Chapter 1: Slippery slopes
I was in the car staring out at the sunrise, windows fogged by the morning chill.
Dad was taking me somewhere, but I couldn't put my finger on where. I took a moment to look at his face...
It looked worn and ragged; he had the most sorrowful expression in his eyes. I didn't like it, so I looked away.
I let my mind drift on other topics.
The sunrise, it was so pretty...
The car had started to swerve. I looked over at the drivers seat, only to see my dad slumped over in it.
I tried to grab the wheel, but it was no use. We were going down. I felt my heart sink in my stomach as I waited for...
…
My alarm clock!? Ugh, not again.
I had been having the same dream consistently for the past two weeks, and every time I woke up in a sweat. I sat there for a couple of minutes, so tired. I let my head hit the pillow again.
"Chihiro? Are you getting ready sweet heart?" yelled my mom in the next room.
"Yes, I'm up mom." I said with a mournful moan.
She sighed.
"Then why are your lights still off? Chihiro, we talked about this."
My dad yelled from the next room.
"Chihiro? Are you still in bed!?"
I quickly got up and turned my lights on.
"Nope, not now."
I tried to get ready as fast as I possibly could, almost ripping my new school uniform skirt. I ran toward my bedroom door, and ever so gracefully tripped over my half open sock drawer on the way out to the kitchen.
My head lay next to a pile of dirty laundry, the smell of used socks and old deodorant filling my nose.
I groaned with dismay.
"Ughh… Why do I always forget to do laundry?"
"Chihiro, get a move on! You're going to be late!" My dad yelled.
I stood, and hit my head on the open shirt drawer.
"Dammit! Not again! Ugh, I'm such a clutz…"
I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table for breakfast.
My dad was livid. You could tell by the way he looked down at the table.
He was dead silent, and his face had reddened to the point in which it resembled a tomato.
I looked down at my cereal bowl and tried not to make eye contact.
He sighed.
"So, I heard you're failing your math class, and I've been getting calls from the school. They say you've been skipping class."
I nearly choked on my cereal.
"What!? I mean, it's true, but... you don't understand."
I could feel it escalate right then and there.
"Well, dammit Chihiro. you're sixteen years old, and you're still slacking off like a ten year old. and you tell me I don't understand, but you never tell me anything!"
I felt my own anger rise.
"Well, maybe I don't tell you anything because you always get like you're getting now. angry and over-dramatic."
He slammed his fist on the table.
"Really!? You have no idea what I go through every day at work in this damn demeaning job, to what? Come home to a spoiled brat who I happen to support. You, young lady, have no appreciation for the people around you."
I flipped out.
"Well!? Why do you think that is? You basically said it just then. YOU are my caretaker, that's it. Real dad's listen to their kids."
He snapped too.
"Get out! Go to school, I don't even want to see you right now!"
"Fine! I will!" I said as I left the house and slammed the door.
I felt tears spill out of my eyes in spite of my anger. I let the sorrow follow me to the bus stop.
"Hey! It's ghost girl!" Yelled a student.
"Hey skitzo, find your imaginary boyfriend yet?"
I walked past them and ignored them as I stood and waited for my bus.
"You deaf now too skitzo?" Said another.
"Well if I wasn't then, I am now you loud bitch." I said with a hint of triumph.
She gaped.
"Some little freaks need a good pounding!"
She swung, and hit me square in the nose.
I stood, and shouldered the blow, blood beginning to trickle from my nose.
I wiped the blood onto my sleeve
"Great, not this again…"
I shook my head.
"I guess you're too much of a fucking ditz to fight with words. Also, do me a favor and come up with a new line! It's sad, I'm almost getting bored of the same old stupid junk."
Her face became red, her composure slipping for a moment.
She followed with a smug grin.
"Trying to play it cool? Well you can play your little act all you want, that doesn't change the fact that no one likes you. Hell, I bet even your parents have thought about what it would have been like… you know, if your mom would've just swallowed, no one would have to deal with a freak like you."
That one hit too close for comfort.
The students muttered with amusement.
The girl walked up to me, her thin lips curled into a nasty grin.
"What's the matter? Ghost got your tongue?"
I pulled back and whacked her in the face, knocking her against the large tree behind her, knocking her out…
It was just in time for the bus to pull up.
The bus driver stepped off of the bus.
"What on earth is going on!?" She yelled.
She walked up to me, and pointed an accusing finger at me.
"You, what's the meaning of this!? Explain yourself!"
I went red as I stuttered.
"I-Um, it was just—!"
One of the students spoke up.
"Chihiro and Aimi were having an argument, and Chihiro blew it way out of proportion, not to mention she escalated the whole thing!"
I gaped.
"You are LYING! HE'S LYING—!"
"Enough!" The bus driver barked.
"As far as I'm concerned, you are the one who has this reputation for lying. I'm going to call an ambulance, and you're lucky I don't inform the police of your violent actions! I will however, be informing your parents as to why I wont allow a violent animal onto my bus!"
Another student began to laugh.
"Looks like you get to walk skitzo!"
The driver looked at him.
"That's enough out of you. Go, board the bus, all of you. I will be calling an ambulance. Don't worry, I'll make sure your teachers understand that there was a delay at the bus-stop."
The students began to board the bus.
She looked over at me.
"If I ever see anything like this again, I will report it to the police. I suggest you start walking."
I began to walk toward the direction of the school.
I was shaking, tears streaming down my face.
"Dammit… What am I going to tell them now!? My Parents… They probably do hate me! I wish I were a better daughter!"
I quickly walked away from the bus stop, hoping I could at least make it to second hour on time.
...
Chihiro's father sighed, his head in his hands.
"I… I just don't get it Minae. Why? Why can't we just talk like we used to… She's such a good kid, she just needs to get her head in the right place is all."
Chihiro's mother shook her head.
"Yeah… That kid. She's so bright, and very beautiful. She had mentioned that kids have been picking on her at the bus-stop… They're probably jealous of her. Do you think maybe that has something to do with it Hiroki? We should look into that."
He looked down, his features riddled with guilt.
"It wouldn't be the first time… remember when we had to move her to a different school? Poor thing, she had just gotten used to the idea of switching the first time. Damn kids can be mean, and that teacher accused our daughter of lying!"
She sighed.
"Yeah, I remember that… God, it seems like just yesterday she was—"
The phone began to ring.
Chihiro's father walked over to the phone, and picked it up.
"Hello, Ogino Hiroki speaking."
He was silent for a moment.
His eyes widened.
"She-She did what!?"
Chihiro's mother slapped her palm to her face.
"What happened this time!?"
"There has to be another reason!" Chihiro's father yelled.
"I've known her longer than you have, and she wouldn't do something like that over some simple squabble!"
He was silent again, his face becoming more and more red as his face contorted into a look of rage.
"What do you mean you made her walk!? Th-This is an outrage! If THIS is the reason her grades are suffering, because of your ignorance, IT WILL BE ON YOUR HEAD!"
He slammed down the phone.
Chihiro's mother stood.
"I guess we'd better find her and get her to school then."
He sighed… his features falling.
"M-Maybe we can give her the day off today. Minae, I think she's being bullied again. Maybe we ought to talk to her, and then we'll talk to the school… see if we can sort things out."
She nodded.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's get to the car honey… I hope she hasn't gone too far."
...
Chihiro was walking along the highway, her legs beginning to ache, her mouth becoming dry.
She stopped to look at her phone.
It was 10:05.
"Dammit! It's almost time to switch classes… I'll never make it. Dad's going to be pissed."
A mat black car with shaded windows pulled up.
The window rolled down to reveal a man with greasy brown hair, and a very much disheveled looking complexion. He wore a grey t-shirt with a few grease stains, and showed a smile that revealed somewhat crooked teeth.
"Hey girl, you look like you're in quite the hurry. Do you need a ride somewhere?"
I gave a big sigh of relief.
"Thank god! I was getting tired… Yeah, I was walking up to the Academy just north of here. Are you sure? I hope I'm not imposing…"
He gave a soft laugh.
"No, not at all! It's no trouble… Why don't you come on in and I'll make sure you get where you need to be."
I nodded.
"Thank you so much!"
I stepped into the car, and closed the door behind me…
The doors locked, and I began to get this uneasy feeling.
"Hey… maybe I should just—"
The man held me down, holding a foul smelling rag to my face.
All I remember was his twisted smile and soft, sick laugh as my world faded into blackness…
...
Chihiro's parents had passed the bus-stop, and had checked all of the surrounding streets.
Chihiro's father was panicking.
"You don't think she took the highway, do you Minae!? God, she could get hit by a car, mugged by some drifter! Not to mention—!"
"Hiroki please stop!" Minae exclaimed.
"She might have taken the highway, that's a thought. The more time we spend panicking, the less likely it is that we'll find her."
He nodded.
"You're right. Come on, let's keep looking."
Minae's cell phone began to ring.
She answered.
"Hello…? Who is this?"
She was silent, her face went pale.
"What? What is it Minae!?" Hiroki exclaimed.
She took a moment before speaking.
"What did the car look like? Did you get a license plate number?"
"Please tell me what's happening!" Hiroki pleaded.
"Thank you for letting us know." She said, her voice monotone.
…She slowly lowered the phone to her side, she was visibly shaking.
"She was seen on the highway walking into a black ford contour with an older man as the driver. It was suspected that there was a struggle in the car… The police have already been called, one of the parents of a student saw this while driving his own kid to school. We just finished talking,"
Hiroki sat there speechless, and unable to move…
He had a really bad feeling about this.
Something about this felt inevitable, as if she was being pulled toward a gruesome fate at flying speeds…
…He hoped to god that he was wrong.
...
I was still as I felt the world come back to me.
I felt my eyes flit open, and I looked out of the tinted window.
The sun was setting now, and we were driving on an unfamiliar cliff side.
I bet dad was worried…
The man shifted, and I quickly closed my eyes again as the he turned his head.
"Still sleeping my little dove?" He said as he cooed and pet my head.
I felt a cold shiver lurch down my spine.
"Well, just in case you're not..." I heard the car swerve, and I smelled the foul fabric coming closer to my face.
I lifted my leg and landed a blow on his head.
He slumped over to the side, and I could see the cliff drawing nearer.
I tried to stop its course, but it was no use.
Now I felt my heart sink for real…
And this time?
There was no waking up.