Part Three – Haunted

Sesshoumaru rubbed his bleary eyes as he hurried up the shrine steps in the dark. He was annoyed when he had been woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call, but the anger had subsided when he realised the caller was Kagome, and turned to worry when he had heard her trembling, panicked voice.

Coming to the top of the stairs, he stopped under the Torii gate. His eyes scanned the yard, his senses on high alert. He could only feel stillness. Sesshoumaru frowned to himself. He did not think Kagome was lying to him or imagining things, she had sounded far too terrified for either. But if there truly was an evil presence haunting her, it hid himself too well. Sesshoumaru couldn't feel a trace of jyaki.

His jaw tightening, he strode across the yard and then hurriedly rapped on the front door. The door opened a crack, to reveal a pale face and widened blue eyes.

"Thank god," she breathed when she saw him, and stepped back to let him in. Sesshoumaru entered the house and shut the door after him. He studied the woman, who was clearly distraught and beside herself. It was unsettling, because Kagome was usually always so calm, always quick to smile. But now, she was pacing the floor and wringing her trembling hands. Her heart was pounding, he could clearly hear its erratic rhythm.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I saw a ghost," she said, and laughed. It was a wild sound that grated on his ears, high and hysterical.

"Slow down," Sesshoumaru pleaded, clutching her hands as she passed him, stopping her frenzied pacing.

Kagome melted into his arms. He stroked her back, her small form was shaking.

"I was sleeping," she mumbled, "I was having the nightmare again and then I woke up. At first I didn't know why, but then I heard it. There were four taps on my window, and I saw a pale figure outside."

"And then what," he said, trying to make his voice soothing and encouraging.

"Its black eyes bore into me and then I blinked and it was gone. I know it sounds like I'm losing my mind and I'm sure you think I was just seeing things but… it felt so real, just sheer terror freezing my entire body…"

"Your house is arguably haunted by your little brother," he said, "so perhaps you are losing your mind. But you're still shaking now, so it must have been real for you. And that's all that matters to me."

Kagome raised her head and looked at him. The fear was fading from her eyes, slowly replaced by gratefulness.

"Now, do you have a futon?" Sesshoumaru asked, stroking her hair.

"Yeah…?" Kagome replied, frowning a little.

"Go and get it."

When Kagome disappeared to run the errand, Sesshoumaru walked into the dining room next to the kitchen and the living room and moved the low table and the cushions aside, making room for the mattress.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"In here."

She entered the room with the futon, and Sesshoumaru helped her lay it out on the tatami. She went to get sheets, blanket and pillows, and soon enough, she was lying on the floor of the dining room, safely burrowed under the thick blanket and nestled against Sesshoumaru's chest.

The fear was all gone. In his strong arms, she simply felt safe.

"Sleep," he murmured into her ear, and she gladly obliged.

-~H~-

Kagome woke up the next morning to Sesshoumaru's alarm. She felt very groggy and didn't realise at first where she was. When the events of the previous night finally caught up with her, she felt rather sheepish about the whole thing. In the light of the morning, lying on the futon next to her hunky lawyer boyfriend, last night's fright seemed rather silly.

"Good morning," she murmured, scooting over to Sesshoumaru.

"Morning," he replied, planting a soft kiss on her brow.

Kagome smiled.

"What time is it?"

"6.30"

He pulled her into his arms and ran his hand soothingly down her back.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice lightly laced with worry.

"I'm fine," she told him. "I'm sorry that I was so jumpy last night. I must have been just seeing things, I was probably still half asleep…"

Sesshoumaru's lips pressed into a thin line.

"I don't think you were jumpy, you seemed genuinely afraid," he said gravely, and then looked down to her, meeting her blue eyes. "You're welcome to call me any time. Even if it was the middle of the night. I don't mind."

"I know," she sighed softly. "Thank you."

He bent to claim her lips in a kiss.

"As much as I would love to stay here, with you, I'm afraid I must get up if I am to get to work on time."

"Such a busy hard-working man you are," Kagome teased, smiling.

"Indeed," he replied dryly. "Meet me for lunch?"

"It's a date," she promised.

"Good." he kissed her one last time, before he got up. "I'll call you."

-~H~-

The aching of her empty stomach finally broke Kagome's concentration. She leaned back in her chair and stretched, a groan escaping from her lips. Her neck and shoulders had grown stiff from sitting in front of her computer. She glanced at the clock and gasped when she saw it was already past 1 AM. No wonder she was so tired. The work seemed to have completely swept her away; the quick overlook she had meant to give to the beginning of her thesis had stretched into hours of editing her introduction and first few chapters.

Kagome shook her head. It was way past her bedtime, but sleep would have to wait for a while longer. Right now she needed a shower, and maybe after that grab something to eat to quiet her protesting belly.

A while later, Kagome sighed contentedly as she towelled her hair while padding downstairs. The hot water had felt divine, and eased out the knots from her back and shoulders. She still felt tired, but after that refreshing shower it was the good kind of tired. She had got a lot of work done today, and that made her proud of herself. Her thesis was shaping up very nicely indeed.

Kagome walked into the kitchen and grabbed a tangerine from the bowl on the counter. She ate it on the spot, leaning her back against the kitchen counter, one hand still idly mussing her damp hair.

There should still be some pudding left, she remembered suddenly as she finished her tangerine. She had worked hard tonight – surely such show of productivity should be rewarded. Grinning to herself, Kagome walked to the fridge and opened it. She bent to pick up the delicious treat from the back of the fridge, when suddenly she heard a knock.

Kagome straightened, the pudding forgotten. Her brow furrowed into a quizzical frown. Her gaze swept the room, looking for the source of the sound, but it didn't seem to have come from the kitchen. Kagome shut the door of the fridge and slowly walked to the kitchen doorway. Her gaze landed on the front door of the house, just as a second knock sounded, soon followed by a third. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the door at the end of the corridor. It was 2 AM. Who on earth would be at the door at this hour?

There was another knock, this one a little louder, as if her visitor was growing impatient. Kagome bit her lip and took a few hesitant steps down the corridor. Her nerves were on the edge, the thin hairs on her arms standing in attention. Yet again, the knocks sounded, sharp and demanding. Something did not feel right about this. Kagome swallowed, trying in vain to wet her dry throat. Something at the back of her mind was screaming at her.

Her spine tingled and her steps faltered. If one of her friends was suddenly coming over in the middle of the night, wouldn't they call her first? If a stranger urgently needed to come in, wouldn't they beg for help or the door to be opened?

But aside from the steady knocking growing louder and more insistent all the while, only eerie silence filled Kagome's ears. She stood but a few feet from the door, her heart fluttering in her chest like a panicked bird.

She shivered, suddenly feeling cold. The knocking had turned into a violent pounding now. It made her ears ache, it made the large wooden door tremble in its frame.

Standing right before the genkan, Kagome weighed her options. She felt very freaked out about the situation, and the last thing she wanted to do was open the door. But then again, maybe she should, maybe that would stop the knocking. She was exhausted, but there would be no sleeping in this racket.

Finally, Kagome steeled herself and went to take a step forward – only to be rooted to a spot again. Her left wrist felt suddenly very cold, and there was a sharp tug, pulling her back. Kagome instinctively followed, stepping back from the door. Her stomach knotting, her brow furrowing in puzzlement, she raised her wrist to study it. Thin, faint bruises had appeared onto her skin, shaped like small fingers.
Silence rang in her ears; the pounding had stopped.

-~H~-

She was cold. Her arms were covered in gooseflesh and all her hair was standing up. The silence enveloping her was so deafening it was making her ears ring.

The darkness pressed at her from all sides. She stood frozen to her spot, not daring to move even an inch. The blackness circling her was so thick and unyielding.

Her heart thundered in her chest, tears prickled in her eyes.

Even though she couldn't see a thing, she could feel the walls all around her, trapping her into the cold and dark.

A strangled sob clawed at her throat and burst from her lips. It echoed hollowly in the small space.

Her breath came in harsh, hysterical pants that sounded desperate and terrified even to her own ears.

She couldn't get out.

She was all alone in the cold and the dark, and she could never get out.

Kagome sat up in her bed and clutched her blanket to her chest. She could feel the erratic flutter of her heart and for a moment wondered if the poor organ would try to force its way up her throat. She fought to steady her breath, tried to dispel the cold fingers of dread that were squeezing her heart and prickling her spine.

It was just a dream, she told herself for the umpteenth time, just the same old nightmare.

But her voice was starting to lose its conviction. This had been the fourth night in a row she had woken up gasping. She did not think that the nightmare had ever been recurring this frequently. She was afraid it would now work its way into her dreams every night.

Her trembling hand rose to cup her face and sweep her brow. With a heavy heart she laid back down in her bed. She rolled to rest on her side and instantly flinched at the sight of an obscure shape right before her.

A split-second later she chided herself for her jumpiness and reached for the fluffy grey bunny that had appeared by her pillow while she had been sleeping. She picked up the stuffed animal and clutched it to her chest, remembering the countless times she had seen young Souta do the same.

Feeling slightly better, Kagome pulled her blanket to her chin and curled up under the covers, cradling her brother's old toy rabbit in her arms.

-~H~-

"Miroku, it's Sesshoumaru."

"Oh, hi Sess. How are you?"

Sesshoumaru ignored the question.

"Have you been talking to Kagome lately?"

"Not really," Miroku frowned. "Why?"

"I am worried about her. I saw her tonight and she does not look well. She has been sleeping poorly, this nightmare of hers…"

"Sango told me about that. She's always had that nightmare, hasn't she?"

"Yes, but they are growing more frequent. I think it has to do with the house."

"Unpleasant memories could well trigger the nightmares," Miroku said ponderously.

"It's more than that." Sesshoumaru hesitated. "The house is haunted."

"Truly?" Miroku's voice sounded surprised. "Isn't that ironic, a haunted shrine."

"Kagome noted early on that there was something off. She believes her younger brother inhabits the house."

"Well given how the boy died on the property, I suppose that's possible," Miroku offered.

"I have not sensed any malevolent energy in the house. If there is a spirit, I am sure it poses no harm. However, it would seem there is another entity at the shrine, and this one has scared Kagome quite badly."

There was a long silence at the other end of the line. Then, finally, Miroku spoke again.

"You know my uncle's a monk?"

"Yes."

"Maybe I could try asking him if there is anything we could do."

"That would be much appreciated."

"I suppose the shrine would have to be purified, but given that it's a Shinto shrine, I doubt my uncle could help with that, we'd need a priest."

"Probably."

"Well, in any case, I'll look into this and consult my uncle. I think he could at least make an omamori for Kagome, though I'm not sure how much help that would be."

"I'm sure it would be much better than nothing. Thank you, Miroku."

"No problem. And Sess?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of Kagome."

"I will."

-~H~-

Kagome's eyes snapped open. She stared at the ceiling of her dark bedroom, fear bubbling at the back of throat, her chest heaving in the rhythm of her laboured pants. Her heart raced hundred miles a minute, her forehead was clammy and coated with sweat.

She closed her eyes and groaned, starting to calm down as the seconds ticked by. Silence rang in her ears.

It was her nightmare, as full of darkness, terror and coldness as always. Kagome had lost count how many times this made it now. It seemed the dream was constantly plaguing her these days, it just didn't seem to leave her alone.

Shaking, Kagome got up and padded to the bathroom. The face that met her in the mirror was pale and harrowed. The dark circles under her eyes lent contrast to her pasty skin.

Lately she had been putting off sleep. She knew that the nightmare lurked on the other side, waiting for her, so she made excuses, found things to do so she could delay going to bed. It was taking a toll on her, and still the sleep always found her in the end – and along with it, the nightmare.

Did her cheeks look hollower as well?

It's the stress, Kagome told herself firmly, averting her gaze from the mirror. She opened the tap, let the water run for a moment before washing her face.

The deadline for her thesis was fast approaching and the professor had taken issue of the way she had presented her results.

Kagome dabbed her face with a towel and then gulped down a glass of water. Feeling marginally better, she walked back into the bedroom and crawled back under the covers. She tossed and turned a few times, trying to find a comfortable position. Outside, the wind was picking up. A strong gust roared up, violently breathing against her window. Soon, however, the gust of wind died, and silence once again reigned. She laid in bed, feeling thoroughly exhausted – physically, mentally and emotionally – and yet she couldn't seem to fall back to sleep.

She missed Sesshoumaru, and his comforting presence that gave her strength. She hadn't seen him for days, though they had talked on the phone earlier that day. He was terribly busy again, preparing a case for court. Still, he had made time for her, they had a date set in just three days.

The wind came alive again, battering the walls of the house as its low, hollow boom filled the silence. Another sound joined it, so faint at first that Kagome thought she had imagined it. But then that scraping noise was there again. The kind of scratching sound that was made by something moving around on the roof.

Kagome's jaw clenched and she clutched at her blanket, her knuckles going white.

It's probably just a squirrel, she tried to tell herself, but couldn't bring herself to believe in such false assurances. Not when she knew with absolute certainty what was up there on the roof, scraping right above her bed. The same something that would violently pound on her door at two in the morning, or tap at her window.

It was the same, pale shade from before, and it was still seeking a way to get into the house.

Seeking a way to her.

-~H~-

Kagome stood on the sidewalk, watching the receding tail lights with mixed feelings. She was still basking in the afterglow of their date, and the kiss goodbye Sesshoumaru had given her had her stomach doing giddy backflips. Still, she had been loath to part with him and would have wanted nothing more than to spend the night with him at his place. She had not even dared to ask, though. Sesshoumaru had court tomorrow morning, and he had enough on his mind without her being a bother.

Besides, he was already worried about her. He hadn't said it outright, but she had seen the soft glimmer of concern in his eyes. Kagome sighed, and her fingers rose to touch the embroidered silk hanging from her neck. He had given her the omamori as a gift. She had thought it to be a sweet gesture, figuring he simply wanted her to stay safe, but when Sesshoumaru had told her it had been custom made, not one of those generic factory printed ones you could purchase at any shrine, she realised it was more than that. It appeared he genuinely wanted her to be protected. He said Miroku's uncle who was a monk had made it for her.

Kagome made a mental note to thank Miroku as well.

She should call Sango, too, while she was at it. Her friend had called yesterday while she had been taking a bath, and had left a voicemail asking if she was all right and noting she hadn't heard from her in a while. Sango seemed worried about her as well; she could hear it in her voice. She'd have to call her back and reassure her, gripe about her thesis and all the stress it was putting her under. She wasn't sure if Sango swallowed that excuse, but she hoped she would.

Kagome pulled her jacket tighter around her as she started to ascend the long staircase. It was late, and she felt exhausted. Even her legs seemed dull and tired as she climbed up the steps to the shrine. Reaching the top, she stopped under the red torii to catch her breath, when it was stripped from her completely in a startled hiss.

There, in the middle of the yard stood the pale, ghastly shade. Kagome froze and the hair at the back of her neck stood up as her trembling fingers clutched at the omamori.

Its eyes seemed like the only spot of colour, pitch-black, their empty stare was levelled directly at her. Everything else about the apparition was white: the waxy skin, the thick mane of hair, the unadorned kimono it wore. Its doll-like face was void of any expression, only the dead black eyes continued to bore into her.

Kagome swallowed. Her throat had gone dry and her hands felt clammy. The way the entity was staring at her made her skin crawl. She stood under the torii gate, shivers running down her spine and her stomach sinking, and weighed her options. If she wanted to get into the house, she would have to walk past the ghost, and there really was no telling what it would try to do if she approached it. On the other hand, she could simply turn around and walk away; opt to spend the night at a hotel somewhere or in one of those internet cafés that were open around the clock. The latter seemed like the safest and most sensible option, avoiding the spectre all together.

But then, at the back of her mind there was a spark of indignation, and her temper flared.

To hell with you, Kagome seethed in her mind, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the apparition. This was her home and she was going to sleep in her own damn bed, not run away with her tail between her legs!

Gritting her teeth, holding on to her omamori, she stepped forward.

The ghost did not move an inch, its eerie gaze still bored into her, chilling those corners of her soul which her hot-burning righteous anger had not reached. Making up her mind and ignoring the trembling of her limbs, Kagome started to cross the yard. She made sure to make a wide curve to the right so as to keep ample distance between herself and the spectre. Although the ire was coursing through her veins, she was not foolhardy, and underneath her burning temper the cold fingers of fear still squeezed at her heart.

Yet as she walked, the shade stayed still, and simply stood there with that pale expressionless face and those black, black eyes always watching.

She moved slowly, though determinedly. The seconds ticked by and seemed to stretch into hours. The house might as well have been a mile away. But her stubbornness had taken a hold of her; she refused to give into the despair. The ghost still had not moved at all, it seemed perfectly content standing there in the middle of the yard, letting its empty eyes follow Kagome's around.

As she inched forward, Kagome contemplated which was the worst, the spirit's eyes or its face. The eyes were dead and soulless, they were constantly trained on her and staring, and the blackest black she had ever seen. But the face... It was unnatural in colour, as white as the kimono it wore. The total emptiness of the face, the lack of any kind of expression seemed shockingly inhuman.

When Kagome circled around the ghost, it finally moved, though it was no more than a turn of its head so it could continue watching her. Kagome shuddered, her stomach felt like it was filled with lead, but she kept putting one foot after another; her steps never faltered. Finally, she got past the ghastly apparition, but from there, it only got worse.

She was facing the door now, her goal and promise of safety right before her. But that also meant that the creepy shade was behind her, and somehow that was even more terrifying. She knew it was there, but she could not see it. The hairs on her arms were standing up; the back of her neck was tingling. She could still feel its dead eyes on her. Her mind conjured suggestions and images on its own accord. Was the ghost still standing there unmoving, or had it begun to creep after her, to follow her steps?

It took all self-control Kagome had to keep walking and not burst into a run. Something at the back of her mind was screaming at her to look back over her shoulder, to make sure the ghost hadn't moved. But Kagome kept her gaze firmly fixed on the front door. If the ghost had in fact moved, if it was now standing right behind her, she did not want to know.

Kagome reached her hand and closed her fingers around the doorknob, swiftly opening it. The door slammed, and she leaned her back against it, letting out the breath she had been holding in a desperate gasp. Her knees were weak, her legs quaking. Relief flooded her, so potent it was almost overwhelming. She let go of the omamori and flexed her fingers. They felt numb from squeezing so tight.

The weariness now settled on her in full force, and Kagome trudged up the stairs. For once, she was looking forward to going to bed. Stepping into the bedroom, a strangled sound escaped from her lips, half a yelp, half a shriek.

It was there, the pale shade, right at her window, the black eyes staring.

And it was smiling, a wide, toothy grin so dark it chilled Kagome to the bone.

As eerie as the expressionless face had been, the smile seemed much more horrifying.

Kagome stood frozen on her spot, trapped in her terror, until something inside her snapped.

With angry strides, Kagome crossed the room. She stood in front of the window, met the ghost's black stare full on and hissed: "Go to hell."

With a violent yank, she pulled the curtains closed.

-~H~-

Kagome was on a roll. She was fully focused in her work for once, her fingers flying on the keyboard and tapping away. In fact, she was so immersed in her thesis that, when the loud sound suddenly broke the perfect stillness of the room, she jumped in her chair. Shaking her head, she put her hand on her chest and reached for the phone, noting the caller ID in passing.

"Hi mama!" she chirped in a greeting.

"Hi, Kagome," came the warm voice from the other end of the line. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, just working on the thesis. How are you?"

"I'm well and so is your step-father. We miss you, though, so we're hoping you'll come to visit us soon."

"I will," she promised.

"And feel free to bring your gentleman friend as well."

"Mama!" Kagome wailed, surprised.

The woman at the other end chuckled. "Sango told me. He's a lawyer, right?"

"Yes, he is. He is pretty busy most of the time, but things are going great. I really like him."

"I am glad to hear that." Kagome could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "I just want you to be happy, dear."

"I am, mama," she told her.

There was a slight pause, and when her mother next spoke her voice was hesitant. "How's Tokyo?"

Kagome fidgeted, immediately understanding the underlining question her mother had really asked her –

How's the shrine?

Just splendid, she thought dryly, except that it's haunted.

"I had my reservations about moving here," she admitted in the end. "And at first the house felt big and empty. But I'm starting to feel like home now."

"That's good. You and Souta were always so close, I was worried it might be painful for you to go back."

"It was, for a while. And sad, too. But now I'm glad that I came back. Before, whenever I thought about this place I could only recall the day Souta died. But being back here is bringing me memories, and happier ones, at that."

"There was a fair share of those as well," her mother spoke, her voice soft and wistful. She chuckled. "You and Souta were inseparable, really. You even had the same imaginary friend!"

Kagome stilled completely, her breath catching in her throat. Suddenly she felt sick, as if someone had punched her right to the gut. Trying her best to keep her voice level, she forced the question from her lips. "What imaginary friend?"

"You know, that Kanna-girl you used to go on and on about."

Kagome's hands were shaking. She could not remember what excuses she had made to her mother or hanging up on her. Her trembling fingers were now desperately clutching her phone as she selected Sesshoumaru's number. She listened to the dialling tone while chewing on her lip, her free hand twisting the hem of her shirt. He didn't pick up. Of course he didn't, he was at work. But she got his answering machine and she blurted out her jumbled thoughts.

"I know who it is. It's her! Sesshoumaru, I'm scared... I think she wants me - I think she's always wanted me!"

And even after all these years and after trying to bury the memories of her bittersweet childhood, she could picture the scene vividly. It had been a sunny evening in late August and they had been sitting on the back porch, enjoying the warm rays. Mama had given Souta and her some water melon slices as an evening snack. Kanna had been sitting right next to her. They had spent the whole day playing outside and having a wonderful time. Kanna had looked at her and then leant closer, as if to share a secret.

"I wish we could be together forever," she had whispered.

And Kagome, sweet naive clueless Kagome, had flashed her a smile and declared "we'll always be best friends!"

The phone dropped from her nerveless fingers and fell into her lap. Kagome let out an agonised gasp and hugged herself tightly, her fingers digging into her arms in a vain effort to ground herself after her world had so cruelly twisted upside down.

Her breathing was as erratic as the beat of her heart. Panicked thoughts flitted through her mind in a quick succession.

Oh god I need an exorcist. I need to call Miroku. I need to get the hell out of here!

Hastily, she picked up the phone and snatched her hand bag. She burst out of her room, sprinted down the corridor and bounded down the flight of stairs. She didn't even bother with a jacket, just haphazardly jammed her feet into the first pair of shoes she saw. She was half-way out the door, before she realised that Kanna was standing there at the front steps. She was smiling again, as if she had waited for such an opportune moment, for her to come out of the house.

Kagome instinctively moved to step back, but the pale hand thrust forward, quick as a snake. The dead fingers coiled around her wrist in a grip that felt as hard and cold as iron. Her bag and cell phone fell from her numb fingers and hit the ground with a dull thud.

Kagome felt a desperate tug on the leg that still had not crossed the threshold, but she was completely petrified, succumbed into the terror, and could not follow the firm touch's insistence to back away. She was much like a ragdoll in a tug-of-war, as the two spirits fought over her. One was trying to forcibly pull her along, while the other clung to her with all its strength, trying to stop her. Kanna's black eyes narrowed in anger, her triumphant grin had faded. In a terrible hollow voice, she venomously hissed "Be gone!"

With a faint flicker of futile resistance, her little brother's presence withered, and Kagome stumbled forward, unbalanced by the sudden lightness of her leg. Kanna took advantage of the momentum and yanked Kagome to her. Then, Kagome was dragged across the yard. The fear coursing in her veins felt like ice, her limbs were weak and trembling. Her despair only deepened when she realised where the ghost was taking her. She tried to struggle but it was all in vain, the hysteria had her too deeply in its grip – and Kanna's hold of her too strong. With a loud creak, the door of the well house slid open on its own accord. Kagome was pushed inside and she stumbled down the steps, finally colliding against the old well. Slumped against the wood, one hand hanging over the rim of the well, Kagome tried to catch her shaky breath. Her fearful gaze quickly scanned the well house, finding no trace of the pale child. She was not sure if that was a good thing or not; both relief and apprehension pulsed through her body. Then, with a mournful groan, the door slid shut and trapped her inside. A white hand shot out of the depths of the well, wrapping around her arm. With a startled yelp, Kagome fell headfirst into the darkness.

-~H~-

Sesshoumaru scowled, and glanced at his phone again. He cursed the five o'clock traffic and restlessly drummed his fingers against his steering wheel. The sense of urgency that plagued him was as sharp as the worry gnawing at his guts. With absolute certainty, he knew that something was wrong, that something bad had happened.

The voicemail Kagome had left him was unsettling to say the least. The message itself was mostly incoherent, but it had been her voice which had chilled the blood in Sesshoumaru's veins, the edge of panicked hysteria. He had immediately called her, but she hadn't picked up, not even after he had tried her number three more times. Now, a good ten minutes later as Sesshoumaru was speeding through Tokyo towards the Higurashi shrine, she still hadn't called him back.

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, and swallowed a growl as he had to stop at another red light. Every second felt like an hour, but finally there was that flash of green and Sesshoumaru all but floored the gas pedal. Five more minutes, he told himself. Almost there.

Sesshoumaru glanced into his rear-view mirror in passing, and almost slammed on the breaks. There, in the middle of the backseat of his car sat a little boy. He was pale, his eyes black and soulless, his short black hair dripping water onto the seats. The boy's empty black eyes bore into his in the mirror, and then he spoke.

"You have to hurry," his soft, dry, rasping voice hollowly echoed in his ears. "She has Kagome."

That made Sesshoumaru's skin crawl.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"Save her. HURRY!"

Sesshoumaru cursed darkly and forcefully stomped the gas pedal. He turned his head to throw a quick look over his shoulder, but the backseat was empty and the little boy gone.

-~H~-

It was dark. The water reached her waist, and she was trembling and shivering as much from the cold as she was from fear. Her harsh panicked breaths bounced off the stony walls towering around her, echoing in the small closed space.

She was alone and trapped. This was it; there was no getting out of here. The walls were too tall for her to climb, even if she could have found any footholds on the slippery, unyielding stone.

Lost in the sheer terror, she had no idea how long she had been in the well. It felt like an eternity, however, an eternity in the cold and the dark, imprisoned by the implacable stonewalls…

With a start and a split-second moment of complete clarity, Kagome realised that this was it. This was what had always been haunting her. This – being stuck at the bottom of the old well – was what her nightmare had always been about.

Had it been a premonition? A warning that one day, she would find herself trapped alone in this well? Or maybe it had been Kanna who had sent those dreams to her, to share and show the last moments of her life.

Alone, afraid and in despair, Kagome stood waist deep in the water, no longer able to tell if all these emotions eating her soul belonged to her or the dead girl. Her head was pounding and it felt oddly light. There was this buzzing sound in her ears, almost drowning the erratic pulse of her heart. Her arms and hands felt numb, her knees were weak. Had the darkness actually become darker? Blinking owlishly, Kagome let out a light gasp. And then the blackness swallowed her.

-~H~-

Sesshoumaru parked at the side of the road and rushed out of the car. He ran up the shrine steps two, three at a time. On the top of the stone stairs, underneath the red torii gate, stood the same, pale boy. He didn't say a word, just had his right hand raised and pointing to the side. Sesshoumaru reached the top and turned to his left – and for a moment, stood stock still.

It was the well house. Shrouded in a thick veil of jyaki which swirled lazily in the air, dark and ominous. Sesshoumaru's hands balled into fists and a growl tore from his throat. He had searched the whole shrine for signs of dark energy and he had found nothing. How could he have missed one as potent as this?

Unless…

He thought back to the day he had brought Naraku to inspect the shrine. He had shown particular interest in the well house, had begged to see it for himself… The memory came to him crystal clear, and Sesshoumaru saw Naraku peel away the weathered ofuda that had been plastered to the door of the well house.

Of course. He snarled. The spirit inhabited the well house, and the ofuda had been placed there intentionally. In his enthusiasm to see the old well, Naraku had unwittingly broken the seal and set the spirit free.

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws. He would skin the creep later. Right now, he had to save Kagome.

He crossed the yard and ran to the well house. He expected resistance, he expected a barrier of some kind, but there was nothing to bar his way and the old wooden door of the ancient building easily slid open under his fingers. Determinedly, his hands balling into fists, he stepped in.

The building was empty save for the old well. Quite unassuming, really, if not for the jyaki in the air so thick he might gag. He descended the few steps to the old dirt floor, in the middle of which sat the well. The dark, swirling energy was oozing from within, and Sesshoumaru set his jaw and walked over to the wood-rimmed structure.

Standing right by the centuries-old well, he peered into the murky depths. There, at the bottom, he saw Kagome. Her dark hair was fanned out in the water, her eyes closed and face pale. It was a surreal sight, she looked almost like a doll.

And by her side, deep in the shadows of the well was the spirit, a white child with coal-black eyes, humming a disjointed melody in a hollow voice, and cradling the unconscious woman in her arms.

Then, the unsettling humming stopped and the child looked up, straight at him.

"Here at last, I see. Always the knight in shining armour." A childish giggle echoed in the stony shaft. "Though I fear you have come too late."

Sesshoumaru felt cold at the words, but his fear for Kagome was quickly losing to his anger at the ghastly girl.

"Release Kagome," he barked. "Now!"

"Now why would I do that?" the spirit sneered. "I have been very patient. I have waited for years for her to come to me."

"I will not let you have her."

"Let me?" The child laughed. It was a chilling sound, high and cold. She brushed Kagome's wet, raven locks. "But I already have her."

A snarl ripped from Sesshoumaru's throat. Bright green acid dripped from the tips of his claws, sizzling as the fell to the dirt floor. Dark anger storming inside him, he spoke to the child in a feral growl.

"She is mine. If you want her, you have to go through me first."

The ghost's empty black eyes bore into him. Then she flashed him an eerie smile.

"No, Kagome is mine now," the pale child taunted, wrapping her dead arms tighter about the woman's shoulders. "She is beyond your saving."

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes flashed in anger. Then, suddenly, a feral grin twisted his lips.

"We'll see about that," he said in a low, silky voice.

The quiet hum of power suddenly intensified. Darkness began to ooze into the air around them. Pure malice filled the small confines of the well house. An aura that could only be described as demonic pulsed all around them as it grew larger and more threatening. Its vast power roared in the air, its pressure weighed on them.

A small distressed whimper escaped from Kagome's lips.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were red now. He was still smiling, a wide, manic grin flashing his pointed fangs.

Kanna laughed again, mocking him.

"You cannot hurt me, demon, no matter how powerful you are," she rasped. "Our powers come from the same root; we are both born out of darkness and hate."

"Your pride is what led you to your fall," Sesshoumaru snarled. His words were garbled, as he hovered on the brink of transformation. "Your mistake was thinking that my youki was aimed at you."

And then a new power rose, one that was calm, light and pure. Like a bright flame it flared up to contest the oppressing evil energy. It hummed in the air in a soothing song and for a while resonated with the aura of darkness. Then it burst, like a river breaking its chains to wash over all land.

Kanna screamed when the cold burning touch of purification coursed through her.

Sesshoumaru grunted and set his jaw, bracing himself against the searing wave of purity. She was stronger than he had thought, her reiki raw and untamed. The holy energy rushed through his body in a wild blaze. Then, the purity disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

Sesshoumaru jumped into the well, and gathered his girlfriend carefully into his arms. He leaped out of the well, landing softly on the dirt floor. He had just stepped from the well house out into the court yard, when Kagome's dark lashes twitched and her eyes fluttered open. He looked down at her and gently brushed the wet strands of hair from her face. Her blue eyes seemed unfocused at first, but finally her gaze settled onto him and quickly turned into a wide-eyed stare.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked, her voice hoarse and uncertain. She looked at the burning gold of his eyes, the vivid markings on his face, the sharp claws at the tips of the long fingers stroking her hair.

It would seem that her boyfriend had not been as forthcoming as she had believed; clearly there was a thing or two he had neglected to tell her about himself.

"I thought it would be unnecessary to tell you unless this thing between you and me got serious."

"So now…?" Kagome trailed off, unsure how to even phrase the question she wanted to ask.

"Things got serious," Sesshoumaru informed her rather bluntly.

The admission was enough to make her heart skip a beat. She sighed, closed her eyes and snuggled closer to the comforting wide shoulders, basking in the warmth of his tender embrace – and his feelings.

Then, her eyes suddenly shot open and her body tensed.
"Kanna," the name fell from her lips in a tremulous hiss. "Where is she? What happened?"

"The spirit is gone," Sesshoumaru reassured her. "You purified her."

"…I…What?" Kagome gaped at him, and Sesshoumaru grinned.

"Let's get inside. We can make ourselves comfortable and have a talk."

Kagome nodded. She had a feeling that her boyfriend had quite a bit explaining to do.

-~H~-

Sesshoumaru stood to the side and watched Kagome kneel down on the pavement. She lit the incense and hung her head. Although she had left offerings at the altar she had at home, she had insisted on coming here as well. Sesshoumaru had obliged; anything for her.

She had wanted to come and give proper thanks to Souta. And while Sesshoumaru was grateful to the boy for the part he had played and for protecting Kagome, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but think that the little brother was the wrong Higurashi to thank.

Staring contemplatively at the gravestone, Sesshoumaru looked back to the moment he had met Kagome's grandfather. The man had been old, he had appeared to be somewhat foolish, and his health was failing. But the eyes that had pinned him down had been clear and piercing, and the old man had burst into a dry chuckle.

"Oh yes," he had muttered in a wheezy voice, "you will do nicely."

Sesshoumaru had felt the glimmer of power in the man. It was faint and it was frail, but it was undeniably there. And if Sesshoumaru had been instantly able to tell that the old man was a priest, maybe he had been able to do the same. Maybe he had chosen Sesshoumaru as his lawyer because he was a youkai.

Of course, it was all pure speculation, but Sesshoumaru could not help but feel that his nagging suspicions were correct, and that it all had ultimately been the old man's doing.

He had likely been the only one who had really known what was going on all those years ago. He could tell that the well was haunted. He had immediately realised that Souta's death had been no accident. And he had probably deduced that Kagome would be next.

He had been too weak to purify the ghost, so he had done the only thing he could; sealed the well house and the spirit it hosted. And when his years had caught up to him, he had made his will. He had chosen a youkai lawyer to execute it. He had bestowed the shrine and the ghost to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru stared at his girlfriend, and a smile rose to his lips, simultaneously both tender and proud. Power such as hers, she must have always had it. It must have manifested already when she was a child. And the old man would have noticed, he would have recognised the potential. The power was likely the reason why the spirit had been so drawn to Kagome in the first place, but in the end Grandpa Higurashi's gamble had paid off, and Kagome had prevailed.

You won, old man, he dryly told the dead man.

The miko said one final prayer. She rose from the ground and rested her hand on the sun-warmed stone for a moment.

"All done?" Sesshoumaru asked her gently as she turned around, his golden eyes studying her face.

"I am," she told him with a smile.

She took his hand, small fingers curling around his.

"Let's go home."

.o.o. The End .o.o.

Chie: Before I started writing this story, I studied kaidan, traditional Japanese ghost stories.

I want to share with you some of the elements I incorporated in this short ghost story of mine.

The Well

First, the main reason why I chose to make use of the well was because of its central role in Inuyasha (I really like using canon elements in AU fics).

Second, one of the most well-known kaidan titled Banchou Sarayashiki features a well which the ghost of Okiku inhabits (this story was also an inspiration for the movie Ring).

Thirdly, water is a frequently used ghostly element in kaidan, because in Japanese religion it is a pathway to the underworld.

Onryou

Japanese vengeful ghosts. Ghostly vengeance is a common element in kaidan. Also, onryou are often far more powerful in death than they were in life, so the vengeful ghosts are often powerless people such as servants, women and children.

2-3 AM

The Japanese "bewitching hour" is not at midnight, but from 2 AM to 3 AM.

Four taps

The ghost tapped on Kagome's window four times, because four is an unlucky number in Japan. Though the kanji 四, four, is often pronounced as yon, it can also be read as shi, which happens to be the primary reading for the kanji 死, death or to die.