AN: Why yes, yes I am starting another ficcy. I have no idea where this one is going or if I'll finish it, but thoughts and comments are appreciated in the form of reviews. I clearly need to get a life outside of starting random ficcy's that have no hope of ever amounting to anything…sigh. Anywho, this is a short chapter, but hopefully (if I get enough reviews) it will be continued. So read on and please tell me what you think about it.

Bread Crumbs
Chapter One

The sun was just rising over the distant hills that surrounded the city. The sky was still painted with purples and dark blues, but the promise of clear skies and warm weather was in the air. In an obscured graveyard, a single young woman stood, her black outfit contrasted with the greens and whites of the poplar trees that surrounded the grave site. She stood on the freshly turned dirt of a new grave, alone. Finally she wiped the last of her tears from her eyes and stepped away.

She would be alone now. Her mother was gone, and she was the last of her family left. She would have to carry on running the store. Perhaps she would make the store her life, the way her mother did when her father died, so many years ago. Perhaps not, maybe she could sell and move away, to try and start anew. Whatever her plans for the future might be, all that she wanted to do now was get away. A visit to the family graveyard was always so sad and dreary.

When she reached the gate, she let her gaze linger on the bright white headstone that marked the grave of her mother. She hadn't been old when she died, but the life she lived had made her seem far older and wiser that others her age. The woman smiled softly, her mother lived a good life,a life withno regrets.

Her good-bye's sufficiently said; the woman locked the gate behind her and drove home in silence.

Kagome Higurashi surveyed the last shelf, stocked high with canned soup. The savoury pictures on the labels made her stomach growl, an unpleasant reminder that she had skipped dinner yet again. A few more marks on her clipboard and she was done inventory, the last thing she did at the end of every business day. It was hours past closing, the sky was dark and the stars were twinkling. She made her way to the counter at the front. Silently she put the clipboard away in the cupboard under the cash register. Double checking that the cash was empty and the store locked up tight, Kagome sighed. Finally the day was over and she could relax.

It was hard, being the only employee of the family store. She had hired others in the past, but Kagome could never get the feel that they really belonged at the store, that their was something wrong with their presence there. In the end, her decision had been to run and operate the store by herself, rather then entrust the job to others who might mess it up, or treat the job like something worthless.

Going up the stairs that led to her apartment on the second floor of the store, Kagome heard a banging coming from the front door. Frowning, she turned around and descended down the stairs. Silently she prayed it wasn't some punk teen or gutsy thief, she didn't have the energy to deal with them tonight.

Re-entering the store level, Kagome turned on the light, grabbed a pepper shaker off the shelf and went to the door. Through the bars she could make out the figure of man. He banged harder on the glass of the door when he saw her. Still frowning, Kagome unlocked the door and stuck her head out.

"We're closed. Come back tomorrow." She said briefly. She got a good look at the man outside. He was dressed in a baggy black sweatshirt and jeans that were to large for his skinny frame. His hood was down, revealing an abundance of strangely coloured hair. His golden eyes stared at her, and despite the warm air of the night she shivered slightly.

"Please." He said before she could pop her head back into the store. "I just need some food, a piece of bread or something. I promise I won't bother you again." He was begging her; she could hear it in his voice.

"I'm sorry." She said, easing herself slowly back into the store. "Its really late and I must be getting to bed. If you need food, there is a food bank down the road. They should be able to help you." It wasn't that she didn't want to give the man some food. In her experience, it was just that giving someone free food made everyone think that they were entitled to the same treatment, or that the beggar felt he could come back at any time and get freebies over and over again.

"Please!" he shouted.

"Shhh…!" she hissed, glancing fearfully into the windows of the neighbour's. They certainly wouldn't appreciate a late night disturbance. "Come back tomorrow. I might be able to arrange something." She told him in a whisper. His eyes widened and he took a step back.

"I'll come back tomorrow then." He said before running off down the road.

Kagome shut the door, checking the locks twice before leaving again. It was possibly one of the strangest encounters of her life. Sure she got the odd beggar, but none of them had the nerve to bang on the door this late at night.

Later, when she was lying in bed, Kagome was still thinking of the man, wondering if he had gone to the food bank. Or was he starving in the street because of her refusal to feed him? Sighing she rolled over, clutching the teddy bear she still slept with occasionally. Why was she always the one who met the strange people at the strange hours? Did someone curse her and not tell her? She was still thinking this as she fell asleep, and her thoughts gave way to dreams.