Chapter 4

Trapped in the Dark


As they approached the top floor, Meiou landed on the wooden floor with nothing more then a light tap of the ball of his foot touching down. Pushing the elevator door button, he dropped Chihiro to the floor in a crumbled heap. Rubbing her head, Chihiro attempted to crawl away from him. Meiou grabbed her forearm, gruffly, and pulled her to her feet. Glaring with dagger-like eyes, she just stood and looked at him defiantly. Meiou was taken aback by Chihiro's cold eyes, but smiled after a second. "You are more beautiful with the smile you give to Haku…" He stepped right up to her side, he touched her cheek tenderly, "Why do you reject me, when I am an improved spawn of Haku…?" Lowering his head, he kissed Chihiro with a slow, passionate kiss.

Love me…

The words infected her mind, falsely forming her thoughts and emotions. Bending them to his will.

Love me, Chihiro!

Trying to force him from her mind, Chihiro closed her eyes tight, as if trying to push him out.

You're mine!

Chihiro tried to pull away, but for some reason, she felt like this was right. This was supposed to happen. Something about Meiou, made her want to kiss him. This was how it was suppose to be…

There was a bell behind them and Meiou broke away from Chihiro, releasing her from his spell. All energy seemed to have left her. Her mind didn't know how to act on it's own after being controlled so powerfully. Chihiro suddenly fainted into Meiou's arms. Picking her up and carrying her into the elevator, Meiou looked down at Chihiro with a cert smile. Looking up from his captive's helplessness, he set eyes on Haku as he touched down on the top floor by the same means Meiou had gotten there. As Haku bolted, he leapt forward. With a metallic thud the elevator doors closed and Haku impacted with the door itself.

Meiou smiled down at Chihiro, as if she could really see or hear him, "Next stop, Zeniba's…"

"Chihiro…Chihiro?" A faint voice spoke to Chihiro, and woke her from her dreamless slumber. Her eye's fluttered open as she looked around at a much changed office. Where once tacky tapestries and self-portraits covered the walls, there were embroidered pieces decorating the walls of flowers, cookies, and sewing themes. The once cluttered desk was neatly organized with book shelves behind it. The fireplace was covered in pictures of people resembling Yubaba and Zeniba, most likely family members. A beautiful antique rug draped the black marble floors, and matching drapes make the room look like the home of a motherly being.

As her eyes focused, Chihiro smiled at the welcomed, familiar face of Zeniba. Her large head and blue dress filled Chihiro with memories again that made all feeling come back to her insides. Zeniba was wearing a concerned look as she viewed Chihiro up and down, "Are you alright, dear?"

Sitting up and rubbing her head, Chihiro tried to remember why she'd fainted. When Zeniba pulled her into a tight hug, she forgot trying to remember. "It's been such a long time, Sen."

Smiling, Chihiro looked up at Zeniba, "Everything's so unfamiliar; it's nice to see a friendly face."

Zeniba helped Chihiro to her feet, but didn't chat long, "I'm sorry, Sen, there's so much to tell you right now, but I'm afraid I'm completely swamped until later tonight."

Taken aback slightly, Chihiro took a step forward, only to be shot down again, "Tonight we can have tea, but until then I need my office cleared. I've arranged one of the suites for your extended stay." Zeniba had seated herself behind the desk and had absorbed herself into a document. She continued without looking up, "Master Meiou will show you to your room, and keep you company until this evening when I send for you."

"You sent for me?" a deep voice behind Chihiro made her jump. Turning, she looked at Meiou who was standing stiffly in the corner.

"Take Sen to the Queen Suite on the top floor. Make sure she has everything." Zeniba finished as she began writing on the document before her, again not looking up.

Meiou nodded and then drew his attention to Chihiro, "This way."

Chihiro took a final look at Zeniba, who was nothing like how she was when she had her own little cottage. Following Meiou out, Chihiro kept a consistent distance of four feet between her and her escort. They took a small flight of stairs to another level, where they arrived in a small narrow hallway. Opening the first door, Meiou allowed Chihiro to enter first, closing the door behind the two of them.

The room was dark; too dark to make out anything but the outline of a heavy draped bed on the far side of the room. Windows made up two of the four main walls of the room. Fours attached rooms led to fours dark passageways, unknown to Chihiro where they would go. The night was filled with small specks of stars seen over a sea, formed where the riverbed once was.

Chihiro took little notice of Meiou up until this point. He stood quietly in the shadows, watching her as she looked for a light. Finally finding one, she switched it on, illuminating the entire room in dark browns and greens. It was beautiful, Chihiro felt like a princess. Uneasiness overwhelmed her sense of awe.

There was the sudden sound of slamming on the windows around her a gust of wind blew against them. As Chihiro looked around, she noticed Meiou was tense. Following his view, she understood why. Haku stood ethereally outside the window, in the form of a white and blue snake-like dragon. As his form slowly changed into a humanoid, his fists met the window, pounding over and over. "Meiou!" Rage filled him to the core. Fire could be seen in his grey eyes.

Meiou smiled, knowing he couldn't get in without someone letting him in. As he walked up beside Chihiro, he smelled her hair, never taking his eyes of Haku in a mocking gesture. Haku erupted into an even deeper fit of emotional anguish.

Wanting more than ever to let him in, Chihiro made a move to unlock the door. As soon as her leg twitched into motion, whispers filled her mind.

Stop. He doesn't want you. If he wanted you he would have come for you three years ago. If he wanted you he'd be here now. If he loved you…

Chihiro's conscious tried to speak over the painful words echoing in her mind. Plaguing her every thought.

He tried! He tried to come for you! He's here now! He does love you…

The fighting in her psychological being seemed to be coming to a close, her own voice slowly fading into nothingness behind the deep voice of Meiou in her mind.

You are nothing to him! He doesn't want you. Let me protect you… let me help you… Let me… Let me.. Let me love you…

Haku pounded harder on the glass, watching in terror as Chihiro seemed to be fighting herself. Before his very eyes, Chihiro had fallen to her knees, holding her head, and screaming in pain. Meiou's eyes never darted from Haku, his smirk never fading, even though this girl was screaming in pain at his feet.

"Chihiro! Chihiro!" Haku's attention diverted to Meiou, "Stop it! Leave her alone! Stop this now!" His eyes darted back to Chihiro, who seemed to be loosing the battle. Her eyes were glassed over, and her body went limp as she fell forward on the floor.

"Chihiro!!" Haku's voice was rasped. Watching in horror as Meiou pulled Chihiro into his arms, Haku glared into the room as his brother set Chihiro into the bed, planting a soft kiss onto her forehead. With a final glare toward the window, Meiou shut off the lights and exited the room, locking it behind him.

A few moments passed without movement from inside. It remained dark, and Meiou was nowhere to be seen. Calmly, Haku tried the three windowed doors that opened to the inside. The first didn't work. The second did. Closing the door behind him, Haku walked to the side of the bed, sitting softly at Chihiro's side. She was fast asleep. She was calm, no nightmares this time.

Haku stood, thinking of the girl he stared down at as she slept. I've thought of her every day since that day… The image of them standing before the dried up riverbed; where they had least seen each other. I promised her we'd see each other again… I almost didn't keep that promise. I almost lost her forever. Am I selfish? Should I have just given Zeniba the final piece of the puzzle to the perfect spirit? If I had, I would not have left her alone all that time. I would have been there for her everyday. I would have watched her grow, rather than just see her sudden changes. How am I going to get her out of here?

Haku's thoughts were suddenly scattered from a voice filling the spacious room, echoing off the walls like a cellar, "Haku! Bring Chihiro to my office, I have time for tea with her."

Haku nodded solemnly, "Yes ma'am." Slowly, he reached down to wake Chihiro. "Chihiro, Zeniba will see you now."

Her eyes lashes fluttered up and down slightly, brushing against Chihiro's thin cheeks. Her dark eyes reflected Haku's features, showing his wide grin in return for hers. Chihiro spoke first, "What happened?"

Haku's smile remained, though his heart sank deep into his stomach. He knew that she wouldn't remember anything. Meiou would have been sure to erase her memory from his aggressive mental attacks. Each time he did, Haku knew also, that they would be more and more painful, reaching deeper and deeper inside her subconscious mind until her very soul was lost forever.

As Haku held his love in his arms, he kissed her lightly on her forehead. Chihiro's grip around his chest comforted him, giving him something behind his words other then just their sound. "Meiou won't hurt you again… I promise with all my soul."

As they slowly made their way back down to Zeniba's study, Haku held Chihiro's hand tightly. Haku knew Meiou wouldn't be attack again once Zeniba sent for Chihiro, but his eyes still darted to every corner, every shadow, as if expecting to see two arrogant, green eyes spying in the background.