuyasha is a bit OOC right now… okay, just really distant. That will get better, promise!)
'Ooh, the nerve of him! And what's with that lame excuse?' Sango stormed into her room and retired to her bed. Starring angrily at the ceiling, she continued to rant in her mind and imagine ways to punish him when Inuyasha wasn't looking. For all their posing, Miroku and Inuyasha were close. At least, Inuyasha occasionally accepted his advice.
Knock. Knock.
"Sango? Are you okay?" Sango shot up and glared at the door before throwing it open.
"How kind of you to knock this time! What the hell do you think you're up to now-"
"You're not crying." Miroku stated, as if confused.
"Why the hell would I cry over you!" Sango nearly screeched as she raised a hand to slap him.
"But Sango, listen." They stopped for a moment, Sango listening to the quiet, bemused. Then she heard it, soft crying.
"Who's that?" she asked, forgetting her anger.
"I don't know. Not Inuyasha." As if on cue, the afore mentioned half-demon came out of his room.
"Oh, am I interrupting your groveling, Miroku?"
"Did you just wake up?"
""Cause of your screaming, yeah. Hey, who's crying.?" Inuyasha asked, ear perked in interest.
"We're not sure,"
"But it's a girl," Miroku stated.
"And how would you know?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him.
"He's probably made many girls cry," Sango huffed, still angry.
"Oh, come Sango. That was a little low, no?" Miroku looked hurt.
"Oh shut up, you deserved it pervert," Sango replied, turning toward the attic draw chord. "C'mon, it has to be coming from up here."
Carefully, quietly the three of them entered the attic, all turning their attention to the figure in the moonlight flooding in from the window. A girl with long, dark hair and in fairly modern clothes was crying into her hands, kneeling on the floor. The three stared at the sight of the girl sobbing.
"I told you so," Miroku whispered. At that the girl looked up, big pearl tears falling from what should have been warm, kind brown eyes. Instead, they were filled with as much sadness as tears. One simultaneous blink from the three teens standing at the attic entrance and she was gone.
"You guys saw that, right?" Sango asked, still staring at where the girl just was. The boys nodded. "And she did just disappear, right?" They nodded again. "So, either we're all crazy or-"
"I was right and this place is so haunted," Miroku said, not all to happy he had been right.
"Just like Fluffy to let me move into a haunted house," Inuyasha muttered in annoyance.
"Your brother couldn't have known," Sango reasoned, "and even if he did, that doesn't change the fact that you live here now, and-"
"And it's haunted." Sango sent Miroku a dirty look.
"And something's going on." Inuyasha groaned. Just what I needed.
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Sango and Miroku both waved to Inuyasha.
"What, you guys scared of my house?" Inuyasha called after them. Miroku nodded vigorously and Sango punched him.
"C'mon, we live within walking distance! We're not leaving forever!"
"Yeah," Miroku piped up, "and if you get scared you could just run over and-" Miroku was knocked senseless as a squirrel connected with his head with considerable force. Sango sighed and dragged him away.
"Me? Scared? Sango must have hit him too many times," Inuyasha mumbled. He dragged himself into the kitchen, now complete with a virtually empty refrigerator, and grabbed a packet of ramen to cook. When that was done, he sat down to enjoy his wonderful breakfast. He just about to start when his spoon flew out of his hand. He eyed it curiously before picking it off the ground. 'That was…strange.' He was just about to start again when this time the whole pot of ramen from which he had been eating out of tipped over.
"Damn it! Fuck that's hot!" Inuyasha cried as the ramen spilled over him, jumping out of the way. Now looking at the mess on the floor, stool and counter top, he thought he heard laughter. "Oh you think this is funny, do you!" he hollered to the house. "Well, why don't you show yourself? Fucking pussy!" 'Great, now I'm going crazy. I'm screaming to the house…' But he wasn't done yet. "I bet Miroku was wrong! I bet you don't even exist!" The laughing stopped ringing in his ears. Inuyasha didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't believe in ghosts.
Suddenly the room grew cold. Inuyasha could vaguely see his breath. 'It's summer, for Christ's sake! Why the hell is it so fucking cold!" He watched as a figure appeared in front of him. Long black hair tumbled down her back, her eyes were closed as if she was concentrating, and her skin was deathly pale. She wore a faded blue top and jeans. When she seemed solid, she opened her eyes.
"Do you still think I don't exist?" Inuyasha stared at her, the girl that had been crying in his attic.
"Yes," he replied after swallowing. The girl smiled and walked forward toward him, eyes angry but mischievous. She reached to him, as if to grab him, but her hand slid through his chest. Inuyasha stared down at the hand that was going through him, no longer able to hide the look of shock on his face. The girl smiled and continued walking until she passed through him. For the briefest of moments, Inuyasha felt intense despair and loneliness. The girl turned to face him again.
"And now?" she asked, triumphant. Inuyasha looked at her a moment, recovering. Then his trademark smirk appeared on his face.
"There's no such thing as ghosts." The girl's victorious smile left her face and hardened in anger and annoyance. She glared at him in defiance.
"What are you, stupid?"
"What ghost wears jeans?" She turned around, growling in frustration and began to fade away.
"Wait-" Inuyasha tried to stop her, he had never had a conversation with a ghost. She turned only to glare at him, nearly gone. "Who are you?" a stupid question, like it even mattered compared to all the other things he wanted to ask. But she stopped fading.
"Why on earth would that matter?" Inuyasha shrugged.
"Just trying to make a conversation."
"…Kagome." He looked at her and smirked, again.
"Inuyasha," he said as he stuck out his hand. Kagome just gave him an odd look. Inuyasha realized his mistake and mentally hit himself. "So, uh, what was with my breakfast?"
"You eat ramen for breakfast?"
"You're avoiding the question." She smiled.
"I want you out of my house." And with that, she was gone.
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Inuyasha had cleaned his breakfast from the floor and was preceding to search the house for this girl, Kagome. He had gone through the living/front room, the kitchen, the attic, his bed room, and was now in the guest bed room.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered as he bent to look under the bed.
"You know, it's a bad sign to be talking to yourself." Inuyasha jumped and looked up. There on the bed was Kagome, lying on her stomach and watching him while propping her head on her hand. "Looking for me? I thought I didn't exist." Inuyasha flushed in embarrassment.
"I just wanted to figure out how to get you out of my house."
"And dust bunnies know that? And it's my house."
"No, it isn't. This house is mine, and you're dead." Kagome glared at him intensely before disappearing again. Inuyasha growled and stood up to leave the room, almost walking through Kagome.
"Even if I am dead, I'm not leaving." Inuyasha groaned and sat down on the bed.
"Were you this annoying when you were alive?"
"You're no picnic either. Such a jerk."
"You better be glad I can't touch you." Inuyasha glared at her before flopping back onto the bed. "Hey…" he sat up, only to find Kagome was now sitting on the edge of the dusty mattress. "Were you the one in here, scaring Sango?" Kagome flushed palely.
"She didn't seem scared, just mad at that other boy." Inuyasha looked at her, expecting an answer. "Well, this is my old room," she said indignantly.
"You lived here?" Kagome looked at him like he was a moron.
"Yes genius, why else would I want to stay?"
"So you've been trying to chase us out?"
"Not really. You just made so much noise, it startled me. It has been quiet here for a long time. Why did you move here anyway? It's not exactly a pretty place, and far away from people."
"I don't like people."
"That's it? You could've built a wall around you're old house or something."
"And be boxed in with my brother? I prefer even you to that."
"I'll pretend that was a compliment." Kagome looked at him. "Do you believe in me now?" Inuyasha looked at her.
"Why do you care?"
"Ghostly pride, perhaps."
"Hmm…"
"Oh shut up. You're talking to me."
"So?"
"Oh, screw you. Never mind."
"Huh."
"What?"
"Well, I never thought even ghosts would want to-"
"Cocky bastard!" sliding off the bed she vanished and Inuyasha found a pillow being shoved in his face.
"Hey! Not fair!"
"Life never was," he heard her detached voice say. Then she was sitting on the floor, looking at him. Inuyasha threw the pillow at her, which was fruitless seeing as it passed right through her.
"How do you do that?" he asked, rolling over to look at her. Kagome shrugged.
"There's perks to being a ghost. Beside the being dead part." She grinned ruefully at him. "Do you know what year it is?"
"Yeah." Silence.
"Will you tell me?" Kagome asked finally.
"What does it matter to you?"
"Oh, come on. Please tell me." She even through in the puppy dog pout; big eyes, quivering lip and everything.
"Ugh, what a disgusting face. Fine, fine. 2006." Kagome looked startled.
"Really? Wow, it seems so much longer…"
"What does?"
"How long I've been dead."
"Oh." Inuyasha looked down. He couldn't imagine it was a lovely subject to talk about.
"It's not that bad. It doesn't hurt as much as you would expect," she told him.
"Really?" Kagome nodded.
"At first it's a bit scary, the dying. But when it's actually over, it's just weird. Takes some getting used to."
"What's it like? Being dead?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely curious.
"Oh, I don't know. Weird. I don't have to eat or sleep. I feel… empty."
"Empty?"
"Yes. There's no life left. It's rather lonely, actually. But what's done is done." She smiled at Inuyasha suddenly, a kind smile that reached her eyes. "For such an ass, you're a good listener. Thank you." Inuyasha didn't know what to say.
"Feh," he decided, turning back to the ceiling to hide the slight blush. Kagome smiled as she looked at him. It was nice to have someone in the house that had been so quiet.
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Kiwi: wow, that was a lot longer than I thought it would be. I doubt all the chapters will be so long. But yes, I like the idea of this story, hope you did too! Well, review if you want, I hope I get the nest chapter out soon. Until then!
Ja ne!