Temptation by Dandie
Speechless, My Love?
Why did she do it? WHY? She had tried to prove to her friends that she wasn’t a wuss… that she could stay in the enchanted mansion if she wanted. And they had called her bluff, and here she was… roaming the walls of the long forgotten mansion, humming to herself in hopes that if any ghosts were in residence they would run away from the sound of her voice.
It wasn’t yet dark out… so it was not as scary as it could be quite yet. But armed with only a flashlight, as the agreement with her friends entailed, it was sure to get very dark very soon. Kagome wiped clammy palms on her black sweat pants. She usually wore jeans and a t-shirt… but since she was basically staying the night, she had decided to go for comfy instead. It wasn’t like the ghosts would be insulted by night clothes or anything.
A big bang sounded below Kagome’s feet and she let out a little shriek and ran, tripping on a broken chair leg and falling face first into the grime and dust.
“ARG!” she yelled, wincing when she heard it echo throughout the house. Ohh… they sure as hell knew she was here now. She slapped her hand against her forehead and it came back with smudges of black and spider web.
“Eww…” she mumbled and hastily wiped her hand over her face to get any remnants of whatever had been on the floor off her face.
Night was almost here… and Kagome needed to find a room to stay the night in… there was no way she was going to walk around all night just so she could fall to her death through a rotten piece of floor. So she walked around quickly, rattling door knobs here and there but they all seemed to either be jammed or locked.
Finally when she got to the 3rd floor, a door at the very end of the hall stood ajar. Slowly she walked through it, scanning the floor as she went for mice and bugs and broken floor boards. When she could see nothing too threatening, she looked up and gasped. The room looked like it had been preserved in time. A large fire place stood on the far right wall, a dark maroon carpet with white designs was in front of it, only slightly worn.
Large golden sconces hung on the walls… it looked as if they had just been used recently. And across from the fireplace was a huge bed, risen up higher on the larger platform. The blankets and pillows were still intact, as if it had just been slept in and made. The blankets were lovely blue silk with gold threading through it, a lark flower intricately created in the center.
Did someone still live here?? Was she intruding?! But how could that be? This mansion had been abandoned for years and years! She had never seen anyone go in or out unless it was a bunch of dumb kids (like her) trying to scare themselves silly!
She shook her head and walked further into the room, looking this way and that and taking in the extravagant surroundings. How could someone leave all of this behind and how could it still be in such good shape? It was a mystery… but she knew one thing for certain, this was the room she was spending the night it.
She slowly glided her hands across the covers; not seeing mold or anything anywhere in the room… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad staying here after all…
Kagome sat on the bed and hugged her legs to her chest… exhausted from being so scared earlier.
Slowly her eyes drooped and she slumped on the bed, falling into a fitful sleep. She was running through the halls of the mansion, trying to escape someone or something. She didn’t know what. But the mansion was different, the walks were lit up with candles and decorated with beautiful wallpaper and carpeting. She looked down and saw that she was wearing an elegant ball gown. It was sapphire, with what looked like diamonds decorating the bust and going down the wait to the train.
She stopped dumbfounded… What the hell was going on? She turned around and came face to face with what… who she had been running from. He stared at her with amber eyes, long silky white hair was hanging down past his waist… and his mouth, oh his wonderful mouth was lifted in a half smile.
“I’ve caught you my love, what is my prize?” he asked huskily, pulling her into him. She just stared dumbfounded, not knowing what to say… not knowing who he was.
“Speechless, my dear? That is a fete I don’t usually accomplish.” He chuckled at his own joke and lowered his mouth to hers, caressing hers gently. Kagome felt like she was flying, felt like this was right where she was supposed to be. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back.
The kiss turned passionate, his tongue swept into her mouth making her moan. He swept her up into his arms, walking toward the bedroom… which looked oddly familiar. He lay her on the bed, breaking the kiss and breathing hard, watching her with those magnificent eyes.
Kagome’s flew open, she was gasping for breath and for a moment did not know where she was… but above her…
“Oh my god!” she gasped, the man… the amber eyed man was leaning above her still. Still in the old clothes from her dream! But there was something different about him… something…
He was opaque! Kagome’s hand flew to her mouth… he was looking at her with eyes that were so sad… as if, as if she was something he could never have. Dear lord, this man was a ghost!
Kagome could not speak, could not move as he floated away from her, but never presenting his back. He just stared at her with those mournful eyes, his hand outstretched…
“I don’t, I don’t know what you want…” Kagome finally squeaked, not knowing what to do and not being able to move either. The man shook his head, and simply vanished. Leaving Kagome to feel heartbroken and terrified all that the same time.
Who was this man? And why did she feel like she already knew him… and had lost him all too soon? Kagome clutched her hand to her chest, heaving as if she had run miles and miles… She looked out the window and saw that it was still night. What if this was just a dream? What if… Kagome shook her head and lay against the pillows once more… Maybe she had to go back to sleep to wake up? Kagome lay down her head, and fell into another fit fall sleep.
She was dying… she knew she was, but did not want to leave her beloved.
He was sitting in the chair next to her, his head in his hands silent tears slipping through his open fingers. The doctor had just told them that she didn’t have more than a day to live. That her sickness was winning… that… that she had better order a priest to say her last rights.
Life was so unfair! She had thought she had forever to be with him, and now she was to leave this life, leave the ones she loved!
Sesshoumaru leaned forward and clasped her emaciated hand in his, touching tear soaked lips to it.
“I will never love again… I will… How can I live without you darling? What am I to do?” Tears choked him and he lay down beside her, cradling her small body against his own.
“My love,” she whispered, “I will always be with you even in my death. I love you… Do not… Do not refuse to live because I am not with you, go on. Love again. Please…” Sesshoumaru just shook his head against her throat, unable to speak.
“Do not leave me,” he choked out…
Kagome bolted straight up in bed, she didn’t want to die!!! She looked around and saw that the bedroom she was in was suffused in light. Oh dear god it was daytime, and… What the hell had happened to the bedroom she had been in the night before?
The floor was full of dust; with what looked like what might have been a rug in front of a half gone fireplace. She looked down at the bed and shrieked, jumping off in disgust. It was covered in dust filled moth eaten blankets.
Looking around panicked, she ran from the room, ran from the house without looking back… her heart still beating rapidly from the thought of leaving him… Leaving him?!
When she got halfway down the road, she stopped and looked back. In the doorway, a man with silver hair and yellow eyes watched her…
“Kagome…” whispered the night air… Tears filled Kagome’s eyes… Why did she feel like she should go back?
The man disappeared from the doorway… and Kagome turned to go home…