Chapter 7

Spirited Away

A second chance for love

Elesterie

Making a big mistake

Chihiro was quite taken aback. Whatever she thought he would have said was not this. What she expected was him to take out some rice balls and offer them to her.

"I – I don't know what you mean," Chihiro stuttered. She remembered Kamaji's warning about letting Haku figure it out by himself.

"Oh, then…nothing ... " Haku mumbled, trailing off to an awkward silence.

"Um...is it time to...er...go back to...er...?" Chihiro whispered, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Haku led Chihiro up to stairs of the bathhouse. "Sen, I'm really sorry about...your hand. I didn't really mean to...I just...you know how things go..." Haku left with stuttering words.

Chihiro made her way to the boiler room after that nice awkward chat with Haku. Great, now he thinks I'm a freak...just my luck...there you go again Chihiro, making a fool of yourself in front of all the cute guys...even in front of your best guy friend, Ginta...oh great...

"Kamaji…are you there?"

"Oi, what are you doing here?" a voice boomed out from the elderly man who was indeed quite annoyed.

"Kamaji, it's me…Sen…"

"Who?" Kamaji turned to get a look of Chihiro, "Wha? Who the hell are you?"

"I'm...I work here..." Chihiro replied, feeling stupider by the minute.

"Oh, I see, a worker…shouldn't you be working?" Kamaji asked, annoyed.

"Oh, yeh...I never thought of that one..." and Chihiro was out of sight.

What the hell is going on? Chihiro thought miserably. She was sitting on the balcony of her sleeping quarters and was looking out on vast ocean.

Kamaji and Lin don't even know me, but they did before...ARGH! Everything's messing up my mind!

"Sen!" Lin interrupted her thoughts, "What are you doing here, it's time to work!"

Chihiro got stuck with a group of girls her age. While they were working, the girls were talking about Haku.

"He is like, cute as," a girl said.

"Yeah, I mean, there is like, no other guy cuter."

"What do you think, Sen?"

Chihiro chose her words carefully.

"Well, yeah, he's pretty cute …" Chihiro started off, but was interrupted.

"Welcome to the group, Sen," a girl giggled shrilly.

Chihiro shook her head and continued, "But don't you think he's too serious?"

The girls discussed it.

"Yeah, you've got a point there."

"I know, it's such a waste of a guy."

"If only he learnt how to smile…"

"Are you guys gonna work or what?" Lin said behind them, "You'll be lucky today, if Master Haku gonna check on your work."

"Really, is he coming?"

"Oh my God, is he gonna like, watch us or something?"

Chihiro looked up at Lin's triumphant face.

"Yeah, he's coming. I suggest you work, to make him impressed," Lin said.

The girls started to work, hard. There was no more idle chatter about Haku for the next half an hour.

But he didn't come at all.

"Lin, where's Master Haku?" the girls demanded.

"Well, I didn't exactly say he was absolutely, positively coming, did I? You guys were talking too much and someone had to do something..." Lin trailed off.

"Well, we don't see you making cat's eyes at any guys, so what? We're girls, and just because YOU don't have a love life, that doesn't mean that we have to follow in your footsteps," the girls teased, laughing away.

"Well, at least MY taste in men aren't the masters of the bathhouse, y'know..." Lin replied, smiling.

"Well, at least OUR taste in men aren't mops and brooms. Do you realize you love to work? Workaholic!" the girls teased once again.

"Well, at least the mops and brooms take NOTICE of me...whereas with Haku and you girls...he doesn't even take one look at you. Ok, he might glance at you girls, but once he see's you KAPOW, you're outta his mind. You're in his 'what am I thinking?' pile. Well," and Lin glanced at Chihiro, "with the exception of Sen, of course."

The girls chased Lin around the room with questions.

"What do you mean with Sen as an exception? Does Master Haku like her? What about me? Did he mention to you about how he didn't like us or something? Did he tell you that he liked Sen?"

All the questions chased Lin, but she wouldn't answer any of them. The only person who didn't ask Lin a question was Chihiro. She was still in the same position, but was staring at her hand. The hand with the purple swelling. It brought back painful memories…

I can't take this anymore, Chihiro thought miserably to herself. She was alone, standing in the shadows and intently focusing her eyes on her hand, as work had finished.

Giving up, Chihiro ran. She just tried to run away. As she ran, memories came back to her. A river that was drained during day and full at night, spirits coming alive at night…Chihiro couldn't take it anymore. She stopped abruptly and crouched down.

"It's all a dream," she cried.

Haku knows me…he knows me…and he promised he will come back to me. I will wait, wait for him because he knows me…he hasn't forgotten his promise.

She crouched there for a minute or so, trying to regain her breath. Tears were dripping on the floor.

She stood up and looked around.

She saw a door in front of her. Reaching out, she pushed it open, hoping and praying that all will be right.

She found herself following a bridge, and down a pathway. She ran the continuous path until she reached the river. It was noon, so the river was dried.

All I must do is cross this, and go back. I will wake up and Haku will meet me again...and he will know me, Chihiro thought to herself.

She took a breath and was about to take a step. But someone grabbed her hand, the swollen one and held her tight.

"Let me go…" Chihiro cried.

"Sen, don't go…" Haku's voice was distant and far.

"Haku…? Let me go! I mean it…" Chihiro trailed off. Haku's hand gradually released her hands. She took a step forward and her hand fell from his.

"Chihiro…?" Haku said with dawning realization, "Wait! I don't want to lose you again…" His voice echoed.

Haku, Chihiro thought, you remember me…

Chihiro turned around swiftly...only to see plain green fields.

gomen for late update ... ehh ... ... i was re-reading my work and .. this is a really poorly written piece of work so please ignore my past poor english skills ...D one more chapter to go ...