Chapter 3.
Down the rabbit hole
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He woke up long before the sun did, blinking slowly to bring back his senses; the young man lifted a sore arm, surprised that it weighted heavily on him.
The blurred browns and pinks gained focus, eventually, it was the small lavender-scented room that came into picture. He sat there, dazed and confused. It was only when his gaze found the girl, that he was able to remember yesterday's events; with a start, Inuyasha shot up to his feet.
He would have berated himself for creating such a perfect opening, anyone within their capabilities could have come to finish him off. But no one had...
He lingered around her space; hands out, his nail's rounded tips giving away to long talons, he searched the dark room for any sign of potential threat.
Knowing already that he would find none.
His eyes returned to her on their own; the young girl who'd come to be his savior, slept on, oblivious to the danger that was being unconscious in his presence. His shadow fell over her sleeping form, cast by the high moon outside; his fingers twitched... a reaction from his racing heart.
He could do it.
It would be so simple.
Snuffing out her life as if it were no more than a dying amber.
His claws could do it effortlessly, and with no real pain towards the girl, she would simply sleep on- unaware and blissful. It would be the merciful thing to do.
He could see it now, the red running down her body, spreading out over her white sheets, creating an image of live flames that would spread to consume her.
He could see her face growing pale, as white as a fish's underbelly; turning her body into porcelain and ash, as it cracked and began to chip her away.
Inuyasha snarled at the air in front of him, hand coming up to clutch desperately at the side of his face, his fingers obstructing the image he had created. Forcing the thought out of his head was not so easy, the image of her lifeless body still playing in his mind's eye.
Once more he fought the beast inside him; his beast refusing to see the girl like that, wanting so desperately to believe she was just what she claimed to be, a girl way out on a limb here.
Not the threat that needed the immediate disposal from his beast.
His panting loud in the silent house, still the girl slept throughout, her soft breathing becoming a guide for his own haphazard beat.
It took longer than it should have to get his blood under control, the sun made its slow rise while he struggled, till streams of sunlight shinned into her room. Still, he didn't move from his spot.
How long exactly had he been towering above her? He didn't care to know.
Inuyasha had a decision to make, one he could not push back further.
She had kept his clothes under her bed; although his shirt and aforementioned shoe were missing. The clothes, along with the pain still resonating in his belly, side and shoulder, attested to the events that took place.
He ran both hands through his hair, the reality of the mess he was currently in only just beginning to sink in.
He considered leaving, hiding this sequence of events as payment for keeping him alive, he'd go over the lining of trees and she'd never hear from him again.
Eventually she would forget, toss him off as a fantasy.
Glancing at her sleeping form, Inuyasha allowed himself to look at her, really look at her.
She wore long gray joggers that were tucked up at the end, clearly, they were far too big for her as they hid her tinny frame. A plain white shirt that stretched across her chest, and a set of worn-out indoor slippers completed her outfit for the night. Her black hair was up in a messy bun, her bangs with those long strands out, framed her face nicely.
Her natural beauty gave her a look of youthful innocence, but from their last interaction, he knew this not to be true. The girl was smart, and capable, brave enough to stand as his shield; she would never forget.
Maybe he'd make the girl sign a legal document, anything that would mean complete bankruptcy for her, and her family should she break it.
Or offer her a large sum of money to keep her quiet, humans were greedy like that, and money made the world turn. She would do what they all do, take the payout, and he'd never hear from her again.
Inuyasha told himself this, as he began to dress himself in the tethers that remained of his clothes; his nose told him where she had stashed his things, opening her nightstand he was faced with the sum of her character.
Wallet, rings, watch and the change from his pockets. She could've taken it all, even if she hadn't known the price for each item, he had more than a few large bills on him for her take. Yet, everything of value had been set in a neat pile, untouched since then.
He knew then, things weren't going to be that simple, not that anything about this was simple. Walking out of her room, he followed her scent down to the kitchen, bypassing several family photos on his way down.
Some of her in stages of her life, some with her and a younger boy. Others, with a woman and an old man, every one of the smiling pictures twisted his stomach.
She was just a girl...
A girl who had found him, saved him, and would die herself because of it.
Having made his discission, he left without making a sound, forcing himself not to turn back.
As the morning sun claimed the sky, the girl would find herself alone, but alive.
.
.
The following days were odd for the young girl, going about her usual morning routine, as though she hadn't spent the last few days tending to a supernatural being.
She should have suspected he would have gone, but a part of her couldn't help but be sad about it.
When Kagome had finally managed to open her eyes, it was sometime after sunrise, and the man had been long gone. She had never even heard the front door opening...
Kagome had spent the rest of the day methodically cleaning her house, erasing every bit of his existence, before going back to her normal life. Not that she had many other options.
There was no way to search him out, even if she had more than just a name to go off, odds were, he didn't want to be found.
Kagome watched with mild interest as her toast popped in the air, her mind far away in fantasies that involved a set of dog ears and golden eyes. She thought about who he was, what kind of life he'd led- a dangerous one for sure. She'd daydreamed about where he had come from, the answers he could bring, knowing fully well that she was just kidding herself.
Reality was that she'd probably never see him again, although that thought didn't settle well with her, it did settle. Kagome knew that she'd never see him again. He thought she couldn't be trusted, but she would never tell a soul of him, she'd take this secret as well and bury it with her.
Kagome held her toast in between her lips, her hands busy shoving her shoes on without having to untie them.
Her mind continued to fill with thoughts of one white-hair man, on how his wounds would be going; she never did finish patching him up, any infection could set hold if not treated properly.
Would he even know how to treat something like that?
Would he even bother to?
Shoving the last items down in her bag, Kagome shook her head to clear from the barrage of negative thoughts, taking a moment to breathe in deeply.
She shouldn't worry about things like that, not with finals coming up.
Forcing her mind elsewhere, the stress from upcoming finals was enough to push the other worries back, Kagome had gone almost a week without any type of studying. Other priorities taking president, and now that she thought more on it, she couldn't remember the last subject book she had in her hands.
It just wouldn't do if she wanted to place in the top of her class, Kagome would have to show serious focus.
All fantasies regarding a pair of fussy white ears would have to end, there simply was no more room in poor Kagome's head.
Fishing for her keys, she opened the door, after the first rays of sunlight faded, the yard became clear to her.
Her toast fell flat on her front porch as her mouth gaped at the sight before her, standing there was a minimum of a dozen men. All very tall, well built, in black suits, and all of them undeniably intimidating.
They stood in uniform lines in front of her home, stoic and unmoving, they created quite a frighting picture.
"Miss. Higurashi, I presume?" From the crowd of tall buff men, a smaller, slinkier young man emerged.
He was shorter than everyone else, wore the same black suit but filled it differently, with the black jacket hanging open, top buttons undone, no tie, and a pair of shiny black lenses.
His hair ran down to his shoulders, unbidden, bangs touching the bottom of his glasses. He seemed to be younger than the rest as well. Even the way he stood, sort of a relaxed stance, set him aside from the other guys. The other men were big, sure. But this guy was the real threat, Kagome could very well bet on it.
She gulped, her anxiety building as she looked from the single black-haired man in front of her, to the rest of his Japanese entourage.
Had purple eyes found her already? And so soon!
"My mother isn't home right now" She almost slapped herself 'Oh no, should I have said that? Isn't that more dangerous if they know I'm alone?'
His smirk was unsettling, if only because her fear was spiking by the second, "That's alright, I believe it's you whom we seek."
"Me?" Her voice squeaked, frustrating her when the man before her, who couldn't be but a few years her senior, chuckled at the nervous pitch of her voice.
"I've been sent here by my employer, and a mutual contact, who would like to speak with you in person; privately, of course."
Briefly she wondered if she could make a run for it, maybe dash inside, lock the door behind her, and sprint out through the back?
The man in front of her lowered his dark sunglasses, his bright green eyes seemed to shine with danger. 'Maybe not.'
"Consider this a formal invitation, transportation is standing by, whenever you are ready."
Kagome glanced from the man in front of her, to the rest of his goons, seeing no way around this.
"Please, Miss. Higurashi." He motioned for her, she got the feeling he didn't need to ask to take her, more politeness than anything else.
'Well, you made your bed Kagome, now it's time to lie in it.'
Her mind shifted to the young man that had turned her life on its head, but just as quickly as her mind had pictured his narrowed gaze, Kagome quickly shook the thought clear from her mind.
He was gone, and if it meant his safety, she was glad he was.
She tried to keep her cool, damper down the fear that threatened to shut her down, especially when the stranger's hand fell to her lower back as he began to guide her along.
The team split in two, creating a path for them, making her feel as though she were walking the plank.
'Death row walking...'
He led her to the shrine's steps, there waiting at the bottom was a shiny black limo, too big to fit in her quaint neighborhood.
The steps down seemed longer, even appearing to tilt forward, her hand clutched at the strap of her school bag for a sense of security.
Sooner rather than later, she stood staring at herself in the reflection of the limo, she looked scared. Briefly Kagome noted that she was scared, very much so.
But she figured this would happen, you don't go poking at the big red curtain unless you were prepared for it to fall, revealing the man behind it.
He opened the door for her, the hand on her upper back giving a slight nudge, it was enough though, and Kagome had no other choice but to swallow her fear as she entered.
'Here we go'
The stranger didn't accompany her in, thankfully, Kagome wasn't sure she'd be able to keep her composure up for longer. As it were, she could already feel her palms starting to sweat.
Her nerves riding high as once more, her mind tortured her with the image of a sinical smile and hallow purple eyes.
Kagome found herself alone in the big slick interior, some other time she would have marveled at the stainless-steel mini appliances or the beige leather seats and modern mini-bar. For now, all she could focus on was the sound of her own heart as it increased in tempo, the long ride did nothing to settle her nerves as the streets became unfamiliar.
By now she would've been walking in the front gate of her school, briefly she wondered what would the newsletter print? Would there even be a body to bury? Her heart lurched at the idea that she would be erased from her world without even a funeral to look forward to.
'Sota... Mama... Gramps.'
The limo took a long curve then shot itself into the main expressway, the view outside becoming a blur of tall buildings, and heavy traffic, with no hint as to where she was being taken.
When the limo came to a screeching stop, in the middle of the rushing traffic, she felt her heart beat out of her chest. Frantically her eyes searched for a reason for the sudden interlude, the traffic weaving around the stopped vehicle without a single collision, as if there wasn't a long stretch of a vehicle blocking the lane; then the door to the limo was thrown open.
Kagome had tried to remain calm, well composed even, but when the door had suddenly jerked open, she let out a loud terrified shriek.
"Oi. Shut up!"