I splashed slowly and purposefully in the mud, liking the feel of rain
pelting my coatless back.
I didn't notice that I had taken a wrong turn until almost an hour later, thirty minutes, when I almost ran into a gargoyle thing. I stopped and stared at it. it walked around it, then backed away out of the rain, which was suddenly extremely cold, into a black tunnel. It was dry here. The coldness was still there, though, and seeped into my bones. I shivered. What a way to die.
'This must be the place where I had that dream,' I thought distastefully. I could only remember snatches of the dream; a big headed woman; and other things. Just little clips and flashes. But what brought up a raging anger - the hate within me - was that I was certain my dream boy I had fallen in love with - and still loved - had been dreamed up here.
My fists clenched. I shivered, shook with anger and hatred as I stared into the blackness as well as from cold, and a hand groped my side until I came across my pocket. Reaching in, I swallowed the two pills I kept there.
I wouldn't be returning any time soon. Turning, eyes hot with hatred, I punched the wall five times, my malnutrionized fists bleeding and raw when I turned again to the tunnel and went through.
I had to know. I had to end it.
This had to stop.
Now.
Here.
I ignored the room old fashioned as I passed through it. outside, the rain was falling even harder than before. Squinting, I thought that I could see lights on the other side. I looked behind me, but my vision was blurred and lights were there. My pills must have been taking affect sooner than I had thought. I walked forward, and paused as I hit water. So I took off my shoes and socks and rolled my jeans up my thighs before continuing.
I ended up swimming.
I didn't bother resting at all, no, not in the least bit. Why bother? The water stung my fists, making them ache and hurt terribly, but I ignored them.
When I finally came to a stairway, I gasped, and my pills and exhaustion took affect, and I tripped head first, mind tipping into blackness.
.
.
.
When I woke up again, it must have been morning. I felt that usual tingling in my body that meant it was time for my pills, and my fists clenched unconsciously. 'I hope you're ready, Mr. Boppo,' I thought, opening my eyes. I stared at the ceiling, and felt my breathing quicken as I sat up.
"Haku told me to come here and ask you for a job give me a job please!"
"Um, are you Kamajii?"
"Wait! What do I do with this?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Haku! Oh no, does it hurt?"
"I'll go to Zeniiba and apologize! She can help Haku!"
"Everybody, I need my shoes and clothes, please."
"I did let him in!"
"I'll handle that now."
"Haku! Haku, I'm going to get you some help, okay?"
I cried out, clutching my head as memories - no, fragments of my dream - flashed through my mind, all of them taking place in the room I was in. I jumped to my feet, teetered, and fell, collapsing off the step onto the dusty ground beside it.
My shout woke up three beings there.
Kamajii, as fragments of my dream told me. Rin, my memories of the dream told me. Haku, my heart told me.
I jumped back up to my feet, and for a moment nothing happened. Then I relaxed.
I was dreaming again.
And there was no way that I was going to let myself get Fantasy and Reality confused again. No way. I looked around as one of them spoke, not listening though. I felt at my pockets, hoping dearly that I would have two pills there. I felt them and gave a little sigh of relief. I looked around hoping that I could conjure up a dream Mr. Boppo.
No such luck.
"Chihiro?"
I looked back to (Haku, was it?) and frowned. That...
"This is just a dream," I informed all three of them. "So don't go trying to make me get all confused, understand?" then I backed up until I was on the last step and examined the pills in my hand. I wished that there was something else there to beat upon other than walls. I looked up and eyed the three silently for a minute.
They were talking again. I wished that they wouldn't. I felt a pressure, and realized that Rin was behind me. I made a half-hearted effort t listen to her.
"Sen, this isn't a dream," she said, gripping my shoulders. "What's happened to you? you're so thin and pale, you're shaking!" she paused. "are you cold?"
"NO!" I jerked away from her, scrambling back and falling into a pile of soot balls. I almost lost the pills in my hand, but stuffed them in my mouth instead and used my elbow and momentum to twist around, landing on my bloody knees instead of my sore back. I swallowed.
Now somebody was behind me.
I twisted my head and looked up, vision blurring momentarily. Good. Soon I would wake up again and gave my bread and orange juice and pills and Mr. Boppo and...
Wait a second. My morning pills weren't supposed to make me sleepy!
Must have been my night pills. I shook away the feeling, and pushed myself up, away from his grasp. This was just a dream, so I couldn't get hurt, so my pills would affect me the way I wanted them to. I tried to bring a Mr. Boppo, but again, nothing. What, was this a night mare?
Yes, it was.
Biting my lip, I managed to muffle a scream as I beat the floor into a bloody pulp.
My blood, actually.
But I felt better after my five hits. Angrily, I wiped tears off my face, only streaking them with blood and dirt and soot.
I took a deep breath, then looked up at Rin, Kamajii, and Haku, all of whom were bent over me, holding me.
I took a deep breath.
I stood up, a little dizzy. They were speaking.
No, it was Haku who was speaking.
"-Some sort of human thing, it's, it's doing something to her mind! Destroyed it, destroying it!" Haku's shout in the middle of whatever he was saying brought me back to life. I sat down heavily.
"Chihiro," Haku said softly, leaning above me, supporting my back and neck with his hands and knee. "Chihiro, don't go to sleep, okay? Can you tell me what happened?"
"... Happened?" I asked thickly.
I didn't notice that I had taken a wrong turn until almost an hour later, thirty minutes, when I almost ran into a gargoyle thing. I stopped and stared at it. it walked around it, then backed away out of the rain, which was suddenly extremely cold, into a black tunnel. It was dry here. The coldness was still there, though, and seeped into my bones. I shivered. What a way to die.
'This must be the place where I had that dream,' I thought distastefully. I could only remember snatches of the dream; a big headed woman; and other things. Just little clips and flashes. But what brought up a raging anger - the hate within me - was that I was certain my dream boy I had fallen in love with - and still loved - had been dreamed up here.
My fists clenched. I shivered, shook with anger and hatred as I stared into the blackness as well as from cold, and a hand groped my side until I came across my pocket. Reaching in, I swallowed the two pills I kept there.
I wouldn't be returning any time soon. Turning, eyes hot with hatred, I punched the wall five times, my malnutrionized fists bleeding and raw when I turned again to the tunnel and went through.
I had to know. I had to end it.
This had to stop.
Now.
Here.
I ignored the room old fashioned as I passed through it. outside, the rain was falling even harder than before. Squinting, I thought that I could see lights on the other side. I looked behind me, but my vision was blurred and lights were there. My pills must have been taking affect sooner than I had thought. I walked forward, and paused as I hit water. So I took off my shoes and socks and rolled my jeans up my thighs before continuing.
I ended up swimming.
I didn't bother resting at all, no, not in the least bit. Why bother? The water stung my fists, making them ache and hurt terribly, but I ignored them.
When I finally came to a stairway, I gasped, and my pills and exhaustion took affect, and I tripped head first, mind tipping into blackness.
.
.
.
When I woke up again, it must have been morning. I felt that usual tingling in my body that meant it was time for my pills, and my fists clenched unconsciously. 'I hope you're ready, Mr. Boppo,' I thought, opening my eyes. I stared at the ceiling, and felt my breathing quicken as I sat up.
"Haku told me to come here and ask you for a job give me a job please!"
"Um, are you Kamajii?"
"Wait! What do I do with this?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Haku! Oh no, does it hurt?"
"I'll go to Zeniiba and apologize! She can help Haku!"
"Everybody, I need my shoes and clothes, please."
"I did let him in!"
"I'll handle that now."
"Haku! Haku, I'm going to get you some help, okay?"
I cried out, clutching my head as memories - no, fragments of my dream - flashed through my mind, all of them taking place in the room I was in. I jumped to my feet, teetered, and fell, collapsing off the step onto the dusty ground beside it.
My shout woke up three beings there.
Kamajii, as fragments of my dream told me. Rin, my memories of the dream told me. Haku, my heart told me.
I jumped back up to my feet, and for a moment nothing happened. Then I relaxed.
I was dreaming again.
And there was no way that I was going to let myself get Fantasy and Reality confused again. No way. I looked around as one of them spoke, not listening though. I felt at my pockets, hoping dearly that I would have two pills there. I felt them and gave a little sigh of relief. I looked around hoping that I could conjure up a dream Mr. Boppo.
No such luck.
"Chihiro?"
I looked back to (Haku, was it?) and frowned. That...
"This is just a dream," I informed all three of them. "So don't go trying to make me get all confused, understand?" then I backed up until I was on the last step and examined the pills in my hand. I wished that there was something else there to beat upon other than walls. I looked up and eyed the three silently for a minute.
They were talking again. I wished that they wouldn't. I felt a pressure, and realized that Rin was behind me. I made a half-hearted effort t listen to her.
"Sen, this isn't a dream," she said, gripping my shoulders. "What's happened to you? you're so thin and pale, you're shaking!" she paused. "are you cold?"
"NO!" I jerked away from her, scrambling back and falling into a pile of soot balls. I almost lost the pills in my hand, but stuffed them in my mouth instead and used my elbow and momentum to twist around, landing on my bloody knees instead of my sore back. I swallowed.
Now somebody was behind me.
I twisted my head and looked up, vision blurring momentarily. Good. Soon I would wake up again and gave my bread and orange juice and pills and Mr. Boppo and...
Wait a second. My morning pills weren't supposed to make me sleepy!
Must have been my night pills. I shook away the feeling, and pushed myself up, away from his grasp. This was just a dream, so I couldn't get hurt, so my pills would affect me the way I wanted them to. I tried to bring a Mr. Boppo, but again, nothing. What, was this a night mare?
Yes, it was.
Biting my lip, I managed to muffle a scream as I beat the floor into a bloody pulp.
My blood, actually.
But I felt better after my five hits. Angrily, I wiped tears off my face, only streaking them with blood and dirt and soot.
I took a deep breath, then looked up at Rin, Kamajii, and Haku, all of whom were bent over me, holding me.
I took a deep breath.
I stood up, a little dizzy. They were speaking.
No, it was Haku who was speaking.
"-Some sort of human thing, it's, it's doing something to her mind! Destroyed it, destroying it!" Haku's shout in the middle of whatever he was saying brought me back to life. I sat down heavily.
"Chihiro," Haku said softly, leaning above me, supporting my back and neck with his hands and knee. "Chihiro, don't go to sleep, okay? Can you tell me what happened?"
"... Happened?" I asked thickly.