There was so much beauty in the world.
She saw things no one else saw, revelled in its mystery and purpose. The world gave her messages and she'd send some right back. She liked to spend hours in a secluded area of nowhere, counting the ways she could say hello. She appreciated every aspect of life, as she knew how every living thing was more alive than anyone could imagine. She was isolated but not alone, because she knew that they could feel her.
She was the type of person that would always look up, not because she was searching, but because she'd noticed that no one ever looked up, and she didn't want to miss anything.
She tried really hard to be happy, and so she was. But she became frustrated, sometimes impatient. She did not belong anywhere, because she was still waiting. Things were good though, and she was proud of the person she'd become after...
After following her parents, scared, into an unknown place. After being forced and helped and taunted and molded and manipulated. After feeling the most happiness, sadness, and freedom she knew she had ever experienced. It meant so much to her, but it was so long ago. Her memories were patchy but she struggled to remember as much as she could.
She lived for the day she could go back, to confirm her life. She thought of the meaning in every movement that was made there, how people came and went, how they were all so different and in that way the same- in opposite to the way people were here. She lived for the day she could take the train again, then walk up to the Bathhouse while all its doors and windows were open and spirits could be heard every which way, and the lights and the excitement and the truth that can't help but come out could all be seen again and she would be at peace.
But here, the world was silent at night, and it would break her heart.
"Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light. Shine on you crazy diamond." she muttered to herself. She loved Pink Floyd, especially their lyrics, but this one was wrong. "It's completely backwards!" she realized, and she grinned, looking up at the canopy of overlapping trees that nearly blocked all the sunlight. Then she frowned. Sometimes she hated herself for clinging on for so long. She knew she needed to have her own life. When the time came, she would know.
She made up her shelter and uncurled her sleeping bag, then went down by the river. She wished it had been his river, but she still felt close to him here. She cleaned up all the litter that surrounded the place, and then caught a fish for dinner. She loved the give and take she did here, she felt like it was just him and her again, saving each other.
She went back to her shelter and gutted the fish with care, apologizing and giving thanks for its gift to her. It was something she read North American Indians did, and she thought it was a very beautiful thing. She heard a crinkle of leaves just as she plopped the fish into the frying pan. It was probably a squirrel or something, but she was just having too much fun.
"Haku!" she yelled, "Come n' get it!" Just like her mom used to.
A voice behind her broke into bellows of laughter. "What?" he answered.
Chihiro whipped her head around in utter shock, then started to laugh just as hard.