Haku burst into Yubaba's office just as the witch took the document from Chinatsu's trembling hands. The witch let out a chuckle. "You're just a little too late Haku."

"What?"

"What?" Chinatsu repeated.

"What do you mean you old hag?"

"She's signed my contract. She's not leaving now."

"She'll never be as good as Chihiro if you keep her here by force! Why did you do that?" Haku screamed, then immediately turned to the girl. "Why did you sign that?" he screeched, pointing to the contract.

"I… I… I didn't have… any choice," she stammered. "She said I could go home if I signed it, but if I didn't, she would keep me here by force. I didn't have a choice!" she replied frantically. "I would have ended up staying here anyway!" tears welled up in her eyes and she fell to her knees.

Haku knelt beside her. "It's not your fault. She tricked you."

"Yes and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"You greedy old witch!" Haku screamed, lunging at the old woman, who quickly evaded him. "Let her go home! She doesn't belong here!"

"Yes she does Haku. She needs to stay here."

"Why?" he seethed.

"Oh I have my reasons. Let's just say… I know things."

"Like what?" Haku snorted.

"If this girl goes back to her world, she will die."

Both Chinatsu and Haku gasped.

"How do I know this isn't another one of your tricks?" Chinatsu wondered slowly.

Yubaba shrugged. "You don't, I guess. But there's only one way to find out. You either go home and risk finding out that it's true, or stay here."

"I'm not staying here! I don't believe you one bit!"

Yubaba shrugged. "Suit yourself. But frankly, you're just going to throw away a pretty good life."

"That's my life to worry about, not yours!"

"This is what will happen: you will attempt to find your way to your new house, where your parents now are. While crossing the road, a car will come speeding around the corner, hit you head on, and kill you instantly."

"I want proof," Haku growled. "Show us what you're telling us is true."

"All right," she responded fairly enough, getting up and pulling out a small mirror from a drawer. "Now come and look into this," she instructed Haku and Chinatsu. The two walked hesitantly forward. "Now this mirror shows me the human world, or Chinatsu's world, up to three days into the future. If Chinatsu went home today, like originally planned, this is what would have happened." Yubaba waved her hand over the mirror as if swatting a fly and images came into focus. Chinatsu saw herself walking hurriedly down the sidewalk, eager to get home. She saw herself looking both ways as she reached a crosswalk, and as she approached the other side, a small car sped around the corner, tires screeched, and before she had time to dart out of the way, hit her head on.

Chinatsu gasped and fell to her knees, gripping her chest, immediately short on breath.

"Chinatsu! What's wrong?"

"It almost felt as if it… really happened," she gasped, pulling in shallow breaths of air.

"Now you see," Yubaba started, replacing the mirror. "In reality, I just saved her life."

"But now what am I supposed to do?" the girl asked frantically, regaining composure and standing up. "Am I never to see my parents again?"

"Perhaps you can leave tomorrow, since then that car will have already gone by," Haku suggested.

Yubaba shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Are you forgetting something Haku? Today is the last day that tunnel opens for another 25 years, and those ten minutes that the tunnel is open is fast approaching. She won't have time. And also…" the witch added, "it is obvious she was meant to die today. If she avoids the car, death will find her another way. Death is inevitable for you if you go home today. However, if you stay for another 25 years, that fate can be changed."