Chapter 10:

My body felt cold where Haku had been just a few seconds ago and I was still a little dizzy from everything. I stood up, my legs shaking, and walked back up the stairs since it didn't make any sense to try and go somewhere else. Luckily I made it to the bed before my legs gave in and my brain shut down.

What was going on? Why would Haku kiss me and then say things like it was a crime? Maybe he had just been taunting me like the other day? No, this time it was different, this time there had been something more than the urge to freak me out. I sat up on the bed and check the clock (that I had never noticed) on the wall. It was almost 3 o'clock, almost time for the guests to start arriving.

Slowly I eased my way off the bed, down the stairs and into Yubaba's office. I was so used to Yubaba being out when I walked through her office that I almost jumped when I heard her call my name, well when she called me Sen anyway. "Yes" I answered as I turned to face her "I'm sorry, I hadn't realised you were back" I hastily added as an apology for barging in. "You humans, no respect" she said "Do you know where Haku has gone? I've can't seem to find him" the look in her eyes told me that she knew something happened and that I also knew exactly what it was.

Luckily I honestly didn't know where he had run off to and Yubaba seemed to believe me when I told her that. "If you see him please tell him that I need to speak with him as soon as possible" she said and dismissed me as if I was one of her many staff. Then again, I was wearing a uniform but not because I wanted to wear one. Deciding to go and pay Kamaji a visit I started to make my way towards the boiler room.

Kamaji was already hard at work when I arrived five minutes later. "Hello Kamaji" I greeted as I climbed in the room through the small window opening. "Well hello there little Chihiro, it's been a while since I last saw you" he said while keeping a close eye on his work. "I'm sorry, things have been a little crazy the last couple of days and I couldn't seem to make any free time" I said as I sat down on the floor with my back against the shelved wall.

"That's all right, you actually came at a very good time. I just received word that we'll be having guest that would be quite fond of seeing you again" Kamaji said, mixing some of the herbs next to his working station/bed together. I was just about to ask who it was when there was a loud bang on the door that led outside. "That must be her" Kamaji said and extended one of his arms all the way past the wall to open the door. Why couldn't he have done that when I had tried to get in here the last time.

There were footsteps and a loud voice before the person appeared from behind the wall. "I swear this place just got smellier!" Lin said as she put her bag down on the other side of the ledge. She looked exactly the same as she did the last time I had seen her, maybe a wrinkle or two on her forehead and the fact that she was wearing normal clothes, but other than that she looked healthy.

She didn't seem to notice me until I stood up from where I had been sitting with my back pressed against the wall. At first she simply looked at me like I was some stranger who just so happened to be there with Kamaji. "Lin?" I asked, a stupid question I know, but what else could I ask? Recognition dawned on her face and she ran over to hug me, and hug me she did. I could barely stay conscious when she finally let go and looked me over twice.

"Sen, I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" she yelled, looking close to tears. "You can call me by my real name, Chihiro" I said to her with a bright smile. "Chihiro" she repeated just for emphasis "I like it, suits you" she turned to face Kamaji "Is my room ready for me?" she asked him pleasantly. He nodded and continues his work as if neither of us were there, obviously with the intention of giving us some space to catch up. "Chihiro, help me with my bags?" she asked and I followed her to take one of the bigger bags while she took another big bag and a smaller sling bag.

We walked back the way I had come, but instead of taking the elevator up, we went down. We walked a little while on until we reached the servant's rooms where Lin was staying for a while. On the way she had told me about how she had bought a train ticket and gone to find a new home somewhere else. Things work out for the first couple of months but then it started to get hard for her. The work was little and the pay was even less.

She contacted Yubaba after a while and asked if there was a work for her until she got back on her feet and that's why she's back at the bath house. I also told her about how I got here and how things have been for me. After we had unpacked all her bags and made her bed we went outside to sit on the deck, out feet dangling over the edge while we put out arms through the railings.

"I really missed you all" I said to her after a moment of silence. "You're telling me. Things were very boring after you left, it seems that you took all the trouble with you" she said, laughing a little at the end, but so did I. It felt so good talking with Lin that I had almost forgotten about the whole Haku things, almost. "Lin, can I ask you something? But you have to promise me you won't tell another person" I asked her and she looked at me with a curious glance.

A little breeze blew my hair over my shoulders where it settled down. Lin gave me a nod. "Earlier today Haku…" I started but it felt to embarrassing to say it aloud, but I guess the look on my face must have told her everything. Lin's face turn pure red and I didn't think it was because of the same reason as mine, she looked like she could murder someone. "Haku, wait till I get my hands on that slimy piece of sh-" she started to say, getting up, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"No wait! Please, I'm begging you now to say anything. Please" I pleaded with her and she sat back down and faced me. I told her what happened and that I didn't know what to do now since I didn't know if I would be able to face him without either crying or hitting him again. "Okay, let's see. It seems that Haku thought that just leaving you there was the best choice because he thinks he did something bad. I say you forget about it for now and let him come to you when he's ready" Lin said, giving me and apologetic smile as if to tell me that she knew how I was feeling.

"I guess your right" I said and yawned loudly before I could stop myself. Lin laughed "I think it's time you got to be" she said and I realized how late it had gotten while we had been talking. We stood up and hugged each other good-bye before I walked away to go to bed.

Haku wasn't in his room when I got there, not that I had been expecting him to be. Sighing I walked over to the bed and started taking off my uniform. I had practically taken it all off, except for my pants, when a chill crept up my spine. Slowly I turned around, still holding my shirt in my hands, and saw a figure standing in the door. It was too hard to clearly make out who it was, but this person was obviously not someone I knew. Maybe it was one of the guests?

"I'm sorry, but this is a private room. The bathes are down stairs" I said, making sure the person knew I wanted him to go, but he didn't seem to plan on moving. "Leave this world, human. You do now belong here" the person said, obviously a man, but I didn't recognize the voice. "I'm sorry?" I asked, backing further away from the man until I could feel the bed behind me. "This is your only warning" the man said without answering me.

"I don't understand what you're saying, why do I need to leave? No wait, I'm not going to leave and you can't ma-" I never got to finish my sentence since the man had disappeared from where he hand been standing and reappeared right in front of me. His hand clamped firmly around my throat and he pushed me down onto the bed, pressing me down into the covers until he was leaning over me.

My hands reached up and I tried to pry his hands away from my throat, but he was too strong for me to get away from him. "This is your final warning" he repeated, but he was still covered in darkness so I couldn't see his face at all. "Go to hell" I managed to get out between gasps and did something I've always wanted to do. I spit in his face. It seemed to work because he gasped and backed away from me.

I took my chance and jumped up, ducking beneath his arms and running for the door. Unfortunately he recovered faster than I had expected and he grabbed me by the shoulders, lifting me off the ground and tossing me into the wall at the other side of the room, where I went crashing down on the desk piled high with books.

There was a blinding pain in my side as I hit the desk and rolled down to the ground. I never even got a chance to stand up before the man had me by the throat again, lifting me right of the ground so that I was dangling in front of him. "Do I need to repeat myself?" he asked and I could have sworn he even sounded bored. I would have gone down without a fight if it wasn't for my tiny shred of dignity that was still hanging on for dear life, but since I still had that I continued to thrash against him, clawing desperately at anything that my hands and nails could reach.

The pain in my side was terrible and I didn't know how much longer I would be able to continue with it, that was until my fist connected with what I assumed was his face and he dropped me. Hitting the ground hurt even more than being dangled in the air. I let out a little cry as I tried to stand up, knowing that if I didn't get away now then I wouldn't ever. Clutching my side, I limped over to the door, but once again I wasn't fast enough to reach it. I turned to find the man reaching into his robe, revealing a knife of some sort.

The hilt looked normal enough but the blade was crooked and seemed to reflect in the dark. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this" he said "But you leave me with no other option" and then he lunged at me. I would have been dead if I hadn't thrown myself to the side seconds before his knife would have hit home. Instead there was a tingly feeling and then feeling of my flesh burning. Blood flowed down my side, staining my pants and leaving me breathless.

I dropped to my knees and looked up as the man stood towering over me, bringing the knife up to my throat. He pressed the tip at the side of my neck and slowly started to draw it across, but stopped when the doors to the balcony flew through the air and slammed into the bed. It wasn't long before Haku stepped through the ruined doorway, or should I rather say before Haku flew in through the door way. That would be more appropriate since he was in his dragon form. Relieve flooded my veins and his name only barely slipped through my lips before I fell to the ground and passed out.