Author's Note: Day 4 of the 12 Days of Witchyness! This will be my next full-lengthed fic, and yes, it is going to have some serious plot rather than my usual, fluffy stuff. This is incredibly, loosely based on Teen Wolf. Which means that I've never watched the show; I've only stared at gifs of Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Hoechlin for a long, long time.

Warning: In this story, a main character deals with the continual feeling of anxiety and has anxiety attacks. The expression in which the character undergoes these episodes does not represent anxiety as a whole, or proper ways to deal with anxiety. The description may become graphic so if this is triggering, please be careful. If you have specific concerns, please reach out to me.

That Flesh of Mine

Chapter One

There's a rumble in the floor so get prepared for war. When it hits it'll knock you to the ground, when it shakes everything around. But survival is a must so will you stand with us? Can you feel it? Make it real? Make me feel it?

(Courtesy Call, Thousand Foot Krutch)

At first, she didn't quite know what made her stop running.

Kagome Higurashi stopped in the middle of the well-worn path in the forest, grabbing at her iPod to turn the volume all the way down. She had run in the forest that backed onto her family's property hundreds of times before. It was the same route, over and over, the ground beaten over time with familiarity and use. Ever since high school became the endless drama that it always was, running had become a frequent hobby of hers.

It was the only thing, more often than not, that stopped the overwhelming flow of anxiety in her chest. That made breathing slightly easier, even if only for a few hours.

Normally, Kagome ran in the mornings but today had been a bad one. Everyone always said teenagers were the most angst-ridden, usually over silly, trivial things. They didn't feel so trivial to her though, not when the stares and the whispers followed her like a cloak, catching and wrapping around her.

The forest though; it was always quiet and any whispers were just the sigh of the leaves, the dance of the wind. This was in many ways her place to feel nothing and everything, without judgement. Right now, standing in the middle of the path, all Kagome felt was a tingle of fear, lacing its way through her bones. She looked around but nothing moved; there was no wind on a night like tonight. Everything should be peaceful. Was peaceful.

It was nothing, she decided. Just her imagination running away with all of the anxieties from today. The stress was too much right now. It was getting dark though, shadows falling and stretching across the path before her. Kagome knew that there was nothing in these woods, the forest that had always taken care of her since she was a small child.

She kept her volume down and turned back around anyways, heading home. It would still be at least fifteen minutes and by then, the moon would be guiding her. The darkness had never bothered her before but now–

Cracking. Branches far off in the distance were cracking, snapping, breaking at an alarming rate. Kagome tried to look into the depth of the trees but saw nothing, only picking up the sounds. Something was coming though. Quickly.

It was headed towards her.

Heart pounding, Kagome ran. She followed the path and she sprinted as fast as her body would take her. Fear was clutching at her now, hot claws scraping, burning against her insides. The snapping of branches grew louder and now the sharp rustling of leaves accompanied it. Whatever was coming was closing in and Kagome couldn't think beyond a stream of run, go, get away, run, run–

A deep, snarling growl pierced the air. Instinctually, Kagome turned her head towards the sound, feet still pounding into the dirt. And she saw it.

It was some kind of– of–

Kagome screamed, a high-pitched, pathetic thing, her heart near beating out of her chest. She could hear it coming closer and closer, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, body shivering even as sweat poured down her face. She wasn't going to make it.

A sharp stabbing pain shattered her side, throwing her off of the dirt path and into what she could only guess was a tree. The air was knocked out of her with a shocking, vicious force and she barely had the energy to roll over, to see the monster as it stared at her with beady, black eyes. Its mouth was massive, a snake-like tongue poised between razor-sharp teeth. The monster's skin was a flawless canvas of porcelain skin, body seemingly unending with six arms but so, so many legs.

"You," the monster hissed, slithering closer. Oh god, she was going to die. Her mother was going to be devastated. This was going to kill her. "I can feel it within you."

"Please don't hurt me," Kagome begged, holding up her hands, feet scrambling to push her back, get her away. "I don't know what you want; I don't have anything. Please." Her back hit the tree behind her. Her only hope was to run deeper into the forest, to lose it somehow. She had to run now before it got any closer.

"Don't lie to me," the monster hissed, hands flexing out as if to grab. "I always know where it is and now this land is free to roam and destroy."

Kagome screamed, flipping herself over and pushing herself up, forward, go, go, go. She ran behind the tree and then kept moving, deeper into the woods. The sharp, unbearably loud sound of wood splintering and cracking sang through the air. She couldn't look back but had to keep running forward. Wind through the trees, don't stop, don't stop–

"You cannot escape!" the monster roared and again Kagome felt a horrific pain along her neck, stinging downwards as she collapsed into the dirt. Her vision was spotty, black lining everything and she couldn't breathe. Her chest was so tight and she opened her mouth, tried desperately to pull in air. Unwillingly, she rolled over and something wet dropped onto her face, sliding down her cheek like tears.

The monster was on top of her, beady eyes staring at her intently. Whatever this was, it wasn't and had never been human. It hissed at her, spit flying onto her face as it opened its mouth wider. It was going to eat her. Oh god, it was going to–

An angry, deep growl pierced through the air and then suddenly, the monster was being shoved off of her. A scream that wasn't hers bellowed into the night and Kagome reared back as fast and far as she could, eyes desperately searching in the dark for the monster. It was almost too far to tell but the thing's long body was squirming, feet stomping and stirring up the dirt. There was a sharp, pained howl and the monster hissed, body twisting.

What the hell was she doing? She needed to run.

Scrambling up, Kagome pushed from the ground and took off towards her house. The dirt path was the easiest to follow, the least dangerous in the night with the moon only half-full. She could barely see but she saw enough. All she needed was to get back, get home and call the cops. But really, what would they even do?

"You will never get away," the monster screeched, high-pitched but raspy. The thundering sound of branches cracking grew closer and Kagome knew she wasn't going to make it. There was a desperation that tore through her, a pleading scream inside her head begging her to keep going, to not stop. She wanted to live.

The monster cried out from behind and then Kagome felt her legs get hit with something. She fell down instantly, hands scrabbling in the dirt. This was it. She was going to die. "Yes," it hissed, its porcelain white body slithering closer to her. Its face was twisted, an ugliness amplified by the way its tiny black eyes were lit up. "It's in you, girl, and I must have it." Screaming did nothing but it was the only thing that she had. The monster let out a fierce cry, mouth opening with razor-sharp teeth glistening, preparing to eat her.

She was so, so sorry to her mother, her brother, her grandfather–

Closing her eyes, Kagome threw her hands up but the pain that she expected never came. Instead, hair tickled at her face and a deep, pained snarl was ripped out from above her. Her dark brown eyes flew open and there, on top of her, was a boy she'd never seen in her life before.

But his eyes were red and his mouth, bloody, had fangs. Blood dripped from his forehead and stomach, and the beady-eyed monster's teeth glistened as they dung even deeper into his shoulder.

"Holy shit," she whispered, taking in nothing but angry red and vicious, bitten-off snarls.

The monster above them both bit into him harder and he growled, deep and foreboding. Blood was gushing from his wound, and Kagome could see between their bodies even more crimson, like they were bathing in it. She tried to scramble back but he was too close on top of her, too heavy. Desperately she pushed at the side of him that wasn't being clamped on by the monster but it didn't matter anyways. The creature reared back, bringing the red-eyed boy with it. His body was limp, eyes now covered by his silver hair and were those–?

A snarl, vicious and violent cut through the air and then his hands clenched, rising towards his face.

Kagome couldn't move, watching the horror-show before her and terrified, so goddamn terrified. His claws extended, tiny sharp daggers that swiftly dug deep into the monster's face, dark blood exploding out. It screamed, a high-pitched wail, backing off and retreating several steps as it dropped the guy back down on the ground. He landed in a crouch and then, as if given the opportunity he'd been waiting for all along, the silver-haired man opened his eyes.

"Run," he hissed, smirking. It sent a shiver through her, the reaction of prey being focused on by a predator. He flexed his claws, hands covered in gore. He turned to the monster behind him. There was a howl and Kagome rolled over, trying to crawl up to run back to the house. Excruciating pain lanced through her foot, sending her back down into the ground, face covered with dirt. Desperately, she crawled forward, trying to get as far away as she could without putting pressure on her ankle. She screamed once more as something thick and heavy bounced off of her legs, that something only known when she saw the porcelain monster and the man rolling in front of her. The monster's mouth was dripping with blood and the guy looked like he was in horrible pain, every part of him covered in black. The creature's six arms held him down, forcing his face to the side and his neck exposed. He was struggling, hands flexing constantly but touching nothing but air. His growls were endless, a dog cornered with nowhere to run.

He was going to die.

He was going to die trying to saving her, and then she'd be dead too.

Kagome grabbed the closest thing she could find in range – a stick – and stumbled upwards despite the pain. She threw it as hard as she could, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Stop!"

The stick did nothing more than bounce uselessly off the creature, but it was enough to make the beady-eyed thing recoil to the side slightly, adjusting enough weight that the guy underneath could rear up, forcing off the arms. His claws went straight for the monster's throat, slicing in so deep that the head actually rolled, a horrifying shock of bone protruding. Its long, terrifying body twitched until finally... Silence.

Kagome couldn't look away from all of the blood. The black eyes of the monster were still open, staring at the sky accusingly. Oh god, it–

A hitch of breath shocked her back into focus, her dark brown eyes zeroing in the guy who had now dragged himself away to the closest tree. He was leaning back on it heavily, red eyes staring at her, breaths coming in ragged and far too quick. His hands, clawed and bloody, were pressed against his neck and side, and in that moment she realized he was hurt far more than she knew. The neck wound was still horribly bloody but there was something protruding from his side. Even from a distance she could see the blood leaking out around it. There were gashes on his legs. Not a single piece of clothing he wore wasn't covered in thick, cloying crimson.

It was in that moment she decided to drag herself over, body moving on autopilot. A guttural snarl shook the air around them, freezing her to the spot as the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight. Her mind was screaming at her to run, to flee. Not in his direction, but to go the other way. The guy was not a man, not a human, not the more she stared at him. Blood red eyes – like something from a horror movie – and long, red-streaked silver hair. Clawed hands like some sort of wolf had torn into the other creature like it was made of paper. Most startling of all was the ears, bloodied and twitching, sitting on top of his head, like a cat's would.

Monster, her mind wailed at her, over and over. Just like the porcelain thing. He was going to destroy her. He was going to eat her, kill her.

But no. He saved her life. Kagome gritted her teeth, ignored the warning bells and closed the gap between them, despite the way he looked at her like he wanted to claw off her face. He was still growling but the sound was weaker, an animal unsure of what to do when vulnerable. He was breathing harshly but Kagome pushed that all aside and looked at the wound instead. The protrusion was a piece of wood, thick and run completely through him. She didn't know a lot of first-aid but she remembered you didn't pull it out. You wrapped what you could around it to slow the bleeding until medical could arrive.

Kagome grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. It wasn't the time to be self-conscious, not when both of them were primarily covered in blood. She had a sports bra on anyways. The t-shirt would barely help with all of the blood but maybe she could rip part of his–

With a deep growl, Kagome gasped as the man – monster – ripped the wood out, flinging the protrusion as far away as possible before glaring at her, angry. At least the growling had stopped.

"What are you doing?" Kagome cried out, hands instantly flying to his side without thought or care. She could feel the way his body shuddered, tension thick in his muscles. Her t-shirt was soaked in blood immediately. Oh god, he was going to die. "I don't have a phone – shit – and I can barely walk. Why would you do that?!"

Panting through only his mouth, the guy's breathing sounded wet. That wasn't good. Kagome was positive that was a very, very bad sign. He was staring at her, fangs poking out from his lips and looking for all the world like at any second he was going to go for her throat. "It needed to go," he growled out, voice rough.

Kagome was shaking. This man, this monster, was going to kill her. She should never have gotten close, never have attempted to help despite what he did for her. But that would make her…what? A monster too, even if not visibly seen. He was likely going to die from trying to save her and Kagome wasn't careless. She couldn't leave him. She had to try. Clenching her jaw, she willed her hands to stop shaking as she moved her shirt slightly on the wound, trying to stop the worst of the bleeding.

A tiny sound, almost a deep vibration, came from his throat. The silver-haired man breathed in deep, gaze never leaving hers. His claws flexed but remained on his body, no movement towards her. As he exhaled, that little noise came again.

"Let me help you," Kagome whispered. "Let me try."

She shouldn't have been shocked, not with the way her night had been going. It still made her head spin as his eyes dimmed and she watched, mystified as her hands got wetter and wetter with blood, as the orbs shifted to something… Something beautiful. Gold.

"What are you?" Kagome asked, hushed, putting as much pressure on the wound as she could. "You saved me but I– I don't know what I'm doing. I can't–" She cut herself off. I can't save you. There was no way that she could get back to the house in time. Even if by some miracle she could, the medics would never get to him fast enough before he bled out.

A trace of a scowl edged along the guy's face. He tipped his head back against the tree and looked up at the sky. His ears were blood-stained and flickering, the right one poised to the side. "I'm not much of anything."

"That's not an–" The rest of her sentence was cut off sharply by the sound of snapping branches, coming from further away. She looked at the guy before her, dark eyes wide and alarmed. If something else was coming, there was no way that she could fend for them both. Oh god, and he was still bleeding; did she leave him? Run?

"Calm down, idiot," he said, eyes still focused on the sky.

"Calm down?" she asked, rather hysterically. Her voice was at a far higher pitch than she was used to and without consciously thinking about it, her hands tightened on his side, making him wince slightly. "We are about to get eaten–"

"Inuyasha!"

Kagome whipped her head around, staring at the branches that were jostling with movement. A body was surging towards them, and the voice sounded human. It sounded even vaguely familiar. "What…?" she asked, an unformed question begging to come out.

But then a guy stepped out from the bush, breathing heavily and a little wild-eyed. His blue gaze landed on them almost immediately and he cursed, running towards them.

"I know you," Kagome said. This was weird. This was so weird. Because she did know him. The guy was Miroku Tsujitani, a senior at Sakura High. He was a year older and extremely popular among the students – girls in particular. He only really hung out with one person though, some girl in Kagome's grade. She couldn't remember the name; she never had any classes with her.

Miroku barely spared her a glance before he looked at the guy – the monster – bleeding out on her. His gaze went straight to her hands, where her shirt was completely soaked in blood. "What the hell did you do?" he asked roughly.

The guy – Inuyasha, apparently – shrugged. "Smelled a demon. Tracked the demon. Killed the demon."

"Looks like it nearly killed you," Miroku replied. He sounded more exasperated than angry, like he did a second before.

Kagome looked between the two of them, feeling more incredulous than she ever had before. "Excuse me?" she yelled. The two of them looked at her blankly. "What is going on? What the hell was that– that– that thing? Why do you have ears like a cat?"

"A cat?" Inuyasha growled, narrowing his gold-coloured eyes. Gold-coloured eyes. They had been red before, so, so red. What was going on?

Miroku took a quick glance around, eyes landing on the body of the porcelain monster. All of the blood staining the dirt. "You need to go home," he said eventually, voice firm. "Get up and go home. Don't even bother telling anyone about this. Nobody will believe you."

Her mouth opened, then shut. It opened again. "The police need to be called! If there are more of those things out here, they need to be found and taken down."

"There aren't any more," Miroku replied sternly. "Look, you're Kagome right? That's your name?"

How he even knew surprised her but there was too much already going on, too many worries about monsters with fangs and blood-red eyes.

He must have taken her silence for an affirmative because he nodded once, sharply. "I've been where you are. Okay? And I told everyone who would listen. But the body behind you is going to decompose faster than you can get the cops out here, probably within the next fifteen minutes. And not a single cop is going to believe that you were attacked by a creature that looks like it came from a horror-enthusiast's nightmares. Your family is going to look at you differently. Your friends will turn their backs on you. You will outcast yourself for something no one will ever believe."

Kagome could feel her heartrate picking up, every single one of his words hitting a chord harder and harder with each finished sentence. She tried to play out the scenario in her head. She'd make her mom hysterical, confused. Kagome would call the cops and she'd tell the story over and over again. People would start skeptical and turn pitiful the moment they searched the woods. If no body was found…

"You know I'm right," Miroku stated, sincere. His gaze never wavered from hers. "Now go home, Kagome. Wash off the dirt and blood, and try like hell to get some sleep."

She had a million questions. Opening her mouth, the sound broke off when Inuyasha's hands knocked at her own, forcing her to let go of his side. All she saw were his claws, dipped in red. "But–"

"Go home," Inuyasha said forcefully, a deep growl in his voice. It was nothing like the hiss of the other monster but it unsettled her, anxiety lacing through her veins. Given everything that just happened, she was surprised the anxiety hadn't clawed its way up her throat already, an attack seizing her body and making everything spin. She stood up, taking two steps back before she even decided she wanted to. The pain in her foot was barely manageable.

"It's okay," Miroku murmured. "Go home."

She took another step back, stared at the guy that may or may not be human. When Kagome turned around, she looked down at the body of the slain monster, footsteps falling faster and faster until she was running. Home wasn't that far but it still took time. Branches scraped at her bare stomach but it was nothing compared to the stinging in her foot, the ankle all twisted.

Kagome didn't stop though. She kept going, until the light in front of her came from the front steps of their porch. Opening the door, she limped inside and up the stairs, praying her mother or brother wouldn't see her, wouldn't notice the blood and grime that was sure to cover her body. Once in the shower, steam fogging and cloying up the air, Kagome rubbed her body until it was raw, skin red and burning. Her hair was soaking wet when Kagome laid back down on her bed, dark brown eyes staring up at the ceiling.

It should look different, she thought. Uglier.

It was still the plain, boring white it always was.

When Kagome closed her eyes, she didn't see red eyes or fangs or claws dripping with blood. She didn't hear the snapping of sticks or the hiss of anger. Instead, when she closed her eyes, she remembered the body of the monster mostly decomposed – so fast, too fast, inhumanly fast – and the wet sound of the golden-eyed man's breathing, in and out.

Waking up was like emerging from under water when you've been down in the reefs for far too long. It hurt. It hurt in so many places that Kagome fought as hard as she could to stay down, in the dark and the quiet.

Sleep was only forgiving when you were dead.

The moment she opened her eyes, everything came back to her in an overwhelming rush. Things that weren't human. Things that wanted to eat her and hurt her. Things that until yesterday, she had never known existed. Yesterday, she had almost been devoured by a snake monster that wanted to sink its teeth into her body.

Kagome's chest squeezed tightly, her breathing spiraling out of control faster than she could get a grip on it. Oh god, Christ, that really happened. There were monsters out there, things that went bump in the night and wanted to eat human flesh. Her human flesh. She nearly died last night and left her family behind.

She couldn't get enough air. There wasn't enough air.

Struggling, Kagome reached jerkily for her nightstand, grabbing at a journal filled with paper cut-outs. She opened a page at random and stared at it, her chest unbearably tight.

Red roof. There was a red roof. The roof was red.

Cobblestone streets, which were weird. The streets made her think of something European, something older with history.

The old man was wearing a beige hat.

There was an animal but it was either a large cat or a small dog. She thought it was a dog. A brown dog. The dog in the picture was brown.

Inhale, two, three, four–

The sky was a light blue. It was probably morning in the painting. The sun wasn't visible. There were too many roofs.

Exhale, two, three, four–

She examined the printout of the painting, again and again, agonizing over every single detail until it was the only thing occupying her mind.

Inhale, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four.

Sometimes it felt like forever. Other times, mere minutes. Regardless, it left her shaky and exhausted, still in her bed and under the duvet cover. Maybe it would be best if she didn't go to school today. When her mother checked on her before bed last night, she had feigned sleep, unsure of what else to do. She'd been too terrified to talk, the words of what happened threatening to spill all over the cold, laminate floor. Never had she felt more like a small child, frightened and wanting nothing more than her mom.

Would her mom even believe her?

It seemed so unlikely. Kagome stared up at the crackled ceiling, thinking. It was…crazy. Monsters were real. Who… Who in their right mind would even believe her? Miroku was right. Unless she had evidence, it was simply the word of an anxious teenager. Kagome felt her eyes burn and she forced herself to blink – once, twice – with water gathering. Shit, she was going to cry.

Inhale, two, three, four.

She needed a plan.

Exhale, two, three, four.

Evidence. If Kagome had evidence, she could get authorities involved, people with guns who could shoot whatever atrocious things were out there dead. There couldn't be just the one monster. That guy who saved her life… He'd been a monster, too.

Then again, he'd saved her.

It was all incredibly confusing.

Breathing in, Kagome rolled to check the time on her clock. There was almost twenty minutes left before her alarm was to go off. She had a couple options and one choice to make. Did she pretend that nothing happened? Go for a run, get ready for school, attend her classes and move forward in life like the previous evening was nothing more than a vivid nightmare? Did she stay in bed, fake illness? Her mom wouldn't question her. It would be so easy.

But Kagome knew herself, better than she liked to most days. As tense and terrifying as getting up was, lying in bed was going to make her anxiety run rampant. All she would think about were the monsters. There would be no answers for her; nothing more than a white ceiling that would remain unchanged. She needed to get up. She needed to do things, keep her mind busy. If she had questions about this, she needed to talk to someone who wouldn't think she was nuts.

There was only one place Miroku Tsujitani would be.

Her alarm blared to life, a high-pitched awful thing that made her jump even though she knew it was coming. She rolled out of bed and turned it off, feeling every muscle in her body tense with the thought of what was coming next. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to get out of bed and leave her room. Her plan was smarter, but hell, it was scary too. Kagome could feel the jitters in her system, the fluttering of her stomach and tightening of her chest. Anxiety was going to be a constant, unshakeable companion today.

Changing into jogging pants and a t-shirt was automatic. She grabbed the hair elastic and put up her hair as she quietly went downstairs to the main level. Her mother was already up, tea in hand as she read a paperback at the kitchen table. She gave a smile and Kagome desperately threw one on her face, disappearing from sight as fast as possible because she knew it wasn't real enough. Her mother knew her too well, had watched anxiety cling to her bones for years. Mama Higurashi was no fool.

The runners were by the door and she made quick work of them, getting outside of the house as fast as possible. The air was brisker than usual for the fall; goosebumps ran up her arms enough to make her shiver. Automatically she went towards the path to the forest, not realizing her mistake until the trees loomed ahead, rustling with the breeze. For the first time ever, Kagome slowed down and stared, heart racing. The forest had never looked so terrifying to her before.

Kagome turned around and ran around the front of the property instead. It was laughable really, the effort she was going to, trying to keep things normal. Things weren't normal. Her ankle started to protest and Kagome remembered with a flinch what had happened. The nighttime had made it better but running so aggressively was stirring the pain back up. She stopped, taking pressure off her foot.

Now what?

It had barely been ten minutes. Her mother would know something was up if she returned now. The ankle was a decent excuse but… Kagome couldn't help the way her brown eyes sought out the forest, at the trees with leaves turning to yellows and reds. Would the monster still be there, dead on the ground? Would it look like a fight had gone down with broken branches and grooves of dirt along the trail? Or would it look like any other morning, a safe haven that calmed her mind?

She could feel her chest tighten but her footsteps were sure. Kagome's hands clenched into fists as she drew closer to the tree line. Everything was like it was. Everything was normal.

But what had occurred last night was far from that truth.

She had to know. Kagome took a deep breath and started a slow, jogging pace. Her ankle protested but she refused to give in. It wasn't that bad. Not like a dead monster with blank, beady eyes bleeding out onto the forest floor. The thought alone made her head spin, made her throat constrict like it wanted to cut off her air supply. Taking in another deep breath, she used her breathing tricks to keep it as even and steady as possible.

Kagome had to know. She had to.

The deeper into the forest she went, the harder she looked for the signs. A part of her was surprised when she saw them, a slash of twigs brushed to the side where she skidded as she fell. A broken branch, thick and full of leaves that had barely changed to autumn colours. It happened. The porcelain monster from last night had been there. It had wanted to eat her. It had stared at her with black eyes and fanged teeth, and it had wanted to devour her.

And then the red-eyed man came, looking more human but sounding nothing but feral.

Inuyasha had been his name. Miroku knew him.

Kagome stopped, trying to steady her breathing. It was hard for reasons besides her running. She stared at the forest floor, a place that for some reason looked particularly undisturbed. But she knew.

The monster had died here. Kagome remembered all of the blood. And yet, it was gone.

It was like in that moment, a calmness settled around her. There was no tightening in her chest; in fact, it was like she could breathe again. She let her eyes roam the forest floor, the roots and bark of the trees that surrounded and covered her from the rising sun. The monster was real. She hadn't imagined it.

And she needed answers.

Gingerly, she walked back to the house, her ankle too sore from pushing it like she had. The air was brisk for the morning and she couldn't help the shiver that ran through her body as she left the woods, the wind rustling her ponytail. Pretty soon she was going to have to bundle up for her morning runs, something she always hated.

The house was significantly warmer but the silence of it was deafening. The shudder of the front door was loud enough that before her running shoes were off, her mother was standing a few feet away, worried expression etched on her face.

"What happened?" her mother asked, familiar dark brown eyes roaming up and down her body, checking for injury.

"Nothing big, just twisted my ankle a bit," Kagome replied, unable to even look at her properly. Jesus, this was hard. "I didn't want to push it." Complete lies. How long would she be able to keep this to herself?

"Want me to get some ice?" It wasn't really a question because her mother was already heading back into the kitchen, fetching it. Kagome's heart squeezed and didn't relax in her chest.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said from her position at the doorway. "I'll come back down for the ice." There was a hum of acknowledgement so she made her way up the stairs. Each step made her wince but Kagome pushed through it, putting as much weight as she could on the bannister. She would have to do a better job hiding it from her mother. She didn't want her to worry.

There were too many other things to hide, as of less than twelve hours ago.

Kagome tried to forget about them, forget about the look of concern on her mother's face. The steam from the shower wasn't enough to cloud any of it.

School was a twenty-two minute walk away but her mother took one look at her ankle and refused to let her go like that. "I'll drive you," she insisted. "Just let me make sure your brother is getting ready." His elementary classes didn't start until an hour after hers so Kagome nodded tightly and shifted her backpack better onto her shoulders.

The ride over was quiet with her mom singing softly to the radio while Kagome thought of a hundred different ways to ask her about the believability of monsters. None of the conversations ended up going well, no matter how she started.

"Are you okay?"

Blinking, she looked over at her mother, noting the concerned scrunch of her forehead even as she watched the road. "Yeah, no I'm okay, Mama."

"You're quieter than usual. Is your ankle bothering you that much? I can excuse you from classes."

No. No, she needed to find Miroku and talk to him. It was her only opportunity to learn more, to find out how she could get any sort of evidence to rid the forest of these things for good. "Oh, no I'm good. Sorry, I just didn't sleep that well."

Another frown on her mother's face. Lying shouldn't be this hard. "You went to bed so early last night."

"The run took it out of me."

Her mother was no idiot and she turned those dark brown eyes, so familiar and like her own, onto her sharply. "You shouldn't run so much. Is the stress really so bad already? The school year only recently started."

Being only one month into the school year didn't mean the gossip wasn't already peaking. In fact, the rumour mill still wasn't over who had gained or lost weight over the summer. Who had become super-hot and who apparently had a nervous breakdown. Who had a crush on who. Who Kagome should be flirting with or not flirting with, and what was wrong with her for not reciprocating anyways? Hojo Ueda was incredibly sweet, cute and above her league. She should be chomping at the bit.

"I'm okay, Mama. Promise." Kagome gave her the most sincere smile that she could muster. "I just need a couple good nights of sleep and a solid weekend of homework catch-up. I'll be fine."

It looked like her mother wanted to say more but they had already pulled up to the school, students loitering on the sidewalk and the around the front doors. Kagome grabbed her backpack and opened the door, waving and taking off as fast as possible. There was still some time to find Miroku, although she had never tried to search the guy out before.

Her locker was her first stop. Unloading her textbooks and switching everything out for her first two classes of the day. The halls were slowly filling with students, the noise growing louder as the minutes ticked down. Where would she find Miroku? He was a senior, but the classes were scattered throughout Sakura High School. There was no way to pinpoint where he'd be.

Walking around was as good of an idea as any, though she didn't like it. Zipping up her bag she took off towards her class, keeping her dark eyes open. She wandered the halls, taking the long way around hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired man. The high school was large though, with two floors and classes spanning the entire length of the building. The chances of finding Miroku were small. With a sigh, Kagome entered her homeroom and sat down.

She needed to come up with a plan. Something to distract her, at least. Something useful. If she couldn't find Miroku roaming the halls, there had to be another way to get a hold of him. She wasn't friends with him on any social media but she could always try to find him. He may not even have it.

The girl though, the one he always hung out with. They didn't share any classes but maybe… Maybe there was a better chance of finding her.

The bell rung the moment her friend Ayumi Okamoto sat down beside her. Out of all of Kagome's friends, she was the quietest. She kept a lot of things to herself but Kagome was pretty sure she was the smartest out of everyone. She was sweet, with shoulder-length black hair and a nice smile. Kagome never told anyone about her anxiety but she was pretty sure Ayumi knew, or at least had an idea. The girl went out of her way sometimes to distract Kagome when things seemed to be overwhelming.

"Good morning," Kagome murmured, waving gently. "How are you?"

"Pretty well, but it's still morning." Ayumi gave her a soft smile and shook her head. "We couldn't find you earlier. Eri had something to tell you."

Eri Masuda always had something to tell Kagome, namely about one Hojo Ueda. She couldn't stop the way her face scrunched up, irritated. "Can she not care about my dating life?"

"She just wants what's best for you," Ayumi said gently, shrugging. "She can be a little much. Yuka eggs her on though."

"None of you have boyfriends," Kagome groaned. "Why me?"

Whatever answer her friend was going to give, it was cut off by the announcement for the anthem about to play, the music slowly filling the PA system. Everyone stood up and Kagome stared straight ahead, wondering to herself how she was going to distract her friends from this. Not from Hojo, but from last night. From monsters.

Because while her friends meant well, if they didn't believe her about her feelings towards Hojo, then they definitely wouldn't believe her story about the previous night. It flashed through her mind: the running, the branches snapping, the fear crawling up her spine like spiders. Then there was blood red eyes and screaming, so much screaming.

The scratching of chairs along the floor startled her back into the present, the anthem having long finished. Students were starting to quietly chat, the homeroom teacher rather lenient as long as it wasn't disruptive. School news and updates droned through the speaker.

"…will face The Warriors this Thursday…"

"You okay?" Ayumi asked suddenly, leaning slightly to press her shoulder into Kagome's. It was a friendly offering, her soft smile just as gentle as always. "You seem distracted."

"I slept terribly," Kagome lied, although it wasn't too far from the truth. "I'm just really tired."

"…if the social committee could please meet in the library after school for…"

"You don't have archery practice tonight, right?"

Shaking her head in response, Kagome briefly wondered how she'd make it through the day. She hadn't found Miroku and now all she was going to think about was last night, about the monsters and the blood. She should have stayed home. "No, that's Thursday. Hopefully I get a better sleep. I'll go to bed early."

"Drink some chamomile tea," Ayumi suggested, always so thoughtful.

"…attending the funeral needs to provide their permission slip to Attendance before…"

"Yeah, there should be some at home. My mom's addicted."

Ayumi grinned, just as the speaker announced their well-wishes for the day and for classes to begin. The teacher stood up, marker at the ready in front of the board. He was older, hair balding with salt and pepper tufts sticking out at the sides. His cardigans were stretched and trousers in need of pressing, but rumpled as he was, Mr. Myoga Ogata was one of the best teachers the school had for Literacy. Stacks of old books crowded his desk, some caked with dust and others dog-eared from use.

"Class, let's get back to where we were. Books out, page 217. Themes, ladies and gentlemen. That's what we will be discussing in great length today."

Kagome put her head in her hand, trying not to sigh. Her only other chance to find Miroku was at lunch or after school. Lunch would be the best bet but hopefully – hopefully – that girl in her grade wouldn't be there. Talking about monsters was bad enough without an audience.

She couldn't find Miroku Tsujitani anywhere.

Frustrated, Kagome held her books closer to her chest as students made a last ditch effort to catch their bus. He should have been easy to find – tall, blue eyes, dark hair, handsome – but he hadn't been at the cafeteria during lunch or wandering the halls. Unless Miroku was purposefully avoiding her, and doing a really good job of it, then she should have easily found him.

Now, all Kagome wanted to do was go home. Today had felt endless and with each passing minute, anxiety built up her in chest, threatening to claw its way out. It made her shake, made her want to hide in the bathroom and cry until all the bad images went away. Was she crazy? Did last night actually happen or was it all some messed up dream?

Her mother had thankfully texted her mid-day, asking how her ankle was and if she needed a ride home. In all truth, Kagome hadn't noticed any pain as long as she didn't leave it sitting funny during class but the last thing she needed was twenty-two minutes alone with her thoughts on the walk home. It would only work her up more, driving her insane with possibilities and what ifs.

Yuka and Eri had tried during lunch to talk to her, about Hojo and the upcoming charity dance and even archery, but Kagome had only been able to stare at the spot Miroku normally sat with that girl. It was empty, unused, and for some reason caused a hollow ache in her chest. Better for the anxiety to bury its way in, delve deeper than before. After the third question involving Hojo's name, Kagome had made some terrible excuse and left in a daze, deciding that searching the halls was a far better option.

Ayumi smiled at her after school but pointedly dragged Yuka and Eri in the other direction, letting Kagome keep her peace for a few hours longer. Tomorrow, there wouldn't be any escape. The thought made her frown and unfortunately that was the face her mother saw, the SUV pulling up at the most inconvenient time.

"Kagome?" she asked, concern lacing every syllable. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Shaking her head, she got inside the vehicle and did her best to settle, dragging her backpack into the space between her feet. "Just tired," she lied, doing her best to force eye contact. Avoiding her mother's kind eyes would only set off alarm bells. "I think I'm going to have a nap after dinner."

Her mother hummed but the lines on her forehead didn't lessen any. Kagome felt guilty and started to play with the radio, hoping for a distraction. Turned out that when monsters were involved, not much counted.

Kagome should never have come to school.

Everything felt off. She had woken up in a panic, the alarm blaring and sending her mind into a frantic terror. Her ankle was fine but one look at the outdoors had anxiety clawing its way up her throat. It was like the stress of the attack from two days ago finally caught up to her. It was…awful. She couldn't let her mother know though, not when the whole event seemed less and less real with each hour that passed by. More now than ever before, Kagome was desperate to find Miroku and speak to him. If anything, he could prove that this was all some messed up dream and that she needed serious help.

That was the best case scenario.

But again, just like yesterday, the blue-eyed student wasn't there. She couldn't find him in the halls and a cursory glance at the cafeteria showed his usual table to be clear once again. The girl he was always with – the one in Kagome's grade – was also nowhere to be seen.

Whenever she wasn't in class, Kagome hid out in a bathroom stall, trying to get a focus on her breathing. Ayumi had sent a worried glance her way during first period, but Kagome couldn't exactly explain what was going on. No one would believe her.

Her last class of the day was history and the teacher was more interested in telling long stories that didn't have much to do with the curriculum. Everyone knew that listening in class was the least effective way to get a good mark, which meant that Kagome's mind was free to focus on other things, like pale, porcelain skin and beady black eyes.

I can feel it within you.

So close, oh god it had been so close. The monster's body, so long with so many arms. What was it? How did it have that kind of power, that kind of ability to move the way that it did?

I always know where it is and now this land is free to roam and destroy.

What was it even talking about? Kagome could feel the spit landing on her face as the monster hissed at her. And the blood. There had been so much blood.

It's in you, girl, and I must have it.

"Kagome?"

Blinking, she snapped back to reality and stared at where the voice came from. Of course, the second she recognized what was happening, her heart sank. This was the last thing she needed. "Hi Hojo," she greeted, trying her best to sound happier than she was. Apparently they were all to settle down and do some coursework from the text, but most students were gathering in groups to complete the questions. Hojo, in all his sweetness, came to sit with her.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, blue eyes staring intently at her. "You look pale."

"It's nothing," Kagome answered, desperately mustering up whatever enthusiasm she could. "I think I may be coming down with something. Probably small."

Hojo lit up and she knew in that moment it was the wrong thing to say. He was the kindest of souls, Hojo was, but he could talk about healthy lifestyles and natural home remedies until the cows came home. And it was…not what she needed right now. Too late, the sandy-haired boy started telling her about multiple things she could try to feel better and Kagome nodded along.

It's in you, girl, and I must have it.

She tried to focus more on Hojo and the coursework but it was a lost cause. Even when the final bell rang, Kagome tried as kindly as she could to leave Hojo's side and escape to her locker. She needed to think about different things. Not monsters or boy trouble or nosy friends that didn't know when to quit. She needed to focus on something good. Something fun.

Kagome stared into her locker for a few moments, thinking. When was the last time she did something…fun? The summer, probably, before school started. She, Sota and Mama had gone on a day trip to a massive park on the edge of the neighbouring city. The park hosted large, grandiose fountains and always had some form of entertainment, like jugglers or dancers or magicians. There were groups of people doing yoga and, if you travelled further towards a massive playground for young ones, there were people making animal balloons and families flying kites. They had all gotten ice cream and watched the families and friends mill about, going on with their lives. The sun had been shining and everything had felt so warm.

Slamming her locker closed, Kagome figured that her walk home would be best served coming up with another idea for a family outing. Get away from school and drama and all the anxieties that tied her to the little town of Sakura. Shouldering her way past students waiting in line for the busses, Kagome followed the gravel pathway along the road. She thought of maybe going to the movies, or of finding some kind of festival in a nearby town that they could drive too. Her mother liked jazz music; maybe there would be something like that happening within the next month or so. The weather would hopefully be warm enough.

She was so distracted in her thoughts that it took a few minutes to realize a car was pulling over against the curb, its four-ways on and slowing right beside her. Kagome eyed the sleek black car, her steps only faltering the moment she saw the passenger.

Miroku. It was Miroku.

Before she could open her mouth, the senior student got out and leaned against the door, watching her with dark blue eyes. "Kagome, right?" he asked again, exactly the same as last time. It was almost like a gesture of kindness, an offering to back out and play dumb. But Kagome didn't want to play dumb. Her heart was in her throat and her chest grew tight, fear making her grip the straps of her backpack until she was white-knuckled.

When it was clear he wasn't going to say anything more, Kagome nodded, eyes never straying from his face. He wasn't giving anything away; his face was a mask, so strange compared to the joyfulness she'd seen in the hallways at school.

"I think we should talk," Miroku continued finally, gesturing towards the car.

That was…an odd offering. Kagome frowned but took a step closer. "Is it true?" she asked, unable to hold the words back. "Are they–" She couldn't say the word monster out loud. "Are they real?"

Miroku's mask cracked, or maybe it hadn't been a mask to begin with. Suddenly, the senior was giving a small smile and then patted the hood of the car. "We definitely need to talk."

His hand motion on the car drew her attention and quickly, her dark gaze snapped to the driver, a face she hadn't bothered to look at before now. Miroku had been her sole focus for so long.

And when she saw him, she nearly tripped backwards in her haste to get away. Her mouth was open, a silent scream that she likely couldn't get out, no matter how much she would want to. Because it was him. It was the guy – the monster – the one who had saved her.

Red eyes that bled into gold.

And he was still alive.

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