A/N: No one so far has reviewed for this story yet… But to get it done and over with, I have decided to finish it and get it done and over with. A warning... this chapter isn't exactly humorous…
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. They respectively belong to Rumiko Takashi
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Meeting Death
Meeting Two: Nightmare
By: Angelmiko
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I was in my 2nd year of high school when I had my second meeting with "The Grim Reaper". It was during a rather sad affair in my household… it was the night after my father's death.
The day that he died, Souta and I got into an argument. Arguing about the stupidest thing in the world, about something that I can't even remember now… Dad was at work, having to stay overtime due to the sudden rise in the economy. It was almost midnight when he called us through his cell phone. My mom picked up and told him that dinner was getting started, to get home quickly and to be careful. He had chuckled, I think, for my mom had laughed, the kind of laugh that my mother only had while talking to my father.
He then wanted to talk to us. My mother gave the phone to us and told us that dinner was almost finished.
It was a normal night. Nothing drastic should have happened. It was a full moon that night, the night sky clear of any clouds. The perfect night to go moon-gazing on the roof.
But it wasn't any night. It was the night that he died. During the night that nothing should have happened, something happened that changed everyone in my family.
He told us to stop arguing and to help out our mother with dinner. Then he told us that he loved us and that he would be home soon.
He promised Souta to help him out with his homework, while telling me that we would sit on the roof that night and watch the moon and look for stars in the night sky.
He never came that night.
He never got to help Souta with his homework. He never got to sit on the roof with me. He never got to tell my mother how her cooking would rival any other. He never got to tell us good-bye for the final time.
It was only after an hour that there was a knock on the door. We were clearing the dishes, wrapping father's with cellophane and leaving it out so it would be moderately warm when he came home.
A loud knock came from the door, and through the window in the kitchen, I saw two men in blue, their outfits impeccably clean and free of wrinkles. My mother went to the door and opened it, with me and Souta trailing after her.
"I'm sorry… Is this the residence of Higurashi Ito?" asked one of the police officers.
My mother nodded, "Yes… Did something bad happen to my husband?" she questioned, her hands clenching the dishtowel, her knuckles turning white.
I felt the bile coming up my throat as I heard what they told us.
Our father died in a train accident in which he was trying to coax a young boy from jumping from the side of the subway. When the train came, the boy tried to jump, but my father had pulled the boy back, but at the same time had tripped and was hit by the incoming train instead.
My mother had slumped against the ground and Souta ran out of the room. I stood there, the bile just building up until I forcibly swallowed it. The police officers stood there uncomfortably as they watched us fall apart.
"Thank you." I told them in a monotone voice, the world becoming one huge nightmare. I shut the door in the face of the police officers, and went to the kitchen to finish the dishes. I put the unfinished plates into the refrigerator and went to my room, ignoring my mother's sobs and my brother's shut door.
'This all has to be a nightmare. Maybe all of it will go away if I go to sleep…' I thought as I robotically removed my pj's and put them on, leaving my clothes on the floor.
I went under the covers and shut my eyes.
Darkness was all I saw then.
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The next morning it was raining. The wind made the trees sway as I sat up in my bed and stared at the window.
It was a school day. What day I'm not exactly sure. All I remembered was the house was quiet and I was just tired. I went back asleep.
I had forgotten how many hours I slept until I felt a faint breeze in the room. I had creaked open up my eyes, rubbing my hands against my eyes, getting rid of the grime collected.
Suddenly, I was looking at my father. My father who had a hazel color kind of eyes that crinkled when it smiled. My father who was the most kind hearted person I had ever known. My father who was in my room standing there, with a small, sad smile. My father… who was dead.
I blinked.
"Dad?" I asked hesitantly.
"Hey Kagome. How are you holding up?" He asked me, his voice tired, but the smile remaining on his face.
I stared at him. Wondering if maybe… maybe that he wasn't dead and that was all a huge nightmare.
"You're here!" I said excitedly as I got up and went to hug him. But he simply stepped away from me and looked at me with the same sad smile on his face.
"I'm sorry Kagome…" he told me as I felt the tears mist my vision. I knew now that he was dead. I knew it all along, but still hoped.
"Yeah… I know…" I told him, staring at my bare feet.
"How did you get here?" I asked him as I watched him. He sighed and sat on my bed, no indention was made.
I sat along with him, knowing that he was going to go away. Had the feeling that this was the last time I would talk to him. To see him. To tell him goodbye and I love you.
He sighed, "I asked the nice man giving me a chance to say good-bye before I left." He told me, as he grinned, "When I first met him though, the guy was complaining about how he hated unplanned deaths, and told me that I was an idiot." He laughed, "He told me to say my last goodbyes and that I only had three hours to do it." He sobered a bit and told me with a quiet voice, "I said goodbye to Souta first. He was sleeping but I think he knows." He told me. "Then I went to your mother, she was awake, couldn't see me, but she was able to talk to me and the first thing she asked was if I was hungry!" he laughed at that.
I also laughed a bit, "That sounds so much like mom…" I commented as he nodded in agreement, his eyes had crinkled at the thought.
"It does seem typical of her doesn't it?" he asked.
We both sat in comfortable silence and I started to cry.
Cry about how unfair life was.
Cry about how God was going to take him away from our family.
Cry about how he wasn't going to watch us grow up.
Cry about how we were going to miss him.
When I was sobbing, my father put an arm around my shoulders that I felt to be a warm and comfortable presence.
I hugged him knowing that this was going to be the last time.
"I love you so much Daddy…" I sobbed, "Please don't leave!"
He simply held me and never replied back. Instead, he told me, "Take care of Souta and your mother for me okay?" he told me as he patted my back. "Be strong. Be brave. Remember to never stray from your beliefs and to never forget what I taught you." He kissed my forehead and continued to hug me, comforting me.
We stayed there and my sobs gradually receded. I drew away from the hug and he ruffled my hair and smiled that sad smile again.
Then, a soft, curt voice broke into the conversation, "Time's up old man…"
My father got up and I looked at the intruder who had climbed through the window.
I blinked in surprise as I saw the same figure I had before in the hospital. The same silver hair, the same dog ears and the same amber eyes.
The Grim Reaper.
He nodded to my father who smiled and told him that he was ready to go. The Grim Reaper nodded and went back through the window. My father, hesitated for a moment, turned to look at me.
"Bye Kagome… Take care of your mother for me will you?" he asked softly.
I nodded, feeling the tears come from my eyes, "Yeah… I will. Don't worry about a thing," I smiled through the tears and I waved.
My father then climbed over the window and disappeared. Forever.
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A few days later, it was my father's funeral. My mother, brother and I were calm as we stood under the God Tree at my grandfather's shrine as we watched him get buried.
We all wore our best traditional clothing. Relatives came from the mother's and father's side of the family. Even my father's co-workers came, wearing their suits and formal clothing. Looking oddly out of place.
I stood there with my family as my grandfather conducted the ceremony, while holding Souta's hand as we watched him get buried into the soil.
Then, I felt a familiar presence as I saw the same Grim Reaper strut down the aisle and stand at the empty spot next to me. He was wearing black traditional clothing much like the rest of the family, with an unfamiliar logo on the clothing. He looked at me with the corner of his eye as he saw me watching him.
Then he made the oddest gesture. He slid his hand into my empty one and squeezed it, comforting me, and smiled a tiny sad smile. Almost telling me that everything was going to be alright.
As I watched the funeral coming to a close, all I could think of was my father. My father who loved us. My father who was taken away from us. My father who was a kind hearted man that couldn't kill a fly.
As my brother let go of my hand, I became aware that the funeral had ended and everyone had already given their respect to my father, putting flowers on his grave.
I was left. Alone with the Grim Reaper that ferried my father's soul to were it belonged.
"Is he happy?" I asked softly as I still loosely held his hand.
A dog ear twitched and he looked at me.
"He wishes that he was here with you all." He told me, his voice rough and tired sounding.
I squeezed his warm hand. The warmth comforting me.
"I'm sorry for your loss." He told me as he stared at my father's grave, "He was a good man. He told me to look after you…" He smiled, "You have a good father."
I nodded. Both of us stood silently as the wind swayed gently.
"Thank you." I told him. 'Thank you for letting us say good bye one last time…'
He nodded, understanding what was left unsaid. He untangled our hands and placed a flower that appeared out of nowhere on my father's grave.
Then, the same way he came, he left, walking down the aisle in long strides, until he disappeared from my sight.
I walked up to my father's grave and finally placed my flower down.
"Good bye dad…" I then left. Knowing that nothing would be the same.
Higurashi Ito
1960-1999
Beloved father and husband
Kind heart & soul
We will never forget you
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A/N: … That ended up more depressing than I imagined. Please R&R! (Any flames will be used to make a bonfire for my old school papers…)