Forget-me-not, Haku!

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FJ22

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The years were not easy after little Chihiro left. Yes Haku was more than happy to have his freedom back, but his young heart was lonesome without her. Though he knew she was with her parents, in school and settling in, he wanted to invite her back. It had been quite a few years and he was getting older now. His thoughts filled of her, they were more vibrant and full of awkward feelings.

He had started to befriend Lin, looking to her as an older sister. He had one day turned to her and ask what he should do to convince Chihiro to come back.

"You know her a little better than I." He had let some of his silky hair fall into his face. "I need a little help with this stuff."

"I miss her just as much as you, but she can't return. You know what will happen to her fate if she does." Lin had scolded him before about thinking of Chihiro. "Do you want her name to be Sen, again?" She whacked the rug that hung in her face. "You linger around here too much for someone who is free! Get lost, already! Chihiro didn't return the favour so you could just waste it!"

Haku just walked away without a word. He was crushed inside he could do nothing to get Chihiro back and going into the human world would weaken him greatly.

"Hey, Haku!" Lin shouted. "Write her a letter! Women like that sort of thing!"

____________

One day, on Chihiro's birthday a letter had arrived. It was the very letter Haku had written years before. How that letter got there was a mystery. Usually nothing could pass between the human and the spirit world. Haku was truly magic if it got there in one piece and Yababa not knowing of it.

"Chihiro, I think you have a letter from your old school mates!" Her mother tried to call up the stairs. "Come down, you'll be late for school. I want you to try and eat something this morning!"

The letter was in a soft, yellow envelope, it smelled of the sweet wild flower's that grew near the bathhouse. Inside was rough writing of scribbles and crossed out lettering.

"Happy Birthday, Chihiro! I'd like to see you again. Please meet me on the other end of the old tunnel. I'll wait for you by the stream. Things haven't changed here, but we sure are lonely without you." There was an "I" crossed out and replaced with "we". "Yours, Haku."

It sure was short, Haku had intended to keep it that way. He wanted to gain her interest, not know his real motives behind it. He had a gift for her, sure. But he wanted to pull her inward, make her stay. Little did Chihiro know, Haku had change drastically.
 
"Haku...she did this... sh--she!" Mumbled a restless Chihiro, tossing and turning wildly in her sleep. Both her hands grasping tightly onto her woolen sheets, as cold sweat dripped from her forehead. Slow and rapid breaths gasped out of her throat, cutting each other as every single one of them came slower and slower than before. "Mom...Dad! Nooo" Yelled the girl as she shot up from her bed, as if a spring--sweat dripping down her cheeks as her right hand clutched her chest. Chihiro, after a few minutes of silence, regained her composure. The girl sighed as she folded her futon and straightened her cloths.

"
Chihiro, I think you have a letter from your old school mates!" Called her mother from the first floor of her house. "Come down, you'll be late for school. I want you to try and eat something this morning!" She continued, the savory smell of sweet bread infiltrating her nostril while causing her mouth to drool... Her mom was a wise one, always knew what food to cook and what items to place to make her daughter speed up or just plainly listen. Chihiro didn't blame her mother's ways, most of the time it favored her as well. "Gee, I'm coming mom! " The girl chirped, while running down the stairs.

Chihiro ran down the stairs as she always did each morning, it was part of her routine and just as followed she jumped on her mother, giving her a warm hug as she clung to her childishly. Kissing her mother on her cheeks and greeting her father who drank coffee as usual followed after. The tight feeling in the girl's chest loosened as she analyzed her home, it was only a bad memory she reminded herself... Those memories, her treasures... Although not all good she held them all in her heart.

"S
orry gotta' go mom!" She yelled while grabbing the sweet smelling envelope that awaited her, "I'll eat something in school, love you!" and with that she dashed out of her home and climbed onto her bike, smiling happily. Chihiro had grown to be a very optimistic person, today was her 17th birthday nonetheless so great things surely awaited her. Shortly after the grinning girl arrived at a stop on which she took as a chance to open her letter--never to expect what awaited her.

"
Happy Birthday, Chihiro! I'd like to see you again. Please meet me on the other end of the old tunnel. I'll wait for you by the stream. Things haven't changed here, but we sure are lonely without you..." Chihiro's mouth went dry as the letter flew out of her hands, the person who signed the letter.... "Haku" She gasped, "Haku...He's real, he remembers me" cried the shocked teen as she held back tears. Shaking her head and grabbing her letter, the girl gulped as she turned her bike around into a new route, pedaling off into a direction she thought she would never see again.
---

"
Wow..the grass, it's exactly the same" Admired Chihiro, her breath taken away as she walked closer towards the bridge." Even the bridge..."
 
No one could be there to greet Chihiro, for no one knew she would be returning. The silence was thick here, the sun dangled high with afternoon lighting and the wind blew hard. It came from the countryside that was located on the other side of the train station. It brought with it the intoxicating smell of home made bento boxes, and a head spinning sweetness of wild flowers. Sadly there was a bitter after taste of dust from that old building. The Tunnel was long, allowing the pressure the wind needed to keep pushing Chihiro into temptation to continue forth. The bathhouse was calling to her.

The river trickled with a thin stream of water between the rocks. It had not turned into an ocean yet, nothing to trap her if she decided to turn back and run for safety. The wind curled around the rocks, bringing even more smells from the other side this time. How any young person could resist the smell of these bold, rich recipes were beyond even the strongest mind. It was nourishment for the ailing spirits. There it sat, already prepared for when the night would come.

Boats rolled in with the night sky, Chihiro probably had only been there five minutes before everything changed. But orange and pink silks were being taken over by the black and blue water colours. Little candles were hung above them and kept the moon company. Spirits marched off the boats and swam up through the water to get to become rejuvenated.

Lanterns flickered on starting at the bathhouse. They slowly light up all the tiny paths that came off the main, dusty cobble stone road. They lit the way for spirits, creating a more comfortable atmosphere with the dim lights. It was a little romantic to find the little sit-in food shops put out more dishes and light their own candles.

Above, a white dragon gleamed from the bright moon beams. He danced between the candles and ended up behind the bathhouse. There was evidence of Haku, he was still around. But as to why he did not notice Chihiro was a big mystery. But that didn't matter, word of the stench of a human got about. Of all people to hear it, it was Lin.

"Sen!" She grew excited, finally the letter got to her. She kissed the boiler man on the cheek and thanked him. For the life of her Lin could not remember Sen's real name. She felt bad about it but kept yelling out her name as she ran to greet the little Sen. Lin smiled at the memory of the cry baby who she had for an assistant. Lin admired how children only have one wish, and Sen wished for her parents. Something so simple, but she worked so hard for it.
 
"Breath Chihiro, breath..." The girl reminded herself as she clutched her chest lightly and closed her eyes. She thought she had planned everything, that her mind and heart were prepared for encountering and arriving back to the spirit world--but truth was, she was just panicked as the first time. What if some if not most didn't remember her? What if she wasn't worth remembering, surely if they invited her back it meant that she was missed...Oh how she really wanted to be missed, that those feeling of loneliness and wanting to come back weren't one sided.
Breathing in her last breath of human air as she prepared her first step into the Spirit world. Placing Haku's letter back into her pockets, she held her breath and began walking across the river's bridge.

From what she could see from afar, the town was just as vibrant as she remembered. The beautiful traditional lamp's fires flickering as shadows crossed it's paths, spirits gathering in groups to eat in the food stalls. Chihiro shook her head as she kept concentrating on not breathing, 'almost there...' she repeated to herself as the bridge greeters continued welcoming the newly arrived spirits. Once she had finished crossing the bridge she could hear the murmurs of the spirits.

"
Did you hear about the human?"
"
Rumor has it there hasn't been one in almost 10 years!"
"
Oh great...And I finally thought we'd gotten rid of the stench!" As if on cue Chihiro raised her arms and smelled herself in a sheepishly fashion, embarrassed on how the spirits kept stating about a smell. She had learned to accept that spirits and human smelled differently and how her smell was very distastefulness for them due to the human world's pollution.

"
SEN! Seeen!" Yelled a familiar voice, turning her gaze towards the voice she smiled brightly. " LIN! " Screamed a joyful Chihiro as she ran towards her long awaited friend, engulfing her into a tight hug.

"
Lin, you look..." The girl paused, " Exactly the same. I guess spirits really don't age all that much... or at all" Analyzing her friend, Lin wore the same outfit she had always worn while working in the bath house, she sported the same style and same sassy grin.

"
It's great to see you, it really is. For a while I honestly thought I had dreamed up this place, a figment of my childhood imagination... But here I am, here you are Lin. Everything is as it should be..." Chihiro smiled weakly, rubbing her eyes in attempt of hiding off her tears.
 
Lin gave Chihiro a quick twirl to amuse her. "I will always be all the rage. I'm always in fashion." She then struck a playful little pose. The ground under her feet was rough, Lin had left behind her shoes. "You're such a crybaby!" She took Chihiro under her arm and hugged her. "You're with old friends now, stop crying. You know the boiler man misses his 'grand daughter.' He's been talking about you non-stop." Lin's eyes turned serious as she looked down at Chihiro. "So you better stop crying before you seen him again."

"You, have changed a lot. You so... grown!" Lin started to guide her toward the bathhouse. "Come on, to Haji we go! I'll leave you with him for a bit because I have to get back to work. It's a busy night tonight. There is a celebration for Haku." She then waved her hand in the air to dismiss what she said. "You're see for yourself, Sen."

Lin was quick to disappear as left her in the boiler man's care, yet again.

"LIN GET BACK HERE... I'm no babysitter." He seemed grumpier from ageing, and yet he was still a slave of the bathhouse. No one else could look after the boiler better.

"Haku is upstairs. If you're quick you can go see him." Hajii whispered with a big grin. Mostly anything to get rid of her till the bathhouse was closed and he could get some rest.
 
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