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(A Spirited Away FanFiction)

Chapter.1 - Echoes

It had been 15 years since that time. Since the time her life had been changed for the better. An experience too incompressible, that it could never be described with words, but only shown as a vivid medley of images. She had lived in the house for 7 years, just up the hill from the entrance that enticed her father. The ambiguity of its plastered walls creating enough mystery for him to want to investigate, as though he was a spy. The mother also enticed by the mystery. She though, was scared, and clung to her father's arm as he foolishly made his way into the forbidden land, where he gorged ironically like a pig upon the forbidden food. She was sickened by this repulsive act, still paranoid over the morals over the 'stealing' and from that moment, she wandered off to her fate, where magic and reality intertwined, where nothing was at it seems, and everything she ever deemed to be true, had to be forgotten, as she then struggled to look after herself for one of the first times in her life. Guided by a worker named Lin, and the boiler-man Kamajii, who both helped her achieve her goals, and ultimately save her parents, whilst showing her a world unimaginable in reality.

12 years on, and now Chihiro had grown up into a respectable member of society. The memories of her journey remain as faded thoughts that still flicker and entice her to return every now and then. However, Chihiro had grown up and moved away long ago, working as a novelist in Tokyo. She wrote children's stories. Mainly about characters that go on their own journeys through dream worlds and alternate realities. Chihiro had developed an affinity for the dream world since her experiences, and although she never physically went out of her way to go back, trying to find the world again, she did always wonder what it would be like if she went back. Her books had become world famous, and she was regarded as one of the best child authors around, with her stories being translated into many languages.

Finding herself back home after 15 years for a random get-together with her parents, Chihiro found herself in the familiar landscape. Driving up the drive in her Audi, (kindly bought by her Father on her 19th birthday) she found her mind wandering to the time long ago when a simple short cut turned into one of the most important experiences in her life. She drove around the twisty bends leading up to her house, slowing the car down as she noticed her father's shortcut. The grass had been allowed to grow wilder, since her last visit, and the passage seemed denser. A thousand thoughts flickered through her mind, debating whether to just investigate it for a brief moment once again. Eventually, she decided to see it just once more, and turned her car left, driving slowly through the narrow passage. The journey seemed much longer than when her father had first recklessly sped through the narrow path. Chihiro kept her eyes on the road, taking her journey a lot more cautiously than her father did. She quickly found the red entrance, which loomed up upon her. She braked quickly, skidding to a halt in front of the monument. Her heart raced as she saw the entrance again. It had been so long… She stepped out of the car, walking over to the monument. A small knee-high statue of two faces back to back…

"Janus…" Chihiro commented, "Looking at those coming in and out of the house…"

She looked up at the entrance, which was as tall as ever. Everything seemed so much older than when she was there first. The pink plaster walls were faded white, with chips in the painting revealing the plaster underneath it. The corridor was still dark and gloomy, as though it was trying to foreshadow danger ahead. Chihiro pressed on, feeling older, wiser and not afraid. She stepped forward, finding herself in a central chamber. There was a bench, within the room, as well as a fountain and pillars reaching high up into the ceiling. The room felt cold, and Chihiro pressed on, rushing through the chamber and outside into the wide-open fields. The grass was thicker and wilder than before. The entire landscape looked dreary, as though someone hadn't bothered to look after it, and let it grow into a wild place. Chihiro's heart sank at the sight of it all. Her first look upon the place was that of a beautiful field, with fresh green grass that swayed in the wind. Now it was like the aftermath of a war here... Chihiro walked through the landscape, towards the derelict houses littered around the place. Everything had changed since she last left. Many of the houses were old and falling apart, including some which were missing walls all together. The houses were no longer painted in a variety of vibrant colours, but were all faded blues and greys. She quickly found herself in the street, which resembled that of a thriving commercial district gone bust. Signs advertising food were hung askew, as though abandoned, and there was no sweet smell of cooked food that greeted her and her parents the first time. Chihiro felt sad inside, the world she once knew had changed drastically since her leave. Nothing was the same anymore. She quickly found the steps leading up to the bathhouse, and with a brisk run, rushed up them, shocked to see the sight before her.

The bathhouse in ruins. The bridge connecting the two islands together was broken, with large gaping holes at random intervals upon it. The bathhouse itself was a ruin though, with large sections of walls completely stripped away. There was no smoke coming from it's large chimneys, which instantly made Chihiro think of Kamajii. Where was he now if he was not keeping the fires of the bathhouse burning? The entrance to the bathhouse was in ruins itself. As though the door had been shattered completely by some force of some kind. She could see into the inner workings of the bathhouse, due to the missing walls. She could see the central column, with many of its staircases that spiralled upwards gone. She could see the sleeping dormitories, and Yubaba's office up in the distance. With a pain in her heart, she walked over to the bridge, getting ready to cross it. She stepped around the holes in the bridge, walking over to the railing and holding onto it as she leaned over the side, looking downward. The railway was still there, and didn't seem to have changed at all. As though it was confirming Chihiro's thoughts, a trains sped past, coming out of the tunnel from the island Chihiro had just left. Chihiro smiled, happy to see at least one recognisable sight. She turned around, looking at the ruined bathhouse, and stepped over to it. She quickly spotted the flap where Haku had led her to safety before giving her the mission. The flap was missing, and Chihiro bent down, crawling through the gap in the wall. She remembered how it used to look, the screen doors leading inside, the large flower decorations where they hid and spoke… The flowers had withered and died, and the screen door missing, revealing a large empty room with a dirty wooden floor. Chihiro looked around, trying to find the door that lead to the winding staircase. She quickly found it, pushing it open and standing on the narrow platform that connected the stairs to the boiler room. The stairs were old and mouldy. Chihiro bent down, pressing down one foot on the first step. It gave way instantly, and Chihiro opted to give up on the stairs. She turned around, heading back the way she came and walking through the gap in the wall and into the bathhouse. The entire place was empty, and Chihiro could make out no signs of life anywhere. She walked around through the once familiar landscape. The bathhouse was a wreck now. Walls were missing, panelling of floors missing, and the colours were faded completely. Even Chihiro found it hard to even believe that this used to be a thriving bathhouse that accommodated for hundreds of customers. She walked around all the different rooms, the baths were still stuck to the ground, but they looked like they hadn't been used in years. She quickly found the big tub, which had a large crack down the side of it. Chihiro remembered the time she was forced to clean the stink spirit, which turned out to be a powerful river guardian. She was successful in cleaning him, and was rewarded with a powerful herbal medicine for her work. Chihiro placed that event as one of her greatest achievements in life. The thought that she'd be able to clean up a monster that smelt and looked like a writhing monster of shit. With a sigh of regret, she walked away from the tub, trying to find her way down the boiler room. She quickly found the back passage Lin had showed her, and she quickly opened the door, finding the back-staircase that led to a variety of lifts and staircases that could take you to any floor within the bathhouse. Chihiro quickly made her way down the bathhouse, weary of using the stairs in fear they would break and send her plummeting downward. Cautiously, she made her way all the way down, and found the passage that led into the boiler room. With a deep breath of air, she slid it open, and stepped inside.