Chapter 3: A Brutal Beginning
I awoke in a dimly lit room with hard stone floors. The room was cold, and I could see my breath. One of the many thoughts that were running through my head was, how many times has this happened today!? Come on God, throw me a bone! I tried to move, and my back was shooting with pain. Not only that, but I was chained to the floor by my ankle. Wow, classic dungeon scene. Real nice God, real nice. After my recent experience with this shit, I may become a pagan. Gods help me.
I heard a familiar voice in the next room, it was Nina's.
"Where is she!?" she yelled menacingly. "Where is my sister!?"
A man in the room laughed coldly. "Oh, don't worry... You'll see her soon enough... In fact, why don't we bring the little tot in right now!"
The door opened and I heard Haruka sobbing.
"S-Sissy! Help! Don't let them hurt me anymore!"
I heard Nina's voice crack. "Haruka? Haruka! What have you done to her you bastards!"
The man burst out laughing. "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."
I heard Haruka begin to cry and scream.
"Haruka! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" Nina began to sob, and so did I. I was so helpless right now... Or was I?
I saw the vent on the wall, it connected to the room Nina was in. I kicked the vent and dealt with the pain it caused my back. "Hey! Why don't you fugly ass hats pick on someone your own size!"
The man yelled in the next room. "I'll shut you up cow! You stay right there little girl!"
I heard the door slam behind him. "Okay Haruka, is there a key in the room your in? Try to unchain Nina and get out of here. Can you do that?"
"Yeah!" she said franticly.
I heard her fumbling around with keys. Nina and her seemed to walk quietly out of the room... Then my door flew open.
"So you think you're tough, that it?" he said as his face got close to mine. His breath smelled of old cigars and garlic.
"I'm tough enough, I said with gritted teeth. Though my trembling body proved me wrong. He stared at me and stroked my face with his hand.
"Hey... You a virgin cutie?"
I trembled more as I tried to pull away. He gave a twisted half cocked smile.
"Thought so!"
He tried to get under my skirt, I kicked him in the ribs. He coughed, and then looked livid. "Is that all bitch!?" he began to repeatedly kick me in the ribs until I coughed up blood.
"There, now be a good little wench and it will all be over soon."
He laid on top of me. He was heavy, and uncomfortable. I was too weak now to stop him from hurting me. He thrusted into me with force and dominance, as if I were some object to be dominated. I remember the pain, the worthless pit in my heart. Then he held a knife to my throat.
"You ready to die yet wench?" he whispered.
I wasn't.
I felt a plethora of energy build up inside of me, it built at my core, then exploded.
The whole building was gone. All I saw around me were ashes and rubble, fire surrounded the premises. I stumbled aimlessly away from the building. Was I going to die? How far could my legs really carry me?
"Who's there!" yelled a familiar voice.
I would have said something normally, but I was in too much of a haze to respond.
A figure appeared before me, and froze in front of me.
"Ch-Chihiro? Chihiro!"
I finally recognized him. "Haku...? Is that really you?" I felt a tear slip down my face, and heard Haku calling my name in the darkness.
Haku was trembling at the sight of Chihiro's maimed body. "Chihiro!? Chihiro wake up!" he was not only scared for her life, but puzzled by her presence. "How has she returned? This wasn't supposed to happen!"
He quickly spoke the incantation to heal humans. He spread his hands over the wounds... Nothing.
"What!? ...No, it works on all humans!"
He thought for a moment, He spoke the incantation for a spirit healing... It worked. His face became grave as he spoke.
"So she is no longer human..."
He held her close to him. "I am so sorry Chihiro, I could not protect you. I could not protect you from death."
He carried her to the boiler room at the bath house where kamachi often let Haku have refuge in the past. She was not fully healed from her wounds and needed rest.
He opened the sliding door to the room.
"Haku...? I haven't seen you in- is that Sen!?"
Haku looked down. "Her name is Chihiro, and yes, this is her."
Kamachi's eyes were wide with shock. "Is she hurt, what's going on!?"
"Well, she-"
Linn came walking in the room, angry as usual.
"Old man! How many times have I told you-" she dropped the bowl she was holding. Soup and shards of glass scattered across the room. "Is that Sen!? Or have I had too much to drink again."
Haku sighed. "Her real name is Chihiro, and yes, that's her."
Linn grimaced. "Damn, what did she do? Pick a fight with a lawnmower and lose?"
Kamachi peered at her wounds. "From the looks of it, she picked a fight with a hell hound and lost."
Linn gaped. "Wha...? A hell hound!? You know, the more I get involved with you two the more I regret my life choices."
Kamachi smiled. "Well my dear, you don't seem to need much of my help for that."
Her eye twitched. "Why you-!" She sniffed the air. "Wait, why don't I smell human?
Haku's face fell. "That is because there are no humans here, Chihiro is a spirit Now."
Linn froze. "You mean she...? Oh Haku, I am so sorry."
He sighed. "It's fine. I am honestly more worried about her right now."
Linn frowned. "Yeah, me too. Well, I'm gonna head to bed for now. I'll be back in the morning to check on her."
Haku nodded, and Linn left the room.
He layed her on a soft pad that she had once laid him on so long ago. Things were different now than they were before. But in all truth? He had no idea the calamity of what was to come.
