Escaping Death
Note- Hey! It seems like you guys are enjoying it so far. That's great.
Disclaimer- I do not own Inuyasha.
Summary- Kagome is an average girl. But after a strange online conversation, a psychotic killer wants HER to choose his victims. She can't escape, not without sacrificing everyone she loves. So what can she do?
I hope you all enjoy. Please review and thanks for reading. Here it goes.
Escaping Death
Chapter Fifteen
"Inuyasha," Miroku said as he stood beside his friend's hospital bed. He was only going to be there for a short time since his injury was a very minor one. They needed to see if everything checked out before they let him leave. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"I told you," Inuyasha said, glaring down at the bed sheets. "I'm fine."
"He doesn't mean your injury," Sango said. She was sitting across the room. "He means…" She trailed off. She couldn't say it. It was too hard for her. And, apparently, no one else could say it, either, since no one offered to finish her sentence. But he got the message, anyway. They could tell by the way he flinched and clenched a fist. He was, obviously, holding back tears -- tears filled with frustration, anger, sadness, regret, and fear.
"What," Kagome began after a while, decided not to linger on the subject, "exactly happened?"
Inuyasha sighed in exasperation. He had already been questioned by the cops, and now, Kagome was interrogating him. He brought his gaze up to meet hers and realized he couldn't stay mad at her. She looked so innocent and frightened. She appeared tired and frail -- but he knew that was from all of the things that had been happening. If none of this had occurred, she'd be the same old bouncy, hot-tempered Kagome she used to be. The Kagome he loved. "Miroku dropped me off. I waited until he left before I went in. When I got inside, I heard Sesshomaru calling my name. I went into the living room and found blood everywhere and followed it to the kitchen and found Sesshomaru. And the killer. When I took out a butcher knife, he ended up behind me and stabbed me and left." He shrugged, even though it hurt to do so. "End of story."
"Do you think he's going to attack again?" Miroku asked, looking at Kagome.
"Well, he always seems to be bored," Sango offered. "And when he's bored…you know what happens."
"He kills people," Kagome cleared up. "He does it for the heck of it, and says it's my fault for not choosing a victim."
"Well," Miroku looked at her, sympathy filling his violet gaze. "Yeah. Pretty much. But you know it's not your fault, right?"
Kagome nodded, her eyes glued to the tiled floor.
Miroku glanced at Sango, who shrugged as if to say, "What can you do? Let her believe what she wants."
Miroku sighed and looked out the window on his right.
That's when the doctor came in, a clipboard in his hands. "Inuyasha," he said, scanning the papers on the board. "Yes. Everything seems fine. You're free to leave."
"What about…" Inuyasha winced as he realized what he was about to ask. "Is Sesshomaru all right? Will he make it?"
The doctor sighed. "Sesshomaru suffered many critical wounds and lost a great deal of blood." He looked as if he felt pity for Inuyasha. He knew Inuyasha well, since he used to have to be shipped in often. He had been in many fights, as well as a few car accidents, and he had to stitch him up. "Sesshomaru is in a coma. We managed to stabilize him until we can find a blood donator." He examined his clip board. "I guess that donor would be you. If you feel up to it."
Inuyasha nodded. "I do."
"Very well. Let me go inform the nurse and we'll get everything set up for you." The doctor began walking out the door.
"Doctor," Inuyasha blurted. The doctor turned. "What kind of chance will Sesshomaru have? After I give blood, I mean."
"Inuyasha, I won't lie to you. I'm not giving him much hope now, and I don't think I will after you give your blood for him."
"So you're telling me," Inuyasha spat, "that I'd be giving my blood for nothing?"
"No, Inuyasha, don't be ridiculous!" The doctor exclaimed. "Your blood will help him a great deal. I just don't know how well. Your brother is far off; we were lucky we could stabilize him in the condition you found him in. He can go on living like this for a short while and eventually, he'll die. But if you give your blood, it might just save his life. I'm not very sure, but I'm hoping for the best. I'm saying that all we can do is try. For Sesshomaru's sake." He turned and walked out the door.
Inuyasha climbed out of the hospital bed and stretched, ignoring the searing pain in his back. He was going to show that bastard that Inuyasha was not one to trifle with.
Kagome rose to her feet quickly. "Are you sure you feel up to it? So soon?"
"The sooner, the better," he replied tonelessly.
Kagome nodded and it grew eerily silent in the room. No one spoke or even moved. They were all apparently lost in their own sea of thoughts, carelessly slipping away from reality to think things over in their heads. It was so quiet, in fact, that when the doctor opened the door, all of them ending up flinching, startled, before turning and looking at the doctor.
"All right, Inuyasha," he said. "We're ready for you. Follow us, please." He glanced around at the others in the room and said, "You all should leave. Do you have a ride?"
Miroku nodded. "Yeah. I brought my car."
"Good. Inuyasha, come this way." He walked out the door, followed by Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and Kagome. Miroku and Sango went to the right while Inuyasha headed for the left. Kagome stopped him by gently calling his name. He turned and she walked up to him, flung her arms around him, and said, "I'm so sorry about everything. I wish there was something I could do." She peered up at him.
He closed the space between them with a warm kiss. "You have done something for me, Kagome." He said when they pulled apart. "You've done plenty. But I have to go."
She nodded. "Call me when you're able to go home? My mom will come and get you."
"I think I should just stay over night," he said, wincing when he saw the fear appear in her eyes. She hated being alone, and he knew it. "You'll be fine. Trust me, okay? I'll give you a call and let you know how I'm doing, and how Sesshomaru is doing. I promise. Just go home and get some rest."
Kagome nodded, gave him a quick kiss; turned and hurriedly went after Sango and Miroku. They were standing in front of the elevator, patiently waiting for her. When she got to them, they pushed the button with the large, black one on it and when the big, metal doors slowly opened, they climbed in.
"Everything all right, Kagome?" Miroku asked, the worry evident in his voice.
"Yeah," she said softly. "Everything is fine."
"Is he coming to your house?" Sango asked tentatively. "I mean…He has nowhere else to go."
Kagome visibly tensed. It was horrible to hear it -- Inuyasha didn't have any family, other than Sesshomaru, who was in a coma. "He will. He's going to stay overnight here at the hospital, and then we can come get him tomorrow."
"It's so sad," Sango commented. She was standing behind Kagome in the cramped elevator as it made it sickeningly slow decent to the first floor. "Sesshomaru is all he has left, and there's a chance he won't make it."
Kagome winced. She wanted to turn and tell Sango to be quiet; she didn't want to hear it. But she managed to keep still, her mouth shut. She bit her lower lip gently.
"There's a chance that none of us will make it, Sango," Miroku pointed out glumly.
"Don't say that!" Sango said, appalled.
"It's true." Miroku protested.
"I know it is," Sango's voice grew soft.
"There's a possibility that this man will get tired of Kagome's delays and just slaughter us all -- Inuyasha, me, you, Bankotsu, and even Kagome." Miroku continued on as the elevator came to a halt. "We can't control him and we don't know where he'll strike next. I mean, look at Sesshomaru -- his life was nearly taken due to this man's unpredictability. Who's to say that you're not next, huh, Sango? And what about Inu--"
"Shut up!" Kagome shrieked. The door had come open and they had walked out, heading toward the large, double doors at the entrance. "Just shut up, all right?" Her voice began climbing a couple octaves. "You're blaming me, again!"
"Now, Kagome," Miroku began evenly. "I'm not blaming you--"
"Yes you are! You're saying that if I take any longer with this whole picking-people-out thing, then he'll go crazy and kill all of us!" She yelled, her eyes glossy with fresh tears.
Sango glanced around apprehensively. Luckily, there hadn't been anyone in there with them, and the receptionist who worked at the front desk had stepped out. "Kagome, please. At least wait until you get in the car to do all this yelling."
"No! I'm already done yelling! I'm done listening to you guys say it's my fault! I am so sick of you saying that this guy will attack at random and could kill you! I know that! Stop pointing out the obvious! It hurts to hear it!" She turned quickly and ran through the doors, leaving them behind.
"Should we go after her?" Sango asked softly.
"She probably ran to the car," Miroku replied, shaking his head slowly. "Maybe she needs a moment to cry and get everything out of her system."
"Do you think it really was us, making her upset like that?" Sango looked up into his eyes.
"I think it was everything. She saw Sesshomaru pretty much butchered. Inuyasha has nowhere to go, and no family, and it hurts her to hear it. She feels very bad for him…" He broke off with a sigh. "And let's not forget the picking-out-victims thing. That has also gotten uptight."
"Not to mention her cousin, Bankotsu." Sango added.
Miroku nodded. "Right." He checked his watch. It was late -- way past the city-wide curfew, but the police would understand, if they got pulled over. "I think we should get going." Sango began walking toward the doors, and Miroku followed.
Miroku took in a deep, refreshing lungful of air as they made their way across the parking lot. He was trailing along behind Sango, lost in his deep ocean of thoughts. 'What are we going to do about Death986?' He wondered, releasing his gulp of air as a quiet sigh. Glancing up, he saw the beautiful stars winking at him, almost flirtatiously. 'Is there any way we can escape him without getting more innocent people -- and ourselves -- killed? How much longer can Kagome bear this torture? Will Sesshomaru survive?' So many questions burned his mind, and he couldn't even answer one.
He wasn't sure how he'd heardSango's voice -- he was so immersed in his thoughts. In fact, he was thinking so deeply that he had nearly collided with one of the many light poles that was scattered throughout the parking lot. But when Sango ever so gently said his name, her voice shaking with fear, he impetuously snapped from his reverie. "Yes? What is it?"
Sango was standing beside his car, gaping at it in horror, as if someone had come and spray painted harsh words all over it. When he came up beside of her, he saw two things:
1. There was a note, wedged between the windshield and the windshield wipers.
2. Kagome wasn't there.
He glanced around the parking lot, nervously scanning it for any signs of Kagome while Sango lifted the note with trembling hands and read it.
"Miroku and Sango, how are you two this evening? It has been a trying day, hasn't it? What, with Bankotsu and Sesshomaru. And now, your precious Kagome has gone missing. Fear not," Sango swallowed -- hard -- before continuing in a voice that didn't sound like anything that might've belonged to a killer. "She is alive. I have not touched her. Instead, I am following her. You made her so upset in the hospital -- and yes, I was there, watching you three -- that she decided that riding in a car with you was too much and wanted to run straight home. Or, at least, that's what I assume she was thinking. But I promise that I won't harm her -- as long as you keep quiet about this and don't call the police. Just to let you know, I'm not alone in this act," Sango broke off when she noticed Miroku flinch. He turned to look at her with wide eyes before pulling himself away to resume scanning for Kagome. "And I'm watching you very carefully…through someone else's eyes. So be careful. And have a wonderful night."
"Miroku…" She crumbled the note up and tossed it across the parking lot. "Do you think she's all right? Should we go and tell Inuyasha?"
"No," Miroku said quickly. "She's fine and we shouldn't tell him. He's giving blood right now and has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Give him some time to think. Tell him tomorrow." He paused and gave her a weak smile that was meant to give her reassurance. "Get in the car and I'll take you home. Or, if you want, I'll stay at your house."
She nodded, impetuously agreeing, and got in the car. He copied her actions and then sped off into the night.
---
(Death's P.O.V.)
Kagome's scared and lonely form was truly wonderful to watch as she walked down the road, crying. I had been in the hospital while she had been arguing with her friends, and after she had made her dramatic departure, I made mine, out of eyesight of her pesky friends. No one had noticed me go in or out and Kagome hadn't saw me, following her in the safety of the shadows.
Not that I was afraid of the possibility of her discovering me. She was terrified of me, and her fear gave me the advantage. Around her, I was stronger. Around her, I was in charge. She was aware of all of this, too. She was too weak to put a stop to it. She was too afraid. If she would only relax and get it in her head that I wouldn't harm her, then maybe she could demolish all of the fear that left her halfway immobilized whenever we had a conversation with one another.
But she didn't. She hadn't. She wouldn't.
I enjoyed gazing at her as the fear overcame her. It was a thrill to see a woman frightened out of her mind. I loved antagonizing her to the point where she was about to lose her mind, and then leave her alone for a while, only to torment her more. It was truly exciting. And I planned on doing it now.
---
(Kagome's P.O.V.)
'They're wrong,' I thought angrily as I walked along the deserted highway. 'It wasn't my fault. I know I choose the victims and that it takes me a while to do it, but it's not like he's going to drive himself crazy out of sheer boredom and kill random people. And he isn't going to kill them. He isn't!'
I wasn't worried about cars, not with the city-wide curfew that was currently in effect. I was only worried about the police. I was silently praying that a cop car wouldn't pass through here and catch sight of me, wandering around alone, crying, looking very distraught and stressed. It was as I was idly worrying about this that I heard it. A slightly loud whisper, murmuring, "Kagome. Kagome."
I stopped dead in my tracks and, with a pounding heart, looked around. It was a dark and cool night, early fall. The road was totally empty of cars and other people. I was all alone on this black ribbon of highway.
"Kagome…"
The wind picked up, whipping my hair into my face. I brushed it back. 'It's probably the wind,' I told myself, finding it hard to believe. 'It's just the wind. Either that, or you're really stressed from everything and you're imaging it.'
I began walking again, thinking of what to tell my mom when I arrived home. I had to tell her about Bankotsu and his earlier accident -- no, it wasn't an accident. It was done intentionally, by the killer. I could tell my mom that, and leave out all the details like: I am the one who's been picking out victims and being threatened. I was pretty much aiding a murderer.
I also had to tell her about Inuyasha and his brother, Sesshomaru. I felt my heart sink at the very thought of Inuyasha standing over the coffin that was carrying the only family member he had left.
'It wont happen!' I told myself. 'Sesshomaru will be fine!'
'But then you'll have to stand over Inuyasha's coffin,' a voice said cryptically in the back of my mind. 'He's going to die. And it'll be all your fault.'
I shook my head. No. Never.
"Kagome…"
There it was again -- the whispers. I am losing my mind, I tell you. It's too much. I'm only fifteen, for crying out loud. It's very stressing to have a twisted, psychotic killer making demands and treats against you.
"Kagome…I'm watching you."
I stopped.
"You left your friends behind. You're afraid and frustrated. Aren't you?"
It was no longer a whisper. It was that same, chilling voice I'd grown so accustomed to hearing; expecting to hear it whenever I picked up the phone, whether it was him or not. It was disguised, I could tell. It was an irregular voice, deeper than a normal male's. But I knew.
"It's you, isn't it?" I had to ask, just to make sure I wasn't talking to a figment of my imagination or whatever. "You've been following me, right?" I spun in a circle, slowly and cautiously, searching.
He emerged from the shadows of the trees on my left, walking across the other side of the road and stopped directly in front of me. The wind picked up again, whipping my hair all around my face. I put a lock of it behind my ear so I could see clearly. It was a cloudy night and I couldn't make anything out.
"Kagome, so nice to talk to you again. In person." His voice chilled me, making my blood freeze in my veins. It was so deep and unnatural; very unnerving. "You don't look well."
"Believe me," I managed to spit out, ignoring my trembling body. My teeth were tempted to chatter from the cold, but I kept them still. "I wish I was feeling well."
The clouds moved then, letting the moonlight filter through. I could see he was examining me closely, grinning. He was wearing a hockey-like mask and a baseball cap. "I hope I haven't made you ill," he said, his sarcasm evident.
"Oh, no," I said, using sarcasm as well. Maybe I could hide my fear. "How could you make me ill?"
He took a step toward me. I flinched, my breath hitched in my throat. He took another step and I visibly tensed. My body was stiff with fear and I couldn't move, couldn't speak. I really wanted to do something to get away from him, especially when he brandished a large hunting knife. It was huge. And it appeared very, very sharp. He placed it at my throat, and I didn't dare move. What if I jerked the wrong way and it sliced my throat?
"You're easily scared, Kagome, which gives me the advantage. I am the one who is in charge whenever we have our little chats. Me. You know why? Because you're too afraid to do anything." He applied pressure to the knife, causing it to bite into my skin. "And you better not get any guts, or you'll regret it. Straighten up, Higurashi, or you'll pay for it. After your friends do, of course."
He pulled the knife away and I cringed when I felt the air sting the new cut. I almost gagged when I saw him wipe the blade of the knife off on the sleeve of his jacket, which was already soaked with crimson. When he noticed the direction of my horrified gaze, he said, "Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's blood. I wear this jacket every time I kill someone. And then I wipe their blood on it."
"You're sick," I choked out, struggling to hold in my food from earlier at the hospital. "You know that? You're twisted. Psychotic."
He pondered this a minute. "Hmm, I like that. It has a nice ring to it."
I groaned, closing my eyes and ignoring the sick feeling of hot liquid slowly inching down my neck and into my shirt. I was fighting the urge to turn and run screaming in horror and instead, continued to stand there.
"Well, Kagome, it's late. You might want to get home before any cops find you and your mother worries too much." He looked down the street and for some reason, I assumed a cop was coming, so I turned to see for myself. Nothing. I spun back around to face Death, and found nothing in front of me but the light fog that had settled over the highway. I did a complete circle, scouring the area, and when I was sure he was gone, I wiped the blood away and began the long run home.
Note- There we go! I hope it was long enough and satisfying enough for all of you. It's two AM and I'm tired. I haven't gotten any sleep lately, so I'm hitting the sack. Please leave a review for me to read tomorrow and I will begin working on the next chapter ASAP! Thanks!
