Chihiro kicked the pebble and watched it sink into the Haku river. This being her family's third year living near it. Kneeling, she blew at the water and watched the ripples appear and disappear. She stared at her blurred reflection and frown. Her eyes watered. Falling back unto her rear, the ground restored her balance. She ran a hand through her ponytail and sighed. "Haku," She whispered and the breeze blew at her as she shifted.
"Chihiro,..." it whispered back. For several years she had pondered, what would happen if she had gone back to see him again? She had recently turned seventeen, and it had been so long since they last saw each other.
"Mom, I, I'm taking the car." Chihiro ran to the car before her mom responded from the open kitchen window. Backing out of the grass and unto the road, she drove. With tears shedding, she headed to the mystical place where the world had tested her courage,...and her heart.
The greenery around the entrance had grown. Covering most of it up. The bald and ugly stone figurines covered in a rich moss. Chihiro turned off the engine and put the keys in her pocket. She stared at the view before her numbly. Opening the car door, she stepped out of the old Chevy. Swinging the door closed, she began her hike through the mild forest. Emerging from the entrance, her heart clenched. The river sill separated the two lands. And the bridge was there. The so – called town empty under the sun. Without thoughts restraining her, she made her way over the bridge. On the other side, she passed by the shops. The smell of fresh and delicious food floating about her. Her eyes roamed the path she had once known so very well, but had forgotten about over time. And there, standing tall and proud was the bathhouse. Admiring its composure, she gasped. The sun was leaving a purple – orange light on the top right corner. "Sundown!" she let out, clutching the strings of her hood. Several of the town lights began to shine. And fear began to devour her face. What was going to happen to her now? She stood still, glaring at the falling sun. The strange gloomy figures re - appearing around her. Doing they're business. Walking by her. And the only thing in the sky, shining with a sulking hue, was the moon.