Disclaimer: Don't own him. Don't sue me. Thanks for all of the reviews!
Chapter Nineteen: Bad to Worse
Kagome awoke with a start.
The voices inside her mind screamed and wailed like being in the middle of four five-foot-tall speakers blasting music. Though it was painful, it had happened before and it was nothing unusual.
Kagome sat up in bed and raised the covers up to her neck, subconsciously raising a barrier around her body.
After a moment of silence in the room and an eternity of never-ending noise in her mind, Kagome tried to remember what woke her up in the first place.
Getting out of bed, Kagome checked the time that read eight-thirty. Hearing the sounds of footsteps in the kitchen, Kagome knew that Miroku was up, probably with coffee brewing. Her only mistake, she realized when she entered the kitchen, was that Miroku already had coffee in hand.
"Hey," Kagome called softly making Miroku look up. She was startled when she saw dark bags under her best friend's eyes and his face was deathly pale. "When did you get back last night?"
Miroku gave her a weak smile. "I got back around eleven last night and then I woke up around seven and went to the station. I just got back around ten minutes ago."
"Oh," Kagome said, not really knowing what else to say. "Has anything come to light yet?"
Miroku grunted and took another sip of the caffeine. "Three girls and a male from here are being held at the station in the next town. They were out clubbing last night or something like that. They got into trouble…the works."
Kagome sighed. "What's the big deal about that?"
"Don't know but I do know the sheriff there called this morning to make sure that Inuyasha and Sango went in for a brief 'chat.'"
"That sounds a bit unusual," Kagome concluded and then pouring a cup of coffee for herself, looked around the kitchen. She spotted the corner of her work desk in the doorway and suddenly the urge to create hit her. It didn't seem to be something she could control. Once when she was younger, Kagome was about to write about one hour a night before she went to bed. Now, as her stories got more complicated and detailed, she needed to make notes, profiles, twists…pre-determined sections that enabled her to focus more on the detail than the action itself since it was already set out for her.
"I'm going to go write," Kagome stated finally, grabbing her mug of the bitter liquid and heading towards her desk. When she got there, she thought a moment about writing at her desk but in the end decided that her room would be better. A place of salvation and isolation always helped her to write clearly.
"I'll be in my room. Only come in if necessary," Kagome called from her bedroom door and smiled when she only heard a grunt in response. Miroku was really having a bad day.
Sitting on her bed with the laptop in her lap, Kagome opened the document to her recent novel and read the last two paragraphs, getting back the feel of what she had written. She started off slow, words starting to come to her mind and eventually she got into a steady rhythm.
After half an hour, Kagome stopped and cursed, looking at the three and a half pages on Microsoft Word that she had written in that time. Highlighting the entire work, Kagome hesitated only a minute before pressing the backspace button and deleting it all.
She started once again, only after another twenty minutes, sighed when she realized she only wrote one paragraph. For some reason, she just couldn't get on with the story.
But the itch in her fingers continued and before Kagome could question what she was doing or making a conscious decision of it, she saved the little work she had done, exited out, and opened a brand new document.
A blank document.
Nothing came to mind and soon she stared out the small window her room provided. Outside was nothing but the grounds, a small shed surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass, dirt pathways and strong growing trees that stood in the background…
Kagome couldn't quite understand what she was doing. Suddenly, her mind went blank and she closed her eyes. Blue skies soared above her, not a single fluffy cloud in the sky and the sun was nowhere in sight. However it was bright out and long grass that ended at her waist surrounded her, teasing her as the wind blew them against her bare legs.
Her pyjamas were still on, the short shorts and the tank top hiding virtually nothing but she didn't care or feel at all self-conscious. She was at peace.
The lull continued that way for a while as she searched the grounds of her new reality. It was endless, the ground, the sky, the borderline of trees. Kagome didn't even dare try to walk through there, feeling that it was not in her right to do so.
Despite that fact though, Kagome seems to be unable to keep her eyes off it. It was so dark between the trees and a chill seeped into her bones as she studied it more closely.
"Kagome…"
Suddenly, the winds changed and blew at her with a ferocity she knew she couldn't match. The sky darkened and the trees were right beside her, looming over her as if to jump and hold her down.
"Kagome…"
A shadowy outline, a glimmer of what wasn't possible to be there flashed in her eyes.
"Kagome…"
Get out.
For the second time that day, Kagome woke with a start.
Her legs burned and her feet tingled, her wrists cried pain and her back seemed so stiff it felt as though it would be impossible to move.
But she did move.
She removed the laptop off her legs and stood up to shake her body.
She knew what she had done.
It happened yet again.
The murderer had struck again.
It was like she was living a dream.
Ami woke up peacefully, her deep wise eyes showing as her lids fluttered and a light groan escaped.
She'd slept in.
It was the first thing Ami noticed when she pushed the covers off of her and looked at the blinds that didn't live up to its standards.
Strong piercing sunlight filtered through the cracks and streamed into the room making it as bright as it would've been with the lights turned on.
'It's probably around noon,' Ami thought. Which was weird; considering the fact she'd gotten no sleep in weeks.
It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn't die.
A fatalist was something Ami had never been and even after the ordeal of feeling like each day would be her last, she never fell into step with that category.
She had taken sensible precautions each time she went to bed and recently had even considered getting a dog from the shelter. A yappy dog: the ones that would bark at the quietest sound.
But now, she felt no fear, no chill and no sense to run and hide.
She dressed in her usual baggy jeans and plain t-shirt, doing nothing to reveal the little curves she had. It was probably the reason why she'd been single for the past two years ad even if a guy did come up to her, her attitude would hold them at bay. Ami had always been a shy, a girl that had lots to say but never spoke. Some of her past teachers had thought she was mute.
Now, as Ami walked out of the bedroom and into the small kitchenette her apartment held, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. She felt a sense of pain, loss and an utter feel of loneliness and inescapable cold.
Making coffee that had been set ahead of time, Ami quickly made it and ran back to her room to grab her shoes that she had carelessly tossed the night before after getting back from her late shift.
Her cupboards were still fairly empty so Ami decided to have lunch at some restaurant in Trite.
It wasn't until Ami got to the door though that she realized she wouldn't be eating.
Ami dropped her coffee, shattering the mug and spilling the hot liquid all over her legs. She didn't feel any pain though as she screamed in horror.
And suddenly, it felt like a dream no more.
Inuyasha and Sango remained –somewhat- patiently as they waited for Sheriff Hojo Ueda to talk to them. To say the least, the two were surprised when a scrawny man with sandy brown hair and light blue eyes walked in. Neither of them had met him before and both did a slight double-take at his appearance.
All uniform, the man approached them and sat down at his desk, flipping open a notebook and staring at the two with a small smile. "I'm very sorry to call you in like this but I didn't think I had a choice really. I thought you should be aware and since we both live in such small towns we can bend the rules."
"Okay," Inuyasha said slowly, giving Sango a sideways glance. "What's this information that's so important?"
"Naraku Morikawa doesn't exist."
The four words the sheriff said were blunt and quiet but Inuyasha leaned forward and put his hands on the desk. "Excuse me?"
"Exactly what I had said chief," Ueda said. "The one you see as Naraku is actually a man named Onigumo Egawa. DUI, robbery, stalking, assault, harassment and murder. He changed his name to Naraku Morikawa for a clean record. We're looking into it some more because he assaulted on our grounds."
Inuyasha nodded and swore. "If it's alright with you, can we talk to him a little later on?"
"For the murders?" Ueda asked grimly.
"For the murders," Inuyasha confirmed.
Kagome let out a shaky breath and shut down her computer, immediately picking up her cell phone and dialling.
"What?"
Once again, his harsh voice filled her ears and Kagome suddenly felt all too small. He was still mad about what happened. Kagome didn't know whether to cry or scream. They had both come up with it and they had both agreed. It wasn't her fault but she couldn't deal with that now.
"It's happened," she whispered into the phone, angry with herself for not sounding stronger. But she was scared and she felt so alone.
"What happened Kagome?" She could hear his voice soften and she must have sounded extremely pitiful for him to try and sooth her.
"She's dead and this time, she's dragged in another to suffer."
Inuyasha didn't speak and Kagome started to worry. "Inuyasha? Are you there?"
"Yes, I'm coming to get you."
"No, you have to go-"
"Sango can go, I'm getting you. Is Miroku with you?"
"I…I don't know. I think I heard the front door open and shut but I could be wrong. He was dead tired and a little sad looking. He might have gone for a drive."
"Alright, first check if he's there. Don't go outside, lock your doors and close the blinds. Be careful, please."
"I have double locks on all my doors and windows and I have a security system," Kagome said. She knew he was going to question her about that since it was a bit excessive but he didn't.
"I'll be there in five."
Kagome got out of bed, her laptop in her hands as she walked out of the room. "Miroku?" she called but got no answer. Putting the laptop down on her desk, Kagome got to work on locking the few doors and windows that were unlocked.
When everything was done she lifted one of the blinds and looked out the window that gave a view of the driveway. Her car was gone.
Since Kagome and Miroku had always shared a ride, it wasn't so surprising but Kagome wondered why he'd left. He would only leave if it was to get something and Miroku wouldn't leave her if it wasn't important.
Running back to her room and getting her cell, she dialled Miroku's number and waited patiently.
"Hey Kagome," Miroku said, his tired voice reaching her ears. "What's up?"
"There's been another death," Kagome said, somewhat shakily. "Where are you?"
"Another…who is it?"
"Where are you?" Kagome repeated, not answering the question.
Miroku sighed. "Jinenji called. He wants to know why I gave you the break and he needs some papers I have. I didn't tell you because you were writing and I hate disturbing you. I would've told you though if I knew it'd take this long. Traffic's a bitch."
"How long?"
"Maybe an hour or so," Miroku said sadly. "Call Sango or Inuyasha. I don't like you being alone in the house."
"Already done," Kagome told him. "I…did it again Miroku. I wrote another story."
"How long?" It was Miroku's turn to ask.
"Six hundred pages exact."
"Jesus."
When the sound of a truck pulling into her driveway reached her, Kagome checked to see that Inuyasha was coming out, his gun on his hip holster. Saying goodbye to Miroku, Kagome ran out of the house and locked the doors from the outside. The first thing she said to him though was not a greeting but a question. She seemed to be full of them lately.
"Who is it?"
Inuyasha seemed to struggle for a bit but then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's Nazuna and you were right, someone else was dragged in. Nazuna was found in a woman named Ami Dai's apartment."
Kagome nodded and followed him to the car.
"How did you know all that? How do you know everything about the murders?"
"The voices," Kagome answered automatically. "They tell me."
"Somehow, I doubt that."
Kagome's smiled twisted but she said no more and Inuyasha didn't push her.
"Sango is up there now but can't get near the apartment door. Apparently Ami has lost it and freaks out when any one of them get near her. She broke Hiten's nose and almost bashed Ayame's head in with the metal bar that she used to hang up her towels or something like that."
"Let me see her," Kagome demanded softly.
"And let you get killed? No, I already have too many deaths on my conscious."
"It's not your fault Inuyasha," Kagome said, her voice firm. "He doesn't want you to find him, not yet anyways."
"Not yet?"
Kagome mentally kicked herself for letting that slip. She couldn't let him know, fate always had a way of twisting things around. Fortunately, she was saved when they got into the parking lot of the apartment building, police surrounding and blocking off the area.
Reporters flashed their cameras and Kagome ducked in the seat, hiding from them but realized that she was slightly too late. Cursing, Kagome sat back up when they reached the side of the building and she got out.
"Crap," she muttered. "Tomorrow I'll be the front page cover of Trite's Weekly. Just peachy."
Ignoring her sarcasm, Inuyasha continued to walk up the stairs to Ami's apartment, on the fourth level 18D. When they got to the door, Sango turned around and sighed. "Chief, she won't let us near her. We've been trying to coax her, sooth her but she's going into a panic."
"Where is she?" Kagome asked and before Inuyasha could intervene, Sango answered.
"Last place I saw her was in the far right corner of the room. She's rocking and clinging onto some bar. I think she got it from the bathroom."
Kagome nodded and walked through the door. It was then that she saw the body but pushing herself through the voices she continued on to the girl that was rocking herself in a fetal position.
"Kagome, get back here goddammit!"
She disregarded Inuyasha's cursing from the door and thought he was going to follow her. If he was going to, she only had a minute or so.
"Ami?" Kagome asked softly, her voice nothing more than a lull.
"Go away," Ami whispered; the sound part of a groan and a mix of anguish and insanity. "I don't want to die."
Kagome tilted her head and stopped, looking at the woman in the dark room. She was small, her figure barely there and the saying "you're so thin you'd disappear if you turned around" applying all too well. Fair hair, pale complexion…
"Why do you want to live?" Kagome asked cautiously, being smart about the questions asked. A question like, "who's going to kill you?" or "I'm not going to hurt you" was about as smart as sticking your head in a shark's mouth. It would only frighten them further and said them into a deeper and more emotional frenzy.
For a while, Ami didn't answer. Kagome waited patiently, not moving but keeping her eyes focused on the girl. Suddenly, the bar dropped and Ami's head shot up, her eyes open and the brown intensity of her own against Kagome's was fierce.
"I like it… I guess; it's all I really have. It's not much but I want it."
Kagome smiled and bent down to her knees. Holding her hand out, Kagome watched as Ami instantly put her hand to hers. It was then that Kagome felt the impact against her body as Ami clung to her, sobs racking out and hands grabbing her t-shirt.
"I don't…want to die…" Ami said between sobs and Kagome stroked her back, hushing her and murmuring words of sweet encouragement.
"I know Ami, I know."
When Hachi finally came and Ami was taken out of the building, Kagome shifted from foot to foot. "As long as the sedatives keep Ami asleep then we should be good. She doesn't want me to leave her though so we have to make this quick."
"Forensics will go over this place with a fine tooth comb," Inuyasha reassured. "And Hachi is working right now. We're doing all we can."
Kagome nodded and subconsciously thumbed the jewel that hung at her neck. Her head shot up. "She has a jewel shard too," Kagome said, swallowing down the wave of nausea that hit her.
"Where?" Inuyasha asked. "Tell me where Kagome."
It was then that Hachi pulled off the handkerchief that the killer left on Nazuna's face and he cursed, looking into the now empty eye sockets of where her brown eyes once were. "Found it."
Next Chapter: Too Close- She was falling too deep. "Kagome, back up. Get out," Inuyasha ordered. "Screw off," Kagome said flippantly. "You've hurt me enough. I hate how you treat me and how you hate me on something we both agreed on."