Just as the strange boy pushed her back towards the direction of the tunnel, Chinatsu heard a shriek from her mother.
"Mom!?" she called back, immediately forgetting the strange encounter and dashing back down the stairs. Large human-shaped shadows were slowly gliding over and through the streets, surrounding the restaurants and opening the sliding paper doors. Her parents were panicking and began to run towards the tunnel, calling her to follow them. "I'm coming!" she shouted back, reaching the bottom of the stairs. As she reached the stairs that led to the beautiful green field, now dark from the lack of sun, Chinatsu saw her parents already at the edge of the tunnel.
"Chinatsu!" they called again.
"I'm almost there!" she called back, but just as she set foot on the grass, water surrounded her and she jumped back. "What?!" she screeched, as water quickly rose to well above her waist.
"CHINATSU!" her mother screamed again, but her voice faded with the splashes of water. She had no choice but to scramble back up onto the stone steps. Soaking wet and beginning to shiver, she looked longingly across the newly formed river, completely confused and at a loss of what to do. This was not the same world she had just left. There were shadow figures roaming everywhere and suddenly a river is formed? She just wanted to be back with her parents and she even would have liked to get to that new house. Anywhere was better then here! She was alone and scared.
She knelt there by the river, shivering, and as the sky grew darker, lights shone from the other side of the river. What were they coming from? She looked down at her hands, tears threatening to spill, but they stopped with even more confusion and surprise. She could see the ground through her hands! "No… what the hell… is happening?!" she whispered fiercely to herself, standing up and putting her arm to her face. Sure enough, she could see straight through her arm. Beginning to panic, she took off at a run back towards the buildings, now completely lit and surrounded by… things of all shapes and sizes. The shadows seemed to have transformed, to all different sorts of creatures, from what looked like ducks to peoples covered in sheets with strange patches. "What…?" she gasped to herself, immediately losing the courage to ask for help. Instead, she curled up into a ball in a dark corner and began to cry.
Mom… dad… she sobbed to herself. She just wanted to go home, wherever that was. A few minutes later she heard soft padded footsteps running across the grass in front of her. She looked up with a gasp and saw that handsome young man she had run across earlier. "What do you want?" Chinatsu asked, partly out of frustration and partly out of fear.
"Don't be afraid. I just want to help you."
"Why? Because I look like that Chihiro girl?" she countered, frowning and pressing herself firmly against the brick wall behind her.
He shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Something in your eyes tells me that you're not only the Chinatsu you say you are."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" she asked, slightly offended that this boy would accuse her of not knowing who she was.
"Eh…" he started uncomfortably, "I didn't mean it rudely. I just… something about you…"
"We've already decided I look like Chihiro, whoever that is, but I'm not so you can just drop it, and possibly focus on the fact that I'm DISAPPEARING?!" she offered sarcastically, raising her voice slightly.
"Yes, that's why I was going to help you." He reached into his white tunic and withdrew a small berry. "Eat this. You need to eat some food from this world or else you'll disappear forever."
"Forever?" the girl repeated, staring that the berry in the boy's hand and then at his face, her heart speeding up at how close he was to her.
"Yes, forever. Now eat this."
It seemed like she had heard these words before, but she didn't know from where. I just want to help you… You need to eat some food from this world or else you'll disappear…
Why? Maybe there was more to her then she knew. Maybe her heart did know something she didn't and maybe she shouldn't be so rude to this boy and listen to his words. Perhaps she could figure out why she has been feeling this way and what this place even was. But maybe she already knew.
Chinatsu took the small berry from his fingers and ate it, cringing at the bitter taste. "Could you have at least given me something that tasted a little better?" she complained.
He gave an apologetic grin. "It was the only thing on me," he replied, standing up. "Now listen. You need to return home. You were not made to live in this world."
"You don't have to convince me of that," she snorted, standing up.
"I'm going to give you directions to Kamajii. He is the old spirit who runs the boiler room. You will be safe there for the time being."
"Kamajii? Spirit?" she questioned, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.
"You'll see. I need to go tend to some business, so I will not be able to lead you and help you."
The thought of being alone in this strange place was fairly unnerving, and she gripped his sleeve. "No," she whispered, suddenly nervous. "Don't leave me alone in this place…" she cried slightly, a begging look in her chocolate eyes.
She looks just like her! He told himself for the tenth time that night. How can she not be? It just doesn't make sense. That a human would again venture into this world, the third human in the history of this world in over thousands of years, and not to mention someone who looks just like Chihiro! She's the spitting image of her! He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts and answered Chinatsu's request. "No, you can do it on your own. I will show you how to get there…" he placed his hand on her forehead and images appeared in her head, and it was like the way was implanted into her memory and her nervousness subsided slightly. When he finished, he looked her in the eyes and said very seriously: "no one will see you until you cross the bridge. But if you HOLD YOUR BREATH, you will continue to stay invisible to the spirits around you, and will make it much safer for you."
"You keep on saying things about safety," Chinatsu started. "Am I in danger?"
"You will learn about most later. I will meet you in the boiler room later after I attend to my business, all right?"
There was kindness and compassion in his voice and the look in his eyes soothed her even more. Just before she let go of his arm to leave towards the man known as Kamajii, the boy leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead ever so gently. She was startled, but didn't pull back. His touch completely drained any nervousness or insecurity that was in her body.
Just as he pulled away and began to leave, Chinatsu reached for his arm again. "Thank you for giving me this courage Haku."
The boy stared at her eyes, surprise and shock clear in his eyes. "What did you say?" he asked hesitantly after a moment.
"What… I…" that was when she realized what he was surprised about. "How did I… know your name?"
Haku stepped forward and hugged Chinatsu tightly. "Be safe," he whispered in her ear, the warm breath against her skin sending a shiver up her spine. As suddenly as he had appeared to her, he disappeared, darting off towards the bathhouse.
"Haku…" she whispered to herself. "Who are you to me?"
Hope you guys like it! I got the next few chapters written on the drive home from Colorado, but I'm going to wait a little bit in between updating the chapters. So hope you guys continue to read and please review!!!
Takara Taji