Spirited Away Fanfiction: Chihiro is 20 and at university. Her brush with the Spirit World still influences her life today. She is trying hard to fit in with the "real world", but she is finding this difficult and the cracks are starting to show
Thi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
She repeated the words to herself over and over again. At first, she felt like she was cutting her heart out with a blunt object every time she did. As the days went by, the pain numbed and soon she was repeating the words automatically as soon as any thought of the spirit world popped into her head. The dreams never went away, even though she told everyone they had. She also became an expert at tonguing her meds. The most effective method was to let the pills melt in her cheeks and then spit them into a glass of juice or a cup of tea (it could be noticed in water.) Soon she was taking none of the pills, even though everyone remarked on the good they were doing her. Six months later her Father declared it was the best thing they had ever done, and they should have started her on them years ago. It hurt when they said things like that.
Looking back now Chihiro realised that part of the girl she had died that day in the therapist's office. Not taking her medication had been the only act of defiance she had left. So she had become a brilliant actress, happy and cheerful on the outside, screaming on the inside. The years went by; she stopped therapy at 14 and threw herself into her schoolwork. At 19 she was offered a university place. By this point, the screaming had stopped, and inside was such a gaping hole that she was afraid to look into it. Sometimes the emptiness ached so much the pain was physical and she would put her hand to her chest as if she could not breathe.
She had been offered a science place, but soon changed it to...
"World mythology?" Her Mother had cried down the phone. "What sort of degree is that?" Maybe it was another act of defiance; but last year she had changed her subject, only telling her parents after she had done it.
"It's what I want to do," she kept repeating that sentence to her parents almost as much as she said the magic words to herself. Finally, they got the message and things had been fine, just fine, until she had thought of him again.
Now in bed at four in the morning, she whispered
"I miss you, even now I want to go home." That night she did not dream.
Linca caught up with her at lunchtime.
"So Davis finally drove you to..." She looked at Chihiro's tray, "chocolate pudding? A novel addiction." Chihiro laughed. Linca was Russian and was studying engineering. She was short and stocky with wide blue eyes, blond hair and she always smiling. She had introduced Chihiro to vodka, something she was eternally grateful for. Linca eased herself back on her chair.
"I should have got more sleep last night," she yawned. "Do you mind if I come to another one of your lectures? I could use the rest, I find your subject so relaxing!" She and Chihiro grinned impishly.
"As I do yours," Chihiro smiled back at her. "That lecture last week on graphic calculus was the perfect lullaby." The girls giggled together.
"Well I say; you are in a good mood. There must be a man involved. Let me guess." She tapped her finger to her lips as if thinking, "It's that Scottish guy, the one with the luminous orange hair; yes he's your type. Do you know Scottish men wear kilts on special occasions? I tell you men in skirts are cute."
