Spirited Rain, by Rythe
Another Kind of Family
A soft crackling issued only feet away. The sounds of light clashing and chimes filled the emptiness. Chihiro stirred on a sleeping pallet. She sat up with a start to find herself sitting in the boiler room of the bath house. Kamaji was away at work, his spidery arms turning cranks and snatching herbs from shelves high above Chihiro's head. She wondered how she had got their. The turning stopped and Kamaji looked over at Chihiro briefly.
"You're back eh kid? Or now ye be a young lady", Kamaji said kindly in his wizened voice. He returned to his work, one hand stroking his mustache. The clanking of coals hitting the belly of the infernal boiler. The tendrils of flame would leap out and descend into ashy embers. Little soot balls squeaked and occasionally bumped into each other with their burdens of coal. A feeling of warmth, dryness, and safety encircled Chihiro. Tears beaded her eyes, setting her eyelashes shining. Kamaji looked back again and smiled under his graying whiskers.
"You know I missed you granddaughter, what brings you back?", he asked curiously.
"I…don't know", Chihiro started. The mud had dried into dirt caked on her pajamas. She brushed some off cautiously. The small door in the wall slid open and Lyn came through. She was tall, lips thin and long to show her always changing expressions. Dark bangs swept to either side of her head, coal eyes that held a mischievous look. She crawled through and sat next to Chihiro, handing her a bowl of steaming white rice and a mug of tea.
"Hey kiddo, why did you come back? Crazy notion? You missed me?", Lyn teased, arching a dark brow.
"I was in my room, and the wind pushed out the window and I landed in that weird sea, I don't know how I got here at all-", Chihiro blurted, coming to a stop when Lyn raised a hand to silence her.
"Eat up, my you've grown, all that baby fat on your cheeks is gone, and it's left you with high looking cheekbones, but no sign of maturity, Sen will you ever grow up?", Lyn spoke with a chuckle of amusement. She brushed a strand of brown hair out of Chihiro's eyes, smiling with concern. Chihiro smiled half-heartedly and ate the food quickly. One sip of the tea and she spit a mouthful out onto Lyn's faded orange Chinese pants. Lyn jumped and wiped with futile effort to remove the liquid that drenched her pant leg.
"Nice going dope", Lyn said with growing sarcasm. Their was a hint of happiness behind her words, and they were visible through the smile that held to her face. Lyn grinned widely.
"I'm so sorry!", Chihiro said worriedly, inclining her head slightly forward.
"What am I going to do with you?", Lyn said with the concern and hinted sarcasm of an older sister. A light of happiness glowed in Chihiro's eyes.
"Let me stay for a visit? Oh please, oh please!", Chihiro said, bowing forward and clasping her hands together. Kamaji chuckled and tapped Chihiro on the shoulder with his elongated arm.
"Yubaba could probably take you back", Kamaji offered. Lyn was taken back.
"Don't sign a contract!", Lyn said sharply. Chihiro became confused and worried. She wanted to visit with her friends so badly. Kamaji stroked his shining bald head with spindly fingers.
"She could stay with Haku, he doesn't live far from her, and she could visit us every day or so", Kamaji said with the essence of one thinking out loud. Chihiro was about to respond when the sudden thought of the empty ship came back to her. Those pitch black doorways, the feeling of helplessness in the air, the strange music. The strange music? Why hadn't she remembered hearing this before? But she hadn't and it was a shock. It was a drum sound, deep and soft. It wasn't music, it was footsteps. Footsteps of darkness. Something must have invaded the Spirit Resort. Chihiro found this to be a foolish notion. The tenseness she felt must had made her imagine the footsteps. She decided not to worry her friends with such a crazy idea. An idea that haunted her. Lyn's voice brought her back to the present.
"HAKU?? Are you nuts? I couldn't stand him while he was here, and besides don't you think it's a bit awkward? Totally against common courtesy", Lyn said ominously, a warning. Kamaji continued turning the crank and falling back into his old work routine.
"He's a nice lad, they're good friends you know", Kamaji said, growling at the seven bath tokens that had dropped before him with a clatter.
"Yeah Lyn what's wrong with that?", Chihiro practically whined. Sixteen year-olds don't whine, her mind told her sharply. She had to act like an adult now since she would be entirely on her own during this visit. She clenched her fists with determination, feeling the adrenaline rise within her. Whatever weird force that brought her here wanted her here for a reason. She might as well stay to find out. That chilling, helpless voice rang in her mind suddenly, calling her name.
"A girl, well a young lady staying with a young man, think about it Chihiro and all, Chihiro could hear the taunting in Lyn's voice as she said this. Chihiro was unaware of the blush that crept up her face. Lyn starting chuckling loudly until she was laughing her head off. Chihiro waved her arms in Lyn's face. Kamaji watched amused.
" LYN!!! I'm friends with Haku…", Chihiro said annoyed. Lyn ruffled Chihiro's hair, not listening to Chihiro at all. Kamaji gave a smile of understanding. He had sensed her friendly love for Haku long ago, in the power of her heart.
"I'm joking Sen, besides you're made of strong stuff, you can take care of yourself", Lyn said kindly, coal eyes sparkling from tears of laughter. Chihiro smiled weakly. Lyn gave a yelp and sat up.
"Chihiro you are in no fit state to go anywhere at the moment, you need a bath and some clothes, the ones you're wearing are dirty and gross", Lyn said with authority. She pulled Chihiro up by the collar.
"Ow ow, I'm coming, see you later Kamaji!", Chihiro called sweetly with a wave before following Lyn through the small wooden panel door. Luckily she did not hit her head as she crawled underneath and the door was slid shut behind her. Lyn and Chihiro's voices were muffled by the panel but they seemed to be arguing in a friendly way.
"My, what a pretty granddaughter Sen is, Lyn is right, she's strong stuff, ahhhh! Can't they be considerate to an old man?", Kamaji muttered to himself as five more bath tokens fell before his eyes with a clatter.
Another Kind of Family
A soft crackling issued only feet away. The sounds of light clashing and chimes filled the emptiness. Chihiro stirred on a sleeping pallet. She sat up with a start to find herself sitting in the boiler room of the bath house. Kamaji was away at work, his spidery arms turning cranks and snatching herbs from shelves high above Chihiro's head. She wondered how she had got their. The turning stopped and Kamaji looked over at Chihiro briefly.
"You're back eh kid? Or now ye be a young lady", Kamaji said kindly in his wizened voice. He returned to his work, one hand stroking his mustache. The clanking of coals hitting the belly of the infernal boiler. The tendrils of flame would leap out and descend into ashy embers. Little soot balls squeaked and occasionally bumped into each other with their burdens of coal. A feeling of warmth, dryness, and safety encircled Chihiro. Tears beaded her eyes, setting her eyelashes shining. Kamaji looked back again and smiled under his graying whiskers.
"You know I missed you granddaughter, what brings you back?", he asked curiously.
"I…don't know", Chihiro started. The mud had dried into dirt caked on her pajamas. She brushed some off cautiously. The small door in the wall slid open and Lyn came through. She was tall, lips thin and long to show her always changing expressions. Dark bangs swept to either side of her head, coal eyes that held a mischievous look. She crawled through and sat next to Chihiro, handing her a bowl of steaming white rice and a mug of tea.
"Hey kiddo, why did you come back? Crazy notion? You missed me?", Lyn teased, arching a dark brow.
"I was in my room, and the wind pushed out the window and I landed in that weird sea, I don't know how I got here at all-", Chihiro blurted, coming to a stop when Lyn raised a hand to silence her.
"Eat up, my you've grown, all that baby fat on your cheeks is gone, and it's left you with high looking cheekbones, but no sign of maturity, Sen will you ever grow up?", Lyn spoke with a chuckle of amusement. She brushed a strand of brown hair out of Chihiro's eyes, smiling with concern. Chihiro smiled half-heartedly and ate the food quickly. One sip of the tea and she spit a mouthful out onto Lyn's faded orange Chinese pants. Lyn jumped and wiped with futile effort to remove the liquid that drenched her pant leg.
"Nice going dope", Lyn said with growing sarcasm. Their was a hint of happiness behind her words, and they were visible through the smile that held to her face. Lyn grinned widely.
"I'm so sorry!", Chihiro said worriedly, inclining her head slightly forward.
"What am I going to do with you?", Lyn said with the concern and hinted sarcasm of an older sister. A light of happiness glowed in Chihiro's eyes.
"Let me stay for a visit? Oh please, oh please!", Chihiro said, bowing forward and clasping her hands together. Kamaji chuckled and tapped Chihiro on the shoulder with his elongated arm.
"Yubaba could probably take you back", Kamaji offered. Lyn was taken back.
"Don't sign a contract!", Lyn said sharply. Chihiro became confused and worried. She wanted to visit with her friends so badly. Kamaji stroked his shining bald head with spindly fingers.
"She could stay with Haku, he doesn't live far from her, and she could visit us every day or so", Kamaji said with the essence of one thinking out loud. Chihiro was about to respond when the sudden thought of the empty ship came back to her. Those pitch black doorways, the feeling of helplessness in the air, the strange music. The strange music? Why hadn't she remembered hearing this before? But she hadn't and it was a shock. It was a drum sound, deep and soft. It wasn't music, it was footsteps. Footsteps of darkness. Something must have invaded the Spirit Resort. Chihiro found this to be a foolish notion. The tenseness she felt must had made her imagine the footsteps. She decided not to worry her friends with such a crazy idea. An idea that haunted her. Lyn's voice brought her back to the present.
"HAKU?? Are you nuts? I couldn't stand him while he was here, and besides don't you think it's a bit awkward? Totally against common courtesy", Lyn said ominously, a warning. Kamaji continued turning the crank and falling back into his old work routine.
"He's a nice lad, they're good friends you know", Kamaji said, growling at the seven bath tokens that had dropped before him with a clatter.
"Yeah Lyn what's wrong with that?", Chihiro practically whined. Sixteen year-olds don't whine, her mind told her sharply. She had to act like an adult now since she would be entirely on her own during this visit. She clenched her fists with determination, feeling the adrenaline rise within her. Whatever weird force that brought her here wanted her here for a reason. She might as well stay to find out. That chilling, helpless voice rang in her mind suddenly, calling her name.
"A girl, well a young lady staying with a young man, think about it Chihiro and all, Chihiro could hear the taunting in Lyn's voice as she said this. Chihiro was unaware of the blush that crept up her face. Lyn starting chuckling loudly until she was laughing her head off. Chihiro waved her arms in Lyn's face. Kamaji watched amused.
" LYN!!! I'm friends with Haku…", Chihiro said annoyed. Lyn ruffled Chihiro's hair, not listening to Chihiro at all. Kamaji gave a smile of understanding. He had sensed her friendly love for Haku long ago, in the power of her heart.
"I'm joking Sen, besides you're made of strong stuff, you can take care of yourself", Lyn said kindly, coal eyes sparkling from tears of laughter. Chihiro smiled weakly. Lyn gave a yelp and sat up.
"Chihiro you are in no fit state to go anywhere at the moment, you need a bath and some clothes, the ones you're wearing are dirty and gross", Lyn said with authority. She pulled Chihiro up by the collar.
"Ow ow, I'm coming, see you later Kamaji!", Chihiro called sweetly with a wave before following Lyn through the small wooden panel door. Luckily she did not hit her head as she crawled underneath and the door was slid shut behind her. Lyn and Chihiro's voices were muffled by the panel but they seemed to be arguing in a friendly way.
"My, what a pretty granddaughter Sen is, Lyn is right, she's strong stuff, ahhhh! Can't they be considerate to an old man?", Kamaji muttered to himself as five more bath tokens fell before his eyes with a clatter.