Belladonna
By : Fearless_Dranzer
3 – When Both Our Cars Collide
I tapped my paper impatiently as the clock seemed frozen on 1:35. Five minutes until freedom. My teacher was patiently explaining a simple concept to a girl to my left who was pretending not to understand just to take up time. It was just asinine. My eyes drifted away from the board and flicked back to the clock for the thousandth time.
The day had been flying past me and it was like I was just an observer in my own life. I'd had a terrible headache all day. I'd barely spoken in any of my classes; I'm not sure if I even blinked or not. I was like a zombie day-dreaming about my encounters and the one I planned to have today.
I didn't have my prep class today, so after this class was over, I had the afternoon free to myself. I could go visit him for as long as I wanted and if my mother questioned my whereabouts, I could just lie and say I was at extra help. So long as it had something to do with grades and school, my mom doesn't care if I spend little to no time at home. My grandfather would be the only one to worry over me. If I was out and about for a long period of time he would fuss over me when I returned, making me some tea and feeding me some strange concoction of herbs and medicinal roots that tasted horribly bitter. His methods were at times ineffective, but he meant well. I saddened my heart that he was so sick. My grandfather had been a permanent part of my life since before I was even born, living without him is unfathomable.
The ringing bell startled me out of my thoughts and shook me out of my revelry, everyone was rushing to pack their bags and free themselves from their scholarly prison, while I moved methodically and mechanically, like I was in daze.
I picked up my bag and walked out, waving good-bye to my teacher before following the crowd out the front doors.
Girls stood in circles and chatted, laughing in high-pitched, ticklish voices that grated in my head. Boys did stupid foolish things that tried to get the girls attention but did nothing but embarrass themselves. I ignored all of them and left without saying good bye to my friends. I jumped on the train as it passed by in front of my school along with a few other students; they quickly got off at their own stops but I settled in for a longer ride.
I travelled into the center of the city, where the sidewalks became dangerous even in the light of day. Five boys stood on a street corner, each one with a hand inside their coat jacket, grabbing at a gun. I shivered and the bus quickly passed by them.
When the bus finally dropped me off at my stop, I looked to my left and to my right. There was no one within shouting distance if something happened to me. I tried not to think about that as I walked closer to Sesshoumaru's front door.
I knocked tentatively, not exactly sure whether or not I should do that, but it seemed polite. No one answered, but I didn't really expect a butler to come greet me at the foyer. I pushed the door softly and it groaned like a coffin being cracked open.
There were my footprints from the other day embedded in the thick dust on the floor and some dead leaves littered everywhere. I called out a greeting but there was no response, so I moved further back towards where we had sat the other day. There was a damp feel about the building as if no living thing could put roots down in the ground. I shivered and pulled my sweater tighter around my body. My loafers raised up little clouds of dust as each step disturbed the peace and silence of the building.
There was no one there. There was no tea kettle, just some marks in the dust. I called out for Sesshoumaru again but there was no response, except a falling flower petal.
I walked over to the eastern wall where the flowers Sesshoumaru grew ran rampant. They were slowly taking over the rest of the floor, shoving their roots into the cracks in the cement and drawing water up from the very foundations of the building. In the fading sunlight, they were frosted pink, their dark royal color lightened up.
"I guess he isn't here..." I murmured to myself. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
But before leaving, I bent over and snapped a perfect stem in half and tucked it into my dark hair. A sudden breeze came through and I was overwhelmed by the scent of the Devil's Cherries. They had a delicate scent, not at all musky, more like the perfume of cherry blossoms than roses. And I smiled because they reminded me of Sesshoumaru.
With another sigh, I turned on my heel and left; the only sign I'd ever been there was the disturbed dust.
I rode the bus back and texted my mother telling her that I'd been at extra help and would be home soon. I sat quietly on the bus thinking, the smell of the exhaust fumes giving me a headache. Once the bus dropped me off, I walked up the steps to my family shrine and retired to my room, exhausted.
My mother came up a few minutes later and told me that there was dinner in the microwave, waiting for me.
"I'm sorry Mom, but I'm not feeling too good. I've got a bad headache. I think I'm just gonna take a nap and wake up later to do homework." I said, lying down on to my bed.
She looked worried. "Well, alright Kagome. Just don't forget to do your homework and to study. And if you're hungry when you wake up, I'll bring you some soup."
"Thanks Mom." She left quietly and flipped the lights off for me. She meant well but sometimes she was too focused on school and grades. I mean, what if I don't want to go to TokyoU? What if I don't want to be some big time doctor or some hot shot lawyer? What I want to be... Well I don't know yet. But why rush these things? Only two of my friends know what they want to do for sure...and all the counselors keep telling us not to make such big decisions so quickly.
When I think about my future... I see a big freaking nothing.
Maybe I should be more worried about that.
I reached up and took the flower from my hair and before I placed it on the nightstand next to my bed, I very gently kissed it.
I licked my lips and my eyes closed before I could worry further.
I woke up hours later in a sweat, my head pounding like someone had taken a hammer to it. I let out a low moan of pain and felt my stomach heaved violently; I slapped my hand over my mouth and stumbled out of my bed to the bathroom.
I barely made it before my stomach revolted and its contents spilled into the toilet. I dry heaved a few times, before I placed my exhausted head on the cold porcelain of the seat. I moaned again because the pounding in my head had intensified. My arms and torso shook; my muscles were exhausted. I'd never felt such pain in my life. It was like I'd been hit by a fucking bus and left for dead in a gutter.
I moved my head to the left to try to see the time on my watch but the movement made my head swim and I puked again and again, until my stomach was totally empty. The sweat poured off of me and I could feel the toilet seat I was leaning on begin to become slick with my heat and sweat.
I sobbed and tried to brush away the tears that were pouring out of my eyes. I can't remember the last time I puked and I had no clue why I was so sick. My head was spinning and I couldn't think. I must have just eaten something that disagreed with me. But I hadn't eaten anything since lunch.
I sat there for another hour and half before I felt well enough to drag myself back to my bed. I would tell my mother, but she'd been so tired lately, she needed all the rest she could get. I settled back to bed and convinced myself that I'd feel better in the morning after some rest and a shower.
My alarm went off and my eyes had trouble opening. I shut the alarm off and sat up, feeling like a zombie. My entire body ached, even my eyeballs hurt. I ran a hand through my tangled hair and looked over at the flower on my nightstand. It was wilting. I touched its soft petals with my fingers and resolved to get up and go to school so that I could see Sesshoumaru later.
I got up and was accosted by dizziness for a few seconds. I waited until the room stopped spinning, so that I could make my way over to the bathroom and shower.
I turned the water on hot enough to steam up the room and to turn my skin pink. The moist heat felt oppressive at first but the hot water pounded the stiffness out of weak muscles. I felt infinitely better.
But I took too long in the shower and rushed to get ready to get to school on time. I threw my clothes on and moved my flower to a window sill where it could get more sun. I yelled a good-bye to my mother and grabbed an apple off the counter for breakfast. I took the shrine steps two at a time, until halfway down the stairs, I got dizzy again. I dropped my apple and watched it roll down the shrine steps. I crumpled to my knees and sat there for a few seconds, until I got my bearings. Then, I gingerly stood up again and moved through the mental haze that surrounded me. Each step seemed to take more effort than it should have. Even breathing seemed harder to do than usual. I started to breathe heavy and pant.
I moved over on the step, until I got to the pillar of one of the archways that I could lean against. My vision blacked out for a few seconds and came back before going black again. I gasped as my legs gave out beneath me and I grabbed the pillar before I could smash my face into the brick steps. I stumbled forward and tumbled on to the grass next to the steps and rolled down the hill, my momentum carrying me, until I was stopped by a tree.
I lay there trying to get my bearings, my vision still fading, my body trembling and covered in sweat. What was happening to me? I started to feel nauseous again and closed my eyes.
I didn't open them again until hours later.
A light rain fell on my face and the cool droplets felt like heaven on my flaming face. My skin felt like it was on fire.
I realized I must have passed out and was instantly shocked. Add that to my list of things that had happened to me for the first time recently. My head pounded and my vision was shaky at best. I was not in good shape. I must have dropped my bag when I rolled because it lay ten feet away from me and I was in no form to go retrieve it. But my phone wasn't in my bag, I'd put it in my pocket this morning, since I was running late. Moving my hand tentatively to my pocket, I searched for my phone then, I realized it had fallen out of my pocket and actually landed a little bit in front of me.
I strained to grab it but it was just out of my reach. I tried moving but I was immediately overtaken by dizziness—probably from hitting my head on something when I was rolling. I took a few breaths to steady myself before I heaved my body forward and snatched my phone off the grass. My vision went black but cleared quickly and I was left breathing heavily with a phone in my hand.
I dialed my mother's cell phone number since she was at work; it took me two tries since it was hard to see the numbers when they swam around the keyboard. It rang twice before my mother picked up.
"Kagome! I'm so disappointed in you! The school called to say you never came in this morning! I can't believe it Kagome, skipping school when you are so close to sending out applications for TokyoU! You won't achieve your dreams this way!" She continued to berate me in a disappointed tone which was worse than an angry tone if you ask me.
"Wait—Mom." I groaned, cutting in.
The sound of my voice must have shocked her because she realized something was wrong and changed her tune.
"Kagome! Where are you? Are you alright?!"
"I fainted...passed out... on my way down the shrine steps and fell down the hill. Please come get me." I sobbed.
"Oh Kagome, I'll be right there I'm leaving now, where are you exactly?" I could hear her running around grabbing things.
"I'm on the left side of the steps under a tree."
"Ok, hold on. I'll be right there!"
She hung up the phone and I was left, cut off from humanity. I could hear the rushing of cars down the street, just past the edge of the trees. But the drivers couldn't see me and I couldn't see them. I was effectively stranded.
After a few minutes, I managed to pushed myself up so I was leaning against the tree trunk; it would do no good to worry my mother further. I might as well try to look a little more put together. My eyesight didn't even blackout and as the light rain fell on me, it cooled my scorching skin.
I heard a car door slam and my mother was suddenly calling my name. "Kagome! Kagome!"
"Mom..." I tried but it was just a whisper, I cleared my throat and tried again. "Mom!"
This time she heard me because she suddenly appeared, running towards me. "Oh, Kagome!"
"It's alright, I'm just a little dizzy." I mumbled.
"Here, here. Let me help you up. Can you walk?" She asked.
"Yeah...yeah. I just haven't eaten in a while and I guess it caught up to me..."
"You've been working too hard dear. But you need to get inside out of this rain. Come on let me help you." With my mom's help I managed to stand up and get in the car. She drove me around to the driveway on the opposite side of the shrine and then helped me up into my bed.
She tucked me in and bustled around me. She heated me up some chicken soup and watched me like a hawk to make sure I ate it. My grandpa—even though he should have been resting as well—insisted upon getting involved in all the fuss and made me a soothing cup of mint tea.
"...Dad, I'm worried she was out in the rain for hours....pneumonia?" I faintly heard my mother say.
It was eventually decided that I should stay home for the day to recover my energy. My mother and grandpa left me to nap with the promise that they'd be back in an hour with something to replenish my lost nutrients.
I fell asleep easily to the sweet smell of the flower on my nightstand.
Only to wake up a little while later, sick to my stomach again.
I rolled out of my bed with a thud and a groan and crawled to the bathroom breathing heavily and sweat profusely.
I barely made it to the toilet before I was hurling up what little I'd eaten earlier.
"Mom...." I groaned between heaves.
She must have heard me, because once again she was there. Mothers always have supersonic hearing. She held my hair away from my face and rubbed circles into my back. She spent the next twenty minutes speaking soothingly in my ear as my stomach tried to come out my mouth.
Finally, I stopped and she proceed to half-drag-half carry me back to my room where she put clean pajamas on me.
"Mom, do you hear that?"
"Hear what Kagome?" She asked as she put my shirt on over my head.
"Someone's walking around downstairs with high heels on. Who's here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"I don't hear anything Kagome..." She said.
"It must be Grandma, who else would be wearing high heels; although it's a little silly, an eighty year old woman in stilettos." I replied.
"Kagome, what are you talking about. Grandma's been dead for almost ten years sweetheart." My mom sounded concerned but I couldn't understand why she was worried.
"I met a nice boy the other day. He had long, long white hair..."
"White hair? Kagome... are you all right?" My mother's face was lined with fear and worry. "Here darling, just lie back in bed and close your eyes.
"Dad?" She called and a few minutes later my grandpa was shuffling in the door with his cane.
"What's the matter; is Kagome alright?" He asked, his voice raspy and breathing heavy from walking down the hall.
They moved off into a corner of the room, my mom whispering but I could still hear her clearly. "Dad, I think she's hallucinating. I don't think pneumonia does that to someone; but can this really be because she hasn't eaten in a while? She ate that soup earlier but threw it up, barely twenty minutes later. Should we call the hospital?"
"Hmm..." My grandpa walked over to where I was lying in bed and he patted my forehead. "Kagome, how are you feeling?" Suddenly my grandpa's eyes drifted to my nightstand where my dying flower was laying. He touched it, tentatively, with the head of his cane.
"Kagome, where did you get this flower from?" He asked suddenly.
"Dad?" My mom questioned, but she was ignored.
"Sesshoumaru grows them and he gives them to me. Aren't they beautiful?"
He turned to my mother and looked grave. "These are highly poisonous; even the pollen can be deadly."
"Poisonous flowers?" she asked.
He nodded. "They can cause nausea and dizziness and are specifically known for making people hallucinate. One sniff can mildly sicken and cause nausea, God only knows how much pollen has gotten into her system. We need to get her to the hospital."
"Ok, ok--Dad, call Souta's school and have them tell him we won't be here when he gets home. I'll get Kagome into the car." She turned to me, "Sweetheart, can you walk? We need to get you to the car."
I smiled at her dreamily and shook my head yes. We then slowly proceed to the car, my legs giving out beneath me, halfway down the stairs. She then carried me by herself, which is quite a feet for a forty year-old who was five inches shorter than me, to the car.
I really couldn't understand what the problem was. I had stopped feeling dizzy and felt serene. Everything was alright for the first time in days. All the stress was lifted off my shoulders and I was like a new born babe, without a care in the world.
My grandpa was waiting for us in the car, he'd turned it on and was holding the back door open for me so I could crawl in. He closed the door behind me and turned to get into the passenger seat. He sat down with a huff and I could hear his labored breathing and my mom whispered something soothing to him, telling him to hold on and just rest and regain his strength.
Suddenly, I was sad again.
"Grandpa?" I asked.
"Yes, Kagome?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine sweetheart, it's you I'm worried about. You see, that flower the young man gave you, is highly poisonous. It's been making you feel sick and is making you have delusions. We have to get you to the hospital, they can help you there Kagome."
"But why would he give me poisonous flowers?" The motion of the car driving was starting to make me dizzy so I put my head between my knees and moaned again.
"Sweetheart, don't worry about that now, just think about how they can help you at the hospital. You'll be fine soon Kagome."
"Ok Mom..." I groaned.
"Here," she handing me back a bucket that she must have grabbed from the house. "Puke in there if you need to sweetie."
"How are they gonna fix me?" I asked.
"They can't do anything, your body will expel the poison on its own. But the hospital will help keep you hydrated and sedated so that you'll get through the poisoning quickly and painlessly." My grandfather replied.
I must have blacked out for a while because the next thing I remember was being on a stretcher being rolled into the hospital through the ER. I turned to my Grandpa and asked him, "What's its name?"
He squeezed my hand gently, "Belladonna."
Then his hand left mine and I was left with my own thoughts and with the hospital lights glaring in my eyes.
A poisonous flower?
Why would Sesshoumaru poison me?
Bella donna...
A beautiful woman; a deadly flower.
Sesshoumaru is growing the Devil's Cherries in an abandoned building in Tokyo.
Myself, lying on a gurney under glaring hospital lights.
Rolling down the hallway was like walking down the path to heaven.
I was dying because I had slowly been poisoned by Sesshoumaru.
The flower tucked behind the ear, the flower chain, the tea, the flower I stole and kissed and sniffed. The flower who's pollen I must have been breathing in for hours because I slept next to it.
How could he give me poisonous flowers and not know it?
How could he be growing poisonous flowers and not be sick as well?
I thought back to every encounter I'd ever had with him and realized that everything revolved around that god damned flower.
We'd met because of it, I'd seen his flowers and he'd caught me admiring them. When I'd left, he gave me the flower and tucked it behind my ear. He'd made me tea from the flowers and I drank it. But then so did he. At least I thought he did.... He'd made me a fucking daisy chain of belladonna and draped it around my neck like a noose without a second thought.
How could he not know that the flowers he grows are poisonous?
The only answer being that he knows the flowers are poisonous and he deliberately tried to poison me. But why? Why poison me? If he wanted me to leave, all he had to do was tell me to leave. It just doesn't make sense.
A doctor leaned over me and shone a flashlight in my eyes.
"It doesn't make any sense." I said.
And then there was black.
Later, when I woke up alone late at night, I knew what to do. I pulled out the IV drip they'd stuck in my hand. I gingerly got up and the room spun. I groaned and grabbed the edge of my bed. I was too determined to let a little sickness get in the way of getting my answers.
I searched the room until I found my clothes that I'd come in with and slowly put them on. They were my pajama pants and a t-shirt and a sweatshirt but I didn't care. They could have been rags and I wouldn't have cared. I just needed something besides on my hospital gown for walking the streets of Tokyo.
I put my shoes on last and quickly braided my hair to make myself look more presentable. Upon seeing my pale visage in the mirror, I washed it to try to make it look less sickly.
Then, there was nothing left I could do. I smoothed out any wrinkles on my clothes and took a deep breath to steady my nerves and walked out of the room and wandered blindly, but seemingly with purpose, until I got to the nurses desk. One nurse looked up and saw me.
"I'm sorry Miss, but there are no visitors at this time. Visiting hours are closed until 10am tomorrow morning."
"That's ridiculous! People should be able to visit their loved ones!"
I must be the best actress ever.
"Miss, you can visit your loved one but you have to come during visiting hours."
I sighed, "Fine, I'll be back tomorrow."
I stamped off and wondered why I hadn't been in my high school's last play. Apparently, I'm a convincing actress. But no time to care about that now. I had a flower-growing-pansy-boy's ass to kick. Where the fuck does he get off poisoning me and all that?
I loved him.
Barely a week and I fell in love, with a misfit like myself. Someone who doesn't know their place in life but was taking it one day at a time. From my four days of experience, I thought we were perfect for each other. We were both social outcasts; we have no real purpose yet to our lives but we're trying our fucking hardest to be who our parents want us to be.
Well you know what Sesshoumaru?
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
You'd better believe I'm coming for your ass, I just have to get over this nausea first. I doubled over in the elevator, clutching my head. My vision blurred but by the time the bell dinged for the lobby, I was standing up again with just a queazy after taste.
I slowly walked off the elevator and through the lobby with my head held high. No one second guessed my presence. I was invisible to the world.
I went outside and the drizzle I'd passed out in early had turned into pouring rain. It hit my head with such ferocity that it stung my scalp. I ran for the bus stop and huddle under the little lean to.
"Shit." I mumbled to myself, I had no money to get on the bus.
"What's the matter dear?" This little old lady sitting next to me asked.
I sniffled, how could I get to Sesshoumaru without any money? I couldn't get back into the hospital unless I told them I escaped...but I could claim dementia still. And I could go try to find Sesshoumaru when I felt better.
But what if he wasn't there when I was better? What if he left so that no one could trace the flowers back to him? The fucker would probably skip town if he knew what was good for him.
I looked back at the little old lady sitting next to me. She had no umbrella just a little waterproof bonnet on her head and a bright orange poncho. Under her poncho was her oversized purse that probably had her life in it.
"...Just a bad day." I said with a sigh.
"Would you like to talk about it dear?"
"It's way too ridiculous of a story, sorry. You just wouldn't believe me." I apologized.
She nodded solemnly. "Here, I have a feeling you'll be needing this." She held out her hand and dumped the exact bus fare in my lap. "Just remember that all you really need is this." She placed her hand over her heart and smiled knowingly at me before she stood up and walked away slowly into the pounding rain.
I couldn't even refuse the money, the old bat practically ran away from me. I stared at the money in my lap and the bus pulled up. It had been such a strange day, that this last event barely even made me bat an eye.
I got on the bus and paid my fare. I sat in the middle of the bus and settled in for the drive. It was really hot on the bus and I rolled up my sweatshirt sleeves. I sat impatiently, my foot jumping up and down and I was pulling on the collar of my sweatshirt before I just ended up yanking it off over my head. It was so hot on this bus; I felt like the I was on fire. I looked wildly around at the other riders but they kept to themselves at this late hour.
It was so fucking hot. I leaned my head against the glass and that cooled it somewhat but I still was miserable. Three stops to go and the sweat was pouring off me.
At the next stop I couldn't take it and I got off the bus and into the rain. Once outside, there was a sudden drop in temperature that took my breath away. I quickly put my sweatshirt back on but my t-shirt was already soaked.
Ten blocks to go.
I started off at a brisk pace but quickly slowed when my muscles started to fatigue. I was so tired and weak from all the vomiting I'd done. I probably hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours and God only knows what the hospital did to me because I still feel like shit.
Five blocks to go and my vision got blurry and didn't get better. It was like walking through a thick haze, almost as if I was inside a burning building. I didn't see a single person that entire walk, the citizens of Tokyo seemed to know better than to go out in this type of weather.
One block to go.
I was walking so slow that it was taking me eons to get to the building, I was completely soaked through and shivering with such intensity, I could feel my jaw quivering. But I knew the second I got to Sesshoumaru, he would make everything better. He'd give me some tea and braid flowers into my hair with loving tenderness. He'd smile at me, something I knew few people ever saw, and everything would be alright again. I'd hold his hand and and my own would warm up from his body heat.
I got to the building and opened the door, closing the door behind me. It slammed shut with an ominous noise. I sniffed deeply and tried to smell the sweet perfume of the Belladonna, all I did was make myself start to dry heave. But there was nothing left in my stomach to expel.
Sesshoumaru would never hurt me. The smoldering looks he gave me, the way he made me a daisy chain—I doubt he'd ever showed anyone that much of himself.
We barely know each other and I'm just a stupid teenager but I know true love when I see it because what the hell else could this feeling be?
I lost my balance and slid down the wall into the dirt on the floor. I looked down the hallway and saw my footprints in the dust.
And only my footprints.
End Chapter 3
Author's note: Let's see if anyone can guess the twist to the end of this story. The last line is very important! And I'll leave it at that.
So all of Kagome's weird mood swings and her illness are the effects of poison. Belladonna is a beautiful flower that's highly poisonous. I don't think the pollen can make you ill—that is a major fallacy in this story—but I'm sure kissing the flower is a miserable idea. Kagome pretty much dug her own grave by placing the flowers so close to herself and by sniffing them and kissing them. Not to mention she drank tea made from the flowers. But for all intents and purpose, it's the pollen that is poisonous here! Not the plant itself! That's why the tea didn't make her as sick as just sniffing the flowers did.
Moral of this story, never trust strange boys giving you flowers!
