The next few days went by in hazy, half dreams, Kagome tried again numerous times to get thru the well, she even tried one of her grandfathers ridiculous charms. After that failed, she gave up and confined herself to her room, refusing to eat or drink anything, staying in her stale pajamas, refusing to change or bathe. Her friends came to the door, but were always turned away, they were accustomed to hearing she wasn't well, so they didn't ask any questions. On the seventh day her mother burst into the room, dragged her by her hair to the bathtub and pulled her clothes off and started the shower on her.
"Mama!!!" Kagome shrieked "What are you doing?!"
"Stopping this!" Her mother declared as she lathered shampoo into Kagome's hair
"I don't want to stop it, I just want to be near Inuyasha again!"
Kagome buried her face in her hands as fresh tears stung her eyes.
"Kagome," her mother said with a much more compassionate tone "I know it's hard for you, I felt the same way when your father died. But no matter how much we wish for it too stop, the world keeps on turning"
Kagome sat under the stream of water, tears falling down her cheeks, a blank look on her face.
"I know he wouldn't want you to waste your life wishing for what could've been."
Kagome looked at her mother, she hated too admit it, but Mama was right, she needed to at least try to deal, at least try to do more than sit in her room wishing she hadn't lost his hand.
"Just take it one day at a time. Oh and shower too, you stink!"
Kagome got up the next morning, got dressed packed her bag and went to school, she came home from class, studied, ate dinner, bathed and went to bed. She did all again the next day, and the next and the next. But she still found herself dwelling on Inuyasha, her gaze finding it's way to the sacred tree. She knew she shouldn't ignore her feelings, but it was just easier.
She enrolled in cram school and joined the schools archery team. When she wasn't studying or practicing, she made it a point to hang out with her friends or go on dates with Hojo. Anything to fill up the time, anything that would keep her away from the tree.
One evening after she got home from cram school and was about to take her dinner to her room to study, ( something her mother didn't like, but accepted), her mother informed her of a visitor who kept coming to the shrine and asking for her.
"For me?" She said looking stunned
"Yes, a very handsome man actually" Mama said through a blush "He comes at about four every afternoon asking for you, but you're never home. I offer to give you any kind of message he'd like to leave but he always reclines. So politely too."
"Well" Kagome said thoughtfully "If it was that important he'd leave a message. I've got studying to do"
She sat down at her desk and pulled out her algebra book, but couldn't concentrate, who would wan to see her that she wasn't always spending so much time with? He comes by every day at the same time? Oh my god! She thought, What if it's a stalker! Or a demon she once fought that's still alive! What if some of Naraku had remained, only now getting strong enough to attack!
She got up and ran to were her grandfather kept all the old scrolls and talismans. She spent the rest of the night studying them and trying to figure out how to fight whatever it might be.