" Sen...Sen...SEN!!! " Sen jumped and looked around to see who was calling
her name. It was Mrs.Higurashi.
" Yes Mrs.Higurashi? " Sen asked. Mrs.Higurashi stared at her over the rims of her glasses.
" Seeing that class has ended I thought we could start your detention. I want you to write 'I will never be late again' on the board until you've covered the whole thing. And no writing in big letters or else I will make you start over. Write it as if you were writing it in your notebook. "
" Yes ma'am.... " Sen reluctantly walked up to the board and began to write. About Half an hour later Sen was about a quarter done.
"I have to go take care of something. I trust that I can leave you here for at least ten minutes on your own?" Mrs.Higurashi said.
" Yes, of course ma'am. " Sen said. Mrs.Higurashi picked up her files and left the room. When Sen was sure that she was at least down the hall the sat down next to the chalkboard. For minute or two she just sat there massaging her hand. She then reached into her bag and pulled out an apple. She began to eat as she examined the board. She sighed and closed her eyes.
" Shouldn't you be working on your sentences? " Someone asked. Sen nearly chocked on her apple. She stood up and bowed very low.
" Yes ma'am I'm very sorry. I- " But it wasn't Mrs.Higurashi. It was the boy she saw standing out in the rain. Up close he looked only a few years older than Sen.
" Who are you? " Sen asked. The boy smiled.
" Who am I? Who are you? " The boy asked.
" I'm Sen. "
" Are you sure about that? " Sen opened her mouth to answer. But quickly shut it. The boy smirked.
" Don't worry...I'm not really sure who I am either...but everyone calls me Hotaru .... Look, the reason I'm here is I'm looking for someone. And I think that you know her.... Her name is Chihiro. Know her? " Sen paused for a moment thinking.
" Oh, yes I know a Chihiro. That's my mothers name. " Sen responded.
" You must take me to her at once. " Hotaru said.
" But what about my detention? I can't just leave! " Sen said. Hotaru rolled his eyes.
" Don't worry, " He snapped his fingers, " She's at home sleeping. When she wakes up she wont remember giving you detention or anything about today. " Sen didn't question him. She grabbed her books and the both of them quickly left the school. It was still pouring out side. Sen ran down the road with Hotaru close by her side. It only took them five minutes to reach Sen's house. Sen and Hotaru rushed inside. They were soaking wet. Then Hotaru snapped his fingers again and all of a sudden they were dry as a bone.
" Thank you, " Sen said. Hotaru nodded, " Mom! I'm home! " Sen said.
" Welcome home from school honey! Oh! Who's this? " Chihiro asked when she saw Hotaru.
" Are you Chihiro? The human who once lived and worked at the Bath house for the spirits? " Hotaru asked. Chihiro's expression quickly became very cold.
" Who are you? What do you want? " She asked rather coldly. Hotaru was surprised by the tone in her voice.
" Forgive me.... " He said bowing, " I am Hotaru...I work for Yubaba at the bath house. She requested for me to come and retrieve you. Some things wrong and for some reason she feels that you can help. " Hotaru said.
" There is no such thing as a bath house for the spirits and never was! Now leave before I make you. " Chihiro exclaimed.
" Hmm, if there was never a bath house for the spirits or you have never been...I wonder where you got the name for your daughter.... For wasn't it the name Yubaba gave you when you worked for her? " Hotaru said. Chihiro was fuming.
" I SAID OUT! " Chihiro exclaimed. She shoved him out the door with great force and slammed it. Chihiro leaned against the door and covered her face with her hands.
" Mom? " Sen said as she reached out her hand to put on her moms shoulder.
" Go up to your room now! " Chihiro said through her hands. Sen reluctantly went up stairs to her room. She sat on her windowsill and looked for Hotaru. He was standing in front of her house looking up at Sen. Sen gave a small wave. Hotaru looked down at his feet. Then Sen made the mistake of blinking and he was gone.
" Yes Mrs.Higurashi? " Sen asked. Mrs.Higurashi stared at her over the rims of her glasses.
" Seeing that class has ended I thought we could start your detention. I want you to write 'I will never be late again' on the board until you've covered the whole thing. And no writing in big letters or else I will make you start over. Write it as if you were writing it in your notebook. "
" Yes ma'am.... " Sen reluctantly walked up to the board and began to write. About Half an hour later Sen was about a quarter done.
"I have to go take care of something. I trust that I can leave you here for at least ten minutes on your own?" Mrs.Higurashi said.
" Yes, of course ma'am. " Sen said. Mrs.Higurashi picked up her files and left the room. When Sen was sure that she was at least down the hall the sat down next to the chalkboard. For minute or two she just sat there massaging her hand. She then reached into her bag and pulled out an apple. She began to eat as she examined the board. She sighed and closed her eyes.
" Shouldn't you be working on your sentences? " Someone asked. Sen nearly chocked on her apple. She stood up and bowed very low.
" Yes ma'am I'm very sorry. I- " But it wasn't Mrs.Higurashi. It was the boy she saw standing out in the rain. Up close he looked only a few years older than Sen.
" Who are you? " Sen asked. The boy smiled.
" Who am I? Who are you? " The boy asked.
" I'm Sen. "
" Are you sure about that? " Sen opened her mouth to answer. But quickly shut it. The boy smirked.
" Don't worry...I'm not really sure who I am either...but everyone calls me Hotaru .... Look, the reason I'm here is I'm looking for someone. And I think that you know her.... Her name is Chihiro. Know her? " Sen paused for a moment thinking.
" Oh, yes I know a Chihiro. That's my mothers name. " Sen responded.
" You must take me to her at once. " Hotaru said.
" But what about my detention? I can't just leave! " Sen said. Hotaru rolled his eyes.
" Don't worry, " He snapped his fingers, " She's at home sleeping. When she wakes up she wont remember giving you detention or anything about today. " Sen didn't question him. She grabbed her books and the both of them quickly left the school. It was still pouring out side. Sen ran down the road with Hotaru close by her side. It only took them five minutes to reach Sen's house. Sen and Hotaru rushed inside. They were soaking wet. Then Hotaru snapped his fingers again and all of a sudden they were dry as a bone.
" Thank you, " Sen said. Hotaru nodded, " Mom! I'm home! " Sen said.
" Welcome home from school honey! Oh! Who's this? " Chihiro asked when she saw Hotaru.
" Are you Chihiro? The human who once lived and worked at the Bath house for the spirits? " Hotaru asked. Chihiro's expression quickly became very cold.
" Who are you? What do you want? " She asked rather coldly. Hotaru was surprised by the tone in her voice.
" Forgive me.... " He said bowing, " I am Hotaru...I work for Yubaba at the bath house. She requested for me to come and retrieve you. Some things wrong and for some reason she feels that you can help. " Hotaru said.
" There is no such thing as a bath house for the spirits and never was! Now leave before I make you. " Chihiro exclaimed.
" Hmm, if there was never a bath house for the spirits or you have never been...I wonder where you got the name for your daughter.... For wasn't it the name Yubaba gave you when you worked for her? " Hotaru said. Chihiro was fuming.
" I SAID OUT! " Chihiro exclaimed. She shoved him out the door with great force and slammed it. Chihiro leaned against the door and covered her face with her hands.
" Mom? " Sen said as she reached out her hand to put on her moms shoulder.
" Go up to your room now! " Chihiro said through her hands. Sen reluctantly went up stairs to her room. She sat on her windowsill and looked for Hotaru. He was standing in front of her house looking up at Sen. Sen gave a small wave. Hotaru looked down at his feet. Then Sen made the mistake of blinking and he was gone.