Lurking Evil

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own Spirited Away…

Chihiro was running as fast as her feet could, panting heavily and not stopping to take a breath. That scale was very important to her and it scared her to know that it was in the hands of someone else. She remembered Haku telling her not to lose that scale because it was dangerous in the wrong hands. After all these years, she still never understood that but she believed him and continued running.

After running for so long, Chihiro had reached Helen's place at last. She leaned against one of the pillars before knocking on the door to stop her heavy panting. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and gingerly knocked on the wooden door.

'That's strange,' thought Chihiro. 'Helen would always open the door without hesitation. Maybe she hasn't returned home…'

Chihiro sighed before plopping herself on one of the steps in front of the door. Inside, she was panicking about what Helen would do with the scale. She knew that Helen had a knack for curiosity and something as rare and strange as a dragon's scale would definitely amuse her to no end. All she could do was to hope Helen would return soon.

-…-

A cool breeze blew across Chihiro's face, whipping her hair lightly and waking her. She looked around only to see the dark sky filled with stars. Chihiro stood up and dusted her skirt; how long had she waited? It must have been a few hours, seeing that Chihiro came in the afternoon and it was now night time.

It was very weird because Helen should be home by now. Chihiro peered through one of the windows of Helen's house. "No lights switched on," she mumbled. Seeing that her parents might have been worried to know that their only daughter was missing, Chihiro decided to leave and ask about the scale at school tomorrow. As she walked home slowly, Chihiro began sobbing quietly. She felt unprotected without Haku's scale near her and the purple hairband that Zeniba gave her was lost years ago.

However, Chihiro recalled the strong and courageous 10-year-old she had been back then and she wiped her tears away. This was no time to be crying. She knew she would eventually get her scale back and it lifted her sagging spirits a little bit.

"Chihiro Ogino! Where have you been?" boomed Yuuko Ogino as Chihiro closed the door behind her. "Do you have any idea how late it is?"

"No…" said Chihiro quietly.

"It is 10 o' clock, for goodness sake! Did something happen?" questioned her mother.

"I lost something of mine and I went searching for it," Chihiro said sadly.

Her mother's gaze softened as she noticed the sad look in her daughter's eyes. She assumed that Chihiro never found what she lost and she decided not to question her further. "Would you like something to eat and drink, honey? You must have had a long search and didn't stop to take a break."

"Yes," was all she said as she staggered into the kitchen and sat down on a chair. Chihiro's mind was racing with so many questions and thoughts. 'How could I have forgotten about the scale? I am so stupid!' she shouted in her head and she sighed. She was feeling so stressed out and when her food came, she ate quickly and tried to forget everything that had happened today.

"Thanks for the food, Mum. I'm going to bed now," she called to her mother.

"Goodnight, Chihiro." Yuuko said.

Chihiro slumped herself on her bed and whipped her phone out of her bag. She dialled Helen's number and waited. Perhaps Helen would pick up and probably reassure her that the scale was safe. Unfortunately, Helen never picked up no matter how many times Chihiro called. After 20 calls, Chihiro gave up and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

-…-

Helen was walking through the spirit gate, clutching tightly to the paper which held the scale. She was afraid she might lose it and would have to face Yubaba's fury so she hurried to the bathhouse. She jumped over the rocky terrain and ran until the bathhouse came into view. She smirked. She was so close to being Yubaba's apprentice and she could finally learn the old witch's magic secrets.

As she walked through the halls of the bathhouse, Helen bumped into someone and fell backwards. "Ouch, watch where you're going idiot!" she shouted. She looked up to see who she bumped into and she met Haku's gaze.

"O-oh, Master Haku, I didn't see that it was you," she stammered timidly while sliding the paper with the scale behind her back so that Haku didn't see it.

"What are you doing here, Helen? Weren't you supposed to be on vacation for 2 weeks?" Haku asked her; curious to know why she was here. He then narrowed his eyes at her; there was something suspicious about her but he chose not to question her about it.

"I missed work a lot so I came back to ask Yubaba she could cancel my vacation," Helen replied as she stood up. Her hands were incredibly clammy now as she continued to hold the scale tightly in them. She knew Haku could sense that something was up and so, she tried to cut the conversation short. "If you will excuse me, Master Haku, I have to report to Yubaba now."

Haku made way for her and walked away. He knew Helen was not just a worker but she was also very close to Yubaba. He suspected that she was working for the old crone, just like he was until Chihiro had given him back his name but he ignored her. He didn't want to meddle in the old witch's business and he left it at that.

Meanwhile, Helen was inside the elevator heading to Yubaba's office. "Stupid dragon, I thought he'd never leave me alone," muttered Helen as she got off the elevator and walked towards the elaborate door which led to Yubaba.

The doorknob saw her and it said, "Ah, Helen. Please come in."

Helen walked in to Yubaba's office and cringed. The gaudy decorations always made Helen have a terrible headache and so, she zipped pass the many rooms until she reached the biggest one. "Here it is, Yubaba. Took me a while to get it from that annoying brat."