Chihiro's Return

chap 3

Chapter 3: The return

Chihiro stood up and examined the place. It was queer, yet unusually beautiful. The wind was chilly, the lights were glistening and the buildings were all restaurants.. She was too dazed by the place that she didn't realize that she was fading.

"Oh no, I'm see through!" she yelped "Help! Somebody help me!" she screamed for help but no one seemed to hear her. She ran to the nearest restaurant that she saw.

"Excuse me, can you please help me? I don't know what to do, I'm fading, please I need your help." Chihiro pleaded to the store owner, he looked like some kind of frog that mutated

"Why would I help a stinky, useless human? Get out! You'll stink up my restaurant." The owner yelled as he shoved Chihiro out of his store. Chihiro went to several other restaurants for help but no one was kind enough to offer her help.

"Help! Somebody!... Anybody.." Chihiro sank down to the floor and sobbed. She was panicking, she could barely see half of her body now. Then suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder. It was a woman, with long brown hair and a broad body.

"Sen? Sen is that you? It's me Rin. Here I have some bread that I just bought. You must eat it for you not to disappear from this world." Said Rin as she handed Chihiro a small piece of bread. Chihiro hesitated at first, but then took the bread, barely chewing it she swallowed it down as fast as she could. Then in a matter of seconds her body felt solid again.

"Sen are you ok? What- How did you get back here? Sen I've missed you, we all do!" Rin asked as she hugged Chihiro tightly

Chihiro broke the hug "Why are you calling me Sen? My name's Chihiro.. Oh and thank you for the bread. I'm sorry I couldn't say I miss you back 'cause I don't know you." she said with a tense voice, obviously surprised by the hug

"It's no problem. Oh sorry, I guess you prefer me calling you Chihiro. What? After all we've been through you tell me you don't know me?"

"Well yes because it's the only name I have. And I'm asking why you are calling me Sen? I'm sorry I really don't recall ever meeting you."

"Wait... You don't remember a single thing about this world.. Don't you? So the rule was true, that when humans leave this world they won't be able to remember a thing that happened here. Haku was right."

"So you're saying that I've been here before?.. Haku? He's real?.. so he's not just from my dreams." Chihiro whispered the last part.

"Yes you've been here before. You worked for Yubaba, the head sorceress of the bathhouse. You and I worked together, and one time you did very well that you made Yubaba earn a lot of gold. Of course Haku's real, he's a real pain in the neck sometimes, but he's a good friend.:"

"Hmm.. I don't know if I should believe that or not. But since you said I've been here before and we worked together I assume that we're friends right? Rin can you please tell me how I could go back to my world?"

Rin stared at Chihiro for a moment " It's up to you if you believe me or not. Sen-er, um, Chihiro, I couldn't help you with that, there are only two people in this world that could help you, its either Yubaba or her twin Zeniba, and my advice, you should just go to Zeniba, Yubaba is a selfish, cruel sorceress and there's a thin chance that she will send you home."

"Hmm.. Is Zeniba half as bad as Yubaba?" Chihiro asked innocently

"No, she's good, but she's as powerful as Yubaba."

"Alright then, can you take me to her?"

"I cant, I have no train tickets. You have to work for Yubaba to have some gold and buy tickets, and for you to survive here."