I really do apologize for the lack of posting. I'm trying my hardest though but I already have a MIDTERM. In September! I've only been there 25 DAYS! FML.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Ordinary
Chapter Eleven: Breakdown
"Inuyasha, don't do this to me!" Kagome screamed. "I'm okay now. I'm awake and fully conscious. Let me out!"
"Oh no," Inuyasha said sternly, looking at her with intense amber eyes. "This happened once before. No. You are not getting out. Did you see yourself back there? You were screaming bloody murder. I thought a fucking ghost was trying to kill you!"
"Ghosts can't kill you!" Kagome shot back.
Inuyasha gave her a pointed stare.
"Not in the way you're saying it!" Kagome continued, aggravated. "Please Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha kissed her on the forehead. "No."
And with that, he shut and locked the door.
"If you get out," Inuyasha yelled through the car window, "the alarm will go off. And I'll catch you. And it won't be good." He gave her another pointed stare and sauntered off to his half-brother.
"I can't believe this." Kagome sighed and pushed her body against the seat forcefully. Inuyasha was freaking out – granted – but he didn't need to treat her like a child. He knew that she was strong. He knew that she could handle it. So what was his problem?
Kagome grumbled incoherent words as she looked around the truck. She wondered how long she was going to have to wait in the stupid thing. What was she to do?
Run for your life, maybe? A dark chuckled stirred her out of her mental rambling.
"Not you again," Kagome moaned. "I fucking hate you. You killed Minori. Why?"
Why not?
"She wasn't even married!" Kagome shouted, feeling slightly insane. Here she was alone in a truck, after knocking herself unconscious because the dead were contacting her, talking to no one but the little voice in her head.
That happened to be a killer of dozens of women.
Inuyasha should've thrown her into a mental institution when he had the chance.
Oh sweet Kagome. You don't even know the half of it. I like my women...tied up. It's like a game, you know, the chase before the catch? Women who are otherwise taken are much feistier, much more willing to live. I prefer them that way, but I don't rule by it. The killer laughed. Why haven't you left the city yet?
"Because I'm going to find you, you son of a bitch," Kagome hissed. "And you're going to die."
Kagome, I'm sorry, but you're time's almost up.
Like she hadn't heard that before.
Oh I know you have. I know all about your half-sister. The one that tried to kill you. What a bitch, eh? She was trying to tear you and your dear Inuyasha apart.
"What does this have to do with anything?" Kagome asked furiously. "Who are you? What do you want? Are you even dead? How am I talking to you?"
Yes, how are you talking to me? He laughed again and Kagome shivered, as if a cold finger ran up and down her spine. She checked the locks on the doors and whipped her head around, knowing but making sure, that no one else was in the truck with her.
"Why don't you answer that?"
Because then it would give it all away, he said simply, as if Kagome should already know. His made a sound of disapproval and sighed. I thought you were smarter than that.
"Who the fuck are you?" Kagome shouted again.
Breathe back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home, the killer sang sweetly to her. He stopped and gave a dark laugh. You should be delighted to even know this song. Do you know who created it?
Kagome clamped her mouth tightly together, realizing he was asking questions out of sheer humour at her expense. He was pleased with their conversation. The thought disturbed her on many levels and she tried to get Inuyasha's attention. "Who?" she asked, trying not to sound distracted.
Oh don't call that jerk over, the voice demanded. You know, you deserve to be with a real man. Like me. I bet you've never been with a man like me.
"Answer the question, you sick son of a bitch!" Kagome's temper flew out the window, feeling disgusted with herself. The thought revolted her.
The very first one.
"Mari Kan?" Kagome asked. She wondered, just wondered, if she could maybe get some information out of him. If he would talk to her long enough, maybe she could plot his next move, figure out his next task.
That worthless fucking bitch? As if.
"So there are more?"
More of what?
"You tell me."
Well, that's the question you should be answering for yourself. I mean, psychic that you are, shouldn't you figure it out?
"I'm a medium. I talk to dead people. But you're killing humans so obviously you're not dead."
I'm far from it, agreed.
"So how can I talk to you?"
It's really not that hard if you think about it. If you only knew. Poor sweet Kagome. You'll probably die before it dawns on you. You're pretty but not the brightest bulb, that's for sure.
"Fucking asshole. Give it up! You're going to go to hell! And I will find you. And when I do, I'll make sure you die a very slow, painful death."
Will I? Want to make a bet?
He was mocking her. Kagome didn't know what to do. Inuyasha wasn't paying the least amount of attention to her, all the while sticking to her like inseparable glue. She was stuck in a damn truck with the killer who was having a conversation with her... Talking about her death. Talking about her stupidity and how the answers, the clues, the real meaning of everything was right on the tip of her tongue but she was too stupid to figure it out...
Kagome raced out of the truck, setting the alarm off. She slammed the door and stormed towards the end of the driveway, walking down towards the road.
"Kagome, get back here!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to stop the alarm while running to get her.
Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take the killer in her head. She couldn't take the weight of all the dead bodies. She couldn't take the voices in her head. She was snapping. She was melting. She was breaking down.
And there was nothing she could do about it.
Come now Kagome, you're stronger than that. I would hope so. When I kill you, I want it to be worthwhile.
"Kagome! Kagome! Where are you going? What's wrong?"
Kagome ran into the middle of the pavement, the middle of the road, and fell to her knees.
When the tears were running down her face, and she knew Inuyasha was yelling behind her, Kagome took in a deep breath.
And screamed bloody murder in the middle of the road.
It was seven at night.
Mariya groaned and rolled onto her stomach, wondering where all the time went. Last thing she remembered, she was at work with a massive migraine and then the next, she was at home, crawling into bed with the lights off. It had only been midday then, but now it was dinnertime.
She waited for a while, adjusting her eyes to the darkness. Did she have a headache? Was the pain still there? Mariya couldn't be sure. All she felt was the darkness that surrounded her. Sometimes, she felt like the pain was gone, but then the moment that she moved or stirred, it would come back just as powerful as it had before.
Mariya debated what to do for a few moments. She could lie there all night and wait for morning, but listening to her stomach she realized that she was hungry. Plus, her husband would probably want to see her and they would probably do their nightly routine of television and a hot tub.
Sex though, was out of the question.
Mariya sighed and rolled onto her back, trying to figure out what to do. There was also her step-child to deal with, but the kid didn't really hang around her anyways. Deciding to get up, Mariya braced herself against the side of the bed and slowly sat down.
Not so bad. She could feel a slight pounding in her temples, but nothing excruciating like it was before. She sat there a while and let it work itself out. It was better to go slow and steady, or else the blood would rush to her head and she'd be bedridden again.
But there never really was much hope anyways.
It hit her like a ton of bricks. The agonizing pain washed over her and she fell back onto her bed, clutching at her temples. She cried out, feeling as it intensified. She clenched her teeth and clamped her eyes, wondering what to do to make the pain go away.
Aspirin.
Not like it ever worked for her, but she figured with pain this bad, it had to do something. If it didn't, she'd have to go to the hospital. She wasn't sure if she could deal with this sort of agony.
Mariya sat up again and tried to stand, making shaky movements toward the night table where the aspirin waited. She didn't even make it there though. She fell to the ground, the pain hitting her so hard it was like she had just been in a head-on collision. Her vision blurred and suddenly, she couldn't see. She couldn't see the vague outline of her bed, the door, the dresser. Nothing was there, just inky blackness.
I'm blind. The panic rose within her and bile crept up her throat. Tears started to spill over, threatening to become a waterfall of sobbing and undeniable waves of pain. Crying never helped a headache.
But by now, Mariya was pretty sure they weren't headaches. Was she dying? Did she have a tumour that she never knew about? Did she have cancer? Was she sick with only years left? Months? Days?
The options were endless and all of them sent Mariya into a spiral of panic. What was she going to do?
She had to call an ambulance.
Reaching out, she gripped what felt like the edge of the night stand. She still couldn't see and the thought alone terrified her shitless. She climbed up, her shaky arms barely managing to hold her own body weight. When the smooth surface was in her grasp, she groped around for the wireless phone.
Another attack.
The pain this time was so brutal, so unbearable, that she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Was she having a stroke? She was barely in her thirties!
Mariya didn't have time to think about it because before she could even graze the phone, her world went black. It was like her body was shutting itself down one system at a time. Her eyesight was already gone and an agonizing pop took away her hearing.
Scream.
But the thought was too late.
Mariya was dying.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!"
Tsuya Atsuko waited by her car with the young girl Soten Mizutani. Usually, the school had a daycare system afterwards for busy parents who couldn't pick their children up right after school. However, it ended at six, and it was already past seven.
A young woman in her mid-twenties ran up, waving her arms like a madwoman. She was cute, with curly brown hair and small eyes. Her smile was radiant, and right now, she was smiling at Soten as if she was the world.
"Are you okay sweetie?" the woman asked, and Tsuya realized that this was probably the nanny that the father was talking about. Tsuya reached out with her mind, trying to find the feelings behind the young girl. Instantly it flowed to her, like a movie playing behind her eyes. The emotions were raw and deep. She clearly loved Soten.
The nanny wasn't the problem.
"Hi," Tsuya said, shaking the girl's hand. "You're taking care of Soten?"
The woman nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'm her nanny. I have been for a few years. Before it was just a babysitting job but I need the money."
Soten bounced up and down, happier than Tsuya had ever seen the girl before the problems started occurring. She hugged the nanny, who blushed. "I'm with her a lot."
"Mr. Mizutani mentioned you. He said you were best friends." Tsuya took the literary license on that one, but she knew the woman wouldn't call the bluff. And she wouldn't dare ask Mr. Mizutani if he said so. The mention of him alone sent waves of fear, and Tsuya realized that the family was more than just a little "off".
"I guess you can say we are," the nanny replied. "They're usually very busy, you know?"
Tsuya licked her lips, studying the girl and trying to read her emotions. "So busy that they don't even see her?"
Soten finally piped up. "Can I sit in the car? My legs hurt," the young girl complained and the woman bent down to give her the car keys.
"Which one is unlock?" the nanny asked, trying to hide her grin.
Soten pointed to the button with the picture of an unattached lock and the nanny nodded, watching her as she ran across the abandoned parking lot.
"As I said," the nanny repeated, not at all sounding defensive. "They're really busy. Mr. Mizutani is constantly at work and the Mrs... Well, she's ill I think, but she hasn't said anything."
"Ill?" Tsuya asked, forcing a gasp from her lips. "How badly? Is she okay?" She tried to sound as genuine as possible, and in a way, she was. She was just a bit sceptical since the woman was most likely the cause for Soten's problems.
"She's just alone a lot, besides when she spends time with Mr. Mizutani," the nanny replied, shrugging. "I don't mind. Soten's like the very little sister I never had. A lot of people ask if she's my younger sister anyways." She gave a short laugh and looked back at the car, making sure that Soten was safe inside.
"Have you noticed anything wrong with Soten lately?" Tsuya asked, running her fingers through her short black hair. "She seems to have trouble focusing in class and recently, she's been sleeping a lot. It's very unlike her. She's a top student."
All of a sudden, the nanny looked extremely concerned. "What do you mean?"
Tsuya shrugged. "Just recently, a few weeks ago, Soten stopped... I don't know the word to use. Trying I guess could fit. She sleeps more than she's awake. She doesn't do her homework and no matter how hard her friends try, she doesn't want to play with them. Soten's the most social girl I know in our class. I tried to help her but she just starts...screaming."
The nanny stared wide-eyed at her, and Tsuya felt the wave of absolute fear.
"Are you okay? Why are you scared?" she immediately asked the young girl, who again checked on Soten.
"I should really get going," the nanny replied, trying to walk away but Tsuya stepped in, grabbing her arm.
"I am not going to let anything harm Soten," Tsuya warned. "I need to know what's happening."
"There's nothing you can do," the nanny said quietly. "I don't know what it is myself. I just know..."
"What?" Tsuya demanded, maybe a bit too roughly. "What's going on?"
"Mrs. Mizutani...has been having late night...rendez-vous," the nanny whispered, coming closer to Tsuya. "She just gets up and leaves without a reason. She usually does it before the husband's home or after he's long passed out. I'm sometimes there until late, like one or two in the morning. And when she goes... It's like she's not all there. She ignores everything."
"Is she just ignorant? Trying to pretend you don't exist so you don't say anything?"
"I guess," the younger woman answered. "But I really don't know. The only thing I can think of is she's having an affair. But what do I know?" she laughed bitterly. "I'm just the nanny. I get paid very well, but I'm just there to keep the kid out of their hair."
Tsuya thanked the girl, and watched as the nanny jumped in the truck, smoothed out Soten's hair and then started the vehicle. The car roared into life, and soon she was backing out of the parking lot and down the road.
Minutes afterwards, Tsuya was still staring at the spot she had last seen the car, wondering what exactly everything meant.
Was the Mrs actually having an affair? And if she was, how did it affect Soten? Was she being abused and the nanny just didn't say anything? As lovely and protective of the child as that girl was, she did need the money and people would do anything for money. Tsuya knew that hands down.
"Crap," she said, not even swearing at her most difficult times. Being an elementary teacher taught her that it was best not to develop skills like that. They always came out at the wrong moment.
"Now what?"
So what did she have? What did Tsuya have that was pertinent to anything?
Well, there was the father, who was very cold and distant and probably never even pretended like his daughter existed. But she wasn't looking at negligence she was looking for something big.
The nanny knew a lot, but not enough. The information on the Mrs though was interesting. She only wished she had a name... Tsuya cursed herself for not asking. She wasn't sure if the mother was actually the reason, but at least it was a good place to start.
She had to think about Nobunga, she had to think about Minori. The feelings of sadness and absolute regret the poured out of her boyfriend was devastating. As an empath, she could feel emotions and read them like a book. Nobunga was no different, but her connection with him, her close contact with him made the emotions more real, rawer and she carried his pain with her wherever she went.
She had to help put this killer behind bars to give the love of her life some reassurance, some peace. She just had to.
Suddenly, Tsuya knew what to do.
Dialling the number for the police station, Tsuya waited impatiently for the phone to ring. She knew she'd be directly put through to an officer and not an emergency contact. Dialling 911 would've taken too long.
"Officer Maiho, BPD, how can I help you?"
"Officer Maiho, this is Tsuya Atsuko. We met earlier this morning about Officer Minori Kobayashi... I need to talk to Kagome Higurashi instantly please."
"If there is any information, you can tell me and I can tell our sheriff directly."
"Did I say I wanted the Sheriff? No. I want Kagome Higurashi," Tsuya begged desperately. She needed to get this sorted out. She needed to help Nobunga and Minori. She had too. "Get me her now."
Officer Maiho grumbled but did what he was told. He put her on hold for a few minutes and Tsuya used every childhood curse word she could think of, including fudge, darn, poopy-head and so on.
When the officer came back, he grumbled for a few moments before finally talking to her. "She's not here right now. She's out with Sheriff. Can I give you his number–"
"Do you have hers?" Tsuya demanded.
"Yeah," he answered.
"Then give it to me!" she shrieked. "And don't you dare put me on hold!" She was at her wits end, and things were only spiralling downward from there. The sky started to darken as the sun set, leaving her feeling more than alone in an abandoned parking lot.
Officer Maiho rambled off the numbers and Tsuya thanked him briefly before hanging up. She dialled Kagome's cell phone number and waited until the light female voice answered.
"Kagome?" Tsuya asked. "This is Tsuya. Remember me?"
"Of course I do. Is everything okay?" She sounded pretty worn out herself. Tsuya couldn't blame her.
"I think I know who to look into about Minori's death."
"How?" Kagome started to ask but she cut her off.
"Please, don't ask how. We'll call it a psychic hunch, okay?" Tsuya started to feel really nervous. She tried to search for her keys in her purse but was having a difficult time when she was also on her cell phone. "It's Mrs. Mizutani. I don't have a first name. Sheriff Seki should know her anyways. Look her up. I think she has something to do with it. If you have trouble bringing her in, say that I am reporting a possible abuse charge."
"Is there abuse?" Kagome asked, seeming to understand perfectly.
"Not physical, but I don't know what else," Tsuya answered. "Look, I've got to go but if you need to call me my number is–"
"I've got caller ID, don't worry," Kagome said. "Go do what you have to do. I'll make sure this gets looked into immediately. Thanks Tsuya."
But Tsuya never answered.
"Tsuya?" Kagome asked on the other end of the phone. "Tsuya, are you there?"
Then, after a moment of painful silence, Kagome screamed, "Tsuya!"
All she heard, was the sound of finality when she heard an unforgettable–
Click.
What's going to happen next? Well, I don't know, you tell me. Two chapters left!
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