SPITIED AWAY

RETURN TO THE SPIRIT WORLD

CHAPTER 1

Chihiro was day dreaming. Every day in class she would stare out the window and daydream, oblivious to what the teacher had to say. If she wasn't day dreaming she was drawing. She drew strange creatures, spirits and monsters, which she claims to have met when she was 10 years old.

Most students would tease Chihiro about her claiming to have seen spirits. They would come to school wearing masks and sometimes a costume to match; sometimes they just simply mimic her. A handful of other students were much nicer though, they simply ignored her. Guess I could call them my friends, Chihiro thought to herself.

Chihiro used to have many friends. Back at home, her old home before she and her parents moved 6 years ago, she had the greatest friends in the world. Or so she thought, until she stumbled upon another world.

Chihiro gasped. She thought she had seen a white streak fly through the sky.

"Something to add, Chihiro?" the teacher asked, hearing her gasp.

"Um, no Mr. Sumardji" Chihiro said quickly, knocked out of her day dreaming.

"Very well. But please try to pay attention"

Class finished not long after. Chihiro was walking through crowds of students to get to her locker, she was lucky everyone was ignoring her today. Or, almost everyone.

Chihiro thought somebody was following her. She looked back, and could see someone standing at the top of a flight of stairs. Chihiro couldn't quite figure it out, but, somehow that person was familiar. And not just any students from the school, this person was too familiar.

Chihiro walked faster to her locker. She wanted to get out of school, away from that person. She found her locker, took a minute to open it, and poured all her homework books into her bag. She looked to her right, that person was following her.

Chihiro closed her locker and was ready to make a run for it. Somebody grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"WAIT!" they called out.

"Let me go" Chihiro begged, trying to pull away.

"I finally found you…Chihiro"

Chihiro looked up. She knew that voice, that face. "Haku?"

"Yes…it's me"

A tear ran down Chihiro's cheek. She couldn't believe who she was seeing.

"Haku, what…?"

"We need to talk somewhere else" Haku said, leading Chihiro out of the school. Some students whispered and pointed, Chihiro ignored them.

It was not long after that Chihiro found herself in the middle of a botanical garden not far from her school. She sat on a rock next to a small stream; she stared at the fish swimming in it, Haku was sitting next to her.

"Haku, why are you here?" Chihiro asked nervously.

"I had to find you" Haku answered. "I need your help, Chihiro".

"What?"

"When I was under Yubaba's control, the bathouse was the only home I had. But now, I have no home to return to"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a river spirit. The river I lived in doesn't exist any longer, and all other rivers have a spirit…so I have no where to go".

"How am I supposed to help?"

"I don't know" Haku said, staring at the water. "But for some reason, I know that you'll lead me to a new home"

Haku lifted his head up, and stared at Chihiro. He chuckled.

"You've really grown up, Chihiro" he said. "I remember it was only six years ago when you came to our world, as a small ten year old girl. You look so different, but yet…you look the same".

Chihiro giggled. "Is that a compliment, Haku?" Chihiro asked jokingly. Haku blushed, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess it is"

"You're very different as well"

"Oh?"

"I remember when we first met. You were a serious guy, not a lot humor. But eventually, you changed into someone a lot happier".

"It was because I met you"

Haku and Chihiro stared at each other. Haku held out a hand to Chihiro.

"Chihiro, will you help me?"

Chihiro stared at Haku's hand, thinking of what new dangers she was about to face. Slowly, she took his hand.

"Yes".