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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Imaginary

Chapter One: Nightmare

"What are you doing?"

"Well, what does it look like?"

Kagome snorted. "It looks like you're drooling over those girls over there, you letch."

Miroku only smiled his charming smile that flashed sparkling white teeth towards her and walked away, making his way towards three young women in their late twenties who wore skirts that hung inches below their waists and only a couple more inches until the fabric ended.

And to think, that was the style nowadays.

God, this made her feel old.

Kagome looked around the parking lot as she stood just outside the grocery store, trying to ignore Miroku's luring voice towards the ladies.

Slap

Serves him right!

When she heard footsteps approaching from behind, Kagome merely tucked a strand of raven waist-length hair behind her ear and sighed. "When will we ever find a girl that will knock enough sense into you? Honestly Miroku, you need a good dose of reality. It's not healthy to be stroking random women when you walk by them. You're thirty-four for God's sake! You'd think you'd have outgrown that habit."

Miroku laughed, his violet eyes twinkling. "Old habits die hard. Not only that but I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it."

Kagome stared at Miroku, deadpanned. "Kurt Vonnegut?" she asked, picking up the several plastic bags of a week's worth in groceries while Miroku picked up the last few.

"No," he said with another disarming smile. "Garrison Keillor," Miroku told her, referring to the creator of the previous quote.

"Unbelievable," Kagome commented and sighed, walking to her Maserati convertible and unlocking it. Throwing the groceries in the trunk, Kagome hopped in the front seat where Miroku waited for her.

"So are we almost there?" he asked, a twinge of whining ringing in his tone.

"Twenty minutes max," she confirmed as started her car, pulling out of the parking lot and driving back onto the main two-lane highway that led to the small town of Trite.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Miroku asked, turning in his seat to face the girl beside him. "I mean, do you want to move out of the city? You've always loved it there. I know things in the past have been…edgy…but you always loved the nightlife and the fun of it all."

"I need to grow up Miroku," Kagome told him stiffly. "We've been through this. After Mama died and since I have no blood relatives, I'm the only one that had the possibility of inheriting Grandpa's shrine. It's in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and think of it this way. There are now going to be less people to bug me and follow me when I go to buy a morning coffee."

"Well, you are the number one selling authoress at the moment," Miroku reminded her gently. "Your new murder trilogy was truly remarkable."

"You've said that about all my murder mystery books," Kagome said tediously and sighed, shaking her head. "No Miroku. There is no talking me out of this. I need quiet now. I need…peace."

Miroku watched Kagome's strained face as she drove, occasionally looking at signs that directed them through town. He knew she wasn't telling him something. She was holding back and Miroku wasn't the type of guy to let her get away with it.

"Kagome…this isn't about what happened five years ago, is it?"

The colour visibly drained out of her face but her stiff upper lip didn't give and her face remained completely expressionless. The silence was enough of an answer from her but Miroku wasn't going to let her off that easily. Before he could continue though, she spoke.

"You know full-well it-"

"Is," Miroku cut in. "Kagome, he's-"

"I know," Kagome interrupted harshly.

Sensing her dangerous shaking anger, Miroku decided to back off. There was no point in bringing out old skeletons.

For another fifteen minutes, the two didn't talk. It wasn't until they were in the heart of the town of Trite and stopped that they noticed each other because heading their way was a casually dressed cop –he drove in a police cruiser- who sauntered slowly and leisurely towards them.

The top of her car was already down because of the summer's air so Kagome just rolled down her window. "Hello officer," she said politely, smiling. "Is something wrong?" It wasn't until she looked up that she realized what the true meaning of beautiful was.

Long silver waist-length hair blew in the wind and his tall six foot strong build was not only reassuring but highly attractive. He wore black shades that covered his eyes much to her disappointment but when she noticed the two furry appendages on top of his silver mane, she almost giggled.

'Half demon,' she thought, feeling his demonic presence.

"Tourists?" he asked, not caring for an introduction.

"No," Kagome said. "We're new residents. I'm Ka-"

"For the old man's shrine?" the officer asked, raising a brow. "You two don't look like the kind of couple to settle down."

Kagome blushed. "What? N-no! He –Miroku –friend -good…you?"

Miroku laughed full-heartedly. "I wish, with someone with a butt like hers? Fantasies were never-"

Slap

"Lecher," Kagome shot out and looked towards the now amused officer. "He's my friend, stupid pervert."

Again, the brow was lifted. "Who happens to be moving in with you? Oh…I see." He smirked and Miroku smiled though he was smart enough to explain.

"I'm her manager too. Not only that but we've been best friends for almost thirty years."

"Okay." Suddenly, he turned around and walked back to his car, opening the door and sitting inside. Just before he started it though, Kagome yelled out to him.

"That's it?"

Seeing that no one was on the road, he drove his car from the side behind her to right beside her in the middle of the lane. Rolling down his window, he scowled. "Yeah…"

Kagome grew confused. "And the point of that little chit-chat was…?"

"None of your business," he retorted.

Then, he took off.

"Why that no good, pompous, jerk-faced, moronic, idiot of a being!" Kagome screamed as she stormed in the vaguely familiar house and dropped the bags of food on the counter in the kitchen. "He was- how can- doesn't understand…ugh! I just don't get it!"

Miroku walked in warily, carrying heavy luggage and dumping it in the middle of the hall that led to the bedrooms. "Maybe he's new?" Miroku suggested, shrugging when he sat down on the chair in the kitchen.

"He isn't," Kagome answered abruptly, already starting to put food away. "For the large amount of egotistical ignorance and the fact that he parked in the middle of the highway, I'm positive he's been around for awhile."

Miroku sighed, he should have known.

"Plus," Kagome rambled on, "he was very casual if not extremely rude and no ordinary officer would just leave randomly. He didn't even have an excuse to approach us!"

Shaking his head, Miroku just looked out the window that their table looked out on. Miroku thought that if Kagome had ever been a detective, she would probably be one of the best profilers around. She just had this uncanny knack to understand people just by a glance or the way they did something.

"I'm going to take a look around," Miroku said quietly as Kagome nodded and finished filling the cupboards. Leaving the kitchen, Miroku walked out into the main hall that led to the front entrance. Just when you walk in, to the first room on the right through the doorway there was a large and cozy family room with a television, couches and small tables. If you continued down straight you would end up in the kitchen but if you turned to the hall that turned to the right, you would go down the bedroom hall where the line-up of three bedrooms were, each coming with their own bathroom adjoined.

"Which is my room?" Miroku called over his shoulder as he picked up his couple suitcases. "And which is yours? I'll bring the luggage into the rooms."

Kagome appeared out of the kitchen and shrugged. "I already picked out the room on the left but there are two rooms on the right side. Whatever one you want I guess."

Miroku smiled and casually picked up the bags, tossing them into the room to the right that was furthest down the hall and then placing Kagome's neatly on her bed. He was about to unpack his clothes when he heard Kagome call him in for lunch.

"Thanks Kagome," Miroku said as he sat down at the table that could fit four, taking up his fork and knife and eating the food in front of him.

"So, what do you feel like doing after lunch?" Kagome asked.

Thinking about it, Miroku tilted his head to one way and then the other. "I guess before dinner we should drive through town. I'd like to see what other stores they have and how good they are."

"You mean you want to see how many lingerie stores they have and how many chicks work at each."

Pouting, Miroku put a hand over his heart, his head bowed. "That hurt. I assure you I wanted to do no such thing."

"But you thought of such a thing," Kagome corrected and then brushed the crumbs from her sandwich over her plate. "Anyways, I need the good locks installed by tomorrow. Grandpa had a fairly good alarm system so at least we won't need a new one."

Looking Kagome straight in the eye, Miroku asked, "This is tormenting you every day, isn't it?"

Kagome didn't look away. "Of course, what happened…? I…"

"Shush," Miroku said gently. "Don't need to tell me. Just answer me this. Do you ever go a day without thinking about it?"

This time, Kagome did look away, finding the coloured knots in the table interesting. "Never," she finally answered. "It is the first thought that enters my mind in the morning and the last thought before I go to bed. Sometimes, it's like a nightmare, only this time I'm not waking up from one, I'm waking up into one."

Trite.

What a joke. What a hell of a joke.

The founder must have had some wicked sense of humour when he named this town.

Or, he could've been drunk.

Both were likely possibilities though the latter stayed truer to mind.

Inuyasha Taisho sat at his desk, his silver hair spilling over the edge of his leather seat that was currently leaning on two legs instead of four. His eyes were closed and his head was back as he listened to the silent world in his office.

Trite was one of the smallest towns in what he considered to be the world, the place barely eligible to be on a map until five years ago. Hell, he would rather not go there.

Sighing in boredom, Inuyasha put all legs of the chair back on the floor and then gazed around his desk, papers scattered, junk littered and garbage surrounding the large spacious desk he was provided with when getting the job as the chief of Trite.

How ironic.

Trite, now proud to be mentioned in a regular map, was a town of no crime. The worst case they had was the odd murder when a couple drunks went at it and ended up killing the other before walking into the street because of their own stupor and getting hit. Cases like that were actually the most common and it made the police's work a lot simpler since the evidence was normally all too clear. They might as well have had the clues in neon.

So despite the odd door to door "can you please turn down the music" calls or the random if not annoying yet entertaining calls to help open a beer bottle for an eighty year old lady, things could be considered pretty tame.

Why, oh why, did he choose to stay here?

Years ago he had the opportunity to go to the city and take his skills to the next level, bringing them forward a notch and giving his instincts something to strive for and work harder on. But then he got the opportunity to be chief of the department and with the fair priced pay check compared to the money that would have been spent if he left, he decided to stay here.

In Trite: a.k.a boring as Hell.

Vaguely, Inuyasha wondered if he should clean his desk since it had all the possibilities of containing dead bugs, mold off month old food and important papers that should be filed neatly away. The thought was quickly diminished though, when he realized how much work he would need to be put into doing that.

After being lazy in this town for five years, old habits would have to die hard because Inuyasha Taisho was not going to move.

Leaning back on his chair, Inuyasha closed his eyes, humming to himself randomly as he lulled himself to sleep.

Then he heard footsteps with a soft knock came from outside the door.

"Come in Sango. What do you got?"

Sango Houko walked into his office, shutting the door behind her with a mellifluous click and making her way towards his desk, her high no-nonsense ponytail of black straight hair swaying behind her.

"Hey chief, tired?"

"More or less," he answered with a shrug. He glanced at Sango quickly before closing his eyes again. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Sango flushed, looking down at her outrageous attire. Stilettos that could break anyone's foot were on her feet and a tight leather black skirt with a v-neck black leather top was her only other attire. For once, Sango had makeup other than light eye shadow and wore so much foundation he thought the mask would crack if any more was applied.

Indignant now, Sango crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to cover as much skin as possible. "I just finished that last call. The one I had to go undercover on?"

Smirking to himself, Inuyasha nodded.

When a book came into contact with his head, Inuyasha growled and sat back down properly on his chair, all four legs grounded. "Feh! I know. Relax, it was a tough case. Did you get everything done?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. We have enough to prosecute him now, that old drunk," she murmured. "Anyways, I also found out some other important things so overtime pay is necessary."

Raising his hands, palms forwards, Inuyasha shook his head. "Don't look at me. I want the same thing but before you tell me anything, wouldn't you want to change first?"

Calm now, Sango didn't even flinch. "No, this is too important. I can change later. First of all, I want to know what you were doing on the outskirts of Trite."

"None of your business," he snorted, repeated the same thing he had said towards the new girl.

"Right, whatever… Why do I have the feeling you went to check out that couple that's moving in?"

"They're not a couple," Inuyasha replied automatically. "Best friends for thirty years."

Smiling, obviously impressed, Sango sat down in the chair opposite to his by his desk. "You got that much personal out of them?"

"They had some…explaining to do on their part," he muttered but when Sango just shot him a questioning look, he ignored her. "Anyways, what's so important?"

Sango unconsciously bit her thumbnail and then sighed. "Well, I overheard some stuff…"

"What kind?"

"Odd, interesting stuff I guess."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Can you just get to the point Sango? I don't have all day you know!"

She shook her head sadly, knowing that was exactly what he had but didn't comment. She knew this was going to hurt him, more than he probably would ever admit. She would expect nothing less then his office being trashed and his desk ruined into sawdust.

"Inuyasha," she said uneasily. "He's back."

She couldn't remember what had happened to her.

Hazily, she remembered taking sleeping pills before saying goodnight to Miroku and then laying down on the new bed, the pillows especially soft. But now...?

Where in the world was she?

Her eyes wouldn't open but Kagome could feel tense back muscles and arm muscles aching and crying out to be kneaded. And for some strange reason, she had the feeling that she was sitting up.

And that brought her back to her previous question.

Where?

A light noise could be heard but other than that, not a sound was made through the house. What was that noise?

She didn't know.

It sounded like…a fan.

Her eyes squeezing closed in hopes to open them, she nibbled her bottom lip when the scratchy feel of sleep in her eyes bugged her. Her body was sore and she realized before everything became clear that it was dark, just turning light and she was sitting straight up in a leather seat.

She was at a desk.

Her muscles were sore, especially her wrists.

She swore out loud and opened her eyes hastily, fearing for the worst.

And then her nightmare came true.

She was sitting at the small wooden desk in her room where she had set up all her writing equipment, included her laptop that never left her sight.

Running on it was a word program and reading the last three sentences, she concluded that the writing was hers.

It was happening again.

Oh no. Please God no.

But it was.

She sat at her desk, computer running, with a newly made story of another woman's murder fresh on the page.

It was five hundred and seventy-nine pages long.

And all Kagome did was sit there, crying, hoping that this was all just a dream.

The voices were back…

My email address changed. I now have two accounts. Feel free to add me to MSN messenger and/or email me with any questions. I will respond.

Next Chapter: Lies - "The killer made sure to watch the face as the hands that held her neck strangled her. Evil watched her die with a smile on its lips."

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