In Passing

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. All original characters do not belong to me and all credit goes towards Rumiko Takahashi.

This fic is rated M for language, sexual scenes, and suggestive content. If you are not 18+, read at your own risk.

Chapter Three

"Stalked"

I couldn't remember the last time I'd been away from the shrine for this long, much less out with a friend. Of course, it was mostly my fault. I always found a reason to bail on Sango at the last second whenever she would take the time to invite me out. I had to say that I was glad she hadn't taken no for an answer today. I really did have a good time with her.

However, I couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. The closer it got to nightfall, the more I would get the strangest sensation that I was being watched. As soon as the feeling came, I would look out of the window only to be met by the glow of the street lamps illuminating the sidewalks. I would then look around the cafe, only to see people happily conversing amongst each other. None of them looked suspicious.

Miroku came by just like he offered a little later in the night but was immediately told to go away by Sango. Something about not wanting to get touched while she was eating.

Of course, he hadn't listened.

He plopped right down beside her, forcing her to scoot as far away as she could towards the wall. He seemed to find her actions humorous and proceeded to tease her, automatically warranting a deep blush from her. She immediately denied his allegations and changed the subject. To my surprise, aside from his flirty ways, Miroku turned out to be a really cool guy. He was eighteen years old and it turned out that his family actually owned the cafe and were trying to expand their business to other parts of Japan.

"How come I've never seen you in school before?" I inquired.

He peered at me above the rim of his drink and set it down, a dark smirk gracing his lips.

"I've had a few delinquencies," he stated simply while putting an arm around the back of the booth chair so it was draped behind Sango's head. "Got kicked out."

I gave him a dull look before he burst out laughing.

"I'm just kidding. I've been getting home schooled since I was six." He reassured me, placing a hand under the table and out of sight. I felt myself let out a sigh of relief.

"Miroku," I heard Sango say his name in a low, warning tone. She looked like she was about to jump out of her skin.

Miroku looked over to her and I heard him make a pained noise before raising his arm up from under the table. She was pinching the skin on the back of his hand and twisting it between her thumb and index fingers. I blinked.

"Just what exactly...um, were you doing?" I asked slowly.

"Sango looked a bit cold so I thought I'd warm her thighs a bit." He raised his hands up defensively and let out a nervous laugh. He stopped and gulped when Sango let out a small growl.

"Thank you for your concern but I'm fine." She spat through gritted teeth.

I glanced down at my watch at that moment. It was already a quarter past nine. I felt my heart drop down to my stomach.

"I should get going. My family will be worried if I don't come home soon." I said, shooting up out of my seat. Sango and Miroku exchanged a look before turning back to me.

I avoided the worried expression Sango was giving me as I gathered my belongings.

Okay, so that had been a complete lie. But what could I have said? If I would have told them the real reason, they probably would have looked at me like I was insane. And maybe they would have been right. The truth was, being out at night completely terrified me. It wasn't just the fact that wanderers were at more of an abundance at night. It wasn't them I was concerned about.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, Kagome?" Sango had asked, pulling me in for a brief hug before backing away after walking me outside. "I could walk you home, it really is no trouble."

I'd shaken my head and gave her my best reassuring smile.

"No, that's okay, Sango. Really. My house is only a few miles away from here, I'll be fine."

Boy, do I wish I hadn't said that now. The chilly gusts of wind and ominous thunder claps were enough to make me seriously regret my decision to walk home alone. Not to mention the fact that I also didn't have an umbrella to keep dry for when the rain did begin to fall.

I moved my hands in front of my face and blew into them again before tucking them back under my arms. This night couldn't possibly get any worse.

With my luck, I'll probably freeze to death before I get struck by lightning. I thought humorlessly as my teeth began to chatter.

The fact that I was outside clad in nothing more than a thin layer of cotton and polyester material with no underwear made me want to mentally kick myself for not planning ahead. I self-consciously moved one arm over my backside to keep my skirt from floating up. The last thing I needed was some molester having a field day with me.

My hair whipped violently around my face, stinging my cheeks and obscuring my vision. My toes were beginning to feel like frozen lumps on my feet as I continued my walk down the desolate street. Squinting to keep the hair out of my eyes, I felt my anxiety build up again as the murmurs started. The murmurs nearly drowned out the sounds of the storm and quickened my pace, not wanting to linger any longer than I had to. Entertaining my near hysteria, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched again.

I quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

There's no sense in getting paranoid, Kagome. I silently berated myself. Get it together, you're almost home.

Even the little voice in my head did little to ease my disquietude. Across the street I noticed the streetlights began to flicker which only succeeded in making me feel even more uneasy. I checked over my shoulder while steadily increasing my pace once again, the wind seemingly growing stronger with every step I took. The feeling that someone was watching me became a definitive.

I was already at a full-out jog on my way up a small hill when I heard the telltale pop of a light burning out directly above me. I squeaked and lost my balance, grunting as my bottom came in contact with the cold cement. I hurriedly picked myself off the ground and did my best to dust off the particles that clung to my skirt with trembling hands. The air felt thick and I tried my hardest to swallow the lump that was welling in my throat. My vision began to blur as frightened tears erupted from my eyes and I quickly rubbed them away.

I wouldn't give whoever was doing this the satisfaction. No way.

I lifted my chin and continued my brisk walk, fully aware that whatever presence was behind me on the street before was making its way toward me again. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Another light burned out up ahead.

Followed by another.

And then another.

I clutched the strap to my bag so tightly, I was sure my knuckles were turning white. Moments like this were times I really wish I owned a cellphone. Even if I didn't have anyone to talk to, the back light from those gadgets surely would come in handy. My eyes had a hard time adjusting to the ill-lighted atmosphere and I opted on turning back around and going to the nearest store.

You honestly think there's a store open this late at night? The voice in the back of my head teased. I gathered my wit and broke out into a full sprint, my shoes pinching my feet painfully every time my feet came in contact with the pavement.

My attempt to ignore them became my undoing as they only proceeded to grow more intense. I winced and leaned forward, covering my ears to block out the frightening sounds. The whispers overlapped one another as if they were singing a haunted tune, their choice words not making sense to me.

"...so lonely..."

"...the light..."

"...come back to me..."

"...finally found you..."

"Stop it." I hissed and squeezed my eyes shut. "Stop it, stop it, stop it."

I couldn't take it anymore. It felt as if the darkness was closing around me and I dropped to my knees, my head throbbing violently from the chanting voices. The thunder, the whispers, the wind; they were all too much.

"Please," I whimpered. "Please, just go away."

I pushed myself off of the ground, my legs completely numb from the cold. I could hardly keep my balance.

Closer.

"Leave me alone." I whispered.

Closer.

I closed my eyes and drew my tongue across my dry lips, readying myself.

Right behind me. I could feel the coldness seeping in through my shirt, into my shoulder blades.

Now.

Gripping my bag with both hands, I let it drop from my shoulder and swung it around with as much strength as I could muster. The momentum from my swing had me spiraling out of control and I landed hard on my elbow. Pain shot up and down my arm and I bit down on my lip to keep myself from crying out. I heard my bag collide with the wall next to me with a loud thud and I sat up, tenderly rubbing my aching elbow with my free hand. I looked around the street and my eyes met nothing but the abstruse view of the night time.

I listened intently.

The wind and the whispers had stopped. It seemed as if everything that had happened had been my imagination. After a few minutes passed, I let out a small laugh and shook my head. Whatever it was, I had managed to scare it off. I ran a scraped hand through my hair and leaned over to grab my bag while staggering to my feet. I was in the process of slinging my bag back over my shoulder when an unfamiliar noise froze me in place. It sounded like...growling.

My smile slowly faded as I realized the sound was coming from behind me. I dared myself to look back and turned my head slowly, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. My eyes met with a different pair, their vibrancy shining dangerously through darkness that surrounded us. They were the shade of the purest honey. It took me a second to realize the eyes belonged to a boy.

I gasped and took a step back. The boy continued to glower at me, his features set to a hard scowl as he stared me down with those startling amber eyes. His hair was the lightest shade of silver and I couldn't help but notice the two fluffy triangles that rested atop of his head. They twitched in tune with my breathing. His clothes were completely outdated; he wore a red suikan with a white haori underneath. He wore unusually styled hakama; they were puffed out towards the bottom and I couldn't help but notice how he wasn't wearing shoes. He had his arms folded and hidden beneath his sleeves. My eyes moved down to his mouth and I was shocked to see a pair of fangs poking out and resting just below his bottom lip.

A cosplayer, perhaps? I have to say, his outfit is really authentic. Although, I spared a glance at his ears again. Those look a little too real.

I was so entranced, I didn't notice how he'd shortened the distance between us again.

"Oi, bitch. What the hell do ya think you're doing swinging that thing through my body?" He sneered.

I was snapped out of my trance. His voice was raw and full of malice, I almost felt afraid of him. It took me a second to realize what he'd said and I instantly returned a glare of my own.

"W—what did you just call me?" I stammered, my temper flaring. I'd never had anyone call me anything like that before, not even my own brother. I balled my hands into fists and felt myself take a step back despite myself as his scowl deepened and he got even closer to my face. It was as if I could almost feel the anger rolling off of him.

"You heard me," he replied coolly as if daring me to react again. "—bitch."

"Look here," I began, trying to keep my anger in check. How dare he! I couldn't believe this was the ghost I'd been running away from all night. I darted my tongue out to wet my lips before I continued. "I don't know who you are and I don't care but—,"

"You don't know who I am? I haven't been gone that long, wench." He interrupted me, his expression changing to one of incredulity before reverting back to his icy stare.

Just what the hell was this ghost talking about? He wasn't making any sense.

"I've never met you in my life!" I snapped, my hands balling into fists. "Go bother someone else."

I turned on my heel and began stomping towards the other side of the street. This guy was obviously deluded. I'd only made it a few steps before he reappeared in front me, his body forming from the mist. I froze in place and watched as he levitated, his feet inches above the ground. He brought his clawed hands down to his sides and descended, his eyes never leaving my face.

"Who do ya think you are turning your back on me like that?" He hissed. "I could end your pathetic life right here if I wanted."

The wind began to howl again and against my better judgment, I stood my ground. I didn't know when I'd gotten so bold but somewhere in the back of my head, I was calling him on his bluff. I crossed my arms over my chest and pursed my lips together tightly. I wasn't going to let him get the better of me. My hair once again began to whip around in a frantic motion, strands flicking in and around my field of vision.

I can't pick up a bad aura about him, I realized though the look on his face could have told me otherwise. I couldn't stop the next thing that came out of my mouth.

"Then do it." I challenged, wincing a little at the shakiness of my voice. I took a deep breath and stared him right in the eye.

The boy threw his head back and let out something that I figured was supposed to be a laugh. I inwardly cursed as I figured he saw right through my facade.

"Begging for death already, wench? We haven't even gotten started." He raised a pale clawed hand to my face and cracked his knuckles menacingly. His dark grin widened and I had to suppress the scream that rising in my throat.

I continued to stand my ground.

"Yes." I replied, silently congratulating myself on the dullness in my voice. "If you're going to kill me, you might as well get it over with."

The sound of the wind died down ever so slightly as the boy studied my face. He clenched his jaw and held it there, the hollows of his cheeks bulging at the action. He seemed to be contemplating on something and his expression went through a flurry of emotions before finally settling back on anger. He let out a frustrated growl and I heard a lamp a few distances away burn out.

"Why the hell ain't ya scared?" He yelled, his agitation showing. "I appear before ya and do all of this shit and you're not even a little bit afraid of me?"

Good acting, Kagome.

"Nope." I smirked and put my hands on my hips in a look of triumph. "If you were really planning on killing me, you would have done so instead of pulling all of these dirty tricks. The cliché 'lights burning out one out of the other' bit; bravo." I gave a slow clap.

It was the boy's turn to look surprised as he dropped his hand by his side and stood there with his lips slightly parted. I smashed my lips together and kept them there, afraid if I said anything more, he actually would kill me. My clenched my fingers around the fabric on my sleeves to distract myself from my trembling hands.

"What's with those clothes? Never seen ya dress like a harlot before, Kikyo." He spoke up suddenly, his previous agitation forgotten. I blinked.

What did he just call me?

"I—I beg your pardon! For your information, this is my school uniform. I'm required to wear this," I stated, pointing my finger at his chest. I had to refrain from touching him as I knew I would only regret it later.

"And secondly, whoever this Kikyo person is, I'm not her. You've got the wrong girl!" I felt my face heat up. Ghost or not, this guy was already becoming a real pain and I'd just met him.

The boy paused for a second, his face going blank. I felt his eyes scrutinizing me and I couldn't help but look at my feet, my face getting hotter and hotter by the second. He floated around me; appearing in front of me only to immediately dissipate and appear in another location. I heard him let out a frustrated sigh before appearing in front of my face again.

"Then why do you look like her?" He asked lamely while he folded his arms back up in his sleeves. He was starting to look uncomfortable.

I lifted and dropped my numb shoulders loosely. How exactly did he expect me to answer that?

"Feh," I heard him scoff loudly while he turned his face away from me. "Yea, you're right. You can't be her. Kikyo wouldn't be so stupid to walk around by herself at night."

Why, you little—

"I walk by myself all the time!" I shot back and grimaced.

That lie had sounded so much better in my head.

"Yea, right. I could see how scared you were before you left those other two weaklings." The boy replied snidely, his grin returning to his face.

I rolled my eyes. Now he's teasing me.

"Are we done here because I'd like to go home now." I stated, flipping my hair over my shoulder while giving him an even stare.

"Keh, whatever." He quickly faded away. I stood there with my mouth open.

And just like that he leaves?

I couldn't believe it.

All that time, he was making my life hell because he thought I was someone else? Who makes a mistake like that? I turned on my heel in a huff and continued down the sidewalk, not stopping once until I'd made it to the steps of the shrine. I tiredly dragged myself up the concrete steps and winced at the soreness in my legs. It felt as if someone had inserted fire rods into my shins and it took all I had not to collapse right there. My shoes crunched over the leaves in the yard and a part of me wondered when the place had been swept last. It wasn't like Grandfather to let this place look like a dump.

I slid open the doors and removed my shoes, my feet silently thanking me for the relief.

"I'm home," I called to no one in particular. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost eleven.

Everyone's probably gone to sleep for the night.

It figured no one bothered to stay up and wait for me to return home. They probably didn't think anything of it when I didn't return home right after school since I did sometimes stay out and hang at the library. The wooden stairs seemed endless as I leaned on the banister for support. My elbow was still sore from the impact of my fall and I was almost positive I looked like a wreck. I opted on a quick bath and made a beeline for the washroom. I closed the glass-paned door behind me and locked it, despite the family rule. It wasn't as if there was anyone awake anyway so I was positive I could get away with it just for tonight.

I turned on the water and waited for the telltale steam to show before I added my daily bath supplements. The sweet aroma flooded my enses and I stripped faster than I ever had before. I winced as the hot water came in contact with cold flesh and sat down wholeheartedly, ignoring the way the water stung me. Tilting my head back, I let my hair get completely soaked and rose up slowly, letting the thick locks dangle and cascade down my back.

I closed my eyes and let out a long, complacent sigh.

I opened them half-way and stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the earlier events of that night.

Miroku seems like a pretty good guy, I thought absentmindedly, bringing my wrist up to push my bangs away from my forehead. I stayed that way. I smiled a little at the memory of him and Sango.

I believe Sango thinks the same thing too.

I sat up and cupped some water into my hands. Splashing my face several times, I rubbed my eyes with my index finger and thumb to remove the remaining excess water. I ran my hands through my wet hair, effectively detangling the wavy locks. I brought my knees up to my chest and leaned against the tub wall and frowned, my thoughts traveling back to my encounter that night.

What had been the deal with that ghost? It seemed more aware of itself than any other entity I'd come across in my lifetime. Though, I couldn't understand why he'd targeted me of all people.

He called you by a name, a voice in the back of my mind spoke up.

"That's right," I whispered. "He called me Kikyo."

I wondered who she was. Did she live somewhere close by? How much a like did we appear if he mistook me for her so quickly? I rolled my eyes and wiped the thoughts out of my head.

Who cares? It's not like I'll ever be seeing him again.

As long I stayed away from that area, I was positive we would never meet again. I leaned over and pulled the plug to the tub's drain and stepped out.

"Oh, yea. That bath really hit the spot." I sighed in pleasure and stretched, feeling goosebumps rise all over my body from the air my dampened skin. looking around, I noticed my towel was on the other side of the room and frowned slightly. I lowered my arms down to cover my chest.

I don't remember placing that there. Sota probably moved it this morning.

I walked towards the towel and made a move to pick it up when I started to get that uneasy feeling in my stomach again. I felt my heart begin to flutter as I shot back up and scanned the misty room. I dropped my hands by my sides and squinted, analyzing every corner. I couldn't hear anything but the sound of my own heart, drumming away in my ears. I shook my head and mentally scolded myself.

Get a grip, Kagome. It's just a bathroom.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and forced myself to smile. I was freaking myself out for no reason. I turned back around with the intent on grabbing my towel when a peculiar set of amber eyes met mine for the second time that night. It was the boy again, just casually floating there with his legs crossed as if he were sitting down with the weirdest expression on his face.

I stared at him for what felt like the longest time.

And then I did the only thing I could think of.

I screamed.

A/N: I just wanted to thank my viewers so much for taking the time to read my story. I do want to remind everyone that I did mention in the first chapter that the characters may be OOC until later. I'm building them up in my own way, so if you could, please look past the fact that Kagome is acting differently. I know we all know how the main cast acts but I want to do something differently. I will turn Kagome into her old, natural self. I promise. Please, R&R!