Neighbors: The Attacker

by Siren & SpelCastrMax

Authors Note (Yes there's 2 of us for the price of one): Everyone has

seen Spirited Away and EVERYONE wanted a longer ending, so here's our

rendition. Enjoy.

From SIREN: College is a bore.

From SPELCASTRMAX: That's our Chinese zodiac sign!

SIREN: What?!

SPELCASTRMAX: We were born in the year of the pig. Lucky us (sarcasm)

SIREN: Oh yeah! That's right! We're water pigs!

SPELCASTRMAX: That sounds like a bad name for an 80's hair band.

SIREN: You know what, you're right. That's just scary.

SPELCASTRMAX: And it's frightening too.

(SIREN shakes her head)

Chapter Four: The Attacker

Four teenagers exited the noisy swim team celebration party. Tommy

had slung his arms over Chihiro and Yukari's shoulders, acting drunk to

keep away his many admirers. Haku silently followed with an amused

smile.

Yukari was laughing hard. "I can't believe Kiki did that?! That was

so wrong!"

Tommy chuckled, "Yeah, but did you see Tombo's face afterwards?"

Chihiro giggled and dropped her half of Tommy, "There's something odd

about Kiki. She always seems kinda flighty."

As they walked down the road, something rustled in the bushes beside

Chihiro. She paused and stared down the plant. Not even Haku seemed to

notice her sudden interest in a bush. They continued to walk ahead of

her.

A small, pleasant voice called out to her, "Chihiro, come and help

me."

Chihiro took a step foreword, yet hesitated. The voice was in no way

panicked, but the words made her want to help.

The others suddenly observed their friend's absence. They turned and

yelled to her, "What are you looking at?"

"I thought I heard something," Chihiro replied. As she finished her

sentence and motioned towards the bush, an undistinguishable hand

snatched her wrist. It pulled Chihiro off the path as she let out a short

scream.

For the first time ever, Haku was not the first one to react. He

stood in shock as Tommy ran to leap in after her. Yukari's expression

matched Haku, but unlike Haku she did not snap out of it right away.

Regaining his composure, Haku followed Tommy into the dark forest.

They blindly fought the dwarf-sized creature that held a now unconscious

Chihiro. Tommy's fist made contact with the top of the creature's

"head". Haku tackled its "feet" and pulled Chihiro out of the thing's

grasp. It howled in frustration and bolted away out of sight.

Haku cradled Chihiro in his arms inspected her. Yukari chose this

time to walk onto the scene. She saw the sleeping girl in the young man's

arms and commented, "Oh how sweet."

Tommy panted, "Dude, don't wanna ruin the love fest or nothing, but

what the Hell just happened?"

Haku never looked up, but shrugged his shoulders. Tommy excepted this

answer, then glanced at surrounding trees. "We need get Chihiro

inside. Don't you live around here?"

The young spirit's eyes grew wide. "No. It's...the other way."

Yukari also took in the forest scenery. "What other way?"

Luckily, Chihiro stirred at that moment and caught everyone's

attention shoving the unanswered question to the back of their minds. Without

realizing where she was or who was holding her, Chihiro reached up for

her head and let out a slow, "Ow."

Finally facing Haku, but freezing where she was, Chihiro quietly

questioned, "What happened?"

"We kicked butt and you missed it!" Tommy replied with an adrenaline

rush. Haku only smiled.

Chihiro felt her forehead to find the bleeding cut left from the

battle.

Yukari studied it, then glanced at Haku and the injury on his

forehead. "Hey, you guys match now!"

Keeping her eyes away from Haku's, Chihiro gave a little smile similar

to the one he wore. Tommy watched them. "You two do match!"

The girl's smile left and she hid her blush by staring at the dirt.

"I think I should sit up now."

Haku helped her to her feet and didn't release his hold till he knew

she was steady. He whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't sense this one."

Chihiro's embarrassment was forgotten as she looked up at him. "'This

one'?"

Over her shoulder she heard the twins demand, "What do you mean

'sense'?"

Haku stiffened, his face loosing all emotion. Without a word, he took

Chihiro's hand and started back for the path a medium pace, not even

waiting for the twins to follow.

"Haku, we have to tell them something," the girl behind him hissed,

"You have to tell me something. What did you mean by 'this one'?"

He continued not to speak. The twins jogged to catch up calling out

questions as they drew near. Haku sped up and rounded a corner before

the twins came too close.

Just around the bend drifted a black, translucent figure with a white

noh mask hanging where a face should be. His two stubby arms waved

frantically, trying to communicate with the occasional "eh".

Chihiro couldn't help grinning at her old friend not picking up on his

panic. "Noh Face!"

The spirit continued to gasp and sign. Haku, who understood the

signals, kept his face stoic as he replied, "I know. It already found

Chihiro."

Noh Face halted his motions and the unchanging mask looked to the

girl.

Tommy and Yukari turned the corner together, still shouting questions.

They went silent at the sight of Noh Face, stopping in place as if

rooted to the ground. It wasn't long before Yukari fainted. Tommy caught

her with a pleading look telling all that he wished he could faint as

well.

______________

We got some action in there! It's not just off camera. Yay. And

whomsoever caught the other Miyazaki movie reference shall receive an

imaginary cookie and a shrubbery! Keep the reviews coming.