Touch the Sky

The Wind (Chapter 1)

Alone. Why is it that people always end up by themselves when they don't want to be?

A young woman is walking her usual hike through the back parts of her property, when she comes across an old shed.

The shed was always there, and her mother always told her never to go inside.

But that was a long time ago, and her mother was gone.

She picks up her camera to snap some pictures, thinking she could add it to her portfolio for college.

Then the wind picked up. Stronger than it had ever been, pushing her towards the shed.

The woman turns around to walk back to the house, when a gust comes up and lifts her, sending her flying through the door of the shed and against the wall, knocking her out.

When she comes to, she hears voices.

"I'm not kidding, someone's here, I can smell it," that voice sounded familiar.

It was raspy and masculine.

"Come on Inuyasha, it's just an old shed," now that voice she knew. It was the voice of her cousin.

She tries to sit up, and a sharp pain goes through the back of her skull.

The woman sees the shadow of someone walk into the shed, and then he was standing over her.

"Hey Kagome, you might want to come see this!" He calls.

Another person enters, "What? Where'd she come from?"

"Isn't that your cousin?" Inuyasha asks. "The older one that lives by herself in the country?"

Kagome Higurashi crouches to look at her, "Yeah it's Melody alright. What are you doing here?"

"I...." Melody's voice comes out sounding crackly, so she clears her throat. "I was out walking through the woods and I was taking pictures of our old shed. Then the wind picked up." The pain in her head returns and she winces, "I hit my head on the wall."

"Let me see," Kagome touches the back of her head. "There's a bump. Can you stand?"

Melody shifts her legs and Kagome hoists her to her feet. She tries to take a step, but her vision blurs and she stumbles.

"I've got her," Inuyasha puts his arm around her waist. "Lean your weight against me while we walk."

Melody knew Inuyasha from Kagome's place. She knew he was a different sort like she was, but she kept it to herself.

They walk out of the shed, where there's another man and woman about her age standing, along with some sort of cat and a young boy with a fox tail.

"My, where did you find her?" the man, who appeared to be a monk prompts. "She's pretty, and her clothes are similar to yours, Kagome."

"We're not sure how she got here," Inuyasha admits.

"This is Melody Yasuda, my cousin," Kagome explains. "A few years older than me, but we've always been sort of close."

"Sort of," Melody chuckles. "We get along about as well as oil and water do."

"That's a good sign," Kagome muses. "You're cracking jokes like you usually do."

Inuyasha sets her on a boulder and Kagome brings her a bottle of water.

"Do you know how you got here?" Kagome asks again.

"No," Melody figured out she wasn't at her home. "I already told you, I was walking the back trail behind my house like I do and taking pictures of the old shed." She takes a swig, "The wind sure was different; it's never been strong enough where it lifted me and sent me flying like that. Sort of felt supernatural, you know?"