Sorry for the wait everyone! Schoolwork is a pain…
Chapter 31
Kagome's P.O.V.
I sat there in Inuyasha's arms, numb to the bone and shaken to the core.
I can't believe it. They found dad's murderer.
"Kags, what actually happened to your father?" I looked up to Hikara's worried face.
I tried to calm my hiccupping sobs without success. It took me a while before I could calm down. "He was killed when I was little," I choked out. "He was taking me to the park when it happened."
Flashback...
A little five-year-old girl was sitting in her living room watching TV.
"Kagome, time for dinner, dear!"
The little girl got up at the sound of her mother calling her and ran into their little dining room, excited to eat. "Mommy! What are we having?"
"Your favourite, fettuccini alfredo."
Kagome jumped up and down excitedly while yelling, "Yay! But is Daddy back yet? We can't eat without him!"
"He's on his way home right now. He'll be home in a few minutes."
"Good, 'cause I'm hungry."
Her mother laughed while looking upon her little daughter, rubbing her stomach with care. Kagome watched while her eyes sparkled.
"Mommy, when is the baby going to come?"
"Hmm, let's see. The doctor said very soon. Anytime now to be exact."
Kagome put her hand gently on her mom's belly, rubbing in a circular motion. "Come out soon baby brother, I want to see you soon."
Just then the door opened and a man's voice said, "I'm sure he wants to meet you too."
Kagome turned her wide smile towards the front door and ran towards the individual. "Daddy! You're finally home!" She hugged her father's waist.
He patted her lovingly on the head and said, "Yup, it's good to be back."
They walked over to the table to find their food already there.
"Thank you for the meal!"
After dinner...
"Daddy, can we go to the park?" Kagome gave her dad the puppy dog eyes. "Please."
He sighed while chuckling. "It'll be dark soon, Kagome. Aren't you scared of the dark?"
Kagome pouted. "N…No I'm not…" she said while looking away.
Her father laughed and started to tickle his daughter, making her squeal in laughter. "Fine, we'll go for an hour and get ice cream on our way back."
"But Kagome's already had dinner, dear. It'll ruin her stomach," Kagome's mother worried.
"Don't worry, darling. She'll be fine."
His wife smiled. "You spoil her," she giggled as her husband gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I know."
"Come on, Daddy, let's go!" Kagome ushered while flopping on her coat and boots.
"Coming, my lady."
At the park...
"Higher, Daddy, higher!" Kagome was being pushed on the swings by her father. "Wee! I feel like I'm flying!"
Her dad laughed. "I'm sure you do sweetheart," he smiled as he turned his head towards the setting sun.
It was getting darker sooner than he thought. And this feeling he was getting…a spine-tingling feeling that made his hair stand on end…
He gradually stopped pushing and let Kagome's momentum slow on its own.
"Aw, Daddy, why did you stop pushing?"
He smiled down at his daughter. "It's getting late, Kagome. Mom's probably waiting for us."
"But-"
"Be a good girl," her father insisted with more force than necessary. He started to pull her along by the hand. "Listen to your Daddy, Kagome."
Just then, another voice, slippery and vile, echoed through the empty park. "That's right, little human girl, you better listen to your daddy before someone decides to eat you up."
Father and daughter whipped around to see a vicious looking man appear from behind a tree, a cruel smile on his face. Kagome squeaked and hid behind her father and the father started to back away while keeping a defensive stance.
"What delicious looking humans you two are. So pure and untainted; the best meal a demon could have." The man's face was eerily illuminated under the streetlight and the two humans could see the glinting of his lizard eyes.
"Kagome," her father called out to her in a calm and steady voice. "I want you to run towards that police station down the road, you know, the one you went to for your class field-trip."
The little girl had already started to cry, uncomfortable with the scary feeling she was getting from the situation. "But I don't want to leave you, Daddy! I'm scared!"
Her father knelt down beside her, keeping an eye towards the demon. He smiled gently at his little girl while patting her head softly and lovingly. "You're a brave girl, Kagome. You're Daddy's brave little girl. With Daddy gone, I want you to take care of Mommy and your little brother, okay? Promise me that, Kagome."
"D-Daddy!" she wailed helplessly.
"Promise me," he said more urgently.
Sniffling and her little body shaking with sobs, she nodded. "I promise."
Her father kissed her on the forehead, whispering, "I love you," into her ear. Standing back up, he said, "Now run, Kagome!"
Barely able to stay steady on her feet, Kagome tripped all the way down the street, bawling and crying the entire way. Fear was taking her like death-cold hands. A vice of terror gripped her heart. The light of the police station seemed so far away.
The cries of her father seemed so close.
She burst into the police station, screaming hysterically, "Help me! Help me! Daddy's in trouble! The park! Somebody please help us! Anybody!"
Several police officers, although startled, rushed to her aid. Most of them tried to calm her down but she refused stubbornly, pushing out of their grasps and running after the perusing cops that were heading to the park.
Kagome will never forget the sight she saw that night.
Her father's corpse was lying on the ground, the demon - now fully transformed into a dragon-lizard hybrid - was hovering over him. Blood was splattered over the cement and the stench was overwhelming. With the help of the dim light of the street lights, one could see the father's flesh in the demon's mouth.
The police didn't hesitate to open fire, eventually forcing the demon to retreat into the darkness. By then, the ambulance had arrived and so did several more police cars. Bystanders filed out of their homes to watch the unfolding events happening right at their front doors.
"Daddy!"
"You mustn't little girl!" a police officer said while holding her back.
"No! I need to see Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Kagome squirmed out of her captor's grasp and rushed to her father's side.
She ignored the blood oozing out from his cuts and she couldn't feel the texture of blood with her numb skin. All she wanted to do was for Daddy to open his eyes.
"Daddy, wake up! Wake up!"
But his eyes remained closed.
The paramedics arrived and lifted his body onto a carrier, saying something about his blood loss and a faint heart beat.
Kagome was a screaming mess. "Daddy, please! Open your eyes!"
"Ka…gome…" His voice was faint but it was there.
"Daddy!"
Her father smiled. "You did such a good job, Kagome. Daddy's so proud of you."
"But…you got hurt, Daddy!"
"I'll be alright, sweetie. Daddy's strong, I'll be able to make it…" His sentence faded as his consciousness left. Kagome couldn't do anything but watch her father be raised into the back of the ambulance.
She clung to the paramedics that refused to pay attention to her. "Please save Daddy, please! Mommy needs him! My baby brother's gonna need him! I need him too! Mommy's gonna be sad without him! Please save him!"
She watched through her blurred vision the doors of the ambulance close and drive away; the wail of the car screaming in her ears; the smell of the blood on her hands.
Flashback Ends…
"I was put into a police car and driven to the hospital. The officer then asked me who I was and where I lived, saying he would call my mom to come." Kagome paused. "My mom was broken to the core, and so was I. I couldn't remember what I even felt after that. All I remember was feeling nothing; void of emotion. The next few hours were murderous, almost feeling like days had passed…"
The silence lingered as suspense grew. Kagome forced herself not to cry again.
"Due to the large amount of blood loss, my father passed away," she finally said, remembering her memories.
"You lied, Daddy! You lied!" the little girl screamed as she was prevented into going into the operating room. "You promised me that you'll be fine! You promised me! Come back, Daddy, come back!"
Kagome breathed in a quivering breath, focusing on Inuyasha's warm arms around her. "A few days later, my grandpa moved in and a funeral was set. Since Sota wasn't even born at the time, he doesn't remember our dad at all."
The silence that followed weighed heavily on us all until a sharp, loud knock sounded at the door. We all let out a shout of surprise.
Sango went to open the door. Then we all heard her yell, "Sesshomaru-sensei!"
Surprised I watched him come in. Sure enough, it really was him. What's he doing here?
*Cries* Reviews would be appreciated!
See you next time!
InuKag4evertogether (author) + WanderingDreamer4Ever (editor)