There was one more week until school started. One more week until Chihiro went to her new school. One more week since she had seen Haku. She sighed, turning over in bed, and buried her face in her pillow, crying softly to herself. When she walked through that tunnel, all she could think about was seeing her parents again. Now…Chihiro wanted to go back and walk the other way.
It was amazing how when you were living an unreal life, you wanted your normal one back, but when the action stopped, it was as if your life stopped, too. Chihiro wanted Haku back with all her might. It was a longing that filled her entire being. She closed her eyes, and covered her ears with her pillow. When she did that, the wind almost sounded like a river flowing.
"Chihiro!"
yelled her mom up the stairs. "Me and Dad are going out for awhile.
Can you manage on your own?" Then, without waiting for a response,
she and Chihiro's dad walked out the front door. Chihiro dragged
herself out of bed, and slipped on her red shorts and striped t-shirt
– the same clothes she had been wearing all summer. She sniffed
them. They smelled like Haku…and home.
Chihiro gave a start,
dropping her socks. She had called the Spirit World home…Was that
true? The word had just slipped into her head without a second
thought. She shook her head, throwing away the cobwebs of doubt. THIS
was her home, HERE in the real world. Just because she had spent
about a week in the Spirit World didn't make it her home. That
wasn't the question nagging at the back of her head.
Or wait… was it a question? No, it was more of a thought itching at the back of her brain. In fact, Chihiro scratched the base of her skull, but it wouldn't go away. It grew louder and more demanding, until she couldn't ignore it any longer. Chihiro! it screamed, in a voice that was very familiar.