Chihiro burst through the exit with all the vigor of a rampaging bull, only skidding to a halt when the nothingness had changed into...well, darkness. The sun was setting in the distance, and the light blue sky gave way to the ruddy reds and dark purples.
She blinked in surprise and gave her surroundings a cursory look. Chihiro didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this! On her right was a field of grass stretching as far as the eye could see. She couldn't spot any buildings or man-made objects. On her left was a huge grassy hill and...
Chihiro squinted.
...a building? From what she could see, it was large, red, and looked like something out of a historical Japanese movie. And buildings meant people and people meant help!
Chihiro scrambled up the hill but suddenly stopped halfway up. Was she really going up there when she had no clue what was waiting for her? As far as she knew, that ghost-boy who'd practically dragged her who-knows-where could be waiting with "friends" or something. Did she really want to chance it?
But...staying here was just as bad. She would never go home if she stayed rooted in place.
Steeling her nerves, Chihiro continued to ascend the hill. Once up, she sucked in a breath and looked around in surprise. There were so many stalls! And strangely enough, there wasn't a person in sight.
"Hello?" Chihiro cupped a hand to her mouth and called out again. "Hellooo? Is anyone out here?"
No response.
Chihiro sighed. Maybe they're all in that building over there? With this thought in mind, she strode quickly past the empty stalls that showed off delicacy after delicacy, enticing her with their mouth-watering scents, beckoning her with their smoky tendrils to come over here, Chihiro! Come eat! We're delicious!
Chihiro's stomach growled and she looked at the food longingly. No, no, she needed to get help. Chihiro sped up, practically running to the building now as if running would allow her to escape the hunger pains.
Eventually, her feet brought her to a long bridge that led to the entrance of the building. Upon closer inspection, Chihiro noticed it was a bathhouse. She ran her hand along the railing as she walked, and, struck by a sense of nostalgia, she climbed onto the wooden railing and leaned over it. Train tracks covered the ground below, disappearing into a tunnel just underneath her.
"What the–? A human?"
Chihiro tore her eyes away from the train tracks and looked behind her. A man with white hair that gleamed gold in the dying light stared back at her, horror in his eyes. For reasons unknown to her, the man's face overlapped with another image of a boy years younger.
"You shouldn't have come here."
You shouldn't be here.
"Get out before the sun sets!"
Leave before it gets dark!
Chihiro jumped off the railing and her feet made a move to run away, but she stubbornly set her chin and stood her ground. "No, not until I figure out what's going on."
The man growled, practically spitting in frustration. "There's no time!" He whipped around and stared at the door of the bathhouse. The lights around them flared to life.
His eyes widened, and when he next looked at Chihiro, she felt a surge of alarm race down her spine.
"Why are you still – Oh, forget it! You're coming with me!" His hand shot out and grabbed her forearm. Then, he dragged her across the bridge and turned a sharp left, away from the doors, and pulled her behind the building.
Chihiro stumbled all over her feet, partly trying to rip her arm away from the insistent tugs and partly trying to stop herself from falling flat on her face. "Hey! You can't just kidnap me like this! Who do you think you –"
"Shut up!" he hissed. The man spun around, and Chihiro almost slammed into his chest at the sudden movement.
She glared at him, her mouth opening to throw out insults, but she faltered when his lip curled back, revealing a set of gleaming fangs.
Chihiro's heart nearly stopped. "Wha–?"
"Be. Quiet. Do you want to get torn to pieces, human?"
Chihiro gaped at the man as he continued pulling her God-knows-where, and something in her mind just clicked. White hair, fangs, and the way he said "human"...
Just what have I gotten myself into?