I woke up in the den, but I had fallen off the couch. That's when I saw him. Shimano, my little brother. Or at least, his ghost.
"Kuri! You woke up!" he smiled at me.
I rubbed my eyes. "Shimano…I thought you crossed over."
"I did, but there's trouble, so I was sent back."
"What kind of trouble?"
"Him." Shimano pointed at Haku. "His enemy is going to kill you."
"Shimano, you don't know that," I said. "And besides, you don't need to worry about me—"
"Kuri?" Haku woke up. "Were you in my dreams?"
"Go," I whispered to Shimano, and he faded from view.
"What did you say?" Haku asked.
"I said, 'no,'" I replied. I didn't want him to know about my all access pass to the dream world and to the ghost plane. "You must have been dreaming. I've been awake this whole time."
Another thing. Before I went to bed, Haku came up to me and asked, "Did you murder your little brother?"
I gasped and my hands flew to my mouth. "You know about Shimano?"
"I can see your dreams. We're connected, Kuri," Haku said. "What did you do?"
He was serious. I wanted to cry. "Haku…Shimano died trying to protect me. It wasn't me!"
Haku looked shocked at my outburst. "I-I'm so sorry!"
"Forget it," I replied, and went to bed.
xxxx
Haku knew he had to leave her.
The ghost of Shimano wouldn't leave him alone. "Yubaba is looking for you. She'll hurt Kuri. You know that."
"I know." Haku said. "But where can I go?"
"I'll get you back to the Spirit World." Shimano said.
"I can't stay there for long." Haku reminded him.
"It will be enough time for me and the other spirits to stop Yubaba." Shimano said softly.
"Very well." Haku kissed Kuri's forehead. "Goodbye Kuri."