107Sing To Me My Sweet, Sweet Sorrow
Chapter One: Crushing of a Spirit
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inu-Yasha characters, but the plot, is all mine! MUHAHAHA!
Summary: At theage ofsix she became a slave. Kagome Higurashi enters a life of harsh beatings, and unjust morals. After being punished for speaking all the time, she choses to go mute. At the age of 15 she is sold to a certain demon lord who grows curious of her silent ways. Will she be the one to melt his heart of ice? Or will he be the one to heal her silent sorrow? Read and Find out!
Not again, why, why was she always messing up?
Crack!
She didn't mean to do it, she thought she was helping!
Crack!
'Please…stop it…it hurts…'
Crack!
Tears streamed down a young girl's face, she looked no more then eight. Her hands were bound in rough ropes above her head, and her shirt was raised to reveal her back. Raven hair hid her face from view, but crystal blue eyes shone with pain and regret through her shadowed features. She was biting her lower lip, trying to keep from crying out, it only made them hurt her harder when she did.
Crack!
The thick leather rope slammed down against her soft tender flesh, the skin finally breaking from the pressure. Blood streamed steadily from the stinging wound, and the young girl only continued to cry silently as she waited for her torment to be done.
"Your pathetic, you fucking wench." A harsh male voice seethed silently at her as he brought the whip down harder, "You just don't learn." He stated again, disgust clear in his voice as he carried out her sentence.
Crack!
What had she done this time? She didn't see how it was wrong. Was speaking her own language that horrible? Was her kind really that repulsive? She didn't understand…why did she have to speak their language; she didn't even know it fluently. At least with her own language she could communicate with others better, let them know what she was doing, or what she needed…
Crack!
Would he ever stop? The punishment felt like forever, and everyone was watching her…it was embarrassing, and degrading. Why were they making such a big deal out of it? Was she being used as an 'example' for others not to make the same mistake? It seemed quite likely.
Crack!
"Maybe next time you'll think twice before you speak in your filthy tongue." He brought the whip down upon her again, by this time her back was covered in whip marks, most bleeding horribly, "You know the rules, English only!" he whipped her again, before finally coiling the deadly object.
Cold brown eyes turned to regard the rest of the viewers, "That goes for all of you filthy savages. English only! Or you'll have the same fate as she!" here, he pointed a finger at her almost accusingly, before yelling at the crowd to get back to work.
"You really are pathetic." Was all he said before he turned and left her silently crying with her hands still bound above her head.
Minutes passed, and the room was empty…silent.
Panic began to set in, what if no one came to untie her? What if she was left here for days on end, until she finally starved to death and died? Where were her parents? Why weren't they coming to save her? Why did they let this happen? Why, why, why?
"Kagome?"
That voice, she knew that voice! Instantly her body relaxed, she would be safe now. All she had to do was wait for her to come and set her free. 'Thank you Sango…' she said in her mind, at the moment she didn't trust her own voice.
"Oh Kagome…those bastards!" Sango spoke, her voice bitter and laced with years of pent up hatred. Within seconds she was by Kagome's side, a sharpened rock held tightly in her hands, "Don't worry Kagome, I'll get you down, be strong!"
Kagome sniffled and tried to give Sango her best smile. She didn't want her friend to see her like this, so…broken. That was the only way to describe how she felt now. Broken. Shattered. Empty…
Her arms fell from the ropes, and with them her body crumbled to the floor. She curled into herself, trying to ignore the constant stinging in her back. More then anything, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She didn't want to be seen, didn't want Sango to see…
"Kagome?" Sango questioned, gently nudging her shoulder, "Please, if we don't get back to work, we'll be in big trouble…" Her warm and caring honey brown eyes looked her over, pity shining deeply in their depths.
"I know it hurts."
Kagome opened her eyes, but still didn't move.
"It happens to all of us, even me, don't be ashamed, its ok." Her soft words…she always knew just what to say to make her feel better.
Slowly Kagome uncurled and began to stand, her back screaming in agony as her legs wobbled unsteadily. With a small amount of help from Sango, she was finally able to stand up straight, and even walk normal enough to get her choirs done.
Sango smiled at her, "There you go! See, your ok!" she stated cheerfully, but it was easy to tell the deep anger she felt towards the people who had harmed her 'sister' as she liked to say they were, even though they weren't by blood.
'That doesn't matter though.' She thought to herself, looking up to Sango who was no doubt a good three years older then her. 'You don't need blood to be family.' She thought with a smile, hugging her sister like friend in gratitude. Tears continued to stream down her face, and she shook slightly.
"Shhh, its ok, everything's alright now." Sango cooed, hugging her gently, knowing that any tighter would aggravate her wounds. Her deep dark almost black looking locks mixed slightly with Kagome's raven hair as she continued to comfort her friend, "It's ok Kagome."
After another few moments passed, Kagome was finally able to release Sango and smile warmly at her, "Thank you." her voice was hoarse, but she didn't care. Sango simply nodded at her, and the two went separate ways to continue on with their choirs.
It had only been two years since she and her family had been sent to this place. She didn't know exactly why they had to be here for so long, but she did know enough that it was because her parents owed some people something. Since they couldn't pay up, they had to work off the dept.
'Must be a big dept…' she thought bitterly, heading into the maid sector to see where she was assigned to work at today. Almost instantly her face paled when she lined her name up with the room she was assigned to. "Lord Naraku's Chambers…" she read off almost like it was a death sentence.
Personally, she had never worked the Lord's chambers before, but that didn't mean she hadn't heard stories of the many unfortunate people who did. The stories, she didn't know if they were exaggerated at all, because she wasn't foolish enough to think that the maids didn't stretch it a bit to make them look more heroic or brave, but some of the things they said were far to horrible to be completely false. Also, the many wounds and bruises proved their tragic tales true.
Kagome gulped, she had always known her time would come when she would finally have to meet the Lord of the castle, but she had no idea it would be so soon. Most of the people who had to clean his chambers were at least in their teens, the Lord seemed to be slightly perverted that way.
As for the stories, lots of them included rape and harsh violence for the simplest of things. For instance, this one girl was beaten to an inch of her life for simply tripping and falling in the hallway near him. It wasn't even her fault; some strange spider thing had purposely tripped her. The racket she made from falling apparently woke the Lord from his needed slumber, and he beat the poor girl almost to death for it.
'As if my day couldn't get any worse…' she thought sullenly, already sifting though the stories to find out what the girls had done to upset their master. She was bent set on not making a single error while in the presence of such a deadly person. She did not want to be one of the stories that people referred to when they were sent to clean his chambers.
Sighing, she gathered the supplies needed and quickly headed up the stairs. She was already slightly late from being beaten, and she didn't want to give him a reason to beat her because of her tardiness. Hopefully, if she got their fast enough, he wouldn't notice her slight absence.
….
The hallways that lead to his chamber was quite dank and down right scary. Torches lit the way through the crimson-carpeted hallway, while spiders seemed to be creeping everywhere. It reminded her of this one rumor about the Lord, that he was actually some sort of spider demon. Seeing now for the first time all the spiders that only seemed to multiple and grow bigger as she got closer to his chambers, she began to not think the rumor so ridicules anymore…
"Eep!" the noise left her lips before she had time to stop herself. She couldn't help it, she was deathly afraid of spiders, and right now one was crawling up her leg, and it wasn't all that small either.
Quickly she covered her mouth to block out any further sound she might have made. Her back still hurt like a bitch, but that's not why she was currently shaking like a leaf. A small icy sweat had even started to accumulate from her frail body as fear radiated off of her in growing amounts. Did she not mention that she was deathly afraid of spiders!
Shuttering, Kagome tried to regain her composure, though her constant shaking didn't help much. She knew she was making a racket, what with her shivering hand clutching the metal bucket with all the supplies in it rattling around like some sort of cha cha cha instrument. She breathed deeply, willing her body to stop the convulsive shaking. She knew that she would get into trouble if she didn't.
Besides, she was quite late.
With a huge burst of willpower, she slowly moved down and used her finger to flick the sickening creature off her leg. A rather large and relieved sigh escaped her lips, and she found she was able to move again, her fear having no doubt subsided tenfold.
Still looking at all the creepy spiders, she forced herself to make haste and travel further down the hallway. It wouldn't be to long before she reached Naraku's Chambers. She was only thankful for the map every servant received so they could find their way around. At least she wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in this spider-infested place!
….
Knock, Knock, Knock.
"Who is it?" a venomous voice hissed at her, and Kagome almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of it.
It wasn't the fact that the voice was venomous, or that it practically hissed at her, no, it was the way it actually sounded. It was deep and smooth, filled with an underlining malice she would never have expected from a melodic voice such as the one she was hearing.
"Well, answer." The man, who she assumed to be Lord Naraku, snapped. Apparently he wasn't in a good mood, or was he always like that? She didn't know, this being the first time she actually met him, and she wasn't even in the door yet…
"Erm, um…it's Higurashi Kagome, the cleaning made of her master Lord Naraku's Chambers." She addressed him as formal as she possible could, considering she was scared as hell.
"Come in, you're late." His voice set her on edge, it was an eerie calm, almost like the calm before a storm. 'He said I was late…that's not good…' panic soon took the next side of her by fear, and that was all that was currently running through her. Panic and fear. 'Oh Gods, help me please!'
Slowly she opened the door, it was pitch black inside. Now how was she supposed to see where she needed to clean if it was totally dark like this? Her worries of cleaning the room were forgotten in an instant though when cold, deadly, harsh crimson orbs stared at her in what looked almost like suppressed fury.
She refrained from gulping; instead, she slowly stepped inside, willing her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting so she could make an attempt to clean. She schooled her features to hide her inapt panic and fear, knowing that he may be insulted if she didn't. Or would he be insulted if she didn't fear him? Oh gods, she didn't know!
Her mind began to run frantically until she couldn't quite think straight. She didn't know what drove her insane more, the fact that he still yet had something to say to her upon entering his room, or the fact that she didn't know if she was going to be punished for her tardiness. Maybe, if she was lucky, he would just leave her alone.
"Come here."
Or maybe not…
Her body tensed, and obediently she made her way towards him, her eyes shinning with suppressed fear. She didn't want him to see her squirm, she knew he would get great satisfaction in knowing she was deathly afraid of him. How did she know that? Well, she just had a feeling, and usually her feelings were dead on when it came to people.
The man whose face remained in the shadows, except for his glowing crimson eyes, chuckled at her, "Are you really that afraid of someone you've never met personally?" he asked her, perhaps she wasn't hiding her fear good enough…
Knowing she needed to answer, she spoke in a bare whisper, "Yes." she knew lying to him would only anger him, seeing as he already knew she was afraid. Why make things worse for her then they already were?
Naraku chuckled again, "You have good judgment then, because you should be very afraid of me." His voice was low and deadly, almost taunting as he whispered back to her, standing as he did so.
Her eyes had adjusted more to the darkness of his room, and even though she couldn't make out the finer details of his appearance, she knew he was very, very tall. Involuntarily, she took a step back from him, "Please…" she whispered, her back was still aching from her recent beating, she didn't want to be hurt again, "Don't hurt me…" she begged, hoping that he wouldn't be sickened by her lack of bravery.
Sadly, that really was to much to ask for, for in the next moment, his eerie glowing orbs narrowed, and he back handed her across the face, causing her to fly back a few spaces.
Kagome landed on the ground with a small thud, her back crying out in agony as the pain caused tears to fall from her eyes. No one had ever slapped her before, no one, and he had done it, and done it very hard. Her hand went up to rub her sore throbbing cheek; she knew there would be a bruise later on in the day.
"Pathetic, all you mortals are." She heard him spit out as he stepped towards her. Why did everyone always have to call her pathetic, she was not pathetic!
A fire seemed to liven up her once dead looking crystal blue orbs. She staggered onto her feet and face the looming figure before her in defiance, "I'm not pathetic." She whispered, wiping her tears away as she forced herself to stop crying.
"You dare question me? You dare stand so defiantly against me?" she cringed as his voice raised, the venom leaking from them making her want to run away. She had really made him mad now, the one thing she had been bent on not doing, and she did. Oh well, she would have to accept responsibility for her actions now.
Inwardly, she tried to push her sudden urge to vomit down. Who was she kidding, she was damn well too terrified to do anything else but stay her ground.
"Yes." She answered him, looking him defiantly in the eyes. She was actually surprised that her voice didn't tremble, even though her whole insides were squirming like jelly.
Apparently, and she had already known this, but that was the worst thing she could have said.
Before she could even blink, she was pinned against the wall, Naraku's hand squeezing her windpipe tightly, her oxygen fading from her lungs quickly. She couldn't breath, she couldn't breath! She was going to smother and die! Already her lungs were beginning to burn, and her throat felt all tight and scratchy.
Tears leaked from her eyes and she clawed viciously at his hand. If she was going to die, she would do it after every last reserve of her strength was gone. Then no one could call her pathetic, no one could say she died a cowards death of begging and pleading for mercy and forgiveness. She would die an honorable death, fighting until her very last breath was taken.
Oh gods, she didn't want to die!
Her clawing became more desperate, and she was kicking too. Desperately she tried to breath in the sweet breath of life, but it was quickly fading. It was amazing to think that the very thing she needed was everywhere around her, easy to touch, it was touching her right now, and yet she still couldn't get it, it evaded her. She needed it inside her, yet the entrance was blocked, blocked by the monster with glowing red eyes.
Finally, when it seemed all hope of survival was lost, he let her go, and she fell harshly to the ground. Again her back screamed at her, but she didn't care, she was to busy enjoying the sweet breath of life as she gasped and coughed, rubbing her abused throat. Great, another spot that was going to bruise…
"Bastard…" she whispered without thinking, but she knew he couldn't have heard her, she barely heard herself. Yet his eyes lightened, if it were possible, even more as rage built up inside his form.
Within a second, she found herself gasping as he kicked her stomach, slamming her into the wall. Her back cried, and her body wept, while her soul yelled and unleashed itself in painful screams. The pain…the horrible pain…it was so much, just so much.
He kicked her everywhere, stomach, legs, and on occasion her head. She was bleeding, she knew it for certain, and her back was bleeding even more then it already had. With every kick her back banged against the wall, with every kick she screamed and screamed in pain.
She was right, he took satisfaction in her fear, in agony. It felt like forever before he finally stopped. She was crying heavily now. Her whole body ached, lots of it bled, and she felt like she would just…die…she wanted to die, but no, Sango, her family, they would be sad if she died…she had to live…she needed to…but it hurt so much…
"It seems your whole family has been nothing but trouble around here. Full of disobedience, I wont stand for it any longer." He spat out, his anger having not dissipated in the slightest.
He walked away from her, leaving her crying and bleeding on the floor, vaguely she wondered if he was finally done with her, finally finished the pain. She heard him speak something, but it wasn't to her, for a different voice answered him. Then he walked over to her, a sinister smile upon his face, and she knew then that something horrible was going to happen…
"I will teach you a lesson you wont soon forget about slavery." He whispered into her ear, having crouched down without her notice. Just then, her family walked inside, all chained together by the neck, "Your kind, is nothing but items. Items that can be destroyed when one grows bored of them, or, in this case, when a member of those items needs to be taught its place."
He stood up, his sinister smile having never left his lips. He walked over to her little brother, Souta, and her parents tensed while Souta looked at him in fear, "You see, my item, I know you are going to grow up to be a good little pleasure slave one day, so I need you to live." His eyes traveled over to her brother, and suddenly, his hand was through her brother's stomach.
Kagome's eyes widened as she and both her parents cried out. Naraku simply continued to smile as he took his hand out of Souta, who then fell in a bloody heap onto the floor. He looked back at her, crimson orbs glowing in delight at causing pain, "But you see, Souta here won't amount to anything but disobedience when he grows up, so I don't need him."
She was sobbing even more now, and her parents where crying as well, her father was holding her mother in a comforting embrace as they both sobbed over the loss of their only son. They cried not only for him though, but for their daughter, who sadly had to witness his horrid death.
Naraku only laughed a mocking laugh as he pulled her father away from her mother, "As for this thing here, well, lets just say, he's old and useless now. After all," Naraku shot him a withering look of anger, "He has been plotting with other slaves to over throw me, and we simply cannot have that, can we?" then, without a second thought, Naraku sliced his throat, but with what she did not see.
Her mother screamed, and she did too as she reached a hand towards her father, trying to reach his collapsed figure. He was to far, and she to weak to do anything but lay there, helpless…weak…pathetic…
Naraku smiled, "This is what happens when you disobey me." He lectured, turning towards her mother. Kagome's eyes widened as she shouted at him, "No, Not mother, stop it!" he only laughed.
"Foolish girl, your mother is still quite good for other things then maid work." He stated, though, she didn't know what he meant, but she did know she did not like him touching her mother like that. He was caressing her cheek, and his hand was touching a spot it shouldn't. Her mother shuttered, but remained still.
Suddenly he stepped away from her, and slapped her really hard like he had done to her not that long ago. She sat on the floor, her face to the side away from Naraku as she tried to hide the tears that were falling from her eyes.
Disgusted, Naraku ordered someone to take the two wenches away, and before she knew it someone was roughly lifting her from her spot on the carpet. Her mother was being led out, and the two of them were shown back to their rooms.
Sadly, she didn't know much after that, for before she even reached her room, Kagome had passed out…
…7 years later…
"Kagome, are you hungry?" her mother's musical voice reached her ears, and she only nodded. Her mother sighed, "Please Kagome…say yes…" Silence only greeted her.
Seven years had passed since that horrid night in Naraku's Chambers. Kagome had only spoken rarely after that night, until, five years ago, she stopped all together. Nothing that her mother or Sango did would make her talk, nothing. It was almost like she had forgotten how, lost the will to do it, or maybe she was just too afraid. Either way, no one had the pleasure of hearing her voice in five…long…years…
Luckily, in those five long years none of them had been assigned to maid work in Naraku's Chambers. Which her mother was very grateful for, she could never go back there…never…all she would remember was…their glassy eyes, the blood stained carpets, and the screams…
Her mother sighed, Kagome knew she was disappointed with her, desperate to hear her, but she couldn't. She was afraid, she only caused pain when she spoke…so much pain. She couldn't do it; she made a vow, a vow that fateful night five years ago to never speak again. She would stick by that vow, for all eternity if she had to. After all, since then, nothing really bad had happened to her except for when she didn't answer someone.
Her mother passed her a bowl filled with, surprise surprise, a strange substance not known to man. She made a face at it, before grudgingly forcing it down her throat. It was better then starving…
When she was done, she cleaned her dishes and headed towards the maid sector to find out whom she had to work for today. Imagine her surprise when she found her name missing from the list. She scanned it and scanned it and scanned it, thinking she must have just missed it, but no, her name remained missing.
"Higurashi, Kagome I presume?" a voice behind her startled her, and she turned around to come face to face with a man whom she never seen before. Nodding to verify that indeed she was Higurashi Kagome, she waited to see what he would say next.
The man sighed and shook his head; "Lord Naraku wishes to speak with you, please head to his Chambers immediately." And then he turned and departed, leaving her quivering in fear.
…..
Knock, knock, knock.
It was just like seven years ago…
"Come in, my item." She heard his voice, and shuttered. Even though it had been seven years, that voice still haunted her every day. And now, she had to face it.
Just like before, she slowly opened the door before slowly stepping side. She purposely left it open, feeling trapped if it was closed. Naraku took notice of this and smiled, which was never a good thing.
"Please, come closer, I promise I wont bite." He spoke softly, trying to coax her into a false sense of security. With narrowed orbs she obeyed, and as soon as she did the door behind her slammed shut. Her eyes widened and she jumped slightly. There was no one behind her…
"Come closer my item." He said in a strange way, she couldn't quite identify it. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. In a way her situation reminded her of the story her mother told her when she was really young. It was called Little Red Riding hood, which was who she was at the moment, and The Big Bad Wolf, which was who Naraku was.
Ok, that was it, she had officially lost it.
Shaking her thoughts out of her head, she did once again as commanded. She stepped closer to him. 'Now this is the part where Little Red notices something's up with her 'grandmother'' she thought amused once more, but her amusement faded when she indeed did notice something was strange with Naraku. His eyes…they held some strange feral glint in them…
"Come closer my item." He called to her again, and like before she took a few steps towards him.
Not only were his eyes shinning with something strange, they were also traveling around her body, taking in her every curve in an almost approving way. She felt violated under his gaze, and even sickened that he was looking at her in such a manor.
"Come closer my item." He ordered, she obeyed.
Her eyes had adjusted to the light, and she noticed only vaguely that Naraku wasn't wearing a shirt. Wait, wasn't wearing a shirt! Her eyes widened, and she had indeed become afraid. 'Now this is the part where Little Red finds out that her grandmother is really the big bad wolf, and then he…eats her.' She couldn't help herself, the story played in her mind.
Suddenly Naraku was right in front of her, and his hands grabbed her arms in a steal like grip, "I've been waiting for you to age, and it was well worth the wait." He spoke huskily, and she flinched away from him.
…..
She had left his room three hours later, feeling quite sore, but most of all, empty. Not only had he done horrible things to her while she was in there, he also told her that she had been sold, that she would be leaving in half an hour.
She was leaving.
Normally, that would have been a happy though, but the problem was, her mother and her sister like friend Sango, would not be coming with her. Besides, she was to destroyed at the moment to be anywhere near happy.
First he killed her body, then he killed her heart, then he stole her voice, and now he crushed her spirit. There was nothing left to ruin, he stole everything from her…everything. Even her tears, her tears had run out. She couldn't cry anymore…couldn't feel…so empty…numb…cold…she hadn't cried in years…
She arrived in her room, shaking, sweating, sick. Slowly she packed her things, and wrote a little good-bye note to both her mother and her sister. Luckily, she had met a kind-hearted gentleman when she was cleaning the library one day, and he offered to teach her how to read and write. She didn't know much, because it had only been for a little while, but she did know enough to right what she needed to in the notes.
She only wished she could see them to say goodbye. Break her vow for only a moment, because it would be the last time she ever saw them, and they deserved to hear her voice one last time. Saying goodbye wouldn't hurt anyone…only her. Maybe she wouldn't have broken her vow to say goodbye, it would hurt, she didn't want to hurt.
Standing, she gathered what little things she owned and headed to where the beast with red eyes instructed. She stood in a line with other slaves who were apparently being sold while a man went down a list; check marking names off as he came across the people.
Soon he came to her, and he asked her for her name. She simply stood there, staring at him, and he grew angry. It wasn't her fault, she was a mute, had been one for five years. It wasn't about to change now, not ever.
The man growled at her, and he gave her a harsh backhand to the face. She only stood there, not a cry of pain, not even a wince. Just…nothing. The man blinked at her odd behavior and decided to think of something else. Then his eyes lit up, almost like he remembered something, and he looked to her with a small apologetic smile.
"You must be Higurashi Kagome, the mute. My apologies, Lord Naraku had told me about you, I simply forgot." He waited for her nod, which she did, and he nodded himself before handing her her papers and checking her name off. Then he continued down the line.
Five minutes passed, and then they were all ushered to the appropriate place. Some, like her, got stuffed into a box apparently to be shipped somewhere, while others got loaded onto a bus or put into a vehicle where they're new master's waited for them.
She glared at the man as he shut the crate, sealing off most of the light. The small wooden box was barely large enough for her to stand, and nowhere near wide enough for her legs to spread out nicely. The only light now shining into it was where the breathing hole were, located at the top.
Now all she had to do was sit in this stuffy place and wait to be 'delivered' to her new master. Shipped in a place like… 'An item.' She thought bitterly, recalling Naraku's words. 'That's all I am.'
…..
Ok, I know I still have my other stories to up-date, but I took Divided Among Souls off because that story was more a spur of the moment thing, and I have NO idea where it's going. So now this new story of mine is replacing it. Hope you all like it, I've never tried one of these slave stories before, thought I would give it a shot. Tell me what you think! Tootles!