Speed never seemed so accessible, I thought as I raced down the freeway on my way home. Haku kept telling me to drive faster until I was reaching speeds of beyond 120 down the freeway. I eased on the brakes when I neared my house, but Haku only told me to keep going.

"What?" I asked.

Haku smiled. "Trust me," he said.

I continued to drive past the fork in the road and kept going. Speeding toward the spirit gate. Haku smiled, pleased at his idea, and I stomped on the brakes and avoided hitting the small spirit stone that my father had almost hit years ago. Haku got out of the car and told me to follow him.

"But-" I protested.

"Chihiro, you'll be fine. I promise we won't end up at the bath house this time. You'll end up on the spirit side of my river," Haku urged. "I love you, and I want to love you. The only place to do that is in the spirit world where you don't have to worry about your parents trying to get themselves out of the asylum. I love you, Chihiro." He walked me through the tunnel. The tunnel that years ago, I did not want to explore. But now I held fast to Haku, like I was going to lose the Dragon boy at any second and I would never see him again. Like I would open my eyes and he would be gone.

"I won't leave you," Haku chuckled as he held me closer.

I buried my head in the back of his shirt as we arrived at the other end of the tunnel. Haku muttered as he stumbled on a river rock. I gave a muffled sound of fear. "Don't worry. Nothing is wrong."

"I'm not scared," I said, until I remembered how last time I was going to fade away until Haku gave me something to eat.

"Not this time," He whispered, pinning me onto the ground and staring into my eyes as I squealed, "WHAT? But I'll disappear!" I struggled to get away from him, but his grip was like steel. I groaned as he sat down on my legs and stared me in the eyes unhappily.

"Stop," he told me, but I continued to try to get free of his grip. "No you won't," He continued calmly, staring into my eyes and mentally trying to get me to stop struggling. "You'll become a spirit. Like me. Stop it!"

"I-I will?" I stuttered, unbelieving. I stopped struggling and Haku got up.

Haku nodded. "Yes."

"Why didn't you let me become a spirit last time?"

"Because of your parents," Haku explained. "I promise, it won't hurt a lot. And besides, being a spirit is a lot more fun than being a human."

"But I don't WANT to be a spirit!" I cried, and Haku looked at me sadly.

"Chihiro, you are here now. I don't have any other choice-"

"You could become a human," I whispered, trying to process everything Haku was telling me.

"No, Chihiro, I cannot become a human. Because I am already a spirit. If I try to become a human, I will fade away from all existence."

"Haku-"

"Chihiro, we NEED you in the spirit world. Nothing has been the same since you left. The Yellow Sea spirit and the Yangtze River Spirit are at war. Zeniba and Yubaba had to go and try to solve it. Nothing has worked. Chihiro, PLEASE. We really need your help. If you don't help us, the spirit world could collapse."

I felt guilt overtake me.

"But, I can go back, can't I?" I asked quietly. Haku sat down next to me, pulling up grass.

"There won't be much for you to go back to," He pointed out. "You could just stay here with me for the rest of forever."

"What about my house, and my parents and my cat-?"

"The cat discovered the outside yesterday. He'll be fine. Your parents won't know if you moved because you changed your last name, remember? They only know you are Chihiro. Your house will be fine. Someday, someone will buy it and keep your artwork. And you can stay here. You see, Chihiro?"

I looked down at my hands, which almost weren't there anymore, then back up at Haku, who smiled reassuringly. I breathed in deeply. Told myself there was no other way. I loved Haku, I really did, but I didn't want to leave my home.

"We can visit it whenever you want to in the spirit world," Haku whispered.

"'But I want to visit it in the human world!" I protested.

"Chihiro," Haku shook his head, "It's almost too late. "

I looked down at my hands. Or, I should say, the ground.

I felt a sudden burst of energy and knowledge enter me. I breathed deep and I closed my eyes.

"Chihiro, calm down," Haku said carefully. I opened my eyes and saw that I was visible again.

Haku hugged me and smiled. "Welcome to the REAL spirit world," He whispered into my ear, then kissed me gently.

Best experience ever.


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