Disclaimer: Spirited Away and its characters do not belong to me in any way, shape or form.  Please don't sue me because I just ran out of Pocky and I need money to go get more. =)

Never Forget

Chapter 2: Echoes

by Nereix

            "...Kohaku?"

            "Kohaku!  Are you listening to me?"

            The boy jolted out of his reverie, turning around from the scenery to face the middle-aged woman standing behind him, her hands on her hips.  She gave an exasperated sigh as her annoyed features softened into motherly worry.  "Kohaku, you've been acting absentminded ever since we got here."  She felt his forehead.  "Was the car ride too long?  I have some motion sickness medicine in my purse—"

            Kohaku shook his head, giving her his best reassuring smile.  "Uun.  I'm fine, okaa-san."

            Okaa-san?

            The sudden, unreasonable confusion wafted away as quickly as it had come.

            "I was just daydreaming a bit, got carried away.  Sorry for worrying you..."

            "Hai, hai.  Now be a good boy and help otou-san get the boxes back into the car."

            Kohaku looked back across the small highway to his father, who was busy trying to stuff large cardboard boxes into the trunk of a car on the side of the road.  Parked nearby was a large truck whose license plate was bent and neglected on the ground.  Various boxes of different sizes lay scattered about the street.  The reason for his father's apparent irritation was evident, as his much smaller car bore a rather significant dent in front.  A formidable person, he completely dwarfed the nervous man next to him, who was bowing and apologizing profusely.  As Kohaku watched, his father snapped a few choice words at the man and returned to lugging a heavy container, muttering furiously under his breath.  Kohaku suppressed a grin.  "Hai.  He looks like he needs some help."

            Nigihayami Kyoko caught sight of her husband and ran to him.  "Mou, anata, let it be..."

            Kohaku moved to follow her, but, after some hesitation, looked back out to the horizon, eyes searching for a remnant swirl of the...something...that he had felt.  Stretching out past the railing of the road were hills that calmed into gentle slopes.  On one of them, a line of houses could be seen.  He felt his eyes being drawn to one on the end, a medium-sized residence, painted blue.

            A sudden tide of emotions blinded him.

            A sad smile, flashing before his eyes.

            Yearning...?

            Will we meet again somewhere?  ...Surely?

            Bubbles.  Water?  Ne, Haku...

            Purple sparkles.  His world was fogging over.

            —Now go, and remember, don't look back.

Don't look ba—

            "Kohaku!  Hurry up!"  His father's bellow shattered the echoes.

            Blink.  "Hai!"  Shaking his head to clear the last of the fog, Kohaku tucked away the...visions...for later—further—contemplation and went to help with the boxes.

~~~~~

            Clothes in the closet.  Books on the shelf.  Little miscellaneous odds and ends on the desk.  Surrounded by empty cardboard boxes, Kohaku blinked and looked around his new room.  Unpacking had taken less time than he'd thought it would.

            Huh, he mused.  I don't really have that much stuff.

            He glanced at the clock.  In hopes of getting his things unpacked and settled, he had gotten up early, before the alarm even rang.  It was 6:58; there was still time for a quick shower before he had to leave for his first day at his new high school.

            Fifty minutes later, he ran out of the house, school case under his arm, a muttered string of curses effectively muted by the slice of burnt toast clenched between his teeth.  Figures!  Figures he'd fall asleep.  In the shower, no less!

            "Itterasshai!" his mother called from the window.

            His returning "Ittekimasu!" was muffled by the toast, but Kyoko shouted back at him anyway.  "Don't worry about the school, Kohaku!  You'll be just fine!"

            Kohaku looked back to see his mother give him a cheery smile and a thumbs-up.  He couldn't stop his grin then, and he returned the gesture.  Kami-sama, what would he do without his parents?

            Something from the corner of his eye caught his attention.  The house on the end of the row was painted blue.  With a start, he realized that it was the exact same one he had been looking at the previous day.  What do you know, he thought.  Me and...whoever lives there...are neighbors.  And they live in the house that did that to me yesterday...

            Resuming walking, he mulled over it, shaking bread crumbs off his hands.  What was it, anyway?  A dream—did dreams have sounds?  Because he had distinctly heard a voice, a girl's voice.  The exact words escaped his memory at the moment, but it was definitely a girl's voice.  Hallucination?  He shook his head.  Visions, dreams—they belonged in fairy tales, not real life!

            He looked up.  His feet had somehow led him to stand in front of the blue house.

            ......Huh?

            Will we meet again somewhere?

            A cold shiver traced itself up his spine.

            And remember, don't look back.

            It echoed.

            —look back.

            Look back.

            Echo?

            Look back!

            The forest was behind him.  He turned around.  What was he looking for?

            In an opening between the trees, there was a small, almost hidden path, barely recognizable as one for all the foliage that grew over it.  Kohaku stared at it, then broke into a run.  For some reason, that path—it was suddenly imperative that he get there, and follow it.  Because something was missing—something really, really important—and that path would help him recover it—

            His feet rustled through tall grasses.  He made an abrupt right turn, following the patches of ground that showed up through the green plants, leading him deeper into the forest.  Piles of mini-shrines passed on his right.  Further down, a strange-looking rounded statue rushed by.  He kept running, and felt himself speeding up.

            The tree root came out of nowhere, though he wouldn't have tripped had it not been for the patch of wet moss.  As it was, his sense of direction violently disoriented itself as the ground came rushing up to meet his head.

            A girl's face, close against his.  Her voice.

            Yokatta...

            A cackle.  Don't look back, boy!

            White.

            The last thing he saw was his school case, lying at the base of the tree, blurring into a dark smudge that blended into the rest of his vision as everything faded into shadows.

~~~~~~~~~~

........Um.  ^_^;;; The ending surprised me too.  This entire chapter ended up a bit longer than I thought it would be.  I think I really have to get this story together and organize it, or it's gonna go nowhere......

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!  Your words mean so much to me.  I read and treasure every one...what, I'm not pathetic.  Isn't every fanfic author like this??  ^.^;;

Anyway...thank you for reading!  Please review.  Really, it's great encouragement. =)

Arigatou gozaimashita, minna-san! bow