Title: If It Doesn't Kill You
Theme: Inuyasha; Set #1 Theme #13- Strength from Within
Genre: Angst (Yes, more.)
Characters: Inuyasha
Word Count: 250
Rating: General
Summary: He had no one to rely on except himself.
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'"Ah, me." My voice was emollient and wistful. "It is a wicked, wicked world and they have taught you very little."' -The Amulet of Samarkand, by Jonathan Stroud
The child peeked out of his hiding spot, only eyes visible, the gold gleaming even in the darkness. After starting back into the black a few times at the sounds of imagined footsteps on the path, he emerged, desperately clutching a few wilted wildflowers in his fingers.
Wrapped in a too-big red haori, the most distinctive thing about the boy was his hair, brilliant as silver in the pre-dawn light despite its unkempt appearance. Alone in the square, he ran towards the temple, its front still bedecked with flowers from the festival only ended a few hours ago. His bare feet slapped against the packed dirt, and within a few moments he approached the holy place.
After checking and double-checking one more time for any wayward party-goer who might still be awake, he ran up the stone steps, flowers still in hand. Though it was dark inside the shrine, he moved easily, stepping softly until he was before the cold altar, incense long since burned out.
Laying his pitiful bouquet slightly to the side, the boy bowed, shoulders bent. The thin walls were the only ones to witness as he whispered a child's prayer for a dead loved one.
Moments late, he stood up again, the expression on his face now firm. A slight breeze found its was in from outside, ruffling through his long silver locks. Shoulders straight, he spun around, walking out of the shrine.
As he moved through the sleeping town, he didn't look back.