Water rushed over her body, even when she opened her mouth she could still breathe, as she continued to float on top of the river. Turning her head to the right she saw thousands of black pieces of soot, but they had faces and they held tiny little stars as they continued to jump up and down on the side of the bank. All of a sudden the river picked up speed and it was as if she was travelling down an extremely fast hydro slide as she found herself falling out of the river and landing on the cold hard ground. All was black, until suddenly as if a light had been switched on she could see the white floor beneath her feet, with her name written in large characters on the ground. Magically, the characters of her name disappeared leaving one name behind. SEN. Spinning on her heels she tried to run from the character only for thousands of the same character to surround her, as she let out a petrified scream.
"I WANT SEN!" A voice cried out from behind her, as she looked behind her in complete and utter fear, as a creature with no face, except a mask stood behind her. "BRING ME SEN!" It yelled after her as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. "WHERE'S SEN!" It called out once more, before its face stared directly in the direction of her. "There you are Sen!" his tone went friendly, before he grew into a giant beast with four limbs and an overly large mouth that opened up underneath his mask. "SEN!" it roared as it began chasing her on all fours. She screamed, as she stumbled forwards and ran as fast as she could, she was running through what appeared to be an old bath house, with no idea in which direction to go she ran down an abandoned corridor only to go flying out a door that had no balcony. She screamed as she fell from the building and the beast behind her jumped after her. She landed with a thud on to a train track as she went to get up, the beast landed on top of her causing her to scream. "I WANT SEN!" It cried out as it opened its overly large mouth and went to devour her.
Chihiro lurched forward in her bed, sweat dripping from her forehead, as she tried to calm down her breathing. Looking over towards her small clock on the wall, she saw it was time to be getting to work, not that she had wanted to go, not after their discovery at the morgue. The memory itself sent shivers down her spine.
They had agreed to go to the forest with the police officers, however, Chihiro had been told to remain in the office, for safety reasons.
"It was just a dream," she whispered as she got herself out of bed. The name Sen, kept reading in her brain like a broken record. "Who are you Sen? What are you to me?" She whispered as she poured herself a glass of water and gulped down the cold liquid.
After she had got herself ready and headed in the direction of work she decided it was a good time to give her parents a call, they might have some answers, if not, it had been a long time since she had called them and they surely would be worried.
"Ogino residence," her fathers voice spoke down the phone, the last time she had rang them was three months ago and hearing her fathers voices sent a strange feeling of homesickness into her stomach.
"Dad, its me, Chihiro,"
"Chihiro! Yumiko it's Chihiro!" her father half but yelled down the phone, his tone changing into that of excitement, despite their differences, she knew they still loved her very much. "How are you? You need to call more? Is that boss treating you okay? When are you going to come visit? Your mother and I miss you, you know?" Question after question, not letting Chihiro get a word in each way as she smiled, putting the key into the lock opening up the office. She could hear her mother telling her father to breathe and let Chihiro talk, she gave a small chuckle as she placed her bag down onto the couch as she sat down in the main foyer of their small office.
"I'm fine, ha ha, just been busy,"
"Busy? With what?" Her father questioned suspiciously, causing Chihiro to roll her eyes.
"Work Dad,"
"I see,"
"Actually, I was wondering if you knew anyone by the name of Sen? Or if mum did?" Chihiro questioned as she heard her parents talking to one another muttering the name Sen over and over.
"No, we don't know anyone by the name of Sen," he replied honestly as Chihiro frowned.
"Did I have any friends called Sen?" Chihiro tried a different tactic, as she heard her father question her mother.
"No, you didn't really have any friends here, and Rumi was your only friends from our first place." Chihiro sighed, it was worth a shot.
"Oh well, it's not important,"
"What was it for?"
"Work, we are helping the police on a case," Chihiro knew this would please her father she could almost see him smiling with pride, decent work he would be thinking.
"-OH" Chihiro heard her mother in the background.
"Hang on a minute Chihiro your mother has thought of something, ill just hand you over," Chihiro waited patiently as they talked in whispers before she heard her mother breathing down the phone.
"Hello sweetie!"
"Hi mum,"
"How are you? You really should call more often," her mother lectured, as Chihiro smiled to herself, she knew deep down she should, but something always stopped her from doing so, perhaps it was still a little part of her, rebelling against her, after what they had put her through.
"Yes Mum,"
"Will you be coming home in the holidays?"
"Maybe, it depends what happens with this case,"
"I see,"
"Mum, did I kno-" her words were cut off by a pound grumbling noise, causing her to freeze as she looked around the office. The next moment appeared to happen so fast, as one moment Chihiro sat comfortable on the couch, the next she was violently flung forwards onto the floor, as the building began to groan, a scream escaped her mouth. The bookshelves fell forwards, things fell of their shelves, Chihiro crawled as best she could, into a door way, but another book shelf fell forwards crashing right in front of her, she cried out in despair as she crawled over to the glass coffee table and crouched underneath protecting her head with her hands. She could also hear her parents yelling out distressed, they weren't calling her name however, which meant the earthquake had reached as far as home. The phone cut out however, and the electricity flickered off, as a vase fell onto the coffee table from one of the shelves that hang from the wall, breaking the table, glass cut into Chihiro's shirt and trousers, she cried out in fear, too frightened to move as she waited for this nightmare to end.
Earthquakes were not uncommon in Japan, however large ones, such as these were uncommon and often left devastation in their wake.
Once the shaking had stopped Chihiro knew she would be safe from any tsunami living further inland, and no tsunami siren had been heard, the only sound now was silence. As if the world stood still in shock, as everyone tried to fathom what had just happened. It was an airy feeling, as if one was in a dream. Chihiro sat up allowing the shards of glass to fall down her back as sat in the now dusty building, when the building gave a small groan and a part of the ceiling gave way, Chihiro cried out in alarm, as she watched the fallen ceiling block her path out of the building, she was fortunate to be only on the fourth floor and not the eighth, she had also been fortunate she had not gotten up faster to leave. Once the dust started to settle Chihiro could see the blocked path and on top of it a body. Chihiro carefully picked herself up, the airy silence still about the place as she covered her mouth coughing from all the dust.
"Hello? Are you okay?" She clambered on top of all the rubbled tripping over cutting her wrists, as she reached the person who lay on the rubble. It was an elder lady, she stared up at Chihiro in disbelief as she reached out a hand to her, Chihiro instantly took it. "You're okay," Chihiro cooed as the lady began to breath heavily. Another grumble was heard as the old lady stared at Chihiro in horror.
"Move!" She croaked as Chihiro shook her head and held onto her hand and curled up into the ladies side. Cries of terror could be heard throughout the building, Chihiro's own cries also joined as rubble fell on top of her and the elder lady. She was a shaking mess as she wondered if she would ever see her parents again, and her work colleagues who were practically family to her. She could only pray that she would make it out alive!
Chihiro did not know how much time had gone by when she felt the ladies hand tighten around hers. The Earthquakes had stopped for a while, cries of help could still be heard all around, rubble continued to fall over. Chihiro and the lady had been submerged, but thankfully a fallen beam had provided them with some shelter, and they were both forever grateful the floor had not given out beneath them, although it was clear now, the building was leaning over much like the tower of Pisa.
"It's over," the lady croaked, still alive, much to the relief of Chihiro. In the distance the sounds of sirens could be heard, shouting from all over that Chihiro had no idea where it was coming from, as she tried to move out her limbs. Covered in loose bricks, planks of wood and rubble she attempted to push it away, only for a slight groan to be heard and she remained still.
"We will be found soon," Chihiro sad adamantly.
"It's been a long time since we have had an earthquake big enough to take down a building," the old lady whispered as Chihiro went to look up at her face only to reveal bricks and rubble blocking her way, the only reason she could still see was from the large amount of light that was being shined through the gaps. "How old are you child?" the lady asked,
"Twenty four,"
"So young, ah, I remember when I was your age," she mused as Chihiro listened to the old lady, tell her life story. It was nice to listen to her story, but part way though Chihiro felt the true extent of her injuries, the small cuts, from the glass, she wasn't positive but she was sure their was still glass wedged into her back, her ankle was also throbbing and she was terribly thirsty, and try as she might listen to the old ladies story her body was crying for her attention.
"My name is Watanabe, Akari, please tell my family I love them very much," she whispered causing Chihiro to jump back to attention to the elder lady.
"Why don't you tell them yourself?" Chihiro questioned, as she noticed how faint the lady had been sounding.
"It is my time to go," came her faint reply.
"Don't say that!" Chihiro exclaimed in horror as she tightened her grip around the ladies.
"Thank you for listening to my story,"
"You are going to be fine!"
"Im pleased I got to tell someone the truth,"
"NO! STAY WITH ME!" Chihiro screamed, as she felt the ladies hand start to go limp in her grip.
"You will live a long life, Chihiro Ogino, longer than most," she said softly, Chihiro could hardly hear her.
"How do you know my name?" Chihiro questioned as she tightened her grip even more.
"I know everything about you, I'm a fortune teller remember," the lady reminded her as Chihiro furrowed her brows. "However, you have many troubles a head of you, you will have to become even braver, and stronger Chihiro Ogino, but I see great strength in you," her voice grew softer and softer as Chihiro tried to stop herself from crying. "Until next time," but Chihiro did not hear her words as she felt the hand in her own grow cold.
"NO!" Chihiro screamed, over and over she screamed for the lady until she could scream no more, as she continued to hold onto the hand that now lay cold in her grip.
UNEDITED