Chapter 1
Now, some might say that Chihiro was an odd girl. Her parents had certainly begun to think so. She was often seen sitting by the door, and if not the door, the window. When questioned of her actions, she either replied that she was waiting, or she remained silent. Her teachers noticed it, too. True, her grades were well enough, but you could see her in the back of the class, her feet resting on the vacant desk beside her, staring out the window. They never said anything. Papers were often turned in with doodles all over them. The names Sen, Haku, and Lin were sketched with care, and an odd looking dragon was often labeled Haku, if labled at all. Another thing that frequented her schoolwork was a creature that looked like a pure black wisp of smoke, tall, with a crazy little white mask, christened "No Face". Her fellow classmates saw it, too, and while some of them concluded that she was completely batty, some talked to her, and became friends. Chihiro got along with everybody, but right now, she wanted to be left the heck alone.
Currently sitting in the window sill, staring outside at the forest with the odd little buildings, wrapping the hairtie that her friends made her around her ponytail. Sleepily rubbing her eyes, she yawned. It was six o clock. She was dressed, showered, and fed. Chihiro didn't know why her parents always got her up so early. Maybe because they liked to know that she was ready to go to school before they left for work. For the last two years, her mom had been working to bring in extra spending money. She said, "We'll get you some new hairties, Chihiro, you've been wearing that one for a year!" But Chihiro refused, of course. Her hairtie was magical and protective.
But it had been three years, now... Three years since the Bath-House, since Lin, No Face, since she was Sen and not Chihiro. Since Haku. Hadn't he promised they'd meet again? She missed him terribly, and she wanted to see him again so badly that she'd sit by the riverside until it grew dark. Then she'd pack up her homework and run off before any guests saw her loitering. It had been three whole years. And she was afraid she was forgetting.
Now, however, she didn't have time for that. It was time to begin the long, alow walk to school. As she walked, she took in the sights, all to famililar to her hazel eyes. Trees, lawn gnomes, little garden trinkets. When she finally reached the school, she noticed a whole group of people congregating in a particular spot.
"What's going on, Kiki?" Chihiro queried, pushing her way into a gaggle of girls staring at something out the football field. She was jostled quite a bit, while dragging Kiki to the front to see the commotion. Kiki didn't seem to mind; her mouth was wide open and her eyes were popping out of her head. She was making an odd sort of sighing noise in addition.
"A new boy!" One of the girls breathed, spritzing herself with perfume. Chihiro sneezed violently, shaking her head vigorously.
"A dreamy one..." Another sighed, batting her eyes.
'I wonder who it could be?' She thought curiously, and finally broke to the front. A taller boy, about her age, stood in the center of the grassy field. His shoulder length black hair blew in the sudden breeze, and Chihiro looked up cautiosly to meet his eyes, afriad he might not have been real. But she looked into his eyes, his bright, deep gray eyes. And she knew.
"Haku!"
Now, some might say that Chihiro was an odd girl. Her parents had certainly begun to think so. She was often seen sitting by the door, and if not the door, the window. When questioned of her actions, she either replied that she was waiting, or she remained silent. Her teachers noticed it, too. True, her grades were well enough, but you could see her in the back of the class, her feet resting on the vacant desk beside her, staring out the window. They never said anything. Papers were often turned in with doodles all over them. The names Sen, Haku, and Lin were sketched with care, and an odd looking dragon was often labeled Haku, if labled at all. Another thing that frequented her schoolwork was a creature that looked like a pure black wisp of smoke, tall, with a crazy little white mask, christened "No Face". Her fellow classmates saw it, too, and while some of them concluded that she was completely batty, some talked to her, and became friends. Chihiro got along with everybody, but right now, she wanted to be left the heck alone.
Currently sitting in the window sill, staring outside at the forest with the odd little buildings, wrapping the hairtie that her friends made her around her ponytail. Sleepily rubbing her eyes, she yawned. It was six o clock. She was dressed, showered, and fed. Chihiro didn't know why her parents always got her up so early. Maybe because they liked to know that she was ready to go to school before they left for work. For the last two years, her mom had been working to bring in extra spending money. She said, "We'll get you some new hairties, Chihiro, you've been wearing that one for a year!" But Chihiro refused, of course. Her hairtie was magical and protective.
But it had been three years, now... Three years since the Bath-House, since Lin, No Face, since she was Sen and not Chihiro. Since Haku. Hadn't he promised they'd meet again? She missed him terribly, and she wanted to see him again so badly that she'd sit by the riverside until it grew dark. Then she'd pack up her homework and run off before any guests saw her loitering. It had been three whole years. And she was afraid she was forgetting.
Now, however, she didn't have time for that. It was time to begin the long, alow walk to school. As she walked, she took in the sights, all to famililar to her hazel eyes. Trees, lawn gnomes, little garden trinkets. When she finally reached the school, she noticed a whole group of people congregating in a particular spot.
"What's going on, Kiki?" Chihiro queried, pushing her way into a gaggle of girls staring at something out the football field. She was jostled quite a bit, while dragging Kiki to the front to see the commotion. Kiki didn't seem to mind; her mouth was wide open and her eyes were popping out of her head. She was making an odd sort of sighing noise in addition.
"A new boy!" One of the girls breathed, spritzing herself with perfume. Chihiro sneezed violently, shaking her head vigorously.
"A dreamy one..." Another sighed, batting her eyes.
'I wonder who it could be?' She thought curiously, and finally broke to the front. A taller boy, about her age, stood in the center of the grassy field. His shoulder length black hair blew in the sudden breeze, and Chihiro looked up cautiosly to meet his eyes, afriad he might not have been real. But she looked into his eyes, his bright, deep gray eyes. And she knew.
"Haku!"