Ensnared Chapter 20: His Place, the Stage, and Beyond II, an inuyasha fanfic

Chapter 19: His Place, the Stage, and Beyond Part II

It is late, and just a tad past 2300 hours. He has been lying in the same spot in bed; eyes are closed but sleep is not upon him. With a sigh he gets off the bed, and—wearing nothing but cotton sleep bottoms—he wonders across his apartment to his kitchen. He pours a glass of wine for himself at his mini-bar with hopes that the red will make him even a little drowsy. With the glass in hand he strides over to a section of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looks out over the city. He gazes at the view of tall buildings that are followed by the pier and then the ocean beyond that. If any woman, or man of the right orientation, were to be gazing at his penthouse suite at this moment undergarments would hit the floor at the site of his perfectly chiseled torso bathed in celestial light.

For two days sleep has not come easily for Sesshomaru. Thoughts of her keep him awake especially after she missed school yesterday and showed up for only half of the day today. In spite of his mind's protests, he cannot help but feel deep worry for her. He is worried and disappointed; worried over the path of self-destruction she is willingly walking on; and disappointed that a woman with such a strong will could be so foolish to be stagnant in her own misery. At that last thought he takes the last sip of his wine, places the glass on the counter, and walks back to his room.

Never to be the hopeless romantic, it must be the wine taking control of his thoughts. He thinks of Kagura, his first love. She was arrogant (with every right to be), but she was also playful. Some called her selfish, but Sesshomaru knew better than that. She cared deeply for the ones close to her; even her psychotic brother (may that bastard be cursed to burn in hell for decades). The wine allowing him to fall into nostalgia, Sesshomaru thinks of the ways things could have been if she was still alive. The questions pop up in his head: Would I have proposed after graduation? Would she have said yes? Would we make our own home in Tokyo after honeymooning in Macao? Would we have a baby—a symbol of our love for each other—on the way? Would we be working on adopting Rin right now? Would I have never crossed paths with Sakura if my life turned out that way? His once drooping eyes shoot open at the last question that crosses his mind. He growls and rises from bed once more.

Finally accepting that sleep is far from his reach for another night, Sesshomaru dresses in slacks and a button up shirt. He grabs his coat and decides to go for a walk believing that the fresh, cool air will help to blur what the wine could not.

He walks his normal path that he travels whenever he feels the need for a stroll. He makes his way to the pier ready to take in the salty air and listen to the sound of the waves. He is taken aback at a figure that stands by the railing; everyone should be home at this hour. Just as he is about to turn away, not in the mood to share company with someone else, his mind registers the familiar silver tresses of the vixen hounding his thoughts.

"Sakura…" her name rolls off his tongue before he can catch it. However, she does not hear him. He watches as she turns to her left and notes the dazed and empty look on her soft face. She makes her way to the very end of the pier and disappears behind a lookout shack. "Just leave her be," he tells himself closing his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" comes the familiar voice that he finally got over wishing to hear.

Sesshomaru's eyes open in surprise. Had he really heard that, or is it the wine and lack of sleep? The wind whirled around him seemingly pushing him in Sakura's direction. Out of curiosity—he chalked it up to be—he complied. He briskly makes his way to the end of the pier and freezes in his steps at the site before him when he rounds the shack.

"Fool!"

The sound of applause fills the auditorium when we finish our second song. We take the time for the crowd to settle to get into our next positions. Yumi takes her seat behind the drum set, Takako pulls a barstool up to the stage with her guitar, the rest pick up the remaining necessary instruments, and I take a seat at the grand piano. I wait for Takako's signal and take a deep breath when it comes close.

I carry the weight of you in my heavy heart

And the wind is so icy, I am numb

I carry the weight of you heading back to start

With a thousand eyes on me, I stumble on

I am tired, I'm growing older

I'm getting weaker everyday, yeah

I carry the weight of you

They say that many who face death have their lives flash before their eyes in that second before the end. A majority of the ones who bring it upon themselves regret that final decision and pray to go back. I suppose I fall into the statistic.

My feet have left the railing, gravity pulls down on me, and I feel time slow to a near stop. "Mom and dad, will I see you on the other side? Have you waited for me? I don't think I will make it to heaven… But will you stay with me wherever I end up? You will scold me, no doubt, for giving up. But I tried. I tried everything from being normal, to living in a fantasy, and to staying high so that I couldn't touch rock bottom. Now I know: crying, self-destruction, and suicide are not signs of weakness. I'll never belittle those who partake in the acts because it just shows that they have been fighting for much too long. This I know now because I have walked this path. I just wish I had someone to lean on, or that I did lean on someone. Maybe handling all of this would've been easier. Maybe I would have overcome it all if I just reached out to someone. Too late now."

It is a shame that we learn the important lessons when it is too late—after the damage is done or cannot be stopped. It is even worse when we know that we will not get a second chance. "All my life I did whatever I felt like doing and aimed to live with no regrets. Now, I regret everything. When did things get to this?"

"Ooowww!" "Yanking pain in my arms: not what I was expecting. Shouldn't I be drenched and cold by now?" I snap out of my thoughts and look around myself. I am suspended in air; perhaps I died as soon as I hit the water and now I am in spirit form? "I shouldn't feel pain. Spirits don't have nerves, right? Why do my wrists hurt? Wait, I am very much alive…"

"Sesshomaru?!" I yell his name with relief and surprise after looking up.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Hahaha, pull me up! My arms are getting numb."

He effortlessly hoists me up and over. My feet touch the railing and I use that second to regain balance and wrap my arms around his neck. I kick off and tackle him down. At first, I laugh as if I did not just knock on death's door. All too soon, the reality of the danger I put myself in hits, my emotions flip a u-turn and I am sobbing hysterically. Sesshomaru is silent, but I feel an arm wrap tightly around my waist and a hand run fingers through my hair. I finally cry every tear in my reservoir; now dry, I am left with hiccups.

"Sakura?"

"They're gone, and they're never coming back. You're gone, too. What am I supposed to do now?"

He does not answer me. Suddenly the reservoir is replenished, but only to be emptied again.

"I am going to stand us up. We are going back to my place to retrieve my car. Then I will take you home."

Lay down here beside me in the shallow water

Beside me where the sun is shining on us still

Lay down here beside me in the hallowed water

Beside me where the silver lining stays until

The sirens' calling

We follow the sun down low 'til we hit the night

And you hold me so tightly, it's hard to breathe, oh

He pulls out of the parking garage. Neither of us has said a word since we left the pier. I lean my head against the window, and I let my thoughts play freely.

Listen, I have become unstuck in time. I find myself in the past; a real one and not some fabricated daydream. I am no longer in Sesshomaru's car. I stand in my old room with vibrant pastel pink and pastel teal hues. I look at the documents placed on my bed.

"Mom and Dad will be so upset with me!" I groan. One file contains a permission slip for the Debate Team along with information regarding fees, payment due dates, event dates, and a basic summary. The other file, I now hold in my hands, holds everything needed for the Music Club. I was on the Debate Team in Junior High; expected of me being the daughter of two lawyers. I quite enjoyed it because I got to argue with strangers, and it honed my skills in reasoning my way out of trouble with the parents. We did not have a club that was focused on music at that school. Shikon Academy is so vast; it has the largest variety of courses in the metropolitan area, and there are clubs for every interest. If I were not so set on Music Club, I would want to join the American Cinema Club.

I take a deep breath and grab the file I picked up as a last minute thought. I head downstairs to the sunroom where mom and dad are sipping on flavored mineral water while reading over case files.

"Mom? Dad? I have the forms for you to sign."

"Wonderful! Bring them over here," dad says uncrossing his legs and setting some papers down.

"Perhaps I should have done this early in the morning before they drink their coffee. They would be so drowsy that they wouldn't notice the piece of paper covering the entire form but the signature line."

"Oh, these aren't for the debate team," Dad says stunned.

Mom pauses what she is doing and looks up.

"Darling, I thought that you wanted to continue in debate and go to nationals?" she questions with her head cocked.

"Ummm… Well, I did that in middle school and thought that I would try something new," I timidly confess remembering how proud they were that I chose debate back then. I quickly add, "If it doesn't work out I can always rejoin the Debate Team before the term ends."

"I see," dad sighs. "It would have been a legacy; your mother and I were both on the Debate Team at Shikon Academy."

I look down wondering how I will fix this one.

"Well, if Music Club is what you want to be a part of," he says more cheerily pulling out his fancy pen. "You are a genius with instruments. Perhaps this is where you will fit in nicely."

He gives me a warm smile as he hands back the folder. Mom has a smile on, too.

"Wait, darling. Let me see the schedule for your Music Club so that I can program the dates into my phone."

I walk over to her and hand her the correct sheet of paper.

"Anata, will you call Kotoko and have her check her email?" mom asks dad. "I am going to send her these dates and have her make sure to schedule all appointments around them."

"Mom, dad, you don't have to. The firm is very important!"

"Not as important as our daughter," father says with his phone pressed against his ear. "Kotoko-san…"

After this exchange I jump a little into the future. The vision is but a flash—me on the stage at the piano. During my performance I look out at the crowd and make out the beaming faces of my beloved parents. Well, the beloved face of my mom. Dad has an old-fashioned video camera blocking much of his face. The vision is gone as soon as it came, and I am brought back to the present.

And I'm tired, I'm growing older

I'm getting weaker everyday, yeah

We follow the sun down low

Lay down here beside me in the shallow water

Beside me where the sun is shining on us still

Lay down here beside me in the hallowed water

Beside me where the silver lining stays until

The sirens' calling

We are stopped at a red light when I gain the gall to reach over and place my hand over Sesshomaru's on the shift knob. I do not make any further movements, but I feel him turn his gaze on me.

"Would you mind staying with me for the rest of the night?"

He sighs deeply, and I feel pins stab me in the chest. The light turns green, and the car begins to move again. He has not said anything. He must be thinking about it. He thinks about it until we reach the next traffic light. He is quiet for too long. I become unstuck in time.

We are upon a more recent event. It is the second term of my second year. I have grown quite close with Yumi and Takako. Everyone in Music Club is my friend; Shimizu-sensei, the supervisor, is my idol. She has a doctorate in Japanese Literature and is also quite the virtuoso. She is the leader of my two favorite every day events.

"Shimizu-sama, what is wrong?" I ask approaching her at her desk.

"Nothing, Sakura. Don't trouble yourself with it."

"You've been staring at those papers in front of you all class long. You look like you're about to upchuck all over them."

With a sigh she answers me, "My brother-in-law got too drunk one night weeks ago. He got into a bar fight and was killed. We know who did it, but can't afford a lawyer good enough to represent us."

"Aren't Shikon Academy's instructors the highest paid out of all instructors in Japan? Even most at universities?"

"Heh, a high salary doesn't mean much when you have a mortgage, three kids to support, and a sick father."

"Oh, Shimizu-sama I am sorry."

"It's alright. You didn't know."

"Well… I can ask my parents to take this case Pro Bono. If you are sure this guy is the murderer, and he isn't being punished, my parents would be up for it."

"Oh, Sakura…" she can barely stop the sniffles.

"Sakura, I do not believe that it will be a good idea for me to stay with you tonight," his words yank me from the past. I have to blink several times, a few for the time travel and some for his remark.

"I mean," he begins, "I do not wish for you to get the wrong idea. I meant what I said when I will not stand by and watch you destroy yourself."

"But… I am ready to take care of things the right way," I say all I can muster.

"You said something like that before, and you lied. I am nothing but your teacher now. I will continue to look out for you, but not in the same way as before. When you graduate, we will no longer see each other. I hope that you will move on, safely."

I am speechless. All I can do is slowly shake my head. We come to another stoplight.

"I meant everything I told you the other night when your friend caught us in the park. However, I cannot trust you to take care of yourself when I am not around. There is something acting as a cancer at the back of your mind. I cannot fathom it, and therefore I cannot cure it. You have to do that on your own, but I do not see you taking action. I absolutely refuse to watch another woman die before me."

I act on impulse when I get desperate. What am I desperate for? Him. I need him to stay. He is not a replacement, oh no. No one can replace them. He is in his own class of importance in my heart. I cannot stand to have more empty chambers in my heart. My acts sometimes do not reflect what I should do, or what would be more rational to do. I should reason with him. I should finally open up and talk to him. I know he is most likely to not budge; I understand now that he will take actions over words. How many times will I have to prove it? I do not know, but I do know that I cannot wait long enough to find out. I am a child in a field of butterflies. They are all trying to escape from me, so I go over whichever one seems the easiest to go after. Should I be so reckless? No, I never do what I should. I do the first thing that pops into my head: I unbuckle my seatbelt, toss the door open, and run. Maybe he called after me, but maybe he finally decided to not waste his time on me.

I run as far and fast as my legs can take me. I run across streets and between buildings. I did not know I was such a track star. I have been running for a while now. Eventually I end up outside of a bar tucked away in an alley with a chain-link fence. I have reached a dead end. I stop at the fence then turn around to go another way, but three men block my path.

"Well, well, well… What is a cute piece of ass like you doing by yourself?" the first greasy one says between his clenched teethe.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be alone. We can give you a ride home if you want," the second greasy one adds.

"Sure, we can give her a ride, but she has to give us a ride first. Heh, heh, heh," the third one joins the other two.

My stomach churns at their words. Do I scream? No, the only one who would have come for me I left, most likely pissed off, in his car at a stop light somewhere kilometers away. I feel violated. Their words and gaze make me uncomfortable to no end. I back up until my back is against the fence. They continue to step closer. I look around myself and spot an empty glass bottle of sake. I grab it and break the bottom off on the ground effectively creating a sharp end.

"Come closer, and I will cut you!"

"She's feisty. I like my girls feisty," the third grease-pig says.

Time slows down as one of them lunges for me (at least they have enough honor to not gain up on me). In the slow motion of events, a long forgotten state of my mind takes over. A fabricated memory of being in a gang fight plays back on double time in my head. Yankii Sakura to the rescue.

I duck underneath his swinging arm meant to knock me out. Then I smash the bottle at the right point on his head to make him collapse into a pile on the ground. I spin around to find the first grease-pig heading for me. He chooses to aim low, so I take the opportunity to leapfrog over his back and then kick him in the rear to send him falling forward. He crashes into the already knocked-out grease-pig on the ground. The second one manages to grab my arm and twist it behind my back.

"Oh, it will be fun taming you tonight," he whispers into my ear while wrapping his fingers around my neck. I smell the aroma of hard liquor coming out of his mouth.

I remember an old favorite movie of mine about an FBI agent working under cover as a beauty pageant contestant. So I sing; I elbow him as hard as I can in the solar plexus, stomp on his foot, elbow him in the nose, and punch him in the groin. I love American cinema. My assailants are down but the grease-pig I only kicked to the ground. He is getting up, and I am already tired. All out of moves, I go for the escape route: I run and step onto his back to push him back down into the ground. Then I jump onto the fence and climb up. Once I get to the other side I continue running with only one destination in mind.

Yeah, I'm tired, I'm growing older

I'm getting weaker everyday, yeah

I am drowning, and you're stealing every breath

Take me away and just

Lay down here beside me in the shallow water

Beside me where the sun is shining on us still

Lay down here beside me in the hallowed water

Beside me where the silver lining stays until

The sirens' calling

We finish the song and garner more applause. I pause for a moment and force the tears down. Satisfied, I get up and head to my next position.

I have made it. I have been running for so long now that I just collapse on the ground. I collapse on the ground in front of my parent's graves.

Hi guys!

Check it out: two updates in under a week! Woop-woop! Well, first and foremost I would like to thank Loving Neko for reviewing the last chapter! I wrote this one immediately so that you won't be killed, heh heh. Also, I would like to thank again my other reviewers Meyome2012 and Kitty Nikole. Whenever I need some motivation I just go back and read those *hee-hee*. I will update again either later in the day on October 3rd or early in the morning on October 4th.

I hope that all of you are enjoying my story so far! The song featured in this chapter is Sirens by Cher Lloyd. I'll have an updated soundtrack coming soon to a chapter near you!

Until next time...