Disclaimers Notice: I do not own any items belonging to the movie
"Spirited Away". These Items are the belongings of Hayoa Miyazaki and is
produced by Gibli Films. The only thing I do and ever will relatively own
of this is a story line I make, using the characters and settings, and/or
adding a new character to my story line that I am using.
Authors Beginning Note: O.K.! Wussup everybody? I hope you like the page on the Lingo I am and/or already used or using in my story that I posted previously. Well now, I bet your wondering what is going to happen now that Chihiro knows.or at least think she knows that her dream was real and that the black dragon exists. Well, I can't tell you directly, but I can let you start reading this chapter! Well I hope you enjoy, and don't expect all of your questions to be answered in this chapter.after all Chihiro still has five nights to work till the Sano Saishe Festivals..or does she?
Chapter 8
A Brush with Emptiness
"Jin! Get up or else we won't get any breakfast!" Yelled Rin in my ear. I looked over at her. She was tying her apron frantically, obviously in a hurry. I sat only to have Rin quickly bend over and thrown a pair of clothes at my face.
"Now hurry up! We have to hurry or else we won't get to eat until our next break, which is hours away." Rin said impatiently. I quickly got up and dressed. When I had my apron tied, Rin grabbed my wrist and began dragging me to the door.
"Wait Rin, I have to grab my second sash." I said and she loosened her hold on my wrist while I grabbed the long string called a second sash; which holds back my sleeves while I'm working.
'Come on Jin." Said Rin impatiently and I followed her. I ended up running with her in the lead. We ran down steps, and landing and every once in a while we fell down. It wasn't long after we left the girl's sleeping department that we arrived in the workers dinning hall. There was a long line there to greet us, and at this early in the night! Work never started even relatively close to when I was here six years ago! It's amazing what a big festival can change.
"Oh great! Now at this rate, there won't be any food left for us!" Rin put her hands on her hips. I looked at all of the workers. The vast majority of them were aogaeru and human like spirits like Rin. While we were waiting I went ahead and tied back my sleeves with my white second sash. I looked around some more, when suddenly a though hit me.
"Rin, follow me!" I said tugging at her.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You'll see."
"But what about our food?"
"I know a way we can get it quicker." I said and pulled her.
"What? What do you mean you know a way we can get it quicker? This is the only food line workers can afford, so we can't buy it some where else."
"Don't worry. You'll see." I said and Rin reluctantly began to follow. We walked past some people that were already up, but they paid no attention to us.
"Jin, where are we going?" asked Rin. I didn't answer until we came to the kitchen where we picked up both Kamajii's and all of the susuwatari's food.
"We can't eat Kamajii's food!" said Rin getting the wrong idea.
"I didn't say we would. Do you have any money? Enough to buy you and me a meal in the workers dining hall." Said Rin showing me a little bag she kept tucked away inside of her shirt. I took it.
"Hey! Wait a minute!"
"Don't worry Rin. If this is going to work, I'm going to need you to go down to that end of the hallway. When I look out of the kitchen, I want you to come running over here, and then ask me if I have the food ready. If anything comes up, just go along with it, ok?"
"Ok Jin. But if this doesn't work, no food for you until you can pay for it on your own, and don't even think that I'm going to help you clean the Big Tub. " I smiled.
"Yes ma'am." I said. I watched her walk down the hall way and then I walked into the kitchen.
"Excuse me sir." I said to a busy aogaeru.
"Do you have Kamajii and the susuwatari's food ready yet?"
"It's almost ready, why?"
"Do you think you could make two more dishes?" I stared at him as he eyed me suspiciously.
"Workers can eat in the dining hall if the need food."
"We have special orders to deliver Kamajii his food early and were told that it would be ok if we got our food here today as long as we paid you at least what a normal workers meal is. It doesn't have to be fancy, just as long as it's food and edible." The aogaeru watched me not even blinking.
"Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you here before."
"I'm Jin, Rin's new assistant. I just started working here yesterday. Rin asked me to do this special favor for her, so will you do it?" He looked at me.
"And where may I ask is Rin?"
"Oh, she had to go do something important really quick. She should be here any minute." I looked out of the kitchen door and nodded to Rin. She began running.
"Hey Jin, did you get the food yet?" She said almost here. She slid by the doorway and stopped, catching herself from falling.
"No."
"What do you mean no?"
"The aogaeru thinks that I'm up to something." Rin stepped in.
"Look buster, we were sent here to get our food so that we could get an early start today. Now we need to eat something and I sent my assistant Jin here to get us some food so that the food would be ready when I got here so that we could eat it on the go. Is there something wrong with that?" said angrily. I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling. The one thing you always wanted to avoid is Rin's temper.
"No Rin, it's just, I didn't know you had a new assistant that's all." He said getting to work on the order really quick like. I handed him a few silver coins and we waited by the doorway until we got everything.
"Here is both the susuwatari and Kamajii's food in this basket, and here's this basket with your food in it, I even threw in two rice cakes for you as an apology." Said the aogaeru. He looked almost scared of Rin.
"Thanks Jee." Said Rin taking Kamajii's basket and I took ours. We started walking out of the kitchen when Rin stopped.
"Oh, and Jee, I might have Jin come tomorrow if we need to have an early start." The aogaeru nodded and went back to work. We quickly walked across the bridge on this side of the building to get to the other side faster. It was kind of like a skywalk in the real world, walking from one mall to the other. There were dozens of them, and it was interesting to look down to the first floor to see who all was theres. When we were in the elevator that led to the boiler room, we began laughing.
"I can't believe we pulled it off Jin! You had me worried there for a minute, you dope." I laughed some more. I dug in our basket and pulled out the rice cakes. I handed one to Rin, and I ate the other one. By the time we got to the bottom, we had already finished our rice cake.
"Chow time." Said Rin as she maneuvered herself through the small wooden sliding door. I stepped and shut it behind.
"Break Time." Yelled Kamajii as he banged his wooden hammer.
"Kamajii, you old man, how many times have I told you to leave your bowl by the door?" She said. Kamajii handed her his used bowels and Rin handed him his food.
"Hi Kamajii" I said.
"Hello Jin. How are you this fine evening."
"I'm fine, Hey Rin, do you think I can feed the susuwatari?"
"Sure, Go ahead, knock yourself out." She said as we exchanged baskets. She sat down on the floor and took out two bowls of fried rice, two small cups, and one container filled with tea. I looked down at the bottom of the basket and there were little colorful star things that looked like sprinkles that belong on a cake. I grabbed a handful and tossed them to the susuwatari that were bouncing up and down. The susuwatari grabbed at the colorful sprinkles, some would grab only one or two in their spindly little arms and other would grab three or four. I smiled at them as the looked at me with their big white and black eyes. I tossed all of the sprinkles until there was no more and went and sat down by Rin to eat. Rin poured me a glass of tea. Taking up a pair of chopsticks I began eating my rice. While we ate, Rin and I told Kamajii what happened earlier. Noticing that Rin was almost completely finished with her meal I rushed to finish. I gulped down the bitter tea as soon as I was done with my bowl of rice.
"Ok Rin, I'm done." I said. Rin started putting the dishes into the basket. Picking up a basket, she opened the door and crawled through. I picked up the other basket.
"Good bye everyone!" I said and waved.
"Good bye Jin." Is what I got form Kamajii and the susuwatari squeaked and jumped. I climbed through the open door, making sure I didn't hit my head, and closed the door behind me.
"Hey Rin, don't you think I should just go to the Token Man and get a bath token instead of scrubbing all day." I asked. We were on our knees scrubbing the Big Tub and I could tell that Rin was getting frustrated. Even though we had spent hours scrubbing the same place, the grime still stuck to it. It didn't even look like we had been scrubbing it.
"Ya, go ahead, but hurry up, I don't want to be stuck with all of the work to myself."
"Does it matter which kind?"
"Just get what ever he'll give you. Anything is better than this." I ran all the way to the Token Master and where he gave out bath tokens. He was handing out one to everyone who passed by.
"Excuse me sir, but I need one bath token for the Big Tub." He laughed at me.
"You can scrub it yourself. I'm not wasting a perfectly good bath token on slackers." I looked at him. Not this again!
"Here you go, and enjoy yourself" he said giving a bath token to the women I recognized as Ereesa. He didn't even hesitate!
"But sir..I"
"Look, why don't you just buzz off." He said. I turned around stiffly and walked out of his eye range than ran to tell Rin.
"Rin, he wouldn't give it to me!"
"That little.!" Rin trailed off and threw her brush down on the ground. I just stood there.
"Go ahead and go back to ask him again. Tell him Rin sent you and if he still won't, I'll go ask him myself." I nodded and walked back, but when I got there, there was no one there to hand out bath tokens. That's odd, isn't he supposed to be there for most of the time? I looked around. Everyone was just walking by, chattering, and minding their own business. I stood on my tiptoes and looked over. There were four bath tokens left. Well, Rin didn't say which one to ask for. So I grabbed for the third one on my right when I felt a hand clasp around my wrist. My heart stopped.
"Stealing isn't allowed here."
"I'm not stealing, I was just trying to get a bath token, there was no one here, and I." I trailed off as I stood down on my heels and looked to see whom it was. It was a boy about my age, about a head taller, garbed in a black shirt, black pants, and a green sash. He had shoulder length, dark green hair and empty green eyes. I caught my breath. It was the Haku, not the good one, but the one in my dream. He let go of my wrist as I turned to face him. He was paler than a bleached bone. His eyes were filled with emptiness. He didn't even seem alive, and he showed no emotion.
"You were saying?" in a toneless voice.
"Haku?"
"It's Master Haku." He said darkly, still showing any emotion. "You were just telling me why you were stealing."
"I wasn't stealing. I need a bath token and no one was here to give it to me, so I didn't think any one would mind if I took one and used it." He stared at me. My throat became tight. He looked so sick and empty. What was wrong with him? "Why is he filled with only emptiness? I wanted to ask him so many things or yell or scream or something but I was paralyzed to the ground where I stood and the each time I tried to say something the words got caught in my throat. Haku grabbed the bath token in my hand and set it back. Taking the last one on my left, he began to hand it to me, and when I held out my hand to take it, he lifted his arm and hit the token on my hand, where the token broke into two pieces. I kept my hand in midair where it was and stood frozen in shock. I could see blood flowing freely on my hand. Tears pricked my eyes.
"Consider that your warning, if your ever caught stealing again, you'll be dealt with by Yubaaba, and she doesn't take stealing to well." He said and walked away. I tried to follow him, but he had disappeared into the crowd, and I couldn't get through to look for him because of all of the spirits that blocked my way, so I walked back to the token booth.
"Oh, Kohaku. What is going on, why are you like this." Tears were pouring down my face freely. I tried to pick up the pieces of the bath token, but it was hard through blurred eyes. After I got every single last piece I ran back to Rin.
"Jin what took you so."? She trailed off when she saw tears streaming down my face. She dropped her scrubbing brush onto the floor. "Jin, what's wrong, what happened."She said???? She ran over to me and grabbed my held out hands with the broken bath token. She froze, and then slowly turned my hand over to see blood flowing freely. Her hand was already covered in it.
"What? Did the Token Master do this to you? This is completely against."
"Rin, it was Haku." I said, more tears flowing down my face. Kohaku! What's going on! Why did you do that? Why are you still here? You have your name back, you should be free! What's wrong? Rin shook her head. She ripped off the bottom part of her pant and held out my hand. I let the bath token pieces fall to the floor. She wrapped the torn cloth around my hand.
"There, that will stop the bleeding for now. Lets go to the girls Department and into our room. There is a first aid kit there. She said. With out looking back behind either of us, we walked up a few flight of steps and to the eight landing where all of the workers slept.
Authors Ending Note: So, what do you think? I kinda like it. It was unexpected even for me! I just sorta thought of it at the last minute and well.boda-bing, boda-boom! There you go. So now what's going to happen huh? What if the cut never stops bleeding? What if the cut is poisoned? And what the heck is Chihiro going to do about Haku's new attitude problem? And last but not least, why is Haku filled with emptiness and look like he's on his deathbed? Well.I can't tell ya. It would ruin a perfectly good chapter that I'm in the process of making right now. So sit back, hold tight, and I'll make sure I post up my next chapter this coming week! Well got to go for right now! This is Storm_Maker signing off!
Authors Beginning Note: O.K.! Wussup everybody? I hope you like the page on the Lingo I am and/or already used or using in my story that I posted previously. Well now, I bet your wondering what is going to happen now that Chihiro knows.or at least think she knows that her dream was real and that the black dragon exists. Well, I can't tell you directly, but I can let you start reading this chapter! Well I hope you enjoy, and don't expect all of your questions to be answered in this chapter.after all Chihiro still has five nights to work till the Sano Saishe Festivals..or does she?
Chapter 8
A Brush with Emptiness
"Jin! Get up or else we won't get any breakfast!" Yelled Rin in my ear. I looked over at her. She was tying her apron frantically, obviously in a hurry. I sat only to have Rin quickly bend over and thrown a pair of clothes at my face.
"Now hurry up! We have to hurry or else we won't get to eat until our next break, which is hours away." Rin said impatiently. I quickly got up and dressed. When I had my apron tied, Rin grabbed my wrist and began dragging me to the door.
"Wait Rin, I have to grab my second sash." I said and she loosened her hold on my wrist while I grabbed the long string called a second sash; which holds back my sleeves while I'm working.
'Come on Jin." Said Rin impatiently and I followed her. I ended up running with her in the lead. We ran down steps, and landing and every once in a while we fell down. It wasn't long after we left the girl's sleeping department that we arrived in the workers dinning hall. There was a long line there to greet us, and at this early in the night! Work never started even relatively close to when I was here six years ago! It's amazing what a big festival can change.
"Oh great! Now at this rate, there won't be any food left for us!" Rin put her hands on her hips. I looked at all of the workers. The vast majority of them were aogaeru and human like spirits like Rin. While we were waiting I went ahead and tied back my sleeves with my white second sash. I looked around some more, when suddenly a though hit me.
"Rin, follow me!" I said tugging at her.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You'll see."
"But what about our food?"
"I know a way we can get it quicker." I said and pulled her.
"What? What do you mean you know a way we can get it quicker? This is the only food line workers can afford, so we can't buy it some where else."
"Don't worry. You'll see." I said and Rin reluctantly began to follow. We walked past some people that were already up, but they paid no attention to us.
"Jin, where are we going?" asked Rin. I didn't answer until we came to the kitchen where we picked up both Kamajii's and all of the susuwatari's food.
"We can't eat Kamajii's food!" said Rin getting the wrong idea.
"I didn't say we would. Do you have any money? Enough to buy you and me a meal in the workers dining hall." Said Rin showing me a little bag she kept tucked away inside of her shirt. I took it.
"Hey! Wait a minute!"
"Don't worry Rin. If this is going to work, I'm going to need you to go down to that end of the hallway. When I look out of the kitchen, I want you to come running over here, and then ask me if I have the food ready. If anything comes up, just go along with it, ok?"
"Ok Jin. But if this doesn't work, no food for you until you can pay for it on your own, and don't even think that I'm going to help you clean the Big Tub. " I smiled.
"Yes ma'am." I said. I watched her walk down the hall way and then I walked into the kitchen.
"Excuse me sir." I said to a busy aogaeru.
"Do you have Kamajii and the susuwatari's food ready yet?"
"It's almost ready, why?"
"Do you think you could make two more dishes?" I stared at him as he eyed me suspiciously.
"Workers can eat in the dining hall if the need food."
"We have special orders to deliver Kamajii his food early and were told that it would be ok if we got our food here today as long as we paid you at least what a normal workers meal is. It doesn't have to be fancy, just as long as it's food and edible." The aogaeru watched me not even blinking.
"Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you here before."
"I'm Jin, Rin's new assistant. I just started working here yesterday. Rin asked me to do this special favor for her, so will you do it?" He looked at me.
"And where may I ask is Rin?"
"Oh, she had to go do something important really quick. She should be here any minute." I looked out of the kitchen door and nodded to Rin. She began running.
"Hey Jin, did you get the food yet?" She said almost here. She slid by the doorway and stopped, catching herself from falling.
"No."
"What do you mean no?"
"The aogaeru thinks that I'm up to something." Rin stepped in.
"Look buster, we were sent here to get our food so that we could get an early start today. Now we need to eat something and I sent my assistant Jin here to get us some food so that the food would be ready when I got here so that we could eat it on the go. Is there something wrong with that?" said angrily. I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling. The one thing you always wanted to avoid is Rin's temper.
"No Rin, it's just, I didn't know you had a new assistant that's all." He said getting to work on the order really quick like. I handed him a few silver coins and we waited by the doorway until we got everything.
"Here is both the susuwatari and Kamajii's food in this basket, and here's this basket with your food in it, I even threw in two rice cakes for you as an apology." Said the aogaeru. He looked almost scared of Rin.
"Thanks Jee." Said Rin taking Kamajii's basket and I took ours. We started walking out of the kitchen when Rin stopped.
"Oh, and Jee, I might have Jin come tomorrow if we need to have an early start." The aogaeru nodded and went back to work. We quickly walked across the bridge on this side of the building to get to the other side faster. It was kind of like a skywalk in the real world, walking from one mall to the other. There were dozens of them, and it was interesting to look down to the first floor to see who all was theres. When we were in the elevator that led to the boiler room, we began laughing.
"I can't believe we pulled it off Jin! You had me worried there for a minute, you dope." I laughed some more. I dug in our basket and pulled out the rice cakes. I handed one to Rin, and I ate the other one. By the time we got to the bottom, we had already finished our rice cake.
"Chow time." Said Rin as she maneuvered herself through the small wooden sliding door. I stepped and shut it behind.
"Break Time." Yelled Kamajii as he banged his wooden hammer.
"Kamajii, you old man, how many times have I told you to leave your bowl by the door?" She said. Kamajii handed her his used bowels and Rin handed him his food.
"Hi Kamajii" I said.
"Hello Jin. How are you this fine evening."
"I'm fine, Hey Rin, do you think I can feed the susuwatari?"
"Sure, Go ahead, knock yourself out." She said as we exchanged baskets. She sat down on the floor and took out two bowls of fried rice, two small cups, and one container filled with tea. I looked down at the bottom of the basket and there were little colorful star things that looked like sprinkles that belong on a cake. I grabbed a handful and tossed them to the susuwatari that were bouncing up and down. The susuwatari grabbed at the colorful sprinkles, some would grab only one or two in their spindly little arms and other would grab three or four. I smiled at them as the looked at me with their big white and black eyes. I tossed all of the sprinkles until there was no more and went and sat down by Rin to eat. Rin poured me a glass of tea. Taking up a pair of chopsticks I began eating my rice. While we ate, Rin and I told Kamajii what happened earlier. Noticing that Rin was almost completely finished with her meal I rushed to finish. I gulped down the bitter tea as soon as I was done with my bowl of rice.
"Ok Rin, I'm done." I said. Rin started putting the dishes into the basket. Picking up a basket, she opened the door and crawled through. I picked up the other basket.
"Good bye everyone!" I said and waved.
"Good bye Jin." Is what I got form Kamajii and the susuwatari squeaked and jumped. I climbed through the open door, making sure I didn't hit my head, and closed the door behind me.
"Hey Rin, don't you think I should just go to the Token Man and get a bath token instead of scrubbing all day." I asked. We were on our knees scrubbing the Big Tub and I could tell that Rin was getting frustrated. Even though we had spent hours scrubbing the same place, the grime still stuck to it. It didn't even look like we had been scrubbing it.
"Ya, go ahead, but hurry up, I don't want to be stuck with all of the work to myself."
"Does it matter which kind?"
"Just get what ever he'll give you. Anything is better than this." I ran all the way to the Token Master and where he gave out bath tokens. He was handing out one to everyone who passed by.
"Excuse me sir, but I need one bath token for the Big Tub." He laughed at me.
"You can scrub it yourself. I'm not wasting a perfectly good bath token on slackers." I looked at him. Not this again!
"Here you go, and enjoy yourself" he said giving a bath token to the women I recognized as Ereesa. He didn't even hesitate!
"But sir..I"
"Look, why don't you just buzz off." He said. I turned around stiffly and walked out of his eye range than ran to tell Rin.
"Rin, he wouldn't give it to me!"
"That little.!" Rin trailed off and threw her brush down on the ground. I just stood there.
"Go ahead and go back to ask him again. Tell him Rin sent you and if he still won't, I'll go ask him myself." I nodded and walked back, but when I got there, there was no one there to hand out bath tokens. That's odd, isn't he supposed to be there for most of the time? I looked around. Everyone was just walking by, chattering, and minding their own business. I stood on my tiptoes and looked over. There were four bath tokens left. Well, Rin didn't say which one to ask for. So I grabbed for the third one on my right when I felt a hand clasp around my wrist. My heart stopped.
"Stealing isn't allowed here."
"I'm not stealing, I was just trying to get a bath token, there was no one here, and I." I trailed off as I stood down on my heels and looked to see whom it was. It was a boy about my age, about a head taller, garbed in a black shirt, black pants, and a green sash. He had shoulder length, dark green hair and empty green eyes. I caught my breath. It was the Haku, not the good one, but the one in my dream. He let go of my wrist as I turned to face him. He was paler than a bleached bone. His eyes were filled with emptiness. He didn't even seem alive, and he showed no emotion.
"You were saying?" in a toneless voice.
"Haku?"
"It's Master Haku." He said darkly, still showing any emotion. "You were just telling me why you were stealing."
"I wasn't stealing. I need a bath token and no one was here to give it to me, so I didn't think any one would mind if I took one and used it." He stared at me. My throat became tight. He looked so sick and empty. What was wrong with him? "Why is he filled with only emptiness? I wanted to ask him so many things or yell or scream or something but I was paralyzed to the ground where I stood and the each time I tried to say something the words got caught in my throat. Haku grabbed the bath token in my hand and set it back. Taking the last one on my left, he began to hand it to me, and when I held out my hand to take it, he lifted his arm and hit the token on my hand, where the token broke into two pieces. I kept my hand in midair where it was and stood frozen in shock. I could see blood flowing freely on my hand. Tears pricked my eyes.
"Consider that your warning, if your ever caught stealing again, you'll be dealt with by Yubaaba, and she doesn't take stealing to well." He said and walked away. I tried to follow him, but he had disappeared into the crowd, and I couldn't get through to look for him because of all of the spirits that blocked my way, so I walked back to the token booth.
"Oh, Kohaku. What is going on, why are you like this." Tears were pouring down my face freely. I tried to pick up the pieces of the bath token, but it was hard through blurred eyes. After I got every single last piece I ran back to Rin.
"Jin what took you so."? She trailed off when she saw tears streaming down my face. She dropped her scrubbing brush onto the floor. "Jin, what's wrong, what happened."She said???? She ran over to me and grabbed my held out hands with the broken bath token. She froze, and then slowly turned my hand over to see blood flowing freely. Her hand was already covered in it.
"What? Did the Token Master do this to you? This is completely against."
"Rin, it was Haku." I said, more tears flowing down my face. Kohaku! What's going on! Why did you do that? Why are you still here? You have your name back, you should be free! What's wrong? Rin shook her head. She ripped off the bottom part of her pant and held out my hand. I let the bath token pieces fall to the floor. She wrapped the torn cloth around my hand.
"There, that will stop the bleeding for now. Lets go to the girls Department and into our room. There is a first aid kit there. She said. With out looking back behind either of us, we walked up a few flight of steps and to the eight landing where all of the workers slept.
Authors Ending Note: So, what do you think? I kinda like it. It was unexpected even for me! I just sorta thought of it at the last minute and well.boda-bing, boda-boom! There you go. So now what's going to happen huh? What if the cut never stops bleeding? What if the cut is poisoned? And what the heck is Chihiro going to do about Haku's new attitude problem? And last but not least, why is Haku filled with emptiness and look like he's on his deathbed? Well.I can't tell ya. It would ruin a perfectly good chapter that I'm in the process of making right now. So sit back, hold tight, and I'll make sure I post up my next chapter this coming week! Well got to go for right now! This is Storm_Maker signing off!