Chapter 1 – Returning to the past
My long fingers tapped the surface of the wooden surface of the brown desk in front of me, my head rested on my hand as I looked out of the window my mousy brown hair tied up by a single ribbon, but that's not how it use to be I mused as I remembered the day I told my mother and father about the time we went to the spirit world.
***FLASHBACK***
"And then he said he would come back for me." I finished as I looked at my parents who both held horrified expressions, as they looked at me oddly, I looked around the room at my birthday cards I was now twelve years old.
"Chihiro be reasonable you can not certainly believe in all this." My father said as he stared at me, I simply nodded my head. "What proof do you have that this stupid place exists!" He roared I flinched back, I knew why, he didn't want his daughter to be a nutter. I reached back and clasped my purple hair tie that granny had given to me, I slowly pulled it out my hair and rested it in my hands holding it out to my father.
"This is the hair tie that my friends wove for me, to protect me." I said a small smile was on my lips as the memory played in my mind. I looked up at my mother with pleading eyes surely she would believe me, I hoped. I looked at my father who had snatched the hair tie from my hand and chucked it into the fire. I let out a shriek as I ran to the fire and stuck my hand in, I was soon jolted out by my father. My hand burnt, all ties of my world gone tears leaked from my eyes. I lost it right then. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, YOUR NOT MY FATHER!" I screamed as I ran from them holding my burnt arm to my chest.
*** END OF FLASHBACK***
Maybe my father was right maybe I had just made it all up, just so that I could be different. I couldn't help but let these thoughts roam my mind. If it had been real wouldn't of Haku come to see me by now, its been ten years I am now twenty one working in an office as a sectary in America. As soon as I was nineteen I left the country not wanting the memory's of my past to haunt me all my life my parents were pleased with my decision telling me it was good to start a fresh. I swiftly stood from my desk and walked over to my window longing to be free of this small room. I like my boss he was sweet but that was until I realised that he was flirting with me, now I try to spend as much time away from him. I don't know what it was it was like I was trying to hold on, to this memory of place that never existed that was all in my head, a world that shouldn't exist.
"A world that didn't exist it was all my imagination." I muttered as I watched the cars down below how I longed to be out of here.
"Did you know talking your self is the first sign of madness." The rough voice of my boss said as I spun around to find him staring at me as he leant against the door frame in his very fancy, very expensive blue suit.
"Is that so, then what is the second sign of madness?" I asked politely as I crossed my arms over my breast. I felt him looking over me, what was their to see a stick figure wearing a white shirt and a black pencil skirt, what could he see in me? I didn't know but quite frankly didn't care.
"The second sign my dear Chihiro is staring out the window when you should be doing paper work." He stated as his eyes went from mine to my desk, which was full of papers I was meant to be going through. I gave a sheepish smile before I started to fiddle with my fingers. " Now what I came in here was to ask you, if you would join me on a business trip to Japan." I was about to interrupt him but he held his hand up to silence me. "Now it is not really a question you will be joining me, and you can visit your parents after the work is done, as part of your holiday." I nodded, I had only been here just over a year, going back would mean refacing memories seeing the forest that haunted my dreams every night and the shrines that started it all. Why couldn't my life be normal. "Its all been planned, I have even spoken to your parents who are wrapped, so no complaining, we leave tomorrow be ready." He said as he walked out closing my door behind him.
"I hate my life! No hate is a too weak of word, I despise my life!" I muttered it was like everyone wanted to go against me, if anyone asked me about Japan they all noticed how my nose scrunched up in the discomfort for the place, which was mean to be my home country. If only people realised what I had been through all that help I had from doctors but in the end they were right I was trying to get to a place that never existed and that's why my parents were so happy about me leaving.
*** FLASHBACK***
"Mum, dad?" I called as I walked in to the house to find them sitting at the kitchen table with bills in their hands.
"Yes Chihiro?" My mother asked as my dad looked at me suspiciously, we never really get along any more.
"I got the job, I am going to America!" I sad as a smiled placed itself on my face I was finally leaving behind my dreary past and going to my future away from here.
"That's brilliant a new start will be good." My father said, he actually looked happy, my mum was also smiling brilliantly.
***End of FLASHBACK***
That was the first time since I had told them about the spirit world that they were actually happy about something that about me, the memory of it made me even smile. I walked back to my seat and placed a new lot of papers in front of me sighing dramatically as I started sorting them out before my trip to Japan.
