Spirited Away: The Wait [ORIGINAL]

The Kaigo Shelter

The Wait: The Kaigo Shelter

     Chihiro was too dazed to move. With the man’s lips on hers turning her insides to mush, she simply couldn’t think straight. All her brain could seem to register was his hands around her that made her feel warm and safe and his lips that were gently touching hers.

     That was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to get mad at her, scold her for causing him trouble when the monster tried to attack her. He was supposed to be more than happy to get her out of the Spirit World and away from him forever. And she was supposed to leave for good, severing all ties with the people whom she’d met here, including him.

     But no, apparently fate had other ideas. And here she was, in Haku’s embrace and enjoying his kiss.

     She must be dreaming, she thought wildly to herself. Haku was a stranger, as was she to him. He could not be kissing her right then and there; she must be hallucinating. Fevers often had weird effects on people and she’d heard many stories before, though not fully believing in them.

     However, when migraine after migraine attacked her head making her wince, she was quick to realize that it was not a dream. Shock was the only thing that registered in her brain before she shoved the man away from her with all her might.

     Her hands went up to her lips, like in the many dramas she’d watched and she felt the feeling of that kiss linger bitterly. A careless look at his hurt expression gripped her heart.

     “I… I…” At a complete loss for words, she did the next best thing she could to avoid the incredibly awkward situation: Run.

     Chihiro got up and ran towards the shelter of the oak trees, ignoring the fact that she was feeling lightheaded and nauseous. All that filled her mind was the kiss and Haku’s hurt expression, his face, everything about him. And she wanted those thoughts out of her head immediately.

     Not surprisingly, soon her lungs were screaming for air and she felt dizzier than ever before. Perhaps running hadn’t been the correct choice, but she had too little time to think.

     Without realizing, she had stumbled and placed her hand on the rough bark of a tree beside her to steady herself, getting a small cut from a splinter in the process. She breathed heavily, panting like there was no tomorrow.

     Her vision slowly blurred and she found herself free-falling backwards. She landed on the dirt with a ‘thud’. More pain seared through her head, but she did not even possess the slightest strength to lift her hands to add pressure to her temples.

     And just like that, for the third time in the Spirit World, darkness engulfed her, except this time, she was happy to escape reality, even if it was just for a moment.

*******

     Chihiro found herself on the beach, her bare feet nestling themselves in the warm, moist sand. The sky was a brilliant marigold along with clouds dipped in pink, purple and orange. The calm waves of the sea splashed against the shore playfully, giving off a serene feeling.

     At first she thought she was the only one in the vast space, till her eyes spotted the silhouettes of 3 figures standing side by side by the seashore. Their backs were facing her but they looked oddly familiar. It piqued her curiosity and she began to step toward them, the sound of waves getting louder with each step she took.

     When she was a few meters away from them, her heart started beating faster. Were they strangers? Did she know them? Something told her that they were people that she knew, and just before she could begin to guess, one of them called her name. Her feet shuffled to a stop and she gasped as recognition seeped into her being.