Chapter 6 – Terror

She didn't sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw them. She felt his hand against her neck. She smelt the smell of her own blood as they ran the knife up her back. She tasted the harsh metal of the dagger against her lip. She heard the shrill, cold laugh.

When she walked into school the next morning, it was evident to all that she was not herself. Her friends watched her with worry as she walked from class to class in complete abstraction. She had not spoken a word to them all morning.

"What the hell did you do to Kagome, you useless dog turd!" Koga growled as he shoved Inuyasha against the wall.

"Me? Why do you think it has to be something I did!"

"I'm gone for one day, and when I get back, she's like this! It has to be you!"

"No it doesn't! I don't know what happened to her! She was fine yesterday!"

"Don't lie to me, you useless mutt!" Koga growled. "That girl has been through some serious shit in her life, and I swear to God, that if you have done a single thing to her, then your life will not be worth anything, do I make myself perfectly clear?!"

"Bugger off, wolf! I ain't done nothing to Kagome! I don't know why she's like that!"

Koga let go of him, growling. "You'd better not have."

Ayame put a hand on his arm. "Koga, calm down."

"What did you mean, Kagome's been through some shit in her life?" Miroku asked. Sango bit her lip, hopeful that Koga would keep his big mouth shut. Kagome would kill them both if her secret came out.

"That's her story to tell," said Ayame. "She'll let you know when she's ready."

…

Games. Training. The last thing Kagome wanted right now.

Sango looked at her, concern in her eyes. "I won't be in the same class as you today, Kagome. But I'll just be on the other side of the field if you need me. Okay?"

Kagome nodded dumbly. Right.

"Kagome, are you gonna be ok? You can talk to me, you know."

Kagome just nodded.

Sango sighed, and enfolded her friend in a limp hug. "At least talk to Koga. He nearly killed Inuyasha this morning, he was so worried about you."

Kagome nodded again.

"Kagome? Was it something to do with Inuyasha?"

This time Kagome shook her head, her heart pounding. No. It had nothing to do with him.

"Well… okay then," Sango sounded doubtful. "I'll see you later. Have fun."

Kagome watched as her friend walked to the other end of the training field. Fun.

"Higurashi!" the teacher yelled. "Get over here!"

Kagome sighed.

…

Inuyasha, who was to the west of the field, was using his demonic senses. Keh, not for training. He couldn't be arsed. No, he was using his senses to keep an eye on a certain someone.

A cookie if you can guess who that someone is.

He could hear her heartbeat pounding. Slow and steady. All signs that she was calm. And he would have believed that, he really would, if not for the smell. He could smell her so clearly, even from this far away. She smelt like… like Sakura blossoms. So sweet. But the Sakura blossoms were dying, giving way to winter. Her scent held all hints that she was breaking down. Even the way she moved… his sharp eyes followed her. She slumped as if defeated, moving woodenly, automatically, not really thinking about where she put her feet. She stumbled a few times, and almost fell. He had to try so hard to not run forward and catch her. And she hadn't spoken a single word to anyone that morning. Not Sango, not Koga… not him.

God, he hoped Kagome was alright.

…

"Ok, Higurashi," said the teacher. "Today you're going to be working with me, separately. Your individual miko skills are less trained than the others, but your sacred power is quite a bit stronger. We're gonna have to keep you separate from the others while you learn how to control yourself. Ok?"

Kagome nodded dumbly again. The teacher frowned.

"Something wrong, Higurashi?"

"No sensei, " Kagome said in a quiet voice.

"Well… alright then." Even the teacher didn't believe her. She turned and walked briskly towards the school. "Follow me, Higurashi."

…

Miroku threw his sutra towards the dummy, which crumbled into powder. He punched the air with one fist. "Come on! One left to master!"

He was distracted as a large, white boomerang flew through the air, scattering the powder.

It was Sango's Hiraikotsu.

"Gomen sensei," he heard her call.

Miroku frowned. Sango was the best in the school – she hadn't thrown a dud shot since fifth year. There must have been a reason she did that. But what?

His questions were answered as she passed him, stooping to grab her weapon.

"Kagome's going inside with the teacher," she hissed, from where she was struggling to pull her Hiraikotsu from the place it was wedged in the ground. "Do you know what's going on?!"

"No idea," he murmured, going down with the pretence of helping her. "Maybe… maybe something happened, d'you think? Maybe… maybe that's why she's been so distant?"

"What if it was something to do with home?!" Sango whispered. "What if… there's been an accident? Oh God, what happened?!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She can handle it… whatever it is." He straightened. "There you go, Sango. Good as new…just use a damp cloth to wipe off the mud stains."

"Arigato, Miroku," Sango said, without turning a hair.

She was turning to go, when she remembered something Kagome had said to her once. "That black haired boy, Miroku. He likes you."

God, I can't believe I'm going to do this.

She took a deep breath, and turned to Miroku. Raising on her tiptoes, she gave him a quick, light kiss onto his lips. He stiffened for a second, before encircling her body with his arms and deepening the contact.

"SUIKATSA! I'M GLAD YOU HAVE YOUR WEAPON, NOW GET BACK OVER HERE AND STOP MAKING OUT WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND! DO IT IN YOUR OWN TIME!"

Sango broke the kiss, and ran down the field without looking back.

Miroku lifted his hands to his lips. Did she just…

Smiling, he turned back to his instruction. He cracked his knuckles. Today was such an amazing day.

…

Inuyasha watched as Kagome was led inside. His heart tore itself into two pieces. He knew he couldn't follow her, but… oh God, he wanted to. He desperately wanted to make sure she was ok.

…

"Ok, Higurashi. Now, how good is your archery?"

Kagome shrugged. "Not good."

"Give me a number on a scale of 1-10."

"About 0.5."

"Ok. Well, we're gonna start with some basic target practice. Try to refrain from using your spiritual energy."

"Ok."

She grasped the bow. It felt… it felt so right in her hands. Smooth. Secure. But she had only used one once before… and it wasn't even hers. Kagome notched the arrow. Pulling it back, she felt it again. Her power sparking. Desperately, she tried to quell it, but her panic only made it more pronounced.

This is what I did last time I held a bow.

That was it. That thought, right there, was what did it. She screamed as she let the arrow fly, feeling the agony tearing through her body as her memories and her pain and her worry and her terror threatened to engulf her.

She missed the target.

The wall of the gym exploded, it's bricks crushed into fine powder by her magic. She could smell the burning. She could hear the screaming from outside. She could see the terrified expression on the face of her teacher. She felt as the powder caressed her face. She tasted the cloying scent of blood in her mouth, and knew that an unchecked shard of stone had cut her face. She smelt the dust as the havoc settled.

Backing away from the havoc she had caused, wide eyed, she turned… and ran.

…

"SHIT!" Inuyasha yelled, covering his nose. He felt dizzy. Spiritual power, and a lot of it. Lesser demons had fallen to the ground from the sheer intensity of it. Only one person could have caused this.

Kagome.

Oh God, what had happened? Was she ok?

Frantically, he tore forwards, not caring at the aching that her energy had caused all of his type.

"Kagome!" he yelled, searching through the rubble with his eyes. His nose was useless in this destruction, as were his ears; barely anything could be heard through the pandemonium.

"Kagome!" he yelled.

"Inuyasha!" he turned. Sango, Miroku, Koga and Ayame were running towards him. "What happened?!"

"It was Kagome! She… I dunno! Miroku, you know the spiritual crap! Why did this happen!"

The monk was struck dumb. "I… I don't know…"

"Where is she?" Sango demanded. "What happened to her?! Is she ok?!"

"I don't know!" he yelled. "I can't find her!"

He turned and ran from his friends, entering the heart of the chaos such a small girl had caused.

He pawed desperately through rubble, searching through rust, before running round the entire school, desperately trying to track her scent.

She was gone.

And outside, it started to rain.

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Ok, I know i only updated yeaterday, but I'm posting as i write, and this chapter, it just wouldn't leave me alone!

i hope you all like the way it turned out. And brinaalee, thank you for your tip - it really helped.

Please let me know how you think this is going, whether it's moving too fast, and pretty much anything that's going through your head!

Libra Sorceress xx