Bundle of Lies by Knight of Disorder

Bundle of Lies

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

"Yo, Killer! What are you doing,” wrapping his hand over the silver haired teenagers shoulder, “we have to get going. Ayame will castrate me if I’m late and you have to go because she invited Kagura along.” Smiling like the fool he was, it was too easy get on his friends bad side.

“Keep calling me Killer, and I might just become one,” sighing slightly. Shaking the hand off his shoulder, “where are you supposed to be meeting them?” Tugging the full length of his hair into a tight tail at the base of his skull. Huffing slightly when Kouga didn’t respond. “Answer me.”

Narrowing his eyes, Kouga wasn’t convinced. Sesshoumaru had never been really sociable but at the same time he definitely wasn’t a recluse. “The lake, where else is there?”

“I’m not going,” the words were quick and his tone sharp. Sighing once more before grabbing up the bag from his desk. He wouldn’t go to the lake, never again. That’s what he’d promised himself, he wouldn’t go back to that cursed quarry lake. Back to that woman.

She was just sitting there, it was strange to see someone out here this late. No, that wasn’t entirely true. It was strange to see anyone out here. The quarry lake which was left after the company that was cutting it out went out of business. If he said so himself she was beautiful, even if he couldn’t see her face, or hear the words which were muffled in the wind. There was something about that creature that was enchanting.

“There, there,” the two words floating on the breeze like a lost child.

His steps were slow, almost unwilling to approach her. A small bundle resting across her forearm as she sat on the edge of the steep drop to the water below. When she turned he froze, the strands of her hair hanging in the air like the lightest silk. Framing her pale blue eyes against her white skin. “Are you okay?”

She smiled, “I’m fine.” Rocking the bundle in her arms slowly.

“I can hold him for a minute,” she looked so tired. Even though she was sitting, she just looked so tired in that moment. “If you don’t mind that is.” What surprised him was her answer, she simply held out the bundle to him with a smile on her lips.

“I didn’t think anyone would be up here this late.”

“They normally aren’t,” looking down at the completely wrapped bundle. “A lot of people think this place is cursed, some even say it’s haunted by a beautiful woman. That if you see her face, she’ll steal your soul.”

“Oh, I hadn’t heard that.”

This woman, which spoke so casually, was like a ghost herself. Sesshoumaru was sure, that if it hadn’t been for the child he was currently holding, he would have thought she was. Letting his eyes close slightly, “my name, it’s Sesshoumaru. What about you?”

“Oh,” turning her head ever so slowly, “it’s been a long time since someone asked my name. You can call me Kagome.” Her eyes turned on him quickly switched back towards the far side of the lake. “It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to anyone this long.”

“Really,” it was strange wasn’t it. For someone to be out here, this late, with a child. “Why is that, you’re very beautiful. I would have thought that guys would be falling all over themselves to be with you.”

Her eyes turned down, a small frown turning down the corners of her lips. “Thank you for the conversation Sesshoumaru,” her arms reaching out and plucking the bundle from his arms. “I hope I never see you again.” Then she shifted, vanishing over the edge.

“She just vanished,” sighing again. He’d been doing that a lot recently. At least a few times a day, which was strange for him. He never used to sigh. “Damn it.” He’d have to go back, because she said she hoped she’d never meet him again. That had to mean that she was, at the very least, still alive. Sighing once more he slung his bag over his shoulder, tapping the toe of his shoe against the concrete. “So be it then, looks like I’m going back.”

---000---

Clucking his tongue as he stepped from the line of trees, he’d been out here for two hours. Walked half of the damn lake and still hadn’t seen her. She was dead, he was sure. Even with her words, because falling from that height into the lake at night was almost a death wish. At least on that side, there were huge boulders everywhere. Dropping down near a tree, taking a few deep breaths.

“It wouldn’t hurt to check just once more.” Pushing himself up and turning his eyes towards the edge of the quarry he’d taken his eyes from for just a few moments.

Hair in the breeze as she rocked the small bundle once again, head turned away. Once more her words muffled by the wind.

“There, there,” they came to him once more.

“Kagome,” his strides sure as he came closer to the woman at the edge of the quarry. She was still alive it seemed, and still here. Late at night with a child.

“I so hoped I wouldn’t see you again Sesshoumaru.”

He heard it, there was a sadness in her tone that didn’t get past him easily. Taking a breath, “let me hold you child so you might have a break.” And as before she held the bundle out to him without a question. “Why are you out here so late?”

“Because I have no where else to be, no home, and no family. So I’m here,” her hands resting in her lap.

“Why do wear suck traditional clothing? If you don’t mind me asking,” he noticed it before. The pure white kimono with it’s markings. Red hexagons in groups of three with white blossoms set inside them. Her dark hair standing starkly against it even in the darkness of the night.

“As, that’s a story in itself. One far too long for you to hear to it’s end,” shifting slightly. Her hands pressing against the silk of her kimono’s skirt.

“I have all night, though I wonder, if you have no place to go how do you afford the silk for your kimono,” shifting the bundle in his arms higher.

“It was a gift, and I clean it regularly. I have to, since it’s all I own.”

“Stop lying to me,” reaching up and pulling the cloth back from the bundle in his arms. There, where a child should have been, was nothing more than several stones tied together.

“This is why I wished we would never meet again, even those who are nice always begin to question me when we meet again,” her arms trembled slightly. “I never wanted this, so please forgive me what I’m about to do Sesshoumaru.” Quicker than lightning she turned on him, her arms wrapping around him like a vice and pulling.

The air shot past him, and then he felt it. The sharp claws biting into his back, and the strength of her grip. Taking just a glance before they hit the water at the massive length of scaled body which left the bottom of her kimono.

“Nure-onna.” Were his last words before the world went black in the depths of the lake.

---000---

AN: Written for the Halloween Challenge. I'm okay with it, I could have done more but I didn't feel like it. Well anywho hope you like it. Please R&R, thank you.