First crossing: Trapped
"Chihiro, Chihiro, we're almost there." A man's voice said to the ten-year-old girl lying down on her back on the back seat, thinking she was sleeping. She had a bouquet of pink flowers in hand with a farewell card. Her feet were resting on her older sister's lap. The mother complained that she would have to shop in the next town, since they were in the middle of nowhere.
"Look, that's the school, Chihiro, that's your new school!" The father exclaimed.
"It doesn't look so bad." The mother commented. Chihiro slightly raised herself, just enough to see the building, and stuck out her tongue at it.
"Sticking out your tongue like that, it's not very mature you know. You're no longer a kid, are you?" Chidori teased her baby sister. Indeed, she did not need to lift her eyes from her book to guess her sibling's reactions. She knew them all, and it was always fun to tease her. It would lighten up the mood. Chihiro had been sulking all the way. She had never wanted to leave. As for Chidori, well, she had been reading and looking outside.
"I liked my old school." The little one muttered, burying her face in the seat.
"See that as a chance to grow up a bit, experience new things, make new friends, start a new life." Chidori sighed, closing her book and putting it back in her bag, "As for your old friends, just because you're far away doesn't mean you're not friends anymore. I miss everyone too but it's not like we'll never see them again, right?" She finished reassuringly, patting gently her sister's head.
"Ah, Chidori, about your school, sorry, we couldn't..." The older woman apologised again.
"It's alright mom, it doesn't matter. I'll take a good look at my homework in the train and write it properly at home. It'll be okay, really." She also reassured her mother with a smile. Right, it was not a problem for Chidori. She was always part of the lead pack, whether in class, in sports, or whatever she would do. She was cute, kind, strong, popular, had many friends and every month at least a boy would confess to her. Chihiro really admired her, she wanted to be like her, she loved her and was the closest to her, and in the same time was also jealous of her. But what the ten-year-old did not know was that this image of perfection was really just that, an image, a preconception, something on the surface. In fact, very little people knew the truth. The truth was a huge sister complex, and mountains of efforts. Even though her casual confidence made her appear to be such, Chidori was most certainly not a genius. Every single moment of her waking life, she was working hard toward her goal: be the best sister possible for Chihiro. Whether to help her in her studies, protect her from bullies, give her trick on how to perform sports exercises... everything for her little sister's sake.
It would not be such an overstatement to say that right now, her life was literally revolving around Chihiro. So much that it was suffocating, although neither of them had really taken notice of it, since it had become so natural. She had been told many times by her best friend that she was way too much of a busybody, to give herself and her sister a break... but she had never listened. And the reason why little people knew that was because she didn't bother involving herself too deeply with others (as what was spent on others wasn't spent on Chihiro), and the others were content with only what they saw of her and their current interactions. And since things worked so smoothly like this, why change the status quo? However, there was a reason behind that sister complex, the 'truth beyond the truth'. And that truth, only Chidori was confusedly aware of it. She had never talked about it to anyone, about that clump of darkness hidden deep in her heart, because she had never been able to talk about what had happened that day, years ago, because of her...
Chihiro watched her sister, who was back to gazing through the window. Chidori was so cute compared to her: long flowing silky brown hair down to her bottom and which was now loosely tied in a low ponytail, soft, large brown doe-like eyes, smooth, fair skin, soft features, slender yet curvy body, just enough for her fourteen summers, currently dressed in tight, blue cropped pants, sneakers, and slightly fitting black T-shirt with two little blue dragons, back to back, a grey, old-looking banner at their tails where was written the English word 'Exile' in black, medieval letters.
"Ah! Mommy, my flowers died." She suddenly began to whine.
"No wonder, the way you clung to them. A little water when we get there and they'll perk right up." She dismissed her daughter's distress.
"My first bouquet is farewell flowers, how sad." Chihiro plumped back on her seat. When her mother reminded her of the rose she had received for her birthday she replied that one flower didn't make a bouquet. She took back the card she had dropped, eyeing enviously the bag at her sister's feet, the bag containing all her farewell gifts, bouquets, CDs, books, protecting charms, and many other personal souvenirs.
However Chidori had noticed the look in her sister's eyes. It could not be helped; she was used to it, though it always pained her. She loved her sister, regardless of how ill the feelings the little one might bear for her. But she knew how Chihiro was deep inside, and that in time she would bloom into one of the most beautiful flowers. It was true that, as the oldest, she had all the responsibilities and Chihiro has been a little spoiled (an awful lot), especially by her but Chidori trusted her. Somehow, things would be fine. Also, she had another secret that no one, not her best friend, nor even her beloved sister knew about. That was her ability to see the unseen, the invisible, and these were naturally drawn to her, whether she willed it or not. She had always had it. She had inherited it from her grand-mother on her mother's side. Everyone had thought the old woman was nuts, senile, but Chidori knew the truth, for both could see the same things. However it only became so strong after that time when she nearly drowned in that river years ago. She would only look at it in the eyes and a bond would form, a bond of mutual understanding. She did not need to speak, the eyes would tell everything. That's how she had been able to befriend entities that weren't from this world. She knew Chihiro had often spied on her, trying to pierce her sister's secrets, in vain.
"What? You want one of mine? Well I won't give you any. They're all precious gifts from my precious friends." The older sibling grinned. The little one retaliated, Chidori just laughed, defending herself. It was decidedly too early for Chihiro, if her sister could still be so immature... But now, they both had to behave, it was long day for everyone.
But after a time, the concrete and railing suddenly stopped, giving way to a dirt road going deep into the woods just ahead. The car stopped near a huge tree standing at its right and against which a small old wooden torii gate was leaning, and many like tiny stone houses between the gate and the tree. Upon seeing the wood and the dirt road, everyone wondered if the dad had not gotten them lost –again. But still the family could see real houses higher up the slope.
"It must be the blue one over there." The mother pointed at a house, just at the edge of the wood. It seemed logic: there would be less to drive if they would try the woods than going back and searching for another way... if these woods did lead to the house. Chidori did not like it: if indeed it led to the houses, it should have been made of concrete too. It was probably going to some place forsaken from this world. At least that was what she was feeling, especially looking at all these small shrines. Yet she did not say anything as her father drove off, right into the forest.
Chihiro was still worried, her father reassured her saying they had a four-wheel drive but this was most likely not her prime concern...
"Dad, I think Chihiro is more worried about whether you lost us again than about a hypothetic accident." Chidori pointed out. Then as the road became more uneven mommy told the younger one to sit down but she did not listen and remained standing in the middle.
"If you don't sit down, you'll fly straight through the windscreen. I also suggest you put on your safety belt and close your mouth, so you won't bump into anything or bite your tongue." Chidori warned with an innocent smile. Chihiro stuck out her tongue in reply, just as the car passed over a bump on the road, making her bite her tongue and fall backward on her seat. The young one clamped her right hand on her mouth, slightly glaring at her sister once the surprise was over. Chidori was still smiling innocently at her. Nothing was said but Chihiro understood, 'See, told you so.' was what this smile was saying. Faster and faster the car drove through the forest despite the low visibility caused by the lower branches which were right at eye level until the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes, stopping just before a large waist-high statue acting as a guardian for the tunnel just behind it. The red paint of the building was peeling off.
The father got off of the car, when his wife asked, he answered that it was probably the entrance. The girls got off of the car too, Chihiro went to her father but Chidori stayed near the car, rubbing her arms. She really did not like this place, she had a bad feeling. Then she went to join him with her mother. The wind picked up, like a spell pushing them forward. It smelled of woods but to Chidori there was something else, she could sense it, they shouldn't go in there, if they did, something really bad would happen. So when the father suggested to go and take a look, both sisters refused vehemently, but he just laughed it off.
"What? Are you scared? I can understand for Chihiro, but Chidori, it's not like you at all, though it's kinda cute."
The sisters glared at him, frowning, but did not back down. They went back a few steps and stood their ground at the statue's level: they did not want to go, that much was clear. After a little hesitation he convinced the mother who went in with him. But Chihiro got scared of the statue and began to whine like she was going to cry and called to her mom in a pitiful voice, hogging up and down, holding the hem of her T-shirt, behaving exactly like a little girl who wanted to go to the lavatories but could not. On the contrary, Chidori looked more aggravated by her family's behaviour than anything. And the two ran to their parents, their expressions quite different. The little one was clinging to her mother's right arm, ever so scared, like a koala onto a branch, while the older one was slightly in the back, reluctant yet still following, with a scowling face and clenched fists. After the tunnel, there was a hall with many benches and lamps hanging from the pillars. Just as she entered this hall, the doe-eyed girl made an inaudible gasp, the weird feeling had suddenly gotten stronger, if she strained her eyes she was able to make out blurry shapes. And the train they could hear, it sounded like a normal one but there was also something wrong with it, though she could not tell what. She unconsciously walked closer to the others.
Then they were out in the open again, hillocks, covered with fields of grass, a few rocks and fallen statues, houses in ruins, and a path leading to what looked like a little town. And the wind, a nice breeze was blowing. Even though, Chidori could discern faint outlines of shapes moving. The father was thinking this must have been a theme park. Many had been built and then abandoned during the economic crisis. The parents went on but the daughters had seen enough, they wanted to go back, especially Chidori who, although she kept quiet about it, felt that if they went further, they would not be able to go back. A wind blew again from behind, the same kind as before at the entrance but stronger, a chilly wind, like the building was moaning. But again they were not heeded, so Chihiro went to attach herself to her mother's arm while Chidori lagged a little behind. They arrived at some sort of trench with many slightly mossy boulders and a little water at the bottom. Most likely they had tried to make a river here. The husband helped his wife as a gentleman, until he began to sniff around: there was a nice smell in the air. Something yummy was being cooked. They told their daughters to hurry up. The latters followed them grudgingly, Chihiro slowly and carefully using her hands, and Chidori gracefully hopping from boulder to boulder to the flight of stone stairs. The buildings were both western and eastern style, but all made of wood and plaster, their originally bright colours now washed off by the sun and rain and the paint peeling off. They were all restaurants or hotels but nobody was around. Paper lanterns were hanging from ropes. Then, from farther ahead, the dad called them. He had found the source of the smell. On a counter, many large plates were lined up, each with a mountain of dish and all different from one another. The parents sat on the stools and called for someone from the restaurant, but as no one was coming they began to dig in, they would pay later. Several times the girls turned down their mother's invitation to sit down and eat with them.
"Let's go! They're gonna be mad at us." Chihiro whined still fidgeting with the hem of her T-shirt, she had that habit when she was scared. Chidori was quite nervous too, although she was trying not to show it much. True, these smelled and looked extremely delicious, but there was something really wrong with them.
"Don't you think it's strange? All the dishes look oversized! And then just who cooked them? And for who? This could be fit to feed an army! This place has been abandoned, this food is not for us, and we shouldn't be here!"
"Don't worry, don't worry! You've got daddy here, I've got credit cards and cash."
Chidori was fuming. That old man had not listened to anything either of his daughters had said. Chihiro was also tired of them and anyway the parents were now totally ignoring them, so busy stuffing themselves. Truth was Chidori was getting more and more afraid. Her bad feeling was coming true, they had to leave now but she still could not bring herself to tear her parents away from the food. The worst was that she could sense that the nightmare was barely beginning.
And so the siblings decided to take a quick look around, standing close to each other. They climbed up the stairs to the huge pine tree and red lamp. And looking to their right they saw this even huger building, painted in red and gold with green tiles. The wooden railings of the bridge leading to it were also red. And from its chimney, black smoke was rising, fires had been lit. Chidori's unrest grew again, who could be living in that building? But in a confused way, she knew, no human had been living here for years, it was something else. When she came back to reality, Chihiro was already at the bridge.
"Wait, it's dangerous!" She yelled running to her as her little sister bent over the railings.
"Ah, the train!" The little one exclaimed going to the other side and climbing over the railings to see the train.
"Chihi..." The older sister began but did not finish. Her eyes were wide open, fixed on the boy one meter from her, clothed like in the Heian period, looking about fifteen. That boy... there was something nostalgic about him. He was as surprised as the girls, especially when his light green eyes rested on Chidori. But then he frowned and his expression grew hard.
"You're not allowed here! Go back! It's almost night, leave before it gets dark!" He turned his head, "They're lighting the lamps, go, hurry up! I'll distract them, get back across the river!" He yelled, turning the girls around by their shoulders and pushing their backs. They kept on running but looking back, Chidori saw the boy blow on his hand, there were shimmers of silvery light and a sound of glass. She had understood, or least had a good idea. Nothing could escape her eyes and ears, there was still a softness in his eyes and a worried edge in his tone. He was saving them.
"Sorry, and thank you!" She yelled back, running.
Chihiro stopped in the middle of the stairs to wipe tears from her eyes.
"What's his problem?" She muttered, his tone had hurt her.
"Quick!" Chidori went back and took her sister by the wrist pulling her along, faster. Lights were being lit and there were shapes and shadows everywhere. They ran to where their parents were but instead found pigs sitting on their stools with their parent's clothes. Chihiro wanted to stay and look for them but her older sister would not let her and dragged her back as fast as she could down to the exit of the village, down the stairs, into the river. But the river now looked as large and deep as a lake. And on the other side lights had also been lit. Her fear had come true, it was too late. They were trapped.