Hey people of the world! This is one of my first Spirited Away fics! This is about Chihiro who is tuck in a mental asylum. She believes she will be stuck there forever, but will she? Helpful criticism is encouraged! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Spirited Away or the movie itself. Miyazaki does.
Italics are thoughts
Have fun reading!
-Mysticbreeze327
She was never going to get out of here. Five years. Five long years. The brunette sighed and shook her head, flinging the long brown tresses, and got up from the hard chair. She walked to the low wooden bed with its plain white covering and sat on its surprisingly soft mattress. Was she ever going to get out of here? "Here" being the asylum. But she wasn't crazy, and she knew it. It was all a big misunderstanding. She lay on her back, looking at the plain-whitewashed ceiling. Sure, for a while she had been a bit obsessive over spirits and dragons and such, but who could blame her? I mean, anyone who had been to the spirit world would be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chihiro dipped her brush into the jade colored paint and painted a set of eyes on the wall, smiling in satisfaction as she eyed her masterpiece.
A beautiful dragon glided across her wall in a sky of light blue, so realistic that he seemed to be moving, the separate hairs in his mane blowing in the wind. Even though she was to modest to admit it, anyone who would see her room would have to say, she was one talented 11 year old. A year of drawing classes had really paid off. She twirled around her smile growing into a grin as she ran her eyes on the rest of her room. A beautifully decorated red bathhouse sat on a cliff, smoke billowing from the chimneys as a train raced by below on a set of tracks. Behind the rice paper walls, small shadows could be seen, of working Yuna and super excited frogs. A garden sprouted from the side, small clusters of paint representing beautiful blossoming blooms. Across the bridge lay a small town full of restaurants, where shadow creatures dined on rich dinners. Even farther on a lighted ferry glided across a smooth river. Chick like creatures and floating masks filled it. Train tracks were running around the corners of her room, starting at the bathhouse, till they reached a path that led to a humble house, outside which a smiling woman wearing a blue dress could be seen waving next to a black shadow with a mask. Even the lamppost was waving, a small hand sprouting from its pole.
Chihiro jumped up and whooped. Her work of months was finally done. She raced down the stairs calling her parents names. She couldn't wait until they saw her room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ah, smiling. It had been so long since she had last done that. Or at least, the few times she had done it in the last few years, she hadn't really meant it. She had been so naïve, believing that her parents would be proud of her of illustrating the stories she so often told to her parents and her friends. Stories of spirits and a bath house. How stupid she had been.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"No Daddy, no!" Chihiro screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Mommy please!" She watched in horror as her father painted over her walls in plain white paint while her mother collected her dragon figures and paintings in a white trash bag. "This is the worst birthday ever!" Unable to stand it anymore, she ran out of the room, sobbing. Chihiro ran out of the house into the nearby woods where she settled against an ancient pine tree, settling herself in its comforting roots. "I can't believe that they ruined my 12th birthday by doing this," she stuttered out between sobs. "I hate them!" She wrapped her arms around her knees and cried and cried and cried.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A lone tear streamed down Chihiro's face. For two years her parents had allowed the frequent spirit world stories and requests for new dragon sculptures, but on her 12th birthday they had finally cracked. A red face Akio and a determined Yuko had stormed into her room armed with their weapons of destruction and destroyed any trace of the spirit world. Except for the purple hair band. Miraculously it had survived the onslaught and Chihiro had found it tucked under her pillow later that nights. Chihiro wiped away the tear from her cheek and raised her arm to the weak light, watching the colors dance from the bracelet-turned-band. A weak smile touched her lips. Strange. When I came here they took everything from me. Except this. Oh Zeniba, you don't know how much I miss you right now. And Haku and Rin and Boh. Even Yubaba. I would rather be with Rin working my butt off than her in this dump. But who am I kidding? I'm going to be stuck here forever. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Chihiro walked over to the door and opened it. Closing it quietly behind her, she successfully ignored the large sign that announced "Ogino, Chihiro" to the world, she walked down the long corridor to the lobby. I'm one of the lucky ones. At least I'm not locked into my room like poor Xuchu over in cell—I mean room 2. As she passed the room, she winced as she heard faint wailings and screeching emitting from it, accompanied by the frantic voice of one of the asylum workers. You go Xuchu. Trouble those stupid workers to death. Sitting down in the lobby she sat in a chair and waited for an appointment with a psychiatrist.
"Mommy, what is this place?" a small boy said, his voice high pitched with fear. "There are ghosts everywhere! Mommy help me!"
His young mother crouched to face her seven year old son. "Shhhh. It's ok Timmy. You're safe now. There are no ghosts here. Nobody is going to hurt my little boy."
Chihiro's eyes filled with tears and she blinked angrily, trying to get rid of them. Seriously, is it make Chihiro cry day? "At least she cares about her son," she muttered angrily. "Not like my excellent loving mother."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Get up," Chihiro's mother said roughly, shaking her daughter awake. "We're going on a little trip."
Chihiro groggily got up and stumbled over to the bathroom, grabbing a towel on the way, about to take a shower.
Yuko grabbed the towel from her and put it back on the rack. "No shower today Chihiro. Get dressed and we're leaving."
The thirteen year old raised her eyebrows. Her mother always demanded that she take a shower in the morning so that she was nice and fresh. They must be going somewhere very important. Shrugging, she walked back to her room and pulled on a pair of jeans and navy blue v neck. Touching her purple bracelet reassuringly she walked down the stairs to the car where her mother was waiting.
"Hurry up Chihiro!" her mother exclaimed. "We mustn't be late."
Chihiro climbed into the car and they drove off. The trip took about an hour and they spent the time in silence, the air between them crackling with tension. Finally they pulled up at a large white building.
Yuko pulled her daughter out of the car and pulled her toward the building where Akio was waiting for them, his face tense.
Walking through the revolving double doors, Chihiro felt a twinge of apprehension. "What is this place?" she asked.
"It's a place where you will be safe." Akio answered quickly. "Or the world from you," he muttered so quietly that Chihiro almost missed it.
Twisting her head around she caught one word. "Asylum" embossed onto the window. I'm in an asylum! No! NO! This can't be happening!
"Mom, why am I at an asylum," she said, her voice shaking.
Her mother ignored her question and started talking to the woman at the desk. "Hi, I'm Yuko Ogino and I'm here with my daughter."
The plump woman smiled as she shuffled through a stack of papers. "Of course. I take this is Chihiro?" she asked, looking at Chihiro a warm smile spread on her lips. "She'll be in room 10. Would you like to help her settle in?"
"I'm sorry," Akio exclaimed. "My wife and I have an important business meeting to go to." Taking Yuko by the arm they left the building, nearly running.
Chihiro glared at them through eyes swimming with tears. Liar. You just want to get rid of me as fast as possible. Fine! I never want to see you again!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
And I never saw them again. Sure, they send all sorts of gifts, but I never have seen them since that day. Chihiro sighed loudly. While she had been reminiscing her past days, the boy had disappeared, and so had his mother, who had no doubt gone with him instead of just dumping him.
A familiar face appeared. "Chihiro," Lily said. "It's time for your appointment." Lily was a young nurse of 24, who had started working at the asylum when Chihiro had been here for 2 years.
Chihiro rose and started to follow her but stopped when she saw a glittering band around Lily's finger. "Oh Lily," she squealed. "You have a ring."
Lily grinned. "Eric proposed yesterday." Pulling Chihiro around the corner, she glanced right and left, looking if anyone was coming. When she spotted no one she started to jump up and down. "I'm so excited! The wedding going to be in a month!"
Chihiro looked down sadly. I wish I could have a ring around my finger and a guy who loved me for who I really am. But forget it. There's no hope. I'm going to be stuck here till the day I die.
Lily looked at her, suddenly serious. "I really don't get why you're here Chihiro. You're not crazy at all. To bad I don't have the authority to get you out of here. But," she said, grinning, "For my wedding I'm going to get release forms so you can come!" A buzz came from the walkie-talkie at her waist. "Oops! Time to go see Claire!"
Chihiro resisted the urge to curl her lip. Ugh. Claire. Possibly the stupidest and most hated person in the world, minus my mother of course. To bad she is the only person in this whole damn world to be able to get me out of this hell hole. Walking through the doorway she feasted her eyes on the person she most hated (no second in place) in the world. Claire. Fat, pig-eyed and bad tempered, Chihiro could only guess why she had been hired at a place where there were people who needed kindness or they would explode. Maybe she knew the owner. Or blackmailed him.
"Today is my last day here," Claire said, her sausage fingers tapping the smooth surface of the wood desk.
Ignoring her completely Chihiro sat in the chair opposite of her. Time for payback for yesterday. She started to shake violently and rolled her eyes in sockets, showing the whites. (AN: Think a psycho person having a seizure) This went on for about a minute, as Claire calmly studied her fingernails. Chihiro suddenly stopped. "Wait what?"
Claire glared at her through her slit eyes. "As I was saying. Today is my last day. You're going to be meeting your new monkey trainer cough cough I mean councilor later today. And because it's my last day I don't want to bother tutoring you so go leave and lick the wall or something." Claire made a shooing motion with her hand. (AN: Only the councilors can release their people from the asylum for anyone who's confused.)
Chihiro left the office in a state of shock. Was she really getting a chance to leave this place? She passed Lily in a trance, who in return looked at her with a weird look on her face.
Lily hurried to her side. "You okay?"
Chihiro looked at her friend. (her only friend) "I'm great," she said slowly. "Claire's leaving. OMIGOSH! CLAIRE'S LEAVING!" she screamed.
Lily's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Wow!" "I'll go check who your new councilor is! I trust you can find your own way back to your room?"
"Of course I can," Chihiro said, rolling her eyes. Sneaking to the lounge she stole a cup of coffee from the maker, something she wasn't supposed to do, and snuck to her room. Going to the small oak desk in her room she took out a piece of paper and pencil. Sketching swiftly, the figure of the bathhouse appeared on the paper. This surprised even Chihiro. It's been so long since I last sketched the spirit world. She was about to continue sketching the rest of her friends when Lily knocking on her open door interrupted her.
"I forgot to say Chi," she said. "Happy Birthday! Here's some stuff from them." She had long learned to not say Chihiro's parent's names. "And from me of course." Grinning, she looked at her hand. "Eric is coming to pick me up to find a location for the wedding now, so I can't stay. Bye!"
Chihiro ambled her way over to the pile of presents. She grabbed the present near her, a bulky gift wrapped in blue paper. Tearing open the gift she was astonished to see a beautiful sculpture of a pearly white dragon with an aqua mane. No card accompanied the present. Chihiro studied it, puzzled. This was definitely not from her parents. It this some kind of cruel joke? She shoved it angrily under her bed, along with the other unopened presents. I'm going to be here forever and there is nothing I can do about it!
An asylum worker peeped her head around the door. "You're new councilor is here to see you Chihiro."
Chihiro put a blank look in her face and waited for her new torturer to come in.
A young man of about 20 with short black hair stepped into the door. Jade orbs meet amber.
Chihiro's heart soared as she met those beautiful eyes. A beautiful smile reached her lips, the first that had ever appeared in years. Maybe there is hope after all….
Done! All over! For any of the wondering people out there the man is Haku. Surprise surprise. Review please! 3
-Mysticbreeze327