Holy Hill by Luna C.

A Meal and a Lock

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter 5: A Meal and a Lock

It sounded as if someone was chewing on something, but she knew it was neither her or Sesshomaru. She couldn’t pinpoint where that noise was coming from, and she knew better than to ask Sesshomaru since he would definitely say he didn’t hear anything. Maybe he was ignoring the rather obvious noise because he was scared. No, no, that doesn’t sound right. Kagome thought, glancing at the male before her, watching as he swung his lantern around to see the area. Though, he wouldn’t even say he was scared.

They arrived at a mishap room after traveling down the long hallway, everything covered in musty, yellowed sheets. The sloppy slurping increased once they entered, causing Kagome to back up slightly to the opening, feeling as if there was another presence, something rather sinister.

“I don’t think we should enter the room…”

“Why not?” Sesshomaru asked, looking back at her with his honey-brown eyes.

Kagome gulped, the hairs on her body rising when the sound suddenly stopped. “There’s something here.” She started, “I heard noises, like someone or something was eating messily, slurping… I don’t want to enter this room.”

“It’s probably some animal that entered here, it’s possible since the front doors were opened.” He reasoned with her, he couldn’t honestly see what was scaring her, but it must be terrifying since she was looking around with frantic eyes, her blue orbs wide with fear and how tensed her form was, standing straight as a rod. He couldn’t hear what she was referring to, straining his ears but only catching the rustle of the strong wind outside. “I don’t hear anything.”

“I’m telling you, I hear it… I don’t know why you can’t hear it, but it’s there, I promise you that!” Her voice echoed, the room a piercing tension. She didn’t know why she felt this way, but it was making her feel jittery. Sesshomaru then looked around, walking a bit further into the room, his light source coming in contact with the covered furniture as he peered around for anything strange and out-of-place. Kagome stood behind, looking around too. The slurping and chewing returned, very close to them. She reached her hand out, grasping the back of Sesshomaru’s costume, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

“What is it?”

“I-It sounds very close.” She shakily whispered out, the noise all around them. She didn’t know where to look, once she glance at that one direction, it resounded in another, making it hard to see where was the source. It was creepy how it could sound behind her but once she looked, it disappeared completely before emitting in front of them. “Do you hear it now?”

Sesshomaru shook his head, straining his eyes to see even with his lantern. “There’s nothing here except for the furniture.”

“B-but Sesshomaru, I can still hear it!”

Then she felt something slithered down her back and she jumped, nearly screaming in fright as she bumped into Sesshomaru, terrified beyond anything to think straight. She needed to get away and so she did when something wet was plastered against her back, a scream escaping her mouth as she tore across the room, leaving behind a bewildered male and heading towards the door at the other end, only thinking about getting away from whatever was behind her.

“Kagome! Wait!” She ignored his call, his footsteps reverberating against the wooden floors, trying to catch up with her. She was surprised she didn’t trip yet, but maybe it was from the adrenaline that caused her body to balance herself on perilous footwear. “Stop Kagome!”

Suddenly she stopped, her light blown out by an abrupt wind, but it was peculiar since they were inside. There was no reason for a breeze to come inside if there was no opening or windows opened to let the wind to fluttered around her, curling her long dress and hair, blinding her. A light behind her signified that Sesshomaru caught up with her, but despite the needed light, despite the fact her hair inhibited her vision, she saw something that frozen her on the spot.

A pearly white back, hunched over a carcass, its hands wrapped around the bloody meat while it brought the blood-laden extremity to its mouth to tear a piece of raw flesh, a sickly noise of savaged eating. Suddenly, it looked at her, black hair covering its face with the exception of a single black eye.

Then it disappeared when the wind stopped, her hair falling lifelessly around her shoulders. Sesshomaru shook her, calling out her name, but Kagome continued to stare at the empty space, the spot where a supposed blood puddle was at instead of undisturbed dust.  It was a dream right? She had to be dreaming, there was no possible explanation to what she just saw. What or who was that? Was it a ghost? A demon? What happened to this shrine, why was she seeing such vivid images, why was she only hearing everything that was happening?

It doesn’t make sense, was something trying to inform her of the circumstances, warn her about the tales that surrounded this place? But why show such ghastly scenes, why her? So many questions raced through her mind, and she couldn’t explain any of it.

She knew for certain though, she needed to leave this place and soon. Coming out of her trance, she noticed Sesshomaru was touching her shoulder, his eyes filled with a subtle concern. “I need to get out of here… I can’t be here.”

“Why, what happened?”

“You won’t believe me if I told you, but we can’t stay here Sesshomaru, something’s wrong with this place…” She grasped the rusted handle of her lantern, biting the inside of her cheek as a faint trail of smoke escaped the top.

Sesshomaru looked at her, debating whether or not to believe her words, but since she seemed frightened, he could lead her back to the entrance, and he could merely return here and continue exploring. He was curious after all about this place. “Alright, let’s go back then.” He grabbed her arm gently, herding her besides him as Kagome walked with an unhurried pace, almost as if she was digging her own shoes into the floor, as if she didn’t want to leave. But that was strange since she made it clear that she didn’t want to stay any longer.

However, before they could reach the exit leading to the hallway, the shoji door slammed shut, its action perfectly clear to them.

The shrine didn’t want them to leave.

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Prompt: Hungry Ghost

Kneazle’s Halloween 2013 Challenge