Promise
By Rainmusic
Disclaimer: Spirited Away does not belong to me. But I'd be more than happy to take it off Miyazaki-san's hands.
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
"Will we meet again sometime?"
"I'm sure we will"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
"Haku, you liar."
I was back again, no matter how many times I promised myself not to dwell on the past. Back to the place I first met him, my best friend. Sitting with my back against the railing of the bridge, listening for the sound of footsteps and the whistle of the train that told me that sunset was coming, that it was time to leave.
"It's been five years. Five years, Haku. Why haven't I seen you?"
What happened? I'm so worried. I miss them so much, all of them-Granny, Lin*, No face, even Yubaba. And especially Haku.
What if something happened? What if Haku's hurt again? This time, I won't be there- and I won't have medicine from the river spirit to heal him. What if he agreed to do Yubaba's work again? He wouldn't, would he?
"It's not like you, Haku, to break a promise. What happened?"
I must sound crazy, sitting alone on a bridge in the middle of nowhere, talking to someone who's not there. But I don't care how crazy I sound; cause no one's around. No one but me. And besides, it comforts me. When I'm here, talking aloud, I feel almost...connected to him.
"Just give me a sign, Haku, just a little one. Anything! You're driving me crazy."
I sigh. Nothing at all. But I should be used to it by now- he never gives me a sign. Selfish bastard.
I'm tired. So tired of waiting for a sign, so tired of waiting for him to fulfill a five year old promise.
"I give up, Haku. This is it. Bye."
Well, you can't say I didn't try. Can't say I didn't give you a chance.
I stand, cast one last look at the bathhouse, and walk back towards the tunnel. This is the last time, I know, because there's a sense of finality that wasn't there before. This is real.
"I really believed that you'd come. But I guess that's just my wishful thinking."
I'm choking back tears, because even though he's not here, I refuse to cry in this place. I've cried too much in this place anyway.
But I've never been good at keeping things in, and as soon I start to see the familiar dry riverbed, the tears start rolling. Crying for a friendship I thought could endure...but didn't. For a friend I trusted to come back...but didn't. For the world that I always thought would always be there...but isn't.
I guess sooner or later, you have to grow up. And it's about time I gave up this childhood fantasy. Time to return to reality.
I'm almost there. Just a few more steps until I reach the tunnel, but it's so hard. I can barely move my feet. And I want so much to turn around. To look at that town, at the bathhouse one last time, but this is just like the last time I left– really left- I can't look back.
So I break into a run, a sprint. Because I don't know how much I longer I can resist the urge to look. And before I know it, I'm on the other side.
And there's that hideous statue again, still covered in moss, still staring at me.
And everything's the same as when I left this clearing this morning. Except...except...
"Sorry I made you wait."
Haku, you idiot. What took you so long?
~Fin~
*I know technically her name is Rin, not Lin, but in the English version, they pronounce it as Lin. So, I thought it'd be okay to keep it that way. Just a short little one shot...my version of what happens after the end...
Disclaimer: Spirited Away does not belong to me. But I'd be more than happy to take it off Miyazaki-san's hands.
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
"Will we meet again sometime?"
"I'm sure we will"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
"Haku, you liar."
I was back again, no matter how many times I promised myself not to dwell on the past. Back to the place I first met him, my best friend. Sitting with my back against the railing of the bridge, listening for the sound of footsteps and the whistle of the train that told me that sunset was coming, that it was time to leave.
"It's been five years. Five years, Haku. Why haven't I seen you?"
What happened? I'm so worried. I miss them so much, all of them-Granny, Lin*, No face, even Yubaba. And especially Haku.
What if something happened? What if Haku's hurt again? This time, I won't be there- and I won't have medicine from the river spirit to heal him. What if he agreed to do Yubaba's work again? He wouldn't, would he?
"It's not like you, Haku, to break a promise. What happened?"
I must sound crazy, sitting alone on a bridge in the middle of nowhere, talking to someone who's not there. But I don't care how crazy I sound; cause no one's around. No one but me. And besides, it comforts me. When I'm here, talking aloud, I feel almost...connected to him.
"Just give me a sign, Haku, just a little one. Anything! You're driving me crazy."
I sigh. Nothing at all. But I should be used to it by now- he never gives me a sign. Selfish bastard.
I'm tired. So tired of waiting for a sign, so tired of waiting for him to fulfill a five year old promise.
"I give up, Haku. This is it. Bye."
Well, you can't say I didn't try. Can't say I didn't give you a chance.
I stand, cast one last look at the bathhouse, and walk back towards the tunnel. This is the last time, I know, because there's a sense of finality that wasn't there before. This is real.
"I really believed that you'd come. But I guess that's just my wishful thinking."
I'm choking back tears, because even though he's not here, I refuse to cry in this place. I've cried too much in this place anyway.
But I've never been good at keeping things in, and as soon I start to see the familiar dry riverbed, the tears start rolling. Crying for a friendship I thought could endure...but didn't. For a friend I trusted to come back...but didn't. For the world that I always thought would always be there...but isn't.
I guess sooner or later, you have to grow up. And it's about time I gave up this childhood fantasy. Time to return to reality.
I'm almost there. Just a few more steps until I reach the tunnel, but it's so hard. I can barely move my feet. And I want so much to turn around. To look at that town, at the bathhouse one last time, but this is just like the last time I left– really left- I can't look back.
So I break into a run, a sprint. Because I don't know how much I longer I can resist the urge to look. And before I know it, I'm on the other side.
And there's that hideous statue again, still covered in moss, still staring at me.
And everything's the same as when I left this clearing this morning. Except...except...
"Sorry I made you wait."
Haku, you idiot. What took you so long?
~Fin~
*I know technically her name is Rin, not Lin, but in the English version, they pronounce it as Lin. So, I thought it'd be okay to keep it that way. Just a short little one shot...my version of what happens after the end...