Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away (but I really wish I did!)
One: Meeting in the cold, wet, night
A 16 year old Chihiro walked swiftly down the dark, rain-sodden streets. It was wet and cold and dark, and all she wanted to do was get home. She turned into an alley which she knew was a short cut, pulling her jacket closer around her. Gods, it was cold. And Wet. Chihiro regretted not bringing a raincoat with her. She hurried down the damp, mildewy alley, shoes split-splatting into the many shallow puddles. She turned a corner, and came face to face with a group of young men. She stopped, back away, and continued down her original path. Behind her, beneath the pattering rain, she could hear murmuring voices from the men, and then more footsteps. Chihiro started to jog, her heart beating so loud she was sure the men would hear it. The other footsteps got louder, and Chihiro began to run.
'This way...' the wind seemed to whisper, as Chihiro turned down another alley. The wind tugged at her clothes, egging her on as it had once, long ago...
She passed another alleyway, and at the other end she glimpsed a group of people and heard shouts. Chihiro sprinted round a corner, the wind pulling and pushing desperately at her, and came face to face with a brick wall. Panic flong her mind. No way out... no escape... the wind had tricked her...
She heard footsteps behind her, felt eyes upon her, and slowly turned around. The men were there. At least six of them. Each big and dangerous. Chihiro pushed herself against the wall, absolutely terrified.
'Hey, there's no need to be so scared,' said one of the men, smiling nastily. 'We just wanna have some fun, get to know you a little...' the man stepped forward. He wore jeans and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, casting a shadow over his eyes.
'No! Please! Leave me alone!' Chihiro begged, looking desperately for an escape and finding none. The men laughed, and the man in the black hoodie took another step, reaching out a hand.
'Don't come a step closer,' said another voice, a different voice. Chihiro felt a presence on her left side, fading into existence like smoke. The man hesitated, and the smiles slid off the other men's faces to be replaced with wary scowls. The boy next to Chihiro slipped an arm around her shoulders. 'Sorry I'm late,' he muttered. 'There was a slight... delay.' Chihiro wanted to look up to see who it was, but she found she was unable to move.
'Where did you come from?' hissed one of the men, taking a step back. Haku smirked.
'It doesn't matter where I came from, but where you are going.' He reached out his left arm and, with a casual, almost lazy gesture, the man was flung off his feet and sent hurtling through the air to land with a crash on a pile of crates at the other end of the alley. The men looked at Haku, then at their fallen friend, then at each other. They ran. Shrieking and squealing like pigs, they ran from the alley, pushing into each other in their hurry to escape. When they were all gone, the last with a terrified wail, Chihiro found she could move again. She looked up at Haku, smiling shakily, and Haku grinned down at her. The rain was still falling, but he wasn't even damp, and neither was Chihiro now. He looked almost exactly the same, except he was taller and his hair was longer. He was even wearing the same clothes as at the bath house. It was almost as if they had never been apart. Almost.
'Had an eyeful, yet?' he asked, his grin becoming wider. Chihiro blushed and looked away nodding. 'Come on,' said Haku. 'Let's get you home.' And then, suddenly, they were standing on Chihiro's doorstep. It was almost as if they had never been apart. Almost.
There! First chapter! Please tell me what you think!