Chapter Two:
"The shrine is at least 500 years old," Kagome said. "The hidden well is like… twice that, or something. There's a legend about it. And the Goshinboku tree… who knows."
"What's the legend, Kagome?" The only one of her friends to stay over the night of her birthday party, Eri-chan was also the most inquisitive and imaginative.
"Which one?" she heaved a sigh.
"Any one," said Eri.
"Well there's one about corpses. And one about a kappa. Oh and the really weird one about time travel."
"No way! What's that one?"
"So.…even though the well isn't this old… There's a story about a miko from 500 years ago who used the well to travel to the sengoku era. I guess it was the future for her? I don't know exactly… hoping to find a better world. But of course…"
"She just popped into a war zone…"
"Yeah. Full of youkai too, according to grandpa." She shook her head. "She made friends with our lion dog but in the end he couldn't protect her. She died and he turned to stone outside her grave, along with the magic orb she'd used to activate the well. She never got to go back home. It's sad."
"Woah. So… her bones are buried over there? I bet she's not the only one either. Isn't this place haunted?"
"Are you kidding? It's holy ground, Eri-chan."
"Yeah.…well.. You never know, with old places. Like…" she strode over to the well house and threw open the doors. She peeked outside and looked over her shoulder. "See, this place? This is super creepy."
"No, Eri… We're gonna be late for school…"
"I just want to check it out!" she said, and then laughed delightedly as the stairs creaked.
"Woah! Are these BONES?"
"I think grandpa threw them down there for effect."
"Aw, mann!" Eri crouched down and touched one. Then shivered and drew back slightly. "They look real though!"
Kagome stepped down next to the well and shrugged.
Just then they heard a scratching noise. Eri jumped. But Kagome just turned around, seeking the sound.
"Buyo?"
She bent over and walked around the well. But she didn't see her. As she completed the circle she realized the sound was coming from the well. But it was sealed! The covering was only slightly weakened and the ofuda on top was fully in tact!
Before she could move, the covering suddenly exploded and light poured forth. Tendrils of it enveloped her and dragged her down. She screamed as she fell toward the light.
"Kagome!" screamed her friend, rushing to the opening. Seeing nothing as all the light winked out. "Kagome?!" she couldn't even see the bottom.
The next instant Kagome was floating in darkness. The light solidified and revealed a monsterous zombie, bones poking through. It was a many armed, topless woman, and its one good eye closed in happiness. "Finally… got you." The other eyeless pit seemed to stare into her soul.
"What the heck!" she screamed. "Let go of me!" She shoved and kicked at the woman, uselessly.
"But I've been looking for soooo long," she hissed, until the words became an evil chuckle. "My master will finally release me!" She squeezed Kagome even tighter and spun through the weightless expanse happily. She had a long insectile body starting at the hips and it twirled like a dragon's tail.
The woman shined pointy teeth at her.
Kagome began to panic. What was happening? What was she? Why was she so strong?
"I SAID LET ME GO!" she screamed again, beating the woman with both fists, which suddenly lit up with pink energy as soon as they connected. The creature's shoulders detached from its chest and its heart exploded. The body fell away instantly but the head seemed to be slowly dissolving from the bottom up with pink light.
Kagome's eyes couldn't leave the sight, even as the woman's half face contorted in fury and burned away completely.
Kagome's world turned upside down and then she suddenly sank onto her hands and knees at the bottom of the well, breathing hard, eyes wide.
"Nightmare? I was dreaming…" She sat back and her hand came to rest on a partially dissolved arm. She gasped and shot to her feet, heart racing. "Not a dream!"
She turned to reach for the ladder and stopped. It was gone. But in its place were a lot of vines. She took hold and began to climb as fast as she could.
But when she reached the top, already calling, "Eri-chan?!" She almost fell back in.
The well house was gone. It was forest as far as she could see. Her arms trembled, bringing her back to reality, so she heaved herself the rest of the way and sat, getting her breath back.
Her mind raced and then zoned out. She couldn't think straight anymore.
"Mom? GRANDPA?" she called, uselessly.
After a moment she climbed to her feet. What if that thing came back? She had to get away from the well.
Stumbling through the forest, bewildered, she called for anyone. Running down the list until she even got to Buyo. But no one answered.
However, just as she was about to lie down and give up, she glimpsed something between the trees. Her eyes recognized it before her brain did. She ran toward it.
The lion dog!
She must be close to home, somehow. Here it was! As soon as she broke into the clearing she was sure of it. The same crouched dog statue, muzzle frozen in a snarl, one paw resting on a stone orb.
She walked forward, heart rate slowing. He was so big. Ostentatiously big. She was only slightly taller than the dog's legs, even crouched as he was. She trailed her hand up his side until she came around to his fearsome, "I'll protect you," expression. Now she really hoped her grandpa's stories were true…
Facing him, she reached out, but before she could touch his head some one called out, "NO!" She jumped back and several arrows landed at her feet. Diving for cover, she ended up between the dog's front legs, tucked up under it's chin. Through arms thrown over wild eyes, she saw several armed men step out of the trees.
They were average looking, if old-fashioned, men. Not even battle hardened. But they looked angry.
"Youkai! You dare touch this statue?!"
"Sir, I think she's human…" said another man, lowering his weapon.
"I think she's naked…" said another, eyebrows raised at her bared legs.
Kagome gasped indignantly and shifted her position, drawing her school uniform further down.
That man had the decency to look away and the others at least glanced away. But their leader kept his eyes on her face, frowning. His bow lowered ever so slightly though. Her reaction had been a bit too human. Exactly how his own daughter would have acted… though SHE would never be in this situation!
"Girl! Who are you and why are you here!" he demanded. And then, "Toss her your shirt," waving at the nearest man.
Kagome might've been offended at the criticism of her uniform if they hadn't just gotten a panty shot. Normally her skirt was quite long enough but it hadn't crossed her mind the past few life or death moments to sit properly. She caught the shirt and hastily wrapped it around herself. Standing up it would probably skim her knees, which was only slightly longer than her skirt! But everyone relaxed slightly in reaction.
"Girl?"
"Kagome," she said. "Higurashi Kagome."
The villagers shared a look. What kind of name was Higurashi Kagome?
"I don't know, sir. This is strange… Could she be a kitsune?"
Kagome tried to jump to her feet and immediately conked her head on the statue.
"If it is, it's the dumbest kitsune I've ever heard of…" drawled the one who'd first commented on her clothes.
Sullenly, she rubbed her head. "Maybe this IS a dream... I could be in a coma..."
The leader frowned. Then he turned. "Bring her. Lady Kaede will know."
Kagome was unceremoniously grabbed for the second time that day and hauled off to the village. She tried unsuccessfully to free herself or to summon that light again. If she'd ever summoned it at all? But just remembering what she'd done to that woman made her sick to her stomach. She actually had to stop to throw up. After that they just herded her, waving their knocked bows and arrows, assuming she was ill and contagious.
Finally, she stumbled into the village center, shoes caked in mud, and collapsed in front of what seemed to be the entire population. And the first thing that happened was a spray of salt which rained down and BURNED in the several small cuts she'd accumulated.
"Hey!" she squawked tiredly, waving an arm weakly.
The spray came again but this time she barely flinched.
The woman doing the salting snorted. And then she addressed the crowd. "See? She maintains her shape." It was either so powerful that they'd all be killed with no chance of stopping it… Or as she was about to tell the village, "This is no youkai… Nor hanyou," she added at the last. Then she tucked away the salt and turned to the leader of the band of men.
"Bring her to my hut and lay her on my bed. I will treat her wounds and learn all in due time."
She followed the procession, ignoring anyone that wasn't getting straight back to work.
What new threat had the forest in store for them today?