Haku x Reader

Chapter 13

My feet slapped heavily along the cold, rough cobble of the road as I continued to run. Pain shot from my feet into my knees and all the way up into my tired lungs. My entire body hurt, but I refused to give into the 'human' stereotype that I constantly fell under here.

As I ran I occasionally glanced up at the sky, praying to see even a glimpse of Haku. However I never did.

I'd made it all the way to the bath house bridge, but I knew I couldn't just go through the main entrance looking like this, and people would wonder where Haku was, why he wasn't with me and if we had Chihiro... But there was no way around this bridge...

Sucking in a sharp breath I formulated possibly the dummest idea I've ever come up with. I slipped through the crowd, nearing the bridge. Just before getting on I stepped to the side.

Making sure no one was paying any extra attention to me I slipped through the red fence to the other side. Slowly I lowered myself, hanging onto the side of the bridge.

My fingers already started to burn and my arms were shaking vigorously.

Suck it up! You're already down here, all you have to do is get across!

Carefully glancing to my left I began to shift my hands along the wood of the bridge. It took all of my strength to not look down and focus on shuffling my hands along the bridge.

My heart was racing so fast it made my ears ring, but I was already more than halfway there!

With shaking red fingers I continued. I was about two feet away from the end and could feel my fingers ready to give up. Determined to finish I reach out and grabbed the side of the building.

My sweaty finger tips slipped and without thinking I pushed off the bridge and grabbed onto the bottom of the white lattice siding around the garden wall. My fingers pounded with pain and I'm pretty sure I had more splinters than I'd like to admit.

My eyes pricked with tears and my shoulders shook as I made my way along the side of the bath house, gripping the lattice siding and using my sweaty toes to keep a grip on the clay walls.

Once I rounded the corner I used all of the strength I had left to pull myself up fully onto the lattice. With my toes hooked on the bottom lip of the siding I shuffled carefully along the wall, gripping the lattice for support as I went.

Once I turned the last corner the long staircase down to the boiler room was in sight. A raking sigh of relief swept through my sweaty and beat body. Shuffling the rest of the way I hopped off the wall and onto the wooden platform.

My knees buckled and my tired body crumpled into a sad pile. I did my best to regulate my ragged breaths quickly so I could make it down to the boiler room fast. Leaning my back up against the small wooden door to the side garden I used it for support to help me stand up.

Letting loose I took one huge step and began running down the stairs. The force of gravity and the swinging momentum of my shaking legs carried me quickly down to the bottom platform. I smacked into the concrete wall, ending my uncontrolled sprint.

Wobbling back I tripped around the corner, holding my scrapped, and possibly broken nose.

It took what little strength I had left in my overexerted body to swing open the heavy door to the boiler room. With my hand still securely on my nose to prevent too much blood loss, and my practically skinned feet I made my way to Kamaji.

My eyes set on Kamaji and the soot sprites. My heart had never felt so full.

"Kamaji!"

I was startled by my voice, it was so hoarse and ragged.

"Rin?!" Kamaji stopped and leaned toward me to examine me.

"Kamaji I need your help. I have to find Haku. I made a huge mistake and I have to make it right. He flew to the bathhouse but I have no idea where he could've gone." I explained through heavy breaths.

"You're a mess! You need help first. Whatever Haku fled off for I'm sure it can wait!" Kamaji insisted, extending one of his arms to pull out a thick blanket and wrap it around my shoulders. "Lay here." Kamaji used his arm to push me across the soot sprite floor.

"Kamaji I'll rest later I have to find Haku!" I pleaded, too weak to resist the force of the arm that was ushering me along.

"Nonsense." Kamaji huffed, fluffing one of the pillows on the ground.

He sat me down. Quickly he poured me a cup of luke-warm tea and went back to work.

With a shaking hand I gripped the cup and took a small sip. Although it did feel nice to rest and drink, I couldn't give up on trying to find Haku. I'd have to find a way to sneak out of here without Kamaji noticing....

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! How have y'all been? I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! I plan on updating again in about a week or so, so please keep an eye out for the update! Please tell me what you guys think of the story and what you think will happen! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Toodles!