Chapter 1
Chihiro
She just stood there for a while, staring into the dark void of the tunnel while unconsciously playing with what looked like a pink hair band wrapped around her wrist. The pink seemed to glimmer in the evening sunlight reminding her of that day.
"Will we meet again sometime?"
"Sure we will."
"Promise?"
"Promise. Now go, and don't look back."
Over and over she thought of the last words Haku had said to her. While wishing that someday he would fulfil the promise.
At the age of 17; her hair was a dark chocolate colour and flowed down her back. She wore dark blue high waited jeans with a green jumper and a black coat layer over, also a grey scarf perched around her neck.
It had been 7 years since the last time she had seen the likes of the spirited world, wishing that someday that she would return. Over the last seven years Chihiro had been coming in and out of the tunnel hoping that one day she may pass through it. But every time she passed through the tunnel, she would find herself in a deserted field with not a soul around.
Frustration.
Anger.
Despair.
Loneliness.
Did they really think that she could leave that place and for her not be effected? To go on living a normal life?
"No" she growled to herself. She would return. She would breath the fresh air and look into those dark green eyes and live again.
Taking a Deep breath, she took one step then another till total darkness enclosed around her.
When she entered the tunnel, it was exactly how it was when she last entered it, only this time its layer of dust had thickened. As she carried on walking she was thinking about the very first time she had entered this tunnel the very one that her parents were so keen explore.
She thought about her parents and how their life had differed from when they returned from the spirt world. The thought of her father's passing filled her mind. When they returned from the spirit world he had been sick, he had never been able to shift it. About 2 years later his spirit could no longer hold on leaving Chihiro's mother and Chihiro on their own.
She stuffed down the sadness that always came with her father's passing.
With her eyes to the floor she kept walking when suddenly she heard a sound coming from a distance. The sound echoed down the tunnel which sounded much like a rock being kicked across the ground. Pausing, her eyes shot up. A pulse of fear choked her as she thought she saw a shadow pass over the end of the tunnel.
"Hello?" she shouted. Silence was her only answer. The air around her seemed to shift and the Feeling that she was being watched seemed to linger all around her.
"Chihiro" The shadows seemed to whisper. She wiped her head around looking for the owners of the voices but she could see no one.
"Chihiro our saviour." They continued.
"Save us." The voices commanded "Save us."
"From who?" she finally whispers to the dark. The voices seemed to have gone silent. "Who has you?" she tried again.
"The Dark one." A single voice returned, which sounded oddly like a child. Her hair stood on end.
"Who is the dark one?" she breathed.
"Darkness is his soul, his light is gone, only one can give it back, or take it all. She is either his queen or his ruin which one will she be"
The voices chanted over and over.
Darkness is his soul,
His light is gone.
Only one can give it back,
Or take it all.
She is either his queen or his ruin.
Which one will she be.
"i-I don't understand. What do you mean?" but the voices kept chanting over and over answering but not answering her questions.
When they finally stopped the feeling of being watched finally began to slide away.
"Keep going."
She began to move forward, doing as what the voices commanded of her.
She made it through the tunnel to the other end, and she knew straight away that she was back.
A hesitant smile began to take shape on her face as she looked over at the rolling hills and the structure of the buildings in the distant.
she thought back to what the voices were asking of her. Save us. Save us from the dark one. A chill ran through her again. Whatever place she had returned too was not the one she remembered.
The air seemed colder, and the blue sky's look darker.
"Keep going." A chill at her back seemed to say; reminding her that water will soon begin to feel these hills.
She passed over the hills quickly till the rocks loomed ahead of her. she jumped onto one of the rocks. From one to another, she had made it about half way when the sound of rushing water meets her ears. Times up.
She quickened her pace but she knew she would not make it. Taking a gasp of air, a wave hit her hard and fast. She was forced under the water.
Again and again Trying as hard as she could to rise to the top; she was stopped each time by an oncoming wave. beginning to feel her lungs fill with water and her body feeling heavier than normal, her vision began to blur and she slowly floated down to the bottom of the river.
"Save us." The words kept echoing till she finally lost consciousness.