Heart Eater | Spirited Away

I.

人間
human

THERE WAS SOMETHING mollifying about working in a restaurant in the wake of the afternoon rush. Chihiro often felt it was the moment she would finally remember to breath.

"Chihiro," her manager shouted. "Hurry up and clean those tables!"

"Yes, Mr. Bushido," she said, piling filthy plates and half empty glasses onto her tray.

She slipped back into the kitchen, depositing the dishes and sweeping back out into the dining room. This was her favorite part of her shift — mostly because it meant that it was nearly over.

"Chihiro, your phone is ringing," Shimizu, her coworker, said, poking her head around the corner.

Wiping the last corner of a table, she brushed her hands off on her apron and hurried back into the kitchen, quickly unplugging the device from its charger.

"Who is it?" Shimizu peered at the screen nosily. "Your boyfriend?"

Chihiro only shook her head. "I haven't got one," she murmured distractedly. "You know that." She didn't recognize the number.

"Well you'd better hurry up before Bushy-Dude comes back." Shimizu peered around sharply for their manager. "I'll keep an eye out."

Thanking her, Chihiro answered the call. "Hello?"

Shimizu picked at her cuticles as she kept watch. They often covered for one another and had developed a degree of companionship as a result.

"Yes, this is she." Chihiro shrugged at Shimizu's curious look.

Listening without speaking, Chihiro felt her stomach go hollow. The phone slipped from her hand, fell straight to the tile far below, and skittered several feet to the left before bouncing off a cabinet.

She stood quite still, frozen in place.

"Chihiro?" Shimizu asked tentatively.

Chihiro couldn't speak. Her mouth hung open and her tongue felt like cotton.

She closed it quite suddenly and bent to pick up the phone. "I understand," she said even though she didn't and hung up. Her voice sounded painfully hollow.

Shimizu gave her a funny look. "What was that about? Where are you going?"

Chihiro didn't really look at her as she shrugged on her coat and shouldered her purse.

"I have to go," she mumbled and opened the door.

"What do you mean? You still have two hours left in your shift!" Shimizu hurried after her. "What happened?"

Chihiro swallowed the lump in her throat. "My parents are dead."

_____

CHIHIRO DID NOT KNOW how to mourn. Her heart ached and her eyes stung and still she could not bring herself to cry.

Isn't it only reasonable that you should cry after you have just found out that your parents have died? She thought it was — but still, she couldn't.