Chapter 2: Chihiro's World
As soon as I saw Haku flying to the sky as the glistening dragon I once witnessed to, my heart felt so overwhelmed with what is happening. "He's back" I murmured to myself. I felt my legs went weak.
"Chihiro! are you alright?" My aunt said as she helped me stand back up. I smiled at her. My aunt became my new family, and I believe that she's been so kind to me ever since the accident.
I nodded as she escorted me inside of the house. Her face looked so confuse and I am sure that she has a lot of questions that are not answered. I hugged her.
"Thank you,aunt!" I whispered, "For everything"
And as I have expected she burst into tears. "I was so worried," she started sobbing, "I thought you will never regain your old self back, you became so quiet and you always had nightmares." then held my shoulder, "We must thank him back, where is that man?"
"what man?" I asked her
"That guy! Your friend! What was his name? Where does he live? Is he from this neigbourhood? Where are his parents?"
"Whoah, one at a time aunt," I smiled, "It's going to be a long story,"
That night I tried to twist my story by saying that Haku helped us during the accident before the medics found us, I tried to make it sound believable as much as I could. I left out the details about him being a dragon. She just smiled and quietly replied "I understand," she said she was happy that I am now fine and well. I hugged my aunt and for the first time in a long time I found myself having a good night sleep.
…..
"I saw Chihiro smiling and crying. I saw her." I told Zeniba once again,
"Young man, you have already mentioned that for almost 50 times for almost an hour," she kept refilling my tea. I smiled again as I recall seeing Chihiro.
"When can I see her again?" I asked Zeniba, she stopped walking and looked at me,
"I can only help you once Haku," she whispered,
"What? You don't have anymore of that thing?" I asked her, "The thing you gave me! The-the-the yarn thing?" No face tried to calm me down by patting my head. "Thank you, No Face, but I am indeed calm,"
Zeniba gave a deep sigh. "I can help you one last time, but only for an hour or so," She said as she pulled out a string created by her and No face, "This will give you an 2 hours in the human world, as soon as you step into the portal the clock will start ticking, the more you use your power your time will be cut short, are we clear on that?"
I nodded as I took the string from her. "Tie that around your writs, do not lose it!" she then handed me a small hour glass. "Use this to time yourself,"
I took it and placed it in my pocket. "Wait if you are going to see her while looking like that, you shouldn't, you'll scare people,"
Zeniba went to her closet and started digging stuff out of it. "Aha!" she pulled something blue and rough looking and a shirt.
"Use this so that you'll look more, um, humanly" I took it, and smiled.
"Thank you Zeniba," I said smiling like a child.
"Love, love, love" she smiled, "run along now child, or my sister would try to contact me again and yell at me for taking her employee,"
I laughed. My contract with Yubaba was gone but I still work at the bathhouse for the sake of the people and friends and also Kamaji. Yubaba still pays me, but now she cannot threaten me with anything nor control me. I bid my goodbye to no face and Zeniba and went back to the bathhouse.