Standard disclaimer applies.

Summary: I see dead people. Need I say more? InuKag

My Sixth Sense

Chapter One: Anger

By: Luna

I see dead people.

It sounds strange, and people call me crazy, but it's completely true and totally freaky. Believe me, if I could, I'd be as normal and cynical as all the rest of the population. In fact, I would prefer it. It's not as if I choose to see dead people.

It's a good profession though, and it makes me a lot of money, especially when residents of their haunted homes think they have a poltergeist. Now, don't roll your eyes and think, yeah, she's sees dead people when a whole bunch of Benjamin's and Yen are waved in front of her eyes, but it's not as if I'm good for anything else.

I totally bombed high school because some perverted ghost wouldn't leave me alone and half the time I ditched all my classes because of it. I barely even passed, and my scores don't really make business's want to hire me. So I got into the ghost business. I mean hey, I can see them, others can't, and people pay big bucks to get the ghosts out of their home.

Now, most houses I go to don't really have ghosts in there. Normally, they just have shitty houses and think they can explain the state of their homes because a ghost is hanging around, which is why I make them pay me up front. Once I tell them they don't have a ghost, they get pretty angry and try to force me to give back their money. But once they agree to pay for my time, that money's mine.

Believe it or not, but the most houses that actually have ghosts in them don't even know it. When people think of ghosts, they think of sounds heard in shadows and cold presences or even the electric vibes being read off of some hand held machine. What most people don't know is that a lot of the ghosts that I've encountered are perfectly fine staying where they're at, and they don't bother the people living in the houses they haunt. I leave them alone. If they don't bother me, why should I bother them?

Looking back on my one bedroom apartment and my refrigerator that remains mainly empty, I guess I should take on those cases just for the money. But I shrug that off. The only rush I get is when spirits that are stuck in a house want to move on, and are extremely angry that no one else can see them. That's when most of my cases come to me. Owners get scared at the weird occurrences happening in their homes, when in reality it's just a frustrated ghost trying to get their attention. So far, knock on wood, I've yet to encounter a ghost whose soul mission in afterlife is to kill me. Thank God for small miracles, right?

I feel bad for them. I guess that's why I help them. They want to move on, go to heaven, or whatever there is once you die. I haven't really encountered a ghost that was so angry that it attacked me. So I guess you could say that, when Miroku and Sango Ono asked me to get rid of the angry spirit haunting their shrine, I took it with a grain of salt. It would be easy, right?

Wrong.

Okay, so you know I'm not pulling the wool over your eyes, let me tell you what happened. It was the best, and the worst, experience of my life.

--

6:00 am, Saturday.

The lush plant life surrounded me, the towering oak I stood under shading me from the sun. I smiled and tilted my face up so it was dappled by the sun streaking through the leaves. It was so peaceful here, so lovely. I could stand here forever; simply stand here and breathe in the peace. I have never felt so safe.

I heard foot steps behind me, and I let my hand slide off the bark of the tree as I turned, still smiling, at my visitor. He wore red pants and a loose white shirt, but I could tell he was strong by the breadth of his shoulders and chest. His long, flowing white hair suggested that of an old man, but his features were young, rough, and ruggedly handsome. He stared at me for long moments, his golden eyes indecipherable. He opened his mouth to speak, and I closed my eyes in anticipation as to what he'd say.

"Your phone is ringing."

I blinked my eyes open. "What?"

"Kagome! I know you're there, so pick up your damn phone! I'm gonna keep on calling and leaving these annoying messages until you pick up! La-la-la-la! You slu—"

"What the hell do you want?" I croaked out, staring at my alarm clock with gritty eyes. I blinked twice, but the red numbers still stared back at me. I felt annoyance build up, and I gritted my teeth as I hefted myself up out of my warm covers.

"Kagome! It's about time you woke up. Do you know how many times I've called?" Souta, my little brother, practically sang.

I looked at the answering machine, and it blinked the number four at me. Rolling my eyes, I swung my legs over the side of bed and rooted around my dresser for my underwear. "Who cares how many times you called. Why are you calling so early? Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"

I could practically see him rolling his eyes. "Don't be such a bore. I got a call last night from some guy named Miroku. He and his wife just paid grandpa for the first month of rent."

I paused, anger and something else rolling around in my stomach. It's true that I'm not religious or anything despite my family's history of owning the local shrine, but I would never defile it by having the audacity to rent it out to strangers, even if the husband claimed to be a holy man.

I've never actually visited the shrine before, since I was generally scared out of my mind to come anywhere near where dead people might be staying at. My mother never knew why her baby girl had an aversion to shrines or churches, but she'd just take me to a doctor again and have them poke and prod at me. Eventually, I learned to pretend they weren't really there, even though as a child, I couldn't understand why people would approach me, people that nobody else could see.

But didn't it feel wrong to rent out a family shrine to a stranger?

"Get to the point, please."

"You really should learn to be a morning person."

When all I did was growl, he laughed a little nervously and said, "Look, I know you're not going to like it, but Miroku – the guy who's living there now if you've forgotten – claims that there's a ghost there. He's heard about you and, well, he wants to hire you to get rid of it. He'll pay a really big sum!" Souta rattled off an extremely good looking amount, and I swallowed hard.

I hesitated, wondering if I should take it. I really needed the money. But my aversion to shrines and churches stayed with me past my childhood. Even today, if I ever went close to a church with a graveyard attached to it, the chills I'd feel would stay with me for days. I hated going, the spirits of the dead there frightening me. Should I feel guilty for only helping ghosts that were attached to houses? Maybe I should go to churches to help the disgruntled dead there, but the amount of spirits that must be there are overwhelming. I'll leave those for others to help.

"Lots of money, beautiful money, pays the rent money…" Souta continued to croon in my ear. I rolled my eyes but didn't interrupt. I needed him to convince me. "As far as I know, no one has died at grandpa's shrine. Maybe they're a bunch of phonies who are trying to find excuses to have grandpa lower the rent. Just think, you'd be helping Pop's out."

Sighing, I gave up searching for clean underwear and trudged towards the bathroom. "Alright. I'll do it. Tell them I'll be by today sometime and to leave that impressive amount with Mom. But if they don't pay, I won't do it."

I slammed the phone down and stepped into the shower.

--

My friend Reika stared at me with disgusted fascination as I shoved another chocolate donut in my mouth. I was still suffering the effects of waking up too early, and I needed sugar. "Khan you phleese fass the bilk?"

Without a word she passed me a milk carton and watched as I chugged it down. Sitting back, I sighed and patted my belly. Glancing at Reika, I grinned. "Don't be jealous. Not everyone can eat everything and still look as good as me."

As Reika rolled her eyes, I still couldn't let my vanity go as I thought about my features. I wasn't ugly. In fact, a lot of people call me very beautiful with my curvy, fit body and my long black hair. Not all Japanese had blue eyes, and mine were real. I didn't need contacts to make them the way they are. Despite my good looks, only Reika knew why I didn't have a man. Once they found out my profession and realized I wasn't joking when I told them I see dead people, they generally keep a wide berth of me.

"Hey, I'm just as pretty as you Kagome. I just need to work for it." She sipped her coffee and eyed me. "Didn't you say you had a job this morning?"

"They woke me up at six o'clock in the friggin' morning. They can wait." I stared at the last donut and wondered if I should eat it too. I wasn't exactly hungry anymore after my first three, but it seemed so wrong to let it go to waste…

Reika laughed this time when I started on the donut, and took another bite of her eggs. "Seriously, girl, I don't understand how you can eat all that. But listen, unlike you I actually have a specific time I have to go to work, so I'll see you later, okay?"

She put down a few bills and stood. I frowned up at her, a little put out that my reason for staying away from the shrine was leaving. "You're a model. How can you have a clock-in time?"

Reika hit the back of my head. "Dunce, don't make fun of modeling. It's a lot harder than you make it out to be. Besides, my boss wouldn't survive if I didn't show up to direct everyone."

"Then maybe you should ask for a raise."

"Maybe I should." She said lightly. "Quit stalling, babe. You need to face your fear sooner or later."

I watched as she waved before heading down the street, and envied her grace. Yes, Reika was so much more than just a model. She was so graceful and delicately lovely. I wished I was more like her. I was rougher and obviously lacked her refinement. Where she barely ate even half of her eggs (probably because she was in public), I scarffed down four donuts in less than thirty minutes.

Sighing, I stood and shoved my hands in my long black coat, tapping my booted foot against the concrete a moment before I turned around and started towards my grandpa's shrine. I ignored the looks of men when they caught sight of my short black skirt and tight white shirt underneath my coat. I wanted to look the part of a creepy ghost girl. Shouldn't creepy ghost girls where dark eyeliner and dress two parts slutty and one part Goth? Really, it should shame me how I dressed like this to get whatever God my grandfather's shrine worshipped to be mad at me. If I dressed even worse, maybe Their great hand would come out of the heavens and swat me out. Then I wouldn't have to go!

I looked up the stairs that seemed to go on for eternity before I lifted my foot and took the first step.

Nothing happened.

It was only then that I realized that I had clenched my eyes tightly shut. Taking another step, I slowly opened my eyes. The wind was slightly blowing against my face, and the atmosphere seemed pretty peaceful, almost like in my dream. Relaxing, I realized that these new people probably were trying to swindle my grandfather to a lower rent. Thank god. Maybe my fear was unfounded.

When I reached the top of the stairs, however, I was struck by a sudden fear. For before me, instead of the peaceful scenery of a shrine, I saw blood. I know my own blood must have drained from my face, for suddenly I felt myself weaving back and forth and my face felt clammy.

It looked like a battle had raged here, for broken arrows were strung across the courtyard along with other type of wicked weapons. I heard yelling and I looked further beyond, and above the houses I saw a huge tree looming against the darkened sky.

"Ms. Higurashi?"

Dazedly, I looked at the man that was suddenly standing beside me, a concerned look on his face. He was quite attractive with dark brown hair pulled back in a small ponytail and warm violet eyes. I probably wouldn't have minded the hand he placed on my lower back to steady me if his equally attractive wife wasn't staring daggers at me. I looked back towards the tree, and realized that it wasn't that dark as it was still only mid morning. There was no blood on the ground and weapons weren't strewn across everywhere.

I started to step towards the tree, away from the man, probably Miroku, if his voice hadn't stopped me.

"Um, I don't know how I should go about this. Do you want a tour of the buildings first? Or you probably know them already, don't you?"

"No," I said, my eyes still on that tree set against the sky. "I've been too frightened to come here."

The silence in the back ground made me think I said something wrong, but I shrugged it off. Let them be scared, I don't care. Now they probably thought grandpa sold them a haunted shrine. More money for me. "Where do you think this ghost bothered you the most?"

"The living area, I suppose, where we spend the most time. Things were thrown off the desk, pictures off the wall… I need to know what's going on." He sounded genuinely concerned, so I turned my undivided attention towards him.

"Alright. Why don't you show me around the grounds? Take me to that tree last." I pointed towards the tree.

"Ah, the God tree. Yes, I'll show you to that last."

His wife stepped forward, concern on her face. "Did you see something when you first came up the stairs? I saw you from the porch. You turned white so suddenly I thought you were going to faint."

"I don't know what I saw." I muttered to myself. I turned to the woman. "Are you Sango?"

At her nod, I narrowed my eyes a little and thought back to what little history I knew about the place. "Was there ever a battle here? I don't care how long ago; just tell me something about the history of this place."

"You don't know?" she looked surprised. "I thought this was your family's land."

I don't have to explain to her. "So there was a battle?"

"Well…" she tapped her chin with a slim finger. "I've only heard tales from your grandfather, and no offense, they sounded a little loony."

Since they hired a woman who claims to see dead people, I gave her a dry look. At least she had the grace to blush. "Well, he said that demons once lived on this land and that they fought a lot, but that's about it."

We spent the next hour going through all the different structures on the property; the archives building, the laundry room, a room built around an old well, and finally, I saw the God tree. "I don't see any ghosts or anything. Why exactly did you hire me?"

Miroku looked frustrated. "I know there's someone here. They won't stop leaving us alone! The only peace we get is when we go to sleep. The moment we wake up, it's at it again. I don't even want to bring in the rest of my property in fear that it's going to destroy it all! I just want to know if there is a ghost here or not. That's all."

I doubted that. People hired me when they wanted the ghost gone, not whether or not a ghost was really here. I ignored them for a moment and stepped closer to the God tree. It was covered thick in vines, the bark I saw in my dreams unable to be seen. An arrow was stuck out from the tree, and when I got close enough, a chill ran down my spine when I realized it was old and rotting, just like the ones I saw in my weird vision. Frankly, I was creeped out. I see dead people, not visions. This project was different, and I didn't know whether I should be regretting accepting it or not.

"What's with the arrow?" I asked, wondering whether or not I should risk touching it.

At the silence, I looked back at them. Confusion was written across their faces. Miroku looked concerned, and Sango had confusion and skepticism written all over her face. So she thought I was a fake. I raised a brow. "Um, excuse me? What's with the arrow?"

"I don't see an arrow, Higurashi-san." They said it as if they were talking to a crazy person.

I heard growling, and the chill that wouldn't go away turned into icy pinpricks along my spine to the point of pain. I didn't look away from their faces, scared to look behind me. They must have seen the fear on my face, for now even Sango looked concerned. "Do you have a dog?" I was ashamed my voice squeaked.

"No. Why?"

Something landed hard behind me, and I swear I jumped two feet in the air and swiveled on my heel to face what's behind me. I fell in shock on my rump. It was the man from my dream. His hair was white as snow and blowing in the wind, his muscular form bunched up as he crouched, almost like a dog, his rugged face twisted into a snarl of hatred, his golden eyes narrowed in rage.

I faintly heard Miroku call my name, and his hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't really see or feel him. "W-who are you?"

What I didn't notice before were cute little doggie ears on top of his head in place of regular human ears, and I vaguely remembered Sango saying something about demons. I backed up slowly in a crab walk, my eyes never leaving his. Never before had I faced something with so much hatred for me. And why? I felt myself bump into Miroku's legs, and I forced myself to stop my retreat.

The demon lunged at me suddenly, and I screamed and back tracked so fast my head was spinning. "You have a ghost! Congratulations!" I yelled over my shoulder, but I didn't look back. When I tripped going up the stairs, I twisted so I landed on my back and my breasts weren't smashed against the floor boards.

The demon I saw had stopped just short of Miroku, and I saw both live humans looked a little lost. "You're not going to get rid of it?" Sango sounded disgruntled.

"Hey, your man just said that all he wanted to know was whether or not you actually had a ghost and guess what? You have one. In fact, he's standing right next to Miroku there," I kept my eyes on him, watching as arrogance and a sort of pride wash over his features, as if he were proud that he frightened me. I narrowed my eyes at his smirk. "What are you laughing at, dog boy?"

Oops, probably not a good thing to do. His ears flattened to the back of his head and his eyes narrowed again. I saw Miroku step carefully away and saw him glancing in the direction the ghost was at. "Look, Miroku, you're going to have to stay at a hotel for a while. I need to do research about this place."

"You're kicking us out?" Sango sounded outraged, and I glared at her in frustration.

"You hired me didn't you? Quit complaining and do what I say! I've never encountered someone like this! I can't just go into it blind folded." I looked back to where the dog boy was at, only to come face to face with his angry eyes, and a smirk that had very nice canines only inches from my face.

The last thing I remembered was screaming.

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What do you think?

Luna