Chapter 4
Nightmare
Kagome reached the dock, followed closely by Inuyasha. Using the ladder attached to the dock, they both climbed atop it. Kagome plopped down on her green beach towel, still slightly miffed at Kouga. Inuyasha settled himself behind her, by lying on his side, and kissed her arm. Kikyo and Ayame, both sun bathing, ignored the others return. Rin, however, reached over and patted Kagome's leg in a comforting gesture. She knew how much trouble the couple had at trying to be alone. She had also tried to talk Kouga out of going after the two lovers.
By the time Kouga reached the dock, Kagome was back to her original, forgiving self. The friends enjoyed themselves until the sun headed for the hills, literally.
"I'm hungry." Ayame complained from the water, while she looked at Kouga, sitting on the dock.
"All right, I get it. Party at my place. Kikyo, your turn for pizza. Ayame, you're in for snacks. I got the drinks. Kagome and Inuyasha, it's your turn to mooch, since you handled the food last time. Rin, Sesshomaru, you guys coming?" Kouga asked, looking pointedly at the older male.
Sesshomaru lifted his head from his current activity, kissing Rin's neck, and cocked an eyebrow at Kouga. Rin giggled.
"I'll take that as a 'no'." Kouga chuckled nervously.
"Come Rin," Sesshomaru commanded as he stood and helped his fiancé to her feet, "Let us leave these adolescents to their infantile partying."
"See ya, Kagome." Rin spoke, as her ice prince swept her past the group.
"Later Rin." Kagome answered. "Well, shall we?" she asked, playfully nudging her boyfriend with her back.
"Shall we what?" he muttered in her ear. "Finish what we started?" he whispered, while kissing her neck.
Kagome leaned back against Inuyasha, nearly forgetting her friends. Nearly.
Kikyo's voice squashed the mood instantly. "Aw. Come on you guys."
Kagome stiffened and turned red. Embarrassed for her behavior.
"Yeah," Kouga chimed in, "None of that at my place. I don't want to have to disinfect it because of idiot here." He stated referring to Inuyasha.
Inuyasha growled and lunged at Kouga, who easily escaped the attack, but only because he was standing and Inuyasha was sitting. Kouga snatched up his stuff and tore off towards his car, deciding he had irritated Inuyasha enough for the day and before being tackled and tossed back in the water, by the same said male.
Realizing their ride was about to leave without them, Kikyo and Ayame tore after Kouga, screaming at him to wait. Ayame was still sopping wet from having just exited the water. So much for changing into dry clothing.
"Come on, Babe." Inuyasha said, hauling his girlfriend to her feet, "I'm starving."
Kagome gathered her towel and pink beach bag, slipping her feet into her flip-flops before trotting after Inuyasha. She admired the view she received from his backside as she followed him up the hill. His black swim trunks sat low on his hips, his strong muscled back tanned from the sun. Dang, he was hot. There would be no denying that.
Inuyasha stopped at the top by the outhouse, turning to wait for Kagome. He knew she would want to change into dry clothes. How she managed to change in that awful building was beyond him.
Kagome pulled the heavy metal door open and walked into the out door toilet, breathing through her mouth. She heard Inuyasha thump his body against the door, preventing any person from accidently opening the door on her. The lock was on a constantly rotating schedule of getting broke then repaired. You never knew which it would be. Kagome groaned. She hated having to change in there, but it was either the outhouse or the car, which for obvious reasons was out of the question.
Kagome slipped her feet from her shoes and carefully stood on top of them. Sure, the place was decently clean, but, seriously, it was still an outhouse. She changed quickly into a baby blue polo and white shorts. She had long ago mastered the art of keeping every article of clothing, her bag, her towel, and her feet from ever touching the disgusting, concrete floor.
Inuyasha stepped away from the steel door after hearing Kagome tap on it from within. Taking her bag off her shoulder, he entwined his fingers with hers, walking to the car. Upon reaching the vehicle, Inuyasha guided Kagome so her back was against the car. Giving her no warning, he placed a fiery kiss on her lips. Kagome responded with a moan and snaked her tongue into his mouth. They stayed locked together, savoring each other, until breath fled them and their lungs burned for oxygen.
Breaking the kiss, Inuyasha grinned at Kagome, who shyly smiled back as she eased herself into the car. Both knew what had been started that afternoon would be finished later that night.
Inuyasha steered the car back towards the town, carefully navigating the curves. He was extra cautious; knowing that time of day drivers headed to the lake would have the sun blaring directing in their eyes, hindering their vision. As he rounded the last bend, before descending the hill, he slammed on the brakes and jerked the car to the right, coming to a screeching halt mere inches from the end of the guardrail. If he had hit the rail, it would have split the car in two, going right up the middle. (ATTN: this is true. Many have been killed like this, being speared by the end of the guardrail after their vehicle hit the end of it head on. Sometime around the 2002 mark, a new flat-ended guardrail was designed to prevent this from happening)
Another car had crossed into his lane, whether it was the sun or something else, Inuyasha didn't know. Inuyasha calmed his breathing, while cursing at the other driver for not stopping to make sure everyone was ok. He looked over, seeing if Kagome was all right. What he saw nearly caused his heart to stop.
Kagome, white as a sheet, sat staring straight ahead, her hands gripping the seat belt with white knuckles, breathing rapidly.
Inuyasha cursed, knowing immediately what was happening to her. He tore off his seat belt, jerked open his car door, and rushed to hers. In that short amount of time, Kagome's breathing had increased drastically. He had to get her to calm down. He had to bring her back from the nightmare. Inuyasha gently took her hands in his, after prying them off the belt.
"Kagome, Baby." He spoke softly, trying to reach her. "Kagome, look at me, Honey."
He received no response. Panic welled up in his chest.
"Kagome, Babe. Please. You need to look at me." He commanded gently, turning her face unprepared for what he saw.
She was not looking at him, but through him, seeing something else. Kagome was there. She was stuck again. She was in her nightmare, but hers was real. With the squeal of tires and the jerk of the wheel, Kagome had been transported back to that day. The day her dad died.
She was only seeing her father's lifeless eyes staring at her as blood dripped down his neck. Shattered windshield lay strewn about. The cuts on her hands and face bled, but she felt no pain. His eyes were all she knew, all she saw. His once loving eyes, which held a sparkle, now open in death. He would laugh no more. Kagome heard someone call her name, but those lifeless orbs held her. She felt someone touch her face, but Kagome couldn't break the hold of the memory. Tears formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.
Inuyasha noticed the tears, reached up, and wiped them away with his thumb.
"Shhh. It's ok, Baby. It's all over. I'm here." He told her, worry evident in his voice.
Ever so slowly, Kagome's eyes came back into focus, and she found herself looking into the worried, amber eyes of her love.
"Babe, it's ok." He said cupping her cheek, relief flooding his face.
Kagome covered his hand with her own as she asked, "Take me home, please, Inuyasha. I'm tired."
"Anything, Baby." He answered.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived back at Kagome's apartment. Inuyasha gently took her keys from her when he noticed her hand shaking so badly she failed to unlock her door. He opened the door and ushered her into the apartment.
Kagome didn't stop until she hit her bedroom. Inuyasha followed closely behind her. She just stood in her room, there but not there. Inuyasha set her bag down, walked to the dresser, and pulled out a pair of pajamas.
"Change, while I let everyone know we won't be coming." he told her, handing her the lavender pants and tank top.
"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she implored meekly.
Taking her in his arms, he answered, "Of course, Baby. Anything you need. Now change."
Kagome nodded and pulled from the comfort of his embrace. Inuyasha kissed her cheek and left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked shut, Kagome walked to her bookshelf, slid a novel off, and grabbed the pill bottle hidden behind it. Her prescription sleeping pills. She hadn't needed one in a while. The nightmares rarely came anymore, but she knew they would visit her tonight. Popping to top of the bottle, she poured one into her hand. Replacing the cap, she set it back on the shelf and slid the book back into it's place.
Kagome didn't know why she hid it from everyone. Maybe it was shame; maybe it was embarrassment at not being able to cope. Of being weak, when everyone told her how much admiration others had for her strength after the accident. It wasn't strength. It was shock; at least that is what her shrink had told her. Kagome's mother was the only person who knew how deeply the loss of her father had wounded the then 16 year old.
Inuyasha and Kagome had only just started dating when it happened. Kagome and her father had been out getting groceries when a mid-day drunk hit them head on. Her father had died instantly and Kagome had been stuck in the car with his lifeless body for hours, while the fire department used the Jaws of Life to cut the roof and passenger door from the mangled car, in order to extract her. (ATTN: the Jaws of Life is a machine used in rescue work. It looks like giant pinchers and has the ability to cut through mangled metal. If you want to know what it looks like and how it works then just Google it) Kagome had received only a broken leg and multiple abrasions, her real wounds lain deep within.
At 17, her mother made her see a shrink. Dr. Michaels, despite Kagome's reservations about the whole shrink experience, had helped tremendously. The sleeping pills prescribed from the beginning, were taken rarely. Over the last year, Kagome had learned to tell when the nightmares would come, so the use of the pills was at a minimum. Kagome still saw Dr. Michaels once a month and soon that would change to every other month or as needed.
Kagome grabbed her glass off the nightstand and entered the bathroom. Softly closing the door, she turned the faucet on, filled the glass, and ingested the pill. She changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and then exited the bathroom. Kagome could hear Inuyasha on the phone as she re-entered her bedroom and lay on the bed. She closed her eyes, hoping Inuyasha would come back before the pill took effect. Otherwise, he would suspect something.
After Inuyasha had left Kagome's bedroom, he grabbed the phone off the kitchen counter and punched in Kikyo's cell number. She was the only one out of them all that had a cell phone.
"Hello?" a confused Kikyo answered. She had seen the caller ID and wondered who would be calling her from the apartment she shared with Kagome.
"Hey Kikyo. It's Inuyasha. Let Kouga and Ayame know, Kagome and I aren't going to make it. We were almost in an accident and she's having trouble." He told her.
"Oh my gosh. Is she ok? Do I need to come home?" Kikyo asked worriedly.
"She's fine and I will stay with her until you get home." Inuyasha answered.
"All right. I'll let the others know. Call us if she needs anything." Kikyo ordered.
"She'll be fine. Later." Inuyasha said concluding the conversation.
He then made his way back into the bedroom. Upon seeing Kagome lying on the bed, he smiled softly. He carefully lay on the bed behind her and pulled her body to him. She snuggled into his arms and relaxed.
"Thank you." she whispered.
"Anytime." He whispered back to her, brushing her hair from her cheek so he could kiss her.
It was not long before Kagome's breathing evened slowed and evened out, signaling she was asleep. Inuyasha lay with her for a few hours until he heard the apartment door open. He gently released Kagome and went to meek Kikyo.
"How is she?" Kikyo asked.
"She's sleeping. Call me if she needs anything. I have to go, Mom's still sick and I told her I would take care of Shippo tonight." He said, speaking of his 3-year-old adopted brother, who still didn't sleep through the night, as he walked out the door.
Kikyo sighed and headed to her room.
#!#&((!!# !#!#!
A buzzing caught his attention. A pair of bloodshot eyes stared at the phone sitting on the coffee table. He set down his beer and answered the cell.
"Hello?" he slurred into the phone.
"Naraku, it's time. It has to be tonight. She has provided us the perfect opportunity. The little twit had a melt down. You must do it tonight." The voice on the phone commanded.
"Aw man. I was gonna go to a party." Naraku whined.
"Need I remind you," The voice hissed, "I know where you keep your stash. One little phone call and you will be in the state prison before you can blink."
"Fine." He huffed. "How am I spose to get in?"
"She 'forgot' to lock her window." The voice answered, implying the way would be provided.
Hanging up the phone, Naraku chugged his beer down, grabbed his keys, and staggered to the door, hoping he made it there in one piece.