In the middle of the night, I woke up sweating. I dreamed about a strange place and the people... are they people? I wouldn't know and a strange boy who keeps calling my name... " Haku...", I murmured, as I lie back to bed and fell back to sleep.
"Chihiro...hey Chihiro...", I heard someone say behind me. I was walking down the street, the place where my parents and I live on top of a mountain and below it, there's a forest... It's really weird. My parents never wanted me to go near that forest, apparently they said there are some supernatural things happening there. I don't believe in that stuff; supernatural or not, I think it's full of crap. But I do get curious and then something made me stop when I reached the bottom of the streets.
I felt the wind tugging at my uniform, it made me turn full 180 degrees. As I faced the pine green forest, the wind then started to push me towards it. I saw a path that was in front of me now. The path was full of dirt and stones, and it seems like it hasn't been used in ages. All of a sudden, I heard a calming voice calling my name. It was a voice I've never heard in my life.
" Hey Chihiro!", someone shouted. I jumped a little and turned to see who it was. And yeah, it's none other than Chise.
" Chise...good morning", I said. She was panting as she waved 'hi' at me.
" Why did you made me chase you all the way here?", she complained. I looked at her confused, what was she talking about? And where did the wind go?
"Sorry... but when you got here.. did you felt the wind pushing you?'', I asked out of curiosity. She shrugged, she didn't feel any wind or what so ever.
After that little confusion, Chise and I walked along the street walk.
We walked quietly as we arrived to school. Chise broke the silence.
"Chihiro... something is bothering you... you know you could tell me... I'll try to help...", she observed my eyes and saw desperation.
Chise, she knew me since that terrible accident. I twisted her and she never let me down. I needed to tell her about my dream, about that forest calling me, and about that strange boy. I decide to tell her everything when school ended... unfortunately... I'll never had a chance to tell her anything.
The principle had summoned me that day. He asks it was an emergency, this never happened and I was scared to death to find out what happened. I knocked quietly at the bronze office door. The principal told me to come in and offered me to sit down. I didn't... I want to know what has happened now.
" Please sir... what is it that is so urgent...?", as I struggled to get those words out. I don't want to know, I thought to myself. I prayed and prayed that nothing serious had happened. When the principal started talking, I felt a tear trickle down my rosy cheek.
"Your mother... got a heart attack and well... when your father found out, he rushed your mother to the hospital, but... I'm sorry to say that your mother is-", I interrupted him arguing out of his office. I ran out of school and went running all the way to the hospital. How could that old principal talk so calmly about that? I hate him! I hate them all. Those phonies.. pretending they care. As my tears flow freely from either side, I couldn't believe what was happening. I sprint all the way through the hallway, entered to her room and quickly got a hold of my mother.
" Doctor, is my mother...", I was crying. I can't look at my mother's frail body. I couldn't set how this happened. How can I? She was so cheerful when I left the house. Same old, same old... but now... my mom. I tiptoed towards my mother and when I reached her bed, I let myself cry.
I was so loud. I couldn't help it, but this was too much for me. I felt a hand touched my face. I looked, it was my mother; she frailly smiled at me, she is so pale and sickly looking.
"Mom... I", I said between hiccups. She cupped my cheeks and said,
" Chihiro... I'm very sorry to say this, but... you were such a burden when that accident occurred", she muttered. I have to lean in near on what my mother was saying, and at that moment, I've wished the floor would open up and disappear through it as I heard her words.
" All the money that your father and I saved up...gone... and for what?", my mother continued, she was staring at the ceiling. And as for me, my tears kept falling harder and harder as every word she had said to me.
" Tell me, how could you fall out of the backyard and rolled down the hill and still manage to breathe at ease? You could have done us a favor... and die there.", she said, sadly. I was so confuse of hearing any hint of hatred in her voice. So where all this is coming from? But when she turned to face me, I could see an angry expression on her face and went to her eyes that shows no love or the eyes of a mother I once knew.
" I was the first to see you in your bloody state and I was going to leave, but your father... he held you and cried. I told him you're dead, but he wouldn't admit it. So he carried you all the way to the hospital...", she stopped and once again stared at the ceiling.
Then I thought to myself how I don't want to hear anymore of her ridicules. Every word coming out from my mother was painful and regretting. My head was hurting and I could feel that it may split in two. I have a major headache and my agitated mother continued to torment me with her story while I try to balance myself.
" Did you know I cried when I found out that you forgot everything? Your father paid the doctor with all the money we have just to get you back to normal... the doctor accept, and he let you go 2 months early. He said you're okay... and we never saw that bastard doctor again...", my mom babbled on.
What are you talking about? What is with this freaking headache? I actually started to cry a lot harder. My eyes stings from all the tears that just keep rolling out. I swear my eyes are puffy and red. My mother's reaction haven't changed at all with apathy, as I cried out, she kept going with her stories while I sat on the damn cold floor, mourning.
" Normal... that's what your father and I hoped for... but... that is not normal...", she once again paused and looked at me with promising death on her eyes. I could feel her starring, so slightly pushed my head up and returned her glared. The emotions that I was feeling reflects through my eyes; sympathy, passion, and love.
" I wanted to love you... but you were not the daughter... I once knew...", she stated. And this time I could see her eyes welling up tears that's threatening to roll down, and it did.
I wanted to hug her, but my legs fail to respond, and my head starts throbbing like crazy. I screamed in pain, as I started to roll around the floor. My head feels like it's going to explode. Again, it settles down and I lie there on the floor with a dirty face and eyes puffy as ever staring at my mom who was crying looking straight at me. And I felt it again, I hold onto my head as if I was trying to conceal the pain inside.
" Chihiro... you don't belong here...", she added; I could not hear a hint of love and concerns on her voice. As I look up to see my dying mother; I felt a sharp pain on both my temples and my eyes clouded. I couldn't see her one last time; as the room turned instantly to darkness. I could feel my weight slam into the dirty cold floor. I was engulfed within the abyss of pain and misery by total darkness.
When I woke up, I was on a hospital bed, I had a bandaged on my head. I don't know how I got here and who paid, but one certain thing though; it ain't my dad... I did not asked about my mother, for I already knew the answer.
It was dark and gloomy when my mother died; her death was cause by a heart failure... The doctors said they can't do anything... That's bull shit! They can't do anything because there wasn't any money on her or my father, it is all because of me... One thing is certain, I don't belong here, and my mother made me realize that.