InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Last Summer ❯ The Still-life ( Chapter 8 )

 

 

 

 

One Last Summer

 

Chapter Eight

 

9:12 A.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Nagorioshii Tsuji)

 

She watched as the other cars traveling in other directions flew by her window. It only seemed so much faster, since they were going the other way than the ones that were passing. The radio fizzed in and out of focus, sometimes consumed by static, and other time playing cheesy music about bleeding hearts. The musical world today has come to crap…

 

All she could do was stare out the window, watching the pedestrians when the car came to a red light. They never glanced at her, sitting in the backseat of a bright red car with faded leather interior, her confused eyes staring out at them. Her eyes begged for help, help for the knowledge she didn't have. Inconspicuously, she tucked the edge of her black, knee-length skirt in tighter, feeling naked without the long, white hospital gown adorning her body.

 

The mindless chatter of the two in the front seat, identified as Sango and Miroku, was not something she was listening to anymore. At first she had tried her best to pay attention, but when they go into details about Kouga - whoever that was - and his obsession with someone named Kagome…

 

'Wait… my name is Kagome…'

 

It was hard to remember that. Often times, they would call her name for minutes at a time, and she wouldn't answer. The name just seemed so foreign on her tongue, just like all these other people she just met. They didn't seem familiar; like she had heard them before and couldn't place them… she didn't know them.

 

'Kagome is my old name… I guess… but I don't have a new one…'

 

Hearing a loud slap echo through the car, she looked to the front seat, where a fuming… uh, Sango, yes it was Sango… glared at the driver, who she remembered was named… uh… Roku? No, Miku? Something like that, really, she didn't care one bit.

 

Sango muttered something along the lines of 'bloody pervert,' as the driver… whose name is still unremembered, now had a red mark on the side of his face. Sighing, she turned away from them, and looked back out the window. She thought she saw one of the pedestrians glance her, look back to where he was walking, and then glance back, trying to get another glimpse of her face, but by then they had driven far away. His long braid swished in the wind as he pondered whether that really was Kagome, or if it wasn't.

 

'Kagome was never so sad, though… ' Were his thoughts.

 

'He looked like he knew me…' Were her thoughts.

 

 

 

10:07 A.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Keade's Cottage)

 

 

 

After what felt like a thousand hours, the car pulled onto some shady streets of the suburbs, and off of the busy main roads of Tokyo. She sighed again, but made it quietly for the others not to hear her. They pulled into a driveway that led to a small, homey cottage with a nice, bright garden out front.

 

Just as she stepped out of the car, and without a chance to look around, three kids attached themselves to her hips, crying calls of "sis," and "Kagome". She looked down at them strangely, and awkwardly patted them each on the head. They looked up at her, then at Sango and Miroku, who had strained smiles on their faces, but their eyes held pain.

 

"Sis?" One of them asked her, and she recognized him as one who was called Sputa or something…

 

"Um… My name is…"

 

'Kagome! They say my name is Kagome…'

 

"Kagome. I know. I am… Souta… and you are my sister." He said, tears growing in his large, chocolate-y brown eyes. Quickly he whipped around, and ran back into the house, slamming the door behind him. The other boys watched him, and sighed.

 

"I'm Kohaku… Sango's younger brother… but we're like family, so sometimes I call you sis too." The one with the freckles spoke. He was taller than Souta, and had longer hair. She nodded and looked towards the tallest of the boys, one with red hair and bright blue-ish aqua eyes.

 

"My name is Shippou." A cold look laced his eyes, and Kagome couldn't tell if it was directed at her, or if he always looked like that.

 

"Hello… Kohaku… Shippou…" There was nothing else to say.

 

"We should go inside, there's no doubt Keade has prepared a nice brunch for us." Sango said, walking up the path that led to the front door of the cottage, grabbing her elbow and leading her there on the way. Kohaku, Shippou, and the perverted, unnamed driver followed behind them.

 

"Welcome, child." An elder lady with grey hair and an eye patch spoke to the girls as they entered, and led them to a large table. They all took a seat, only to realize that the boy, Souta, was gone. Softly the old woman sighed, but grabbed the pot of tea and served them.

 

After a plate of brunch and tea, the group sat around the table, idly chatting. She sat there and watched them as they conversed, like old friends. They probably were. She had not been introduced to the old lady; apparently they had just assumed she knew who the lady was. It was possible, that in the life where she knew their names, that she did know them. But now, in this life, in this world, she didn't.

 

 

 

12:40 P.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Keade's Cottage)

 

 

 

For a while she had watched them chat, waiting patiently and not saying one word. She stared straight ahead, out the window, despite the feeling of eyes glaring holes in her head. She had given up trying to listen hours ago, not noticing the subject had now changed to her, as they talked in hushed whispers.

 

Shippou and Kohaku had left the table a while ago, no doubt going to find their friend, rather than sit and wait. Casually she sipped her tea, flavored with mint and cream and honey, watching as a bright blue bird flew past the window she was looking out. Taking her gaze off the outside, she observed the patch over the old woman's eye, observed the ponytail at the back of the pervert's head, and the pink eye shadow Sango wore everyday.

 

They told her she had lost her memory, after being in a coma for almost three weeks. The doctors said that it would come back soon, and that she had to stay in the hospital for tests, but then she could go out and act normal. Did they really expect her to act normal? How was she supposed to, when they all acted normal around her, calling her name out and speaking phrases like "Remember that time when…" No, she didn't remember.

 

It seemed like nothing in their world had changed, except for when they looked at her. She could sense their eyes on the back of her head, and would turn back to look at them. Though, they stared at her with warmth and love, which was something she couldn't remember. She would always stare back at them with cold, unemotional eyes, and they would turn away with the thought 'Oh yeah, she lost her memory'.

 

There were still places she had to go today, as Sango and the pervert said. She still couldn't remember his name. Pervert fit just fine in her book, though.

 

It was all easy enough to remember. Sango: the tough, kind lady who was supposedly Kagome's best friend. Labeled as Pinky, for the pink eye shadow she always wore. Uh… the pervert that drove the car: Pervert, very perverted man that has nice, pretty indigo eyes. The lady whose house they were at: no name, not introduced to her yet. Serves good tea.

 

InuYasha: the mean, rough and tough bully who acted as an older brother. Currently dating Kikyo. Kikyo: The calm, peaceful lady who was also supposedly Kagome's best friend, best friends with Sango as well. Souta: Kagome's younger brother. Shippou: tall, red hair, and pretty aqua-ish eyes. Kohaku: Sango's younger brother, called Kagome sis as well, has freckles.

 

Kagome: The person they told her who she was. Caring, kind, always loving and nurturing everything. She wasn't Kagome anymore. Kagome knew these people, was friends with these people. She wasn't Kagome. And until the memories cam back, never would she be.

 

 

 

12:40 P.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Keade's Cottage)

 

 

 

The three adults watched her as she stared out the window and into the large backyard, watching the birds and squirrels. A brilliantly blue bird flew past, and they saw her eyes follow it, but her head didn't move, nor did her body. She sat still, not even twitching, and barely even breathing. Every so often she would take a sip of tea that Keade made, but that was it.

 

She looked like a still-life painting.

 

Her black, knee-length skirt, perfectly pristine and no little white fuzzies attached to it. Her silky light blue T-shirt with the kanji for "summer" was written on it in smooth, metallic green letters. Her plain black sandals, and the small silver watch on her left wrist. Her long, wavy hair brushed to perfection this morning by the nurse at her hospital room.

 

Her glassy brown eyes that reflected the world.

 

Sighing, Sango turned towards Miroku. "She doesn't even remember us…"

 

"She has amnesia. Of course she doesn't remember us." Miroku replied, sipping his tea and leaning back in his whicker chair.

 

"But she doesn't even remember Souta! Her own younger brother!" Sango whispered harshly, pulling him by his shirt collar until he was head to head with her.

 

"Child, calm down. It will all come back to her…" Keade tried to calm Sango down, but it was no use; the girl was livid.

 

"It's those stupid doctors! They gave her too much medicine, and now she doesn't remember anything. I would've rather had her stay in a coma a few days longer than for her to forget us!"

 

"She hasn't forgotten us…" Miroku resisted the urge to look at his friend as she still looked out the window.

 

"She just doesn't remember us…" He finished, and Sango let go of his shirt finally. Tears appeared in her eyes.

 

"I have to use your bathroom, Keade." Sango said, standing up. Kagome's gaze fell off the window, and onto the now standing girl, and watched her as she left the room, only her eyes moving once again.

 

"Child, would ye like to visit the backyard? Ye seem so interested in it." She only nodded as Keade led her to a back door, where she entered the backyard.

 

 

 

12:58 P.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Aika's Hayashi)

 

 

 

Even though she had been staring out the window all day at it, she hadn't been informed that the old lady's backyard was actually a forest. The thick trees blocked out all the blaring sun from above, and for that, she was thankful. For some reason, she didn't like being straight under the sun for a long period of time. She felt… unprotected, and naked…

 

Slowly she made her way down the small, winding path that led into the dark forest. She liked the effect it made, it looked seemingly menacing, and dangerous. Like there could be anything in it, and you would never know until you saw its glowing eyes staring out at you.

 

Once out of view from the cottage, she let out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Never did her feet stumble on the tangle of shrubs and underbrush as it crowded her path, nor did she trip on the tree roots as they stood out at odd angles. The chirps of birds she had heard in the backyard long since disappeared as she had entered the forest, its darkness engulfing her.

 

The humidity that normally lay heavy in the air had disappeared, but there was no breeze. Barely any patches of sun shown through the thick canopy of the trees. The air was getting thicker as the minutes rolled on. She kept on walking, past tree, past tree, not faltering over the dead branches laden on the ground. The soft crunching of leaves beneath feet alerted her someone was there.

 

"What is it that you want?" She asked quietly, not turning to face the intruder of her peace.

 

"Why are you acting this way?"

 

"I am afraid that I do not know what you mean."

 

"Yes you do!"

 

"I hate to disappoint you, but I do not."

 

"Stop it! Just stop it!"

 

"I regret to say that this is just who I am."

 

"Go back to normal!"

 

"I do not know what you mean."

 

"Yes you do! Just stop it, Kagome!"

 

"I am afraid I can't."

 

 

 

7: 26 P.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Nankinmame Tsuji)

 

 

 

Three of them sat in the back, while the other two waited up front with the driver. He was a strange green man shorter than her hip. How he reached the pedals to drive, no one but the green-ish man himself knew. The rude man and the calm lady sat across from her as she sat next to window.

 

They were watching her.

 

Closely, and she could tell. They conversed quietly with the other, but their eyes weren't on the other. They were staring at her as she gazed out the window. Suddenly they stopped before a large mansion, pulled into the circle-around driveway, and parked before the large doors.

 

She was looking out the other side of the limo, and all she could see was the beautiful fountain made with intricate patterns and magnificently carved granite. Dusk was just starting to fall, the sky was a light midnight blue - not quite completely dark yet.

 

The limo door was jerked open, and a red blur sped in and attached itself to her. She heard someone get into the front cab of the limo, and shut the door. She looked down to the child attached to her, watching her grinning like no tomorrow. There were similarities between the two…

 

'She looks so like me… is she… is she my daughter?'

 

"…Hello…" She tried, hoping it would suffice.

 

"Hi Kag-chan!" The young girl chimed, picking herself off the older girl and tugging her seatbelt on.

 

The young girl's bright, silky red dress was perfectly clean and unblemished, not wrinkling as she sat down on it without care. Her shiny black shoes and smooth white tights, the small ponytail pinned with a ruby clip on the side of her head, completed the girl's look. Adorable.

 

She looked down at her own dress with distaste, and wished that she had chosen a less brightly colored one. It was a thin silky material that cut off just above her knees, and had no sleeves. It was a royal blue with small black stars at the edges. Her shoes were black and only two inch heals, while the only make up she wore was a basic shiny lip-gloss.

 

"Where are we going, Kagome-chan?" She had started to get used to being called Kagome.

 

"I… I do not know…"

 

"Oh… well, you'll tell me when you find out, right?" This brought a small smile to her face, as she turned to face the young girl.

 

"Yes, of course."

 

 

 

7:55 P.M, Thursday, June Nineteenth. (Sono Chimeiteki Ryouriten)

 

 

 

Sitting around a large table, talk was made indolently, as were complements on their choice of dress. Some smaller, secluded conversations were engaged between a group of two or three, but otherwise everyone seated at the table besides Rin was feeling gauche and discomforted. Rin smiled from her chair, where she sat on a makeshift booster seat composing of a phone book, bouncing slightly.

 

Looking at the older girl beside her, Rin tapped her on the shoulder. "Can we go to the park tomorrow? I know it's not Monday, but I really want to go!" She stared at the young girl with hesitation. Slowly she nodded, unaware of what she was getting herself into.

 

"I have to use the restroom." She said suddenly, standing up, making her way through the ryouriten and to the restroom. She didn't notice Kikyo following her until she reached the restroom.

 

The two girls watched each other in the large mirror.

 

"That young girl… is she of close attachment to me?" She asked tentatively, watching for the older girl's reaction. Kikyo said nothing, but nodded.

 

"Why… why does she look so like me?" Kikyo's eyes widened, but the action went on unnoticed by the other girl.

 

"Rin… there is no reason… were you hoping for one?"

 

"Oh… I just thought…"

 

"You thought what?"

 

"I just thought she was my daughter…"

 

 

 

 

I'm in my dark and depressed mood I get in when I listen to Circa Survive and don't see the sun for 24 hours.

 

AngelMaiden: I am sure to keep him in my prayers until you assure me he is alright!

 

Leave a little # sign in your review if you actually read my author's note…

 

I really appreciate your comments, and I'm in urgent need of a beta, Love, Cait.