InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Other World ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Warning! This is my first fic so it is probably way below my standards (which are pretty high) so just to let you know, they will probably get better as I go...unless I use up all of my story writing talent in this first chapter, which is highly likely.

Disclaimer: Anyone who doesn't know what this is for had better figure it out cuz I don't feel like typing that many words right now, although I probably just wrote more.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~

Prologue~

"Kagome! You will get down here and do your chores immediately!" A scary and particularly threatening voice growled from downstairs.

Kagome shivered at the thought of having to do what the headmistress called "chores." A normal person's chores would be cleaning their room, or vacuuming, or dusting and sometimes even the dishes, but the "chores" here at the orphanage were far, far worse. After being here a few weeks, Kagome never even thought of having her room one speck of dust less than clean, not after what happened last time. Another shiver crept its way up her back. That was something she never wanted to happen again. But being the pessimist she was, she figured it would. She had to forget something sooner or later and then...She would rather die than go through that again. Death. Then she wouldn't be alone anymore. Then she would have her family once more.

Kagome sat awkwardly on the bed and looked about the room, depressed. It was very uncomfortable, with its wiry mattress, and paper-thin blankets put perfectly straight-as was the rule-on the bed made the nights cool and breezy. The headmistress allowed nothing personal in the rooms, so the room was completely bare, and also very small. Cracked, white walls surrounded her-one of the few imperfect things in the room, much to the Headmistress's dislike, though she could do little about it. Looking up at the ceiling Kagome prayed-as was her daily ritual-that it would not fall down on her. She was continually surprised that the rotten mangled thing had not done so already.

Standing up, Kagome quickly walked to the door. Inconspicuously sticking her head around the edge, she made a thorough check of the hallways. Good. No one was coming. Satisfied, and a bit nervous, she locked the door. Walking towards her bed, she fervently hoped she had enough time for this. Reaching under her bed, she felt around the small space. Her hand brushed across something. Pulling it out, she hugged it to her chest. It was a picture. The only thing she had left of her family, when they were all happy together. A sad smile came to her face remembering mud fights with Souta-ones she always won, of course; shopping sprees with her mother, and her Grandpa trying to purify all her friends. He even tried to purify Buyo, the cat. She remembered seeing Buyo walking around sullenly with ofuda's plastered all over him. Something wet landed on her wrist and it was only then she realized she was crying. Oh how she missed those days. Is she could have kept the photo up, then she would have, but she knew that if the Headmistress saw the photo, she would never see it again.

Amidst her tears, Kagome didn't notice the pounding at the door and when it burst open, banging against the wall, she almost thought it would fall off its hinges. The Headmistress stood in the opening, a scowl on her face. Startled, Kagome jumped up to stand, fear holding her rigid and stray tears still streaming down her face. It was not the scowl she was afraid of-well, not just the scowl-the headmistress never came up to get anyone, normally she would yell herself hoarse first and even then she still sent someone else to come up and gather her. This was rare and, Kagome thought, probably not good.

The headmistress was tall, very tall, and she had that ability of towering over someone, glaring, that made you want to crawl under your bed and stay there until she was good and gone. Even just standing there she made Kagome want to do just that. Then she did tower over her, and a small whimper escaped her lips.

"Kagome Higurashi! What have you been doing up here!? I called for you! Why are you not downstairs and doing your chores!?" She didn't give Kagome time to answer, if she even could have. The Headmistress seemed to calm down a little. A very small little. "I call, and you do not come. I send someone to fetch you, and she tells me your door is locked. I knocked on your door so hard it should have fallen over. You must have heard it. Everyone in this God-forsaken place must have heard it! But when I get in here, you seem surprised to see me. Girl, you are in big trouble." Throughout the speech, Kagome tried to hide the photo and managed to get it behind her back, but the small movement caught the Headmistress's eyes like a mouse did a hawk. Her eyes narrowed. "What's that you've got there." Kagome squeaked out a small `nothing', but that did not satisfy her. She grabbed Kagome's hands and pried them apart to grab what was inside. Taking a good, long look at it. She paused as if thinking, and slowly a cruel smile formed on her lips. To Kagome that was even scarier than the scowl because she knew what this particular smile meant. "Girl, tomorrow you are to report to my office at twelve noon exactly! If you are even one minute late, I will triple your punishment and I am sure you do not want that." With that said, she took one look at Kagome, and, right in front of her, brought out a lighter, lighting the corner of the photo, letting the ashes fall to the ground. Watching Kagome fall to her knees in tears, she sternly told her to clean it up, then she strode out of the room, obviously pleased with herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~

Silently weeping on the floor, Kagome couldn't take it anymore. Why does this have to happen to me? Why?! That was all I had left and now...I have n..nothing. She was saddened by the loneliness of that thought. What can I do? I won't go through that punishment again...not again. Standing up, a determined glint shone in her eye, with layers of cold fear hidden behind it. She had come to a decision. Walking to the door she gave one last loathing look at the room she would never see again, and strode purposefully into the hallway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~

She was ecstatic. She almost never got to tell anyone good news, and when she was given the information, she thought that for this momentous event-it was in her books anyway-she should go tell the girl personally. She couldn't wait to see her face, covered in tears of joy after she heard the news. And what news it was! She could see the orphanage drawing closer on her right and slowed down to make the turn. She happily continued to picture the girl's face as she drove down the long laneway. Turning into the small parking lot, something on the roof caught her eye. Curiosity overtook her and she got out of the car to see what was going on. Squinting against the sunlight, she made the blur on the roof out to be a girl. Something about her looked familiar. Frowning in concentration, it struck her. That was the girl in the picture! She looked ready to jump off the building. Being four stories high, there wasn't much chance that she would survive it. Who would end their life this way? she wondered sadly. She can't do this! I still have to tell her the good news! I must stop her. Running close enough that she could be sure the girl would hear, she shouted up at her. "DON'T JUMP!! YOU'RE YOUNG! YOU'VE GOT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO LIVE YET" The girl just stood there, not moving a muscle, not an inch, her head staying bowed. She could vaguely make out solemn tears streaming down the girl's face. She quickly glanced down at her page, looking for the girl's name. Maybe that would help. She cupped her hands around her mouth this time "KAGOME!! PLEASE DON'T JUMP! I'VE BROUGHT YOU SOME GOOD NEWS! COME ON DOWN HERE AND I'LL TELL YOU!" It didn't seem to be doing any good. She saw Kagome look up, resigned, yet defiant. The look in Kagome's eyes made her want to cry, even from this distance. The loneliness and depression in them was unbearable. She saw her close her eyes and realized she was about to jump. There was only one more thing she could try. "KAGOME!!!" Her voice was getting hoarse with the shouting. "YOUR BROTHER, SOUTA!! HE DID NOT DIE!! KAGOME, HE'S ALIVE!" As she said this, though, Kagome spread her arms and fell forward. About halfway down, a bright pink light surrounded her as a terrified scream cut through the air that could likely be heard for miles around.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- It ended abruptly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~

Kagome stood on the roof, silent tears streaming down her face, her head bowed to her chest. `There's nothing left for me here. I hate the life I have now. What have I come to, willing to do this to escape? There was a time that I thought suicide was stupid, and the people that committed it...but I can't think of any other way. I will embrace death willingly and hopefully my next life won't be half so depressing and lonely.' "DON'T JUMP!! YOU'RE YOUNG! YOU'VE GOT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO LIVE YET" swirled in the back of her thoughts. She remembered her photo. And the way it fell to the ground in ashes. She had collected those ashes into her palm and held them in her fist now. "KAGOME!! PLEASE DON'T JUMP! I'VE BROUGHT YOU SOME GOOD NEWS! COME ON DOWN HERE AND I'LL TELL YOU!" She was a bit surprised that she heard her name. The Headmistress only rarely called her by her name. It was almost always `Girl'. She had hated that. She lifted her head defiantly. She would do this. She closed her eyes and spread her arms wide. She had always wanted to fly, and now she could do it without fear, but it would only be this once. "KAGOME!!!" She barely registered the words being said and leaned forward, getting ready to fall. "YOUR BROTHER, SOUTA!! HE DID NOT DIE!! KAGOME, HE'S ALIVE!" She fell off, and only when she was already halfway to the ground did she realize what had been said. Her eyes widened and fear consumed her. There was a reason for her to live still, but she could not go back. WHY ME? she asked one last time, then shut her eyes tight and screamed for all she was worth, as if that would stop her from hitting the ground.

`NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'-The ground came rushing up to meet her, but instead of a hard SPLAT she was faintly surprised to feel only a small thud before blacking out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~

So there's your first chapter...the prologue, I guess. I know it's short, but this is my first story and I think prologues are meant to be short. Well this one is at least. So...to boost my confidence I need you all to write a review for me...I don't particularly care what it says, but please...REVIEW!!

May life treat you all well~Akane-chan