Hey again! Who can't want to read the next chapter? Things are starting to shake up pretty quick. Things are getting out of control at the bathhouse. I'm not that good at details, so sorry if things go a little to fast here. :/ Hope you enjoy reading!
Chapter 2: When Fear Takes Over
It was going to be a long ride home. The fog was getting thicker, and I was starting to worry even more. There was something wrong with this. Yubaba was right, something strange was going on. I didn't know what, but I was going to find out.
My greatest fear was that it would hurt my children. Of course, there would be family and friends there to help, but I felt this was happening to me for a reason. I felt that someone was after us. After me.
"Haku," I whispered, "I think there is something…strange about this fog. I think someone is doing this for a purpose." I knew he couldn't respond, but he could listen. There was something odd going on.
"I think we should call him again," I didn't need to see his face to know that he was shocked to hear that. We haven't done that in a long time, since Kaede was born. It was a one-time thing as Haku calls it, but I knew someday we would have to have gone back.
"If we are in danger, I want to be prepared! We need him, and you know it." The bathhouse was right there. It was hard to see through the fog, but it was still slightly visible. Haku sped down to the bridge as fast as he could. He only did this when he was angry; angry at me.
"Chihiro," he said, returning back to his original form, "I know what is best for you and our children. We have nothing to worry about. The fact that there is fog here is just…natural."
"But I know there is something wrong with this! I can feel it. There is someone here, and they know about what happened sixteen years ago."
"You're apprehensive, I get that," Haku began, "but there is nothing to fear." He placed his hands on my shoulders, showing a calm gesture.
"I'll always be here to save you. We don't need to call him." I smiled and we embraced. I knew he was always there for me. Haku has done so much, but I knew he wouldn't always be there to save me. Some things I would just have to do on my own, and this was one of them.
"Mommy! Daddy! You're back!" Mai came up to us with opened arms as we walked into the bathhouse. She was always excited to see us. Kaede used to be the same way. But those days were over.
"Who cares, Mai?" Kaede said, "They're here all the time. It's better when they go, anyway." I sighed and let go of Mai. I hated the way Kaede talked to me. She made me feel like I wasn't important to her.
"Kaede, can you please go one day without insulting your father and me?" I told her, "Especially today."
"Why? Just because it's Mai and Haru's birthday doesn't mean they get to stop me from speaking the truth." Kaede said. She ran up the stairs and to elevator that led to our floor before I could even speak.
"Don't worry, she'll come around." Haku said, placing is hands on my shoulders. I sighed and broke free from his grip. I didn't want to hear that she will come around. I wanted to know that she is coming around. I needed Kaede just as much as she needed me.
I needed to get out of there. I wasn't going to be around someone who hated me more than me. I blamed myself for this. When the bathhouse was first become very popular, I almost never spent any time with Kaede. Kamajii let her play with the soot balls in the boiler room. I wasn't around for her when she needed me. Now, when she sees me paying all my attention towards Mai and Haru, it brings her back to the time where she was paid no attention to.
"I'm sorry, Kaede," I whispered to myself.
I waited at the bridge for something. Anything. I just wanted someone to come out here. Correction, I wanted Kaede to come out here. She and I are the only people who can fix this. But without her cooperation, that wasn't going to happen.
And then, all of sudden, I felt a cool breeze, running by my neck. The fog was covering the bridge, and I couldn't even see where I was standing. This wasn't safe, I knew it. I ran back to the bathhouse, not looking back to see if anyone was there, but I thought I could hear the soft sound of laughter.
As I enter the bathhouse, everyone saw that I had been running fast. I didn't know if it was just my instincts or if I was really running from someone. My most trusted employee, Osamu, walked up to me and said, "Chihiro, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Osamu." I replied, "Really, it's nothing."
"Okay, but if there is anything you need, just ask." I smiled and thanked him as he returned to his work. Walking through the bathhouse and seeing so many happy customers brought a smile to my face. If only my family were as happy as they were, and if only I were as calm and relaxed as them.
I had to keep my mind off things. Working on setting up for Mai and Haru's birthday was a good distracter. I used the soot balls I created from Kamajii's spell to help clean up while I sorted everything out. Mai and Haru were very picky, so there were some things that needed to be precise.
It was hard making all the arrangements all by myself. Haku was working in the bathhouse, I couldn't ask Mai and Haru to help set up for their own birthday, and Kaede wouldn't help anyways. It was just me. I never realized how alone I had been. The only people I talked to in the bathhouse were Kamajii, Osamu, and my family. I never really had time to socialize after Kaede was born. Things just have always been that way for me.
I sat down, staring out by where Emi's room used to be. Things were so peaceful here. This was where Kaede's room was now because she loved staring out at night, watching the moon and the stars stand out in the sky. When she was little we used to sit and wait for shooting stars together. I can't remember the last time she's asked me to do that with her.
"Mommy!" Mai said, running towards me, "Can we play with Kamajii?" Kamajii was very fond of the twins. He would let them play with the soot balls and was very patient with them. He was like a babysitter that was always there always.
"If it's okay with him," I said. She smiled and they both ran off down the hall. I turned around to see that Kaede was standing there in the doorway. I hadn't known that she was standing there, listening. And she didn't look too happy.
"You never let me play with Kamajii," she said, "Whenever I asked you'd say 'Maybe later,' or 'Not now, sweetie.' You only asked him to watch me when you were working." I didn't know what to say. Things had become some much different now that she's growing up. I thought that when she was older things would be easier. And boy, was I wrong.
"Kaede," I started to speak, but she obviously didn't want to hear what I had to say. She walked away, never turning back. Things were too complicated now. I just wished she would talk to me about it, then we may actually have a better relationship.
"Happy Birthday!" Osamu said. He gave them each their own box, both looking exactly the same. Osamu loved the twins. He gave them both their very own kids spell book, filled with beginner spells and potions. They loved it so much they practiced the spells on each other. Mai used the spell that Yubaba used on me to shut my mouth. Haru got angry, so he turned her into a frog. Everyone started laughing because they were so cute. Before any more damage came, I turned them back to normal.
"Now be careful with those spells," I said, "You never know if you'll use it wrong."
"Oh, Chihiro," Haku said, "let them have fun. They're only seven."
"Exactly why they should be learning now," I replied. Haku shrugged, but I didn't want them to grow up using their magic for evil. I've seen what it does it someone.
"Lighten up, Chihiro," I heard. In the doorway, I saw Yuki and Kage holding hands with their two children, Hamano and Taro. Hamano was a couple years younger than Kaede and Taro was only a month older than the twins, so they each had someone to play with. It was good that Hamano was close to Kaede's age. Maybe she could talk to her for me.
"Hi, Yuki! Glad you two could make it!" I said. I gave her a hug as Haku went to shake Kage's hand.
"We have a gift for each of them," Yuki told me, "Compliments of Kage." I was a little uneasy. The last time he gave one of my children a gift, things didn't go so well. The entire bathhouse almost exploded. I could only imagine what this next gift could be.
"Don't fret, Chihiro," Kage assured me, "It won't detonate this time." I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good," I replied. Kage went and handed Haru and Mai their gifts. They were so eager to see what it was. I was as well. Kage always had a special meaning for each of his gifts. Except for the last one; that was just for fun. Thank goodness I found out what it was, or else I'd be working on building a new bathhouse by now.
"These gifts are special," Kage said, "You have to use them wisely." He picked up Mai's gift. It was a small glass container filled with a special type of water.
"Mai, this is water from my river," he continued, "if used in a special way, it can heal any wound. But, like all magic, it has its limits. There is only enough for three times, so use it wisely."
"I will," Mai replied, "Thanks, Uncle Kage!" She gave him a big hug as Haru came up with a lot of unanswered questions.
"Uncle Kage, what does my gift mean?" He asked. They gave him a multicolored hat with his name inscribed on the edge.
"This is a special hat," Kage said, "Whenever you're in trouble, it will make whoever wears it invisible. However, this magic has its own limits as well. You have to stay perfect still, or else the spell will wear off." Haru was so fascinated by the hat that he immediately tried it on.
"You can't see me!" He said. For a few seconds, he was completely invisible, but I knew a fidgety child like Haru couldn't stay still. He was visible once more after only a few seconds.
"Haru, it doesn't work when you move," I reminded him. We all had a good laugh about it. They were still young and had a lot to learn. Luckily, Haku and I will always be there to help them.
"Delivery for a, Chihiro Ogino!" I heard my name and immediately turned around to the door. I saw a young witch on her broomstick with a black cat next to her. It must have been Zeniba and Yubaba's gift to Mai and Haru!
"That's me," I told her. She handed me two packages and a notebook to write my signature in. After I did so, she left on her broomstick and I walked back to the party. Why were there two packages? One said, "From you're dear Granny and Aunt Yubaba," and the other said, "Aunt Emi."
"Mai, Haru, you have a couple more gifts." They hurriedly ran to me and took the gifts out of my hands.
"One at a time!" I ordered. Haru set the one from Emi down as Mai opened the one from Zeniba and Yubaba. Zeniba always spoiled the children with so many treats and gifts, whereas Yubaba could care less about what they gave the twins.
"Look, Mommy!" Mai held up a golden ring with two small diamonds on the top. I've only seen one other before in my life. It looked exactly like the communications ring that Emi had before.
"There's a note, too." Haru handed me the letter that was inside the box. I opened it and read aloud:
Dear Mai and Haru,
I hope you like this communications ring we gave you. There is only one, so you both will need to learn how to share it. This will help you communicate with anyone, even if they're on the other side of the Spirit World. Take good care of it, and have a wonderful birthday!
Granny and Aunt Yubaba
"Be sure to thank them," I said. But Mai and Haru were more interested in what their Aunt Emi had given them. I guess it was normal for little kids. When I was their age I opened every box before knowing who gave it to me.
"Mommy, where's Aunt Emi's gift?" Haru asked, "I left it right here." The gift had disappeared. No one seemed to have known where it had gone. It was like it had vanished. I was puzzled. Boxes don't just walk away. Although, for some reason, that was very common in the Spirit World. But this was somewhat strange.
"Are you sure?" I asked. Clouds of smoke surrounded us, and it swirled until I couldn't see anything or anyone. I held onto Haku's hand for dear life.
"Haku," I whispered to him, "I'm starting to think that gift wasn't from Emi." Winds came in and blew around us. My eyes shut tightly as is searched around for Mai, Haru, and Kaede, but they were nowhere to be found in all this smoke.
"Kaede, hold on to Mai and Haru!" We all bent down to our knees as we grabbed hold of something. I was scared. Fear had taken over me.
"Haku!" I shouted as I felt a pinch on my neck. And just as it came, it left just as quickly. Everyone seemed to be alright. Kaede had both Mai and Haru's hands in hers, squeezing them like her life depended on it; it almost did, for all of us.
"Chihiro," Haku said, pointing to the side of me. He felt my hair, and the right side had been cut off and there was blood running down my neck. I had one side long and one side cut to the neck.
"Oh my goodness!" I shouted, grabbing what was left of my hair. What the hell was going on? Who was doing this to me? What did they want? But I was angrier at Haku at that moment. Angry because he didn't believe me.
"I told you there was something strange going on, Haku."
So does Haku believe her now? Chihiro is a litle paranoid, yes, but that will help her throughout the story. And also, why does Kaede hate her mother so much? What happened that drove them apart? Things are just beginning, and they're about to get even crazier! Oh, and the part with the witch bringing the package? I'm ure most of you know that was Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. I wanted to add something like that to the story. :) Review, PM, anything! Tell me what you think I should add, characters I should use, etc. Thanks!
Anabelle ;)
