Disclaimer: I do NOT own Spirited Away or Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi.
Constructive Criticism is welcome! If I screwed on something, let me know, please! And since I am for some reason unable to upload Bold, Italic, or Underlined fonts on FF.Net (I don't know why!) dreams or accented words or ANYTHING will either be between asterisks (i.e. dreams are in ***dreams***) or in caps (i.e. "CAPS LOCK, DANGIT!!!") Understand?
Chapter Started: 5/1/03
Chapter Finished: 5/11/03
Thirty minutes after the last chapter
.
.
~
Remembering Pain
~
.
.
"Okaasan, guess who woke me up with a surprise?" Chihiro demanded, standing firmly in her mother's way. Yuuko sighed, and decided not to beat around the bush.
"He's going to have you spend the day and night at his boss's house, and his boss's seven sons. You'll come home from school the regular way, and it's only one day and night."
"and you LET him??" Chihiro demanded. "you LET him arrange to dump me at his boss's house??"
"Honey, relax. He'll help you become more active - said so himself."
"But," Chihiro started, however, Yuuko pushed her lightly out the door to where Akio was waiting in the car. Haughtily, Chihiro picked Yukio up and marched into the front seat.
"Nice surprise," she said hotly.
"Leave the dog. And you're too silent, Chihiro. One day and night with seven rowdy boys and your meekness and silence will be cured!"
"I am NOT leaving Yukio." Chihiro replied. "and I'm not meek or silent."
"Yes, you ARE leaving Yukio. And you ARE meek and much too silent."
"I REFUSE to let Yukio go. I am FINE."
"whether you refuse or not, Yukio is NOT coming. You are NOT fine."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"Are the two of you arguing?" Yuuko had come out. "Here, Yukio, I'll feed you." Yukio was immediately in Yuuko's arms.
"Yukio!" Chihiro cried. The little dog whimpered apologetically.
Moodily, Chihiro swung back against the seat and they rode in silence.
When they got there, Akio's boss smiled toothily at her.
"Yup, she's a weak one," he informed her father. "I'll do what I can to fix that for you."
"My thanks. Be good, Chihiro."
She didn't answer.
"So, Miss Ogino - can I call you Chihiro? - it's nice to meet you finally. I've heard a lot about you - you're silent, and meek, and a bit of a brat. So to cure that, I'm going to have you do chores all day with my seven sons. The boys will love you, I'm sure." He pushed her through a messy house out into the back yard. "they'll tell you what to do." He paused. "Boys! Your mother and I will be back around twelve! Be good, and this is your helper!" with that, he was gone.
Cure her meekness. Hmph.
All seven boys were in age order, from eleven to seventeen. They all had dirty brown blond hair and flat blue eyes. Dull. 'goody for me' Chihiro thought flatly.
They all smiled sweetly at the eleven year old, then put her to work.
She spent all morning doing what each asked, and they just sat around, mostly inside playing video games or watching TV or eating. For spite, Chihiro kept her head down and didn't open her mouth once. Everything she was "asked" to do, she did horribly, or the wrong way. It was around nine that she was given a break.
"Okay, Chihiro," said the fourteen year old. "now that you've worked everything the right way" Chihiro inwardly snorted "-we're going to test your brains. You haven't said anything at all today, did you know? So answer our questions, and we'll give you..." he paused. "some crackers to eat, since you haven't eaten at all either."
Chihiro sat diligently, wiping the hair that fell in front of her ears behind them. Sweat was a very uncomfortable thing.
"What's one plus two?"
"Twelve." She snapped moodily.
And so this went on. Since she purposefully answered all of the questions wrong, she didn't get the crackers. Fine. Wasn't like she was hungry anyway. She was very glad when Mr. I'm-the-boss and his wife came home and made them go to bed. Chihiro got the couch.
*** Sen ran harder then she had ever run before, as a cold fear grappled at her heart and skin. Something was chasing her - but what was it? it was cold, and cruel; a black shadow that closed around her thin form, lifting her up, squeezing her, choking her, drowning her in blood... voices echoed in her head, and she tried to struggle, to escape this cold prison, but her body was frozen, spasming slightly every now and then. She was trapped, couldn't escape, pain wracked her body...
"Once you've met someone you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"Geeze, Sen, you haven't worked a day in your life!"
"Once You've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"Don't worry; I'm a friend."
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"And just where do you think you're going?"
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"Gomen Nasai, I'll be a good girl now, I promise, I promise!"
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"HELP ME, somebody, help!"
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"are you lost?"
Sen finally gasped as she was released, and fell through bright colors, memories; being chased, pushed, crying, running, tripping, her shoe, get her shoe, she had to get her shoe, blood, it was all red, everything she saw was red
she screamed, and saw a river - no, it seemed more like an ocean or the sea - loom up before her, and she hit it with a splash.
It closed around her, clear as day, then a light, murky blue. Somewhere far off she caught out of the corner of her eye a pink shoe - her pink shoe - and being carried away. She knew she was going to drown.
Yet - something carried her - she was riding on something, and it carried her to shallow water. Coughing a little, she pulled herself to her feet, and looked over her shoulder. Nothing but a great expanse of ocean - or sea?
"You promised."
She turned around ***
"I SAID WAKE UP!" Chihiro jerked awake and glared angrily at the boy above her. "you're going to be late for school!"
Constructive Criticism is welcome! If I screwed on something, let me know, please! And since I am for some reason unable to upload Bold, Italic, or Underlined fonts on FF.Net (I don't know why!) dreams or accented words or ANYTHING will either be between asterisks (i.e. dreams are in ***dreams***) or in caps (i.e. "CAPS LOCK, DANGIT!!!") Understand?
Chapter Started: 5/1/03
Chapter Finished: 5/11/03
Thirty minutes after the last chapter
.
.
~
Remembering Pain
~
.
.
"Okaasan, guess who woke me up with a surprise?" Chihiro demanded, standing firmly in her mother's way. Yuuko sighed, and decided not to beat around the bush.
"He's going to have you spend the day and night at his boss's house, and his boss's seven sons. You'll come home from school the regular way, and it's only one day and night."
"and you LET him??" Chihiro demanded. "you LET him arrange to dump me at his boss's house??"
"Honey, relax. He'll help you become more active - said so himself."
"But," Chihiro started, however, Yuuko pushed her lightly out the door to where Akio was waiting in the car. Haughtily, Chihiro picked Yukio up and marched into the front seat.
"Nice surprise," she said hotly.
"Leave the dog. And you're too silent, Chihiro. One day and night with seven rowdy boys and your meekness and silence will be cured!"
"I am NOT leaving Yukio." Chihiro replied. "and I'm not meek or silent."
"Yes, you ARE leaving Yukio. And you ARE meek and much too silent."
"I REFUSE to let Yukio go. I am FINE."
"whether you refuse or not, Yukio is NOT coming. You are NOT fine."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"Are the two of you arguing?" Yuuko had come out. "Here, Yukio, I'll feed you." Yukio was immediately in Yuuko's arms.
"Yukio!" Chihiro cried. The little dog whimpered apologetically.
Moodily, Chihiro swung back against the seat and they rode in silence.
When they got there, Akio's boss smiled toothily at her.
"Yup, she's a weak one," he informed her father. "I'll do what I can to fix that for you."
"My thanks. Be good, Chihiro."
She didn't answer.
"So, Miss Ogino - can I call you Chihiro? - it's nice to meet you finally. I've heard a lot about you - you're silent, and meek, and a bit of a brat. So to cure that, I'm going to have you do chores all day with my seven sons. The boys will love you, I'm sure." He pushed her through a messy house out into the back yard. "they'll tell you what to do." He paused. "Boys! Your mother and I will be back around twelve! Be good, and this is your helper!" with that, he was gone.
Cure her meekness. Hmph.
All seven boys were in age order, from eleven to seventeen. They all had dirty brown blond hair and flat blue eyes. Dull. 'goody for me' Chihiro thought flatly.
They all smiled sweetly at the eleven year old, then put her to work.
She spent all morning doing what each asked, and they just sat around, mostly inside playing video games or watching TV or eating. For spite, Chihiro kept her head down and didn't open her mouth once. Everything she was "asked" to do, she did horribly, or the wrong way. It was around nine that she was given a break.
"Okay, Chihiro," said the fourteen year old. "now that you've worked everything the right way" Chihiro inwardly snorted "-we're going to test your brains. You haven't said anything at all today, did you know? So answer our questions, and we'll give you..." he paused. "some crackers to eat, since you haven't eaten at all either."
Chihiro sat diligently, wiping the hair that fell in front of her ears behind them. Sweat was a very uncomfortable thing.
"What's one plus two?"
"Twelve." She snapped moodily.
And so this went on. Since she purposefully answered all of the questions wrong, she didn't get the crackers. Fine. Wasn't like she was hungry anyway. She was very glad when Mr. I'm-the-boss and his wife came home and made them go to bed. Chihiro got the couch.
*** Sen ran harder then she had ever run before, as a cold fear grappled at her heart and skin. Something was chasing her - but what was it? it was cold, and cruel; a black shadow that closed around her thin form, lifting her up, squeezing her, choking her, drowning her in blood... voices echoed in her head, and she tried to struggle, to escape this cold prison, but her body was frozen, spasming slightly every now and then. She was trapped, couldn't escape, pain wracked her body...
"Once you've met someone you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"Geeze, Sen, you haven't worked a day in your life!"
"Once You've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"Don't worry; I'm a friend."
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"And just where do you think you're going?"
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"Gomen Nasai, I'll be a good girl now, I promise, I promise!"
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"HELP ME, somebody, help!"
"Once you've met someone, you never really forget them; it just takes a while for your memories to return..."
"are you lost?"
Sen finally gasped as she was released, and fell through bright colors, memories; being chased, pushed, crying, running, tripping, her shoe, get her shoe, she had to get her shoe, blood, it was all red, everything she saw was red
she screamed, and saw a river - no, it seemed more like an ocean or the sea - loom up before her, and she hit it with a splash.
It closed around her, clear as day, then a light, murky blue. Somewhere far off she caught out of the corner of her eye a pink shoe - her pink shoe - and being carried away. She knew she was going to drown.
Yet - something carried her - she was riding on something, and it carried her to shallow water. Coughing a little, she pulled herself to her feet, and looked over her shoulder. Nothing but a great expanse of ocean - or sea?
"You promised."
She turned around ***
"I SAID WAKE UP!" Chihiro jerked awake and glared angrily at the boy above her. "you're going to be late for school!"