Child of the clear unclouded brow
And dreaming eyes of wonder!
Though time be fleet, and I and thou
Are half a life asunder, Thy lowing smile will surely hail The love-gift of a fairy tale.
I have not seen thy sunny face,
Nor heard thy silver laughter: No though of me shall find a place
In thy young life's hereafter-
Enough that now thou wilt not fail To listen to my fairy-tale.
A tale begun in other days, When summer suns were glowing- A simple chime that served to time The rhythm of our rowing- Whose echoes live in memory yet, Though envious year would say "forget."
Come, harked then, ere voice of dread,
With bitter tidings laden, Shall summon to unwilling bed
A melancholy maiden! We are but older children, dear, Who fret to find our bed time near.
Without the frost, the blinding snow, The storm-wind's moody madness- Within, the firelight's ruddy glow,
And childhood's nest of gladness. The magic words shall hold thee fast: Thou shalt not heed the raving blast.
And, though the shadow of a sigh May tremble through the story, For "happy summer days" gone by, And vanish'd summer glory- It shall not touch, with breath of bale, The pleasance of our fairy-tale.
The Looking-Glass
Chapter One The Looking-Glass
Chihiro Ogino, a small ten-year-old girl sat in the back seat of her family's car as her parents drove into the driveway of their new house. Her mother was ranting about missing the movers, and her father was retaliating, keeping his eyes on his wife rather than on the road. Chihiro sighed. It was amazing that they could stay on the road at all. Akio Ogino swerved, and narrowly missed a small frog-like statue that was placed at the side of the road. His normally dark skin was red and blotchy and he was gripping the steering wheel of his luxurious car with malice.
Chihiro's father was a neurosurgeon. It was his work that had sparked the family move. He had always dreamed of opening his own practice, and as the opportunity presented itself, he was very inclined to accept it. Chihiro's mother, who had a degree in psychology, wasn't warm to the idea of a new town at first, but she found an office soon enough, and was glad enough to get out of the big city.
Chihiro groaned. Her father was, yet again, leaning over the middle console of the car, his face mere inches from her mother's. Chihiro's mother had a look of indignation on her face and she gasped loudly at her husband's comment, before leaning over and making one of her own. It was a typical day in the Ogino family: the two parents fighting, and Chihiro sitting alone, trying desperately to pretend that she was in no way connected to them. Chihiro cried with joy as she leapt onto the driveway in front of her new garage.
Her house quickly caught her attention. It was large, and stood out like a sore thumb. Chihiro cursed whoever had chosen such a lurid color. The house stood tall and bright royal blue. Chihiro walked up to the red door and pulled the tag off of the doorknob. She turned around. Her parents were still arguing, although they had moved to the front of the car rather than within it. She sighed again. What a way to make a first impression. Chihiro could imagine the neighbors glaring at her parents from the windows. Any time now and the cops would be arresting them for disturbing the peace. Chihiro read the piece of paper she held in her hands. The words looked as if they had been rained on and baked in the sun. They were so pale, that they were almost impossible to make out.
"We're sorry we missed you. The boxes are stacked throughout the first floor. Enjoy your new home - The Movers"
Slowly she turned the doorknob and entered her home. It was large and musty. Her parents hadn't even taken notice that she had gone inside. She walked over to the dark wooden staircase and slowly ascended to the second floor. Sunlight fluttered in through the windows and illuminated the dust floating through the air. She made her way down the hall and entered a room that she was sure was to be hers. It was small, but she was a small girl after all, she could make do. She walked over to her window and looked out. It faced the forest. She rested her chin on her hand for a while, just looking at the rustling trees, wondering what mysteries the forest held.
Chihiro climbed down the stairs and rummaged through the boxes. It took her a while, but she was able to locate her personal belongings and haul them up the stairs. She spent the remainder of the evening putting her room together. She hadn't seen her parents since she had gone in, and the silence assured her that they had stopped quarreling. Wherever they were, she had no idea. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she collapsed, asleep, on her bedroom floor.
There were so many people, in front of an ancient-looking building. She crossed a bridge to get to them. They were all smiling broadly at her, beckoning her forward. She ran to them. They grew more and more distant. The bridge stretched on for miles. She kept running until her legs gave out from exhaustion. They were still very distant. She could hear their cries, "Chihiro! Chihiro!" before the scene faded.
"Chihiro!" She heard she soft voice of her mother wake her. She sat up groggily, her neck aching from her spot on the floor. She mumbled something incoherent, and fell, face-first into her mother's chest. She was tired and sore. The moving had given her small muscles a workout.
"Chihiro, honey, its morning. Time for you to get up!" Her father said, sitting atop her bed in the corner of her room. She nodded and sat up.
"Now, dear, your father and I met our new neighbors last night. They have a daughter your age. Go get a shower, and then go and introduce yourself. You have to make a good impression. Your father and I are going to do some unpacking, so, you can spend the day outside, alright?" Her mother spoke kindly, giving her daughter a hug. Chihiro nodded her consent, before curling into a ball on the floor again. Just five more minutes, then I'll be ready to meet any demon child that you want me to, Chihiro thought. Her mother stood her up and marched her into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Chihiro slumped against the bathroom wall. This was turning out to be the worst summer ever. First she had to pack all of her belongings, then she had to move away from her best friend, and now she was in a blue box being forced to meet the monster next door. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and set her hair tie on the counter in front of her. It seemed curious to her that the band that she had pulled out of her hair was different from the one that she had put into it that morning. It was purple and shimmered in the light. Chihiro nervously ran her fingers through her hair. Her fingers caught, though, and she found dark brown chunks all over, coupled with a dark reddish brown powder. Chihiro ran it over her hands. It looked strangely like blood. She checked her head for cuts. If it wasn't her blood, then whose was it? She shrugged it off, hoping that it was some kind of strange dream. She tugged at her shirt and pulled it over her head. Underneath she was wearing some kind of strange blue apron. Across the front of it, it read, 'Aburaya'. Chihiro started breaking out into a cold sweat. Why didn't she remember any of this? What was the blood from, the brown substance? She pulled her shorts off too .All along her arms and legs were giant bruises.
Something was definitely not right.
A sharp tap on the door awakened Chihiro from her thoughts, "Chihiro! I want to hear that water running! Get in that shower now!" She heard her mother calling. She growled under her breath. She definitely wasn't a morning person, and being woken up by her mother, after hours of work the night before was not on her list of things she'd like to do. But, of course, Chihiro had no choice but to comply with her mother's wishes, and she stepped into the steamy water, scrubbing the bits and pieces of gunk from her hair and the dirt from her body.
With her hair still wet, she threw it back into a ponytail using the mysterious purple band and climbed down the steps to the front door. She slipped on her shoes and out the front door. Her parents could be heard, arguing, yet again, in the other room. She dismissed it and went next door.
She crossed the lush lawn and went to the front door of her neighbor's white house. She stopped in front of the oak door and cautiously knocked. She waited. There was no answer. She knocked again. A girl answered the door in a huff.
"Hold your horses! I'm getting it already!" A girl that was no older than Chihiro said as she opened the door, "Hello! You must be the new girl next door. I'm Yatsuda Mika. Nice to meet you!" She said, extending her hand. Chihiro looked at it uncertainly. This girl sure had an attitude. Maybe she was a monster after all.
"Ogino Chihiro." The new girl said, dropping her head into a deep bow. She mechanically reached up for Mika's hand and shook it. Mika looked at Chihiro appraisingly.
"Nice to meet you Chihiro. Now, what would you like to do on our last Saturday before school starts?" Mika smiled. Chihiro faltered.
"I thought we had a few weeks before school starts. Its still the beginning of August, isn't it?" Chihiro was puzzled. Unconsciously she reached up to her hair and tugged at the tie holding it in.
"Ha! That's a joke, right? Monday term starts. We only have two days of summer left. Why don't we go exploring in the forest? That's always fun on a day like today!" Mika said and stepped out of her door.
She was wearing a white t-shirt and blue pants. She had dark, dark brown hair that fell down her waist. She pulled it up into a bun at the top of her head to keep in out of the way. She had dark brown eyes that held a mischievous glint in them. This was going to be an interesting day.
They trekked through the forest, past the neighborhoods, past the trails. Chihiro found herself having a great time, and coming to like Mika more and more. She wasn't as monstrous as Chihiro had imagined her to be at first. She was tough, but she had a wonderful sense of humor.
They came across a rock overgrown with moss. It looked as if it were a frog of some kind. Mika walked passed it, so Chihiro followed. Soon they came to a clearing. There was another stone like the first. Mika walked to the entrance of a large red building and smiled.
"This is where the forest spirits come together. My dad says that humans aren't to go into this tunnel. See that statue? It guards the entrance. I come here all the time, watching for tree spirits, fox spirits, river spirits. I haven't seen one yet." Mika sat off to the side of the road, partially hidden. Chihiro joined her.
"I was here yesterday. There's a beautiful meadow through the tunnel. My dad says it was an abandoned amusement park."
"You actually went through there? Wow! I've tried so many times, but my dad would be really upset if he ever learned about that. You're really lucky! What's it like?" Mika asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Well, there is an enormous meadow with a lot of those statues in it." Chihiro trailed off. There seemed to be more to the story, but she couldn't bring it to the front of her mind. She strained to remember, but she couldn't, "That's about it." She conceded.
"Oh." Mika said, "Well, in any case, now that you're my new best friend, you are now invited to come and spirit watch with me." Mika smiled. Chihiro blushed. It felt good to have a best friend already, and even better to have one that was so close to home. The two girls sat in their hiding place for what seemed like hours, making jokes about spirit meetings until the sky started turning dark.
They walked back a little faster than they walked to the clearing in hopes of getting home before dark. They reached their respective homes right as the last rays of sunshine were peering over the trees. Chihiro waved goodbye to her friend and stepped inside her house. Her parents were at the table talking in low tones, but stopped abruptly as Chihiro approached.
Most of the house was unpacked, and her parents credited it to Mika's parents who came over for the better part of the day, carrying furniture and boxes and the like. Chihiro smiled. For once her parents didn't fight over something, letting them have time to finish a task in a timely manner. Usually it took them weeks just to do simple decorating chores. The family ate dinner in a comfortable silence. Chihiro couldn't help but notice the relaxed and excited atmosphere. Her parents were smiling furtively across the table, and Chihiro thought that maybe her parents weren't her parents after all.
Finally, after all of the dishes and left over foods had been cleared away, Chihiro's parents called her to sit down at the table.
"Chihiro, dear, we have some very important news to tell you." Her mother started.
"We, well, your mother and I, we're going to have a baby." Her father finished. Chihiro paled. They went from wanting to kill each other one minute to being blissfully happy about her mother's pregnancy the next. Chihiro expressed her happiness and went back up to her room. Climbing up the stairs, she heard her mother, who had called her grandmother to tell her of the news, say, "I don't know when it could have happened. It's not like we were trying or anything. It's like a little miracle." Her mom was gushing with happiness. Chihiro sighed.
They were going to have another child, another child that they could ignore and forget; another child that would be witness to all of the arguments, all of the rude behaviors. This child would feel the embarrassment of having parents that argued in public places. Wasn't one enough to suffer through all of that? It was amazing that Chihiro had stayed sane all these years.
Chihiro was lying in bed, contemplating her horrible family life as she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * *
"Come on Chihiro! We're going to be late!" Yatsuda Mika yelled to her friend from the foot of her bed. Chihiro looked at her fried and rolled her eyes. She saw the time on her clock and groaned. It was 5:30 in the morning, "Come on! It's our first day of school! We're fourth graders now!" Mika said excitedly.
"Mika, school doesn't start for three hours. And, besides, how did you get in here anyway? The front door's locked." Chihiro said.
"I climbed through your window."
"I live on the second floor!"
"I've always been a natural climber. My mom says it's one of my better talents." Mika said, and then proceeded to wake Chihiro again and again. She grabbed onto her arm. Chihiro winced, "What's wrong, Chi?"
"Oh it's nothing. Just a bruise." Mika rolled up Chihiro's sleeve. A large bruise the size of an apple and black in colour was plastered onto Chihiro's bicep.
"Just a bruise? Where'd you get it?" Mika asked. She apologized over and over for Chihiro's misfortune, and was upset when Chihiro couldn't provide a decent answer to her question. To avoid further interrogation, Chihiro got up, dressed in her school's mandatory uniform and dragged Mika down the stairs. She groaned when she found that her friend had already made her a lunch.
The girls ran out the door and headed to their school. They were two hours early. They found their classroom and sat waiting, patiently. Mika began to read her school textbooks, and Chihiro fell asleep.
She woke to a sharp pain in her forehead. She opened her eyes quickly. A boy, with short, spiky blond hair was giggling at her misfortune. Mika was glaring at him. Chihiro dropped her head behind her folded arms. She began laughing. The boy stopped. Chihiro lifted her head and smiled. He smiled back.
"My name is Momomoya Rei. It's nice to meet you." He said, extending her hand. Chihiro smiled and shook his eagerly.
"Ogino Chihiro." She said.
"Chi and I live next door to each other, Rei." Mika said suggestively.
"Ah, so already I'm replaced. It's a wonder that they found a buyer for that monstrosity. The color was absolutely tasteless."
"Rei here is a genius. He talks like a 30-year-old."
"My father is the CEO of the largest software company in Japan. He's had me in school since I was born." Rei said, grudgingly. It wasn't easy for him that his dad was so rich. And it wasn't his fault he was so smart. His vocabulary had progressed naturally from his childhood.
"My dad's a doctor. I guess my mom is too; at least she's got the degree. She's in psychiatry." Chihiro said, trying to make Rei feel better. Mika frowned.
"My parents don't work." She said.
"Then how do you live in that big house?" Chihiro exclaimed.
"We live off of the interest of the money my grandpa left us when he died. He was some kind of executive." Mika explained.
The teacher walked into the classroom, and there was silence. Rei grabbed a pencil and began taking notes. Mika was still reading her book, not paying attention. Chihiro stared out the window. She thought of her bruises. She thought of the mysterious disappearance of the two weeks before she made it to her house. Time didn't just skip.
A number of things bothered Chihiro about that time period. For one thing, her mother was about a month pregnant. If her time was correct, then her mother had to have been impregnated while the move was happening. It wasn't like her parents were normally on speaking terms. Yelling and screaming terms, yes, but they rarely saw each other besides at dinner and briefly before bed. Her father would go down to his study and work on his computer, and her mother would sit in the family room and read about the latest treatments. Chihiro wasn't stupid, she knew where babies came from, and her parents surely didn't get along well enough to do THAT.
Secondly, there was the matter of the apron and all of the bruises. Chihiro was certain that her parents had never beaten her, and she generally didn't involve herself in any activity that caused harm to her body. She wasn't stupid. She knew when to stop working out.
She thought about her life before she moved to this new town. Before, she was snobby and stuck up. She hated to admit it, but it was true. She was wealthy, and she wasn't ashamed to let everyone know. Now, though, she was a normal, humble girl. She had friends. Real friends. They weren't just people that hung around her for her money. They liked her for her, and no matter how strange they were, no matter their quirks, she loved them for them.
The teacher droned on and on, lulling Chihiro to sleep with his voice.
* * * * * * *
"Chihiro, you really need to lighten up. It's just some old building." Mika said, dangling from a branch of a tree by her legs. They were sitting in front of the red building with the tunnel.
"No, it's not just a tunnel Chihiro. It's the entrance to the Mahou no Sekai. My dad talks about it all of the time. They say that if humans enter it, they disappear from existence." Rei said. He was sitting on top of the branch next to Mika's legs. The three of them had become close, and over the weeks, they had come to spending a great deal of time outside the tunnel.
"You're wrong, Rei. They don't just disappear. They get turned into cows and eaten."
"Pigs."
"What?" Mika said, looking at Chihiro, who was sitting on the grassy ground. Chihiro frowned and furrowed her brow in concentration.
"I'm pretty sure they turn into pigs."
"Chi, have you ever heard the legend of the Mahou no Sekai?" Rei asked politely.
"No, but I don't think it's cows. I can't explain it."
"You know, Rei," Mika started, "I'd believe her. Chihiro's been through the tunnel." Rei went white his jaw dropped, and he was at a loss for words. Chihiro frowned.
"What?" She asked, wondering why her friends were acting so strangely.
"Nobody goes into that tunnel. Everyone knows not to. It's cursed. Only spirits are to enter there. And only the spirits of those who are worthy take the shape of a guardian spirit." Rei said.
"What's a guardian spirit?"
"It's a spirit that is designated to take care of certain things. There are tree spirits, frog spirits, fox spirits, and river spirits. Of course, there are more, all things have a spirit. They're kind of like guardian angels." Mika said. Her voice took on a tone of excitement. Rei rolled his eyes.
"That's the legend, at least. There's no telling if it's really true. It's probably just something that parents tell their children to keep them away from the tunnel." He explained. Chihiro nodded. She had no idea that the people in this town took this tunnel so seriously.
What if it was the entrance to the Mahou no Sekai? Why was it so strange that she, of all people had seen it? If it was a magical world, surely more people would have come into it than just her family. Then she remembered Rei's words. It's cursed. What if she was cursed, then? What if she was doomed to die some horrible death?
No.
She refused to admit it.
This was no more than an old building. It was not the path of her destiny. This was not what she was supposed to be doing with her life.
Rei, Chihiro and Mika watched the entrance to the tunnel eagerly, in hopes that some kind of spirit would emerge. None came. The trio walked away.
Rei and Chihiro were so deep in thought; they never saw the letter Mika propped at the base of the frog statue.
A/N: Hey all! This is the end of the first chapter of The Looking-Glass. Before I talk more, here are a few credits:
The poem I took from Through the Looking Glass. It belongs to Lewis Carroll, and in no way am I trying to steal it from him.
The name Rei comes from Mars, which is a great Manga. If you ever get a chance, please read it. And, again, Mars belongs to Fuyumi Soryo and misc. publishing companies. I'm not trying to steal Rei from her, just his name, which is in true Spirited Away fashion. I'm like Yubaba, only I give credit to those that created it! Er. that's something to be proud of, ain't it?
Rei's last name comes from the Manga/Anime Tokyo Mew Mew. This one is also very cute. If you like Sailor Moon, read it. Anyway, the main character's last name is Momomoya. Her first name's Ichigo, but I didn't steal that one so it's not important.
A disclaimer: The characters and magical lands involved in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Hayao Miyazaki. The plot, however, does belong to me, and I would appreciate it if you would contact me before taking parts of it for your own.
Alright, that about sums up all of the legal and 'if you're interested in where this comes from' stuff. I hope you liked it. I'll keep writing, the next chapter shouldn't be out long from now.
Please read and review! Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are appreciated.
Love Angel
Are half a life asunder, Thy lowing smile will surely hail The love-gift of a fairy tale.
I have not seen thy sunny face,
Nor heard thy silver laughter: No though of me shall find a place
In thy young life's hereafter-
Enough that now thou wilt not fail To listen to my fairy-tale.
A tale begun in other days, When summer suns were glowing- A simple chime that served to time The rhythm of our rowing- Whose echoes live in memory yet, Though envious year would say "forget."
Come, harked then, ere voice of dread,
With bitter tidings laden, Shall summon to unwilling bed
A melancholy maiden! We are but older children, dear, Who fret to find our bed time near.
Without the frost, the blinding snow, The storm-wind's moody madness- Within, the firelight's ruddy glow,
And childhood's nest of gladness. The magic words shall hold thee fast: Thou shalt not heed the raving blast.
And, though the shadow of a sigh May tremble through the story, For "happy summer days" gone by, And vanish'd summer glory- It shall not touch, with breath of bale, The pleasance of our fairy-tale.
The Looking-Glass
Chapter One The Looking-Glass
Chihiro Ogino, a small ten-year-old girl sat in the back seat of her family's car as her parents drove into the driveway of their new house. Her mother was ranting about missing the movers, and her father was retaliating, keeping his eyes on his wife rather than on the road. Chihiro sighed. It was amazing that they could stay on the road at all. Akio Ogino swerved, and narrowly missed a small frog-like statue that was placed at the side of the road. His normally dark skin was red and blotchy and he was gripping the steering wheel of his luxurious car with malice.
Chihiro's father was a neurosurgeon. It was his work that had sparked the family move. He had always dreamed of opening his own practice, and as the opportunity presented itself, he was very inclined to accept it. Chihiro's mother, who had a degree in psychology, wasn't warm to the idea of a new town at first, but she found an office soon enough, and was glad enough to get out of the big city.
Chihiro groaned. Her father was, yet again, leaning over the middle console of the car, his face mere inches from her mother's. Chihiro's mother had a look of indignation on her face and she gasped loudly at her husband's comment, before leaning over and making one of her own. It was a typical day in the Ogino family: the two parents fighting, and Chihiro sitting alone, trying desperately to pretend that she was in no way connected to them. Chihiro cried with joy as she leapt onto the driveway in front of her new garage.
Her house quickly caught her attention. It was large, and stood out like a sore thumb. Chihiro cursed whoever had chosen such a lurid color. The house stood tall and bright royal blue. Chihiro walked up to the red door and pulled the tag off of the doorknob. She turned around. Her parents were still arguing, although they had moved to the front of the car rather than within it. She sighed again. What a way to make a first impression. Chihiro could imagine the neighbors glaring at her parents from the windows. Any time now and the cops would be arresting them for disturbing the peace. Chihiro read the piece of paper she held in her hands. The words looked as if they had been rained on and baked in the sun. They were so pale, that they were almost impossible to make out.
"We're sorry we missed you. The boxes are stacked throughout the first floor. Enjoy your new home - The Movers"
Slowly she turned the doorknob and entered her home. It was large and musty. Her parents hadn't even taken notice that she had gone inside. She walked over to the dark wooden staircase and slowly ascended to the second floor. Sunlight fluttered in through the windows and illuminated the dust floating through the air. She made her way down the hall and entered a room that she was sure was to be hers. It was small, but she was a small girl after all, she could make do. She walked over to her window and looked out. It faced the forest. She rested her chin on her hand for a while, just looking at the rustling trees, wondering what mysteries the forest held.
Chihiro climbed down the stairs and rummaged through the boxes. It took her a while, but she was able to locate her personal belongings and haul them up the stairs. She spent the remainder of the evening putting her room together. She hadn't seen her parents since she had gone in, and the silence assured her that they had stopped quarreling. Wherever they were, she had no idea. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she collapsed, asleep, on her bedroom floor.
There were so many people, in front of an ancient-looking building. She crossed a bridge to get to them. They were all smiling broadly at her, beckoning her forward. She ran to them. They grew more and more distant. The bridge stretched on for miles. She kept running until her legs gave out from exhaustion. They were still very distant. She could hear their cries, "Chihiro! Chihiro!" before the scene faded.
"Chihiro!" She heard she soft voice of her mother wake her. She sat up groggily, her neck aching from her spot on the floor. She mumbled something incoherent, and fell, face-first into her mother's chest. She was tired and sore. The moving had given her small muscles a workout.
"Chihiro, honey, its morning. Time for you to get up!" Her father said, sitting atop her bed in the corner of her room. She nodded and sat up.
"Now, dear, your father and I met our new neighbors last night. They have a daughter your age. Go get a shower, and then go and introduce yourself. You have to make a good impression. Your father and I are going to do some unpacking, so, you can spend the day outside, alright?" Her mother spoke kindly, giving her daughter a hug. Chihiro nodded her consent, before curling into a ball on the floor again. Just five more minutes, then I'll be ready to meet any demon child that you want me to, Chihiro thought. Her mother stood her up and marched her into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Chihiro slumped against the bathroom wall. This was turning out to be the worst summer ever. First she had to pack all of her belongings, then she had to move away from her best friend, and now she was in a blue box being forced to meet the monster next door. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and set her hair tie on the counter in front of her. It seemed curious to her that the band that she had pulled out of her hair was different from the one that she had put into it that morning. It was purple and shimmered in the light. Chihiro nervously ran her fingers through her hair. Her fingers caught, though, and she found dark brown chunks all over, coupled with a dark reddish brown powder. Chihiro ran it over her hands. It looked strangely like blood. She checked her head for cuts. If it wasn't her blood, then whose was it? She shrugged it off, hoping that it was some kind of strange dream. She tugged at her shirt and pulled it over her head. Underneath she was wearing some kind of strange blue apron. Across the front of it, it read, 'Aburaya'. Chihiro started breaking out into a cold sweat. Why didn't she remember any of this? What was the blood from, the brown substance? She pulled her shorts off too .All along her arms and legs were giant bruises.
Something was definitely not right.
A sharp tap on the door awakened Chihiro from her thoughts, "Chihiro! I want to hear that water running! Get in that shower now!" She heard her mother calling. She growled under her breath. She definitely wasn't a morning person, and being woken up by her mother, after hours of work the night before was not on her list of things she'd like to do. But, of course, Chihiro had no choice but to comply with her mother's wishes, and she stepped into the steamy water, scrubbing the bits and pieces of gunk from her hair and the dirt from her body.
With her hair still wet, she threw it back into a ponytail using the mysterious purple band and climbed down the steps to the front door. She slipped on her shoes and out the front door. Her parents could be heard, arguing, yet again, in the other room. She dismissed it and went next door.
She crossed the lush lawn and went to the front door of her neighbor's white house. She stopped in front of the oak door and cautiously knocked. She waited. There was no answer. She knocked again. A girl answered the door in a huff.
"Hold your horses! I'm getting it already!" A girl that was no older than Chihiro said as she opened the door, "Hello! You must be the new girl next door. I'm Yatsuda Mika. Nice to meet you!" She said, extending her hand. Chihiro looked at it uncertainly. This girl sure had an attitude. Maybe she was a monster after all.
"Ogino Chihiro." The new girl said, dropping her head into a deep bow. She mechanically reached up for Mika's hand and shook it. Mika looked at Chihiro appraisingly.
"Nice to meet you Chihiro. Now, what would you like to do on our last Saturday before school starts?" Mika smiled. Chihiro faltered.
"I thought we had a few weeks before school starts. Its still the beginning of August, isn't it?" Chihiro was puzzled. Unconsciously she reached up to her hair and tugged at the tie holding it in.
"Ha! That's a joke, right? Monday term starts. We only have two days of summer left. Why don't we go exploring in the forest? That's always fun on a day like today!" Mika said and stepped out of her door.
She was wearing a white t-shirt and blue pants. She had dark, dark brown hair that fell down her waist. She pulled it up into a bun at the top of her head to keep in out of the way. She had dark brown eyes that held a mischievous glint in them. This was going to be an interesting day.
They trekked through the forest, past the neighborhoods, past the trails. Chihiro found herself having a great time, and coming to like Mika more and more. She wasn't as monstrous as Chihiro had imagined her to be at first. She was tough, but she had a wonderful sense of humor.
They came across a rock overgrown with moss. It looked as if it were a frog of some kind. Mika walked passed it, so Chihiro followed. Soon they came to a clearing. There was another stone like the first. Mika walked to the entrance of a large red building and smiled.
"This is where the forest spirits come together. My dad says that humans aren't to go into this tunnel. See that statue? It guards the entrance. I come here all the time, watching for tree spirits, fox spirits, river spirits. I haven't seen one yet." Mika sat off to the side of the road, partially hidden. Chihiro joined her.
"I was here yesterday. There's a beautiful meadow through the tunnel. My dad says it was an abandoned amusement park."
"You actually went through there? Wow! I've tried so many times, but my dad would be really upset if he ever learned about that. You're really lucky! What's it like?" Mika asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Well, there is an enormous meadow with a lot of those statues in it." Chihiro trailed off. There seemed to be more to the story, but she couldn't bring it to the front of her mind. She strained to remember, but she couldn't, "That's about it." She conceded.
"Oh." Mika said, "Well, in any case, now that you're my new best friend, you are now invited to come and spirit watch with me." Mika smiled. Chihiro blushed. It felt good to have a best friend already, and even better to have one that was so close to home. The two girls sat in their hiding place for what seemed like hours, making jokes about spirit meetings until the sky started turning dark.
They walked back a little faster than they walked to the clearing in hopes of getting home before dark. They reached their respective homes right as the last rays of sunshine were peering over the trees. Chihiro waved goodbye to her friend and stepped inside her house. Her parents were at the table talking in low tones, but stopped abruptly as Chihiro approached.
Most of the house was unpacked, and her parents credited it to Mika's parents who came over for the better part of the day, carrying furniture and boxes and the like. Chihiro smiled. For once her parents didn't fight over something, letting them have time to finish a task in a timely manner. Usually it took them weeks just to do simple decorating chores. The family ate dinner in a comfortable silence. Chihiro couldn't help but notice the relaxed and excited atmosphere. Her parents were smiling furtively across the table, and Chihiro thought that maybe her parents weren't her parents after all.
Finally, after all of the dishes and left over foods had been cleared away, Chihiro's parents called her to sit down at the table.
"Chihiro, dear, we have some very important news to tell you." Her mother started.
"We, well, your mother and I, we're going to have a baby." Her father finished. Chihiro paled. They went from wanting to kill each other one minute to being blissfully happy about her mother's pregnancy the next. Chihiro expressed her happiness and went back up to her room. Climbing up the stairs, she heard her mother, who had called her grandmother to tell her of the news, say, "I don't know when it could have happened. It's not like we were trying or anything. It's like a little miracle." Her mom was gushing with happiness. Chihiro sighed.
They were going to have another child, another child that they could ignore and forget; another child that would be witness to all of the arguments, all of the rude behaviors. This child would feel the embarrassment of having parents that argued in public places. Wasn't one enough to suffer through all of that? It was amazing that Chihiro had stayed sane all these years.
Chihiro was lying in bed, contemplating her horrible family life as she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * *
"Come on Chihiro! We're going to be late!" Yatsuda Mika yelled to her friend from the foot of her bed. Chihiro looked at her fried and rolled her eyes. She saw the time on her clock and groaned. It was 5:30 in the morning, "Come on! It's our first day of school! We're fourth graders now!" Mika said excitedly.
"Mika, school doesn't start for three hours. And, besides, how did you get in here anyway? The front door's locked." Chihiro said.
"I climbed through your window."
"I live on the second floor!"
"I've always been a natural climber. My mom says it's one of my better talents." Mika said, and then proceeded to wake Chihiro again and again. She grabbed onto her arm. Chihiro winced, "What's wrong, Chi?"
"Oh it's nothing. Just a bruise." Mika rolled up Chihiro's sleeve. A large bruise the size of an apple and black in colour was plastered onto Chihiro's bicep.
"Just a bruise? Where'd you get it?" Mika asked. She apologized over and over for Chihiro's misfortune, and was upset when Chihiro couldn't provide a decent answer to her question. To avoid further interrogation, Chihiro got up, dressed in her school's mandatory uniform and dragged Mika down the stairs. She groaned when she found that her friend had already made her a lunch.
The girls ran out the door and headed to their school. They were two hours early. They found their classroom and sat waiting, patiently. Mika began to read her school textbooks, and Chihiro fell asleep.
She woke to a sharp pain in her forehead. She opened her eyes quickly. A boy, with short, spiky blond hair was giggling at her misfortune. Mika was glaring at him. Chihiro dropped her head behind her folded arms. She began laughing. The boy stopped. Chihiro lifted her head and smiled. He smiled back.
"My name is Momomoya Rei. It's nice to meet you." He said, extending her hand. Chihiro smiled and shook his eagerly.
"Ogino Chihiro." She said.
"Chi and I live next door to each other, Rei." Mika said suggestively.
"Ah, so already I'm replaced. It's a wonder that they found a buyer for that monstrosity. The color was absolutely tasteless."
"Rei here is a genius. He talks like a 30-year-old."
"My father is the CEO of the largest software company in Japan. He's had me in school since I was born." Rei said, grudgingly. It wasn't easy for him that his dad was so rich. And it wasn't his fault he was so smart. His vocabulary had progressed naturally from his childhood.
"My dad's a doctor. I guess my mom is too; at least she's got the degree. She's in psychiatry." Chihiro said, trying to make Rei feel better. Mika frowned.
"My parents don't work." She said.
"Then how do you live in that big house?" Chihiro exclaimed.
"We live off of the interest of the money my grandpa left us when he died. He was some kind of executive." Mika explained.
The teacher walked into the classroom, and there was silence. Rei grabbed a pencil and began taking notes. Mika was still reading her book, not paying attention. Chihiro stared out the window. She thought of her bruises. She thought of the mysterious disappearance of the two weeks before she made it to her house. Time didn't just skip.
A number of things bothered Chihiro about that time period. For one thing, her mother was about a month pregnant. If her time was correct, then her mother had to have been impregnated while the move was happening. It wasn't like her parents were normally on speaking terms. Yelling and screaming terms, yes, but they rarely saw each other besides at dinner and briefly before bed. Her father would go down to his study and work on his computer, and her mother would sit in the family room and read about the latest treatments. Chihiro wasn't stupid, she knew where babies came from, and her parents surely didn't get along well enough to do THAT.
Secondly, there was the matter of the apron and all of the bruises. Chihiro was certain that her parents had never beaten her, and she generally didn't involve herself in any activity that caused harm to her body. She wasn't stupid. She knew when to stop working out.
She thought about her life before she moved to this new town. Before, she was snobby and stuck up. She hated to admit it, but it was true. She was wealthy, and she wasn't ashamed to let everyone know. Now, though, she was a normal, humble girl. She had friends. Real friends. They weren't just people that hung around her for her money. They liked her for her, and no matter how strange they were, no matter their quirks, she loved them for them.
The teacher droned on and on, lulling Chihiro to sleep with his voice.
* * * * * * *
"Chihiro, you really need to lighten up. It's just some old building." Mika said, dangling from a branch of a tree by her legs. They were sitting in front of the red building with the tunnel.
"No, it's not just a tunnel Chihiro. It's the entrance to the Mahou no Sekai. My dad talks about it all of the time. They say that if humans enter it, they disappear from existence." Rei said. He was sitting on top of the branch next to Mika's legs. The three of them had become close, and over the weeks, they had come to spending a great deal of time outside the tunnel.
"You're wrong, Rei. They don't just disappear. They get turned into cows and eaten."
"Pigs."
"What?" Mika said, looking at Chihiro, who was sitting on the grassy ground. Chihiro frowned and furrowed her brow in concentration.
"I'm pretty sure they turn into pigs."
"Chi, have you ever heard the legend of the Mahou no Sekai?" Rei asked politely.
"No, but I don't think it's cows. I can't explain it."
"You know, Rei," Mika started, "I'd believe her. Chihiro's been through the tunnel." Rei went white his jaw dropped, and he was at a loss for words. Chihiro frowned.
"What?" She asked, wondering why her friends were acting so strangely.
"Nobody goes into that tunnel. Everyone knows not to. It's cursed. Only spirits are to enter there. And only the spirits of those who are worthy take the shape of a guardian spirit." Rei said.
"What's a guardian spirit?"
"It's a spirit that is designated to take care of certain things. There are tree spirits, frog spirits, fox spirits, and river spirits. Of course, there are more, all things have a spirit. They're kind of like guardian angels." Mika said. Her voice took on a tone of excitement. Rei rolled his eyes.
"That's the legend, at least. There's no telling if it's really true. It's probably just something that parents tell their children to keep them away from the tunnel." He explained. Chihiro nodded. She had no idea that the people in this town took this tunnel so seriously.
What if it was the entrance to the Mahou no Sekai? Why was it so strange that she, of all people had seen it? If it was a magical world, surely more people would have come into it than just her family. Then she remembered Rei's words. It's cursed. What if she was cursed, then? What if she was doomed to die some horrible death?
No.
She refused to admit it.
This was no more than an old building. It was not the path of her destiny. This was not what she was supposed to be doing with her life.
Rei, Chihiro and Mika watched the entrance to the tunnel eagerly, in hopes that some kind of spirit would emerge. None came. The trio walked away.
Rei and Chihiro were so deep in thought; they never saw the letter Mika propped at the base of the frog statue.
A/N: Hey all! This is the end of the first chapter of The Looking-Glass. Before I talk more, here are a few credits:
The poem I took from Through the Looking Glass. It belongs to Lewis Carroll, and in no way am I trying to steal it from him.
The name Rei comes from Mars, which is a great Manga. If you ever get a chance, please read it. And, again, Mars belongs to Fuyumi Soryo and misc. publishing companies. I'm not trying to steal Rei from her, just his name, which is in true Spirited Away fashion. I'm like Yubaba, only I give credit to those that created it! Er. that's something to be proud of, ain't it?
Rei's last name comes from the Manga/Anime Tokyo Mew Mew. This one is also very cute. If you like Sailor Moon, read it. Anyway, the main character's last name is Momomoya. Her first name's Ichigo, but I didn't steal that one so it's not important.
A disclaimer: The characters and magical lands involved in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Hayao Miyazaki. The plot, however, does belong to me, and I would appreciate it if you would contact me before taking parts of it for your own.
Alright, that about sums up all of the legal and 'if you're interested in where this comes from' stuff. I hope you liked it. I'll keep writing, the next chapter shouldn't be out long from now.
Please read and review! Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are appreciated.
Love Angel