Haku in Hell

Hell was less exciting than she had expected. And hungrier. Numb step followed step. The barren land had not seen rain in centuries. A tug on her shoelaces stopped her. She crouched down, tugging with small fingers at the dirty laces in a tangle of red waxy stems. The wind took its chance, gracefully tossing grit from the ground at her eyes. She blinked hard, trying to summon moisture to clear her sight.

Haku's heart sped up when he spotted her. The little figure bent in a cloud of dust was the first person he had seen in an impossibly long time. Drifting as they were in thousands through this desert, it somehow remained rare to meet another human. "Hello! Hello!" he shouted out, turning his feet towards her.

Chihiro looked up in surprise. How long had it been? A hopeful smile spread across her face. She tied her shoe as the boy jogged the last yards to her.

Haku reached out his hand to greet her. She looked too young for this place. "Hello, I'm Haku." "Chihiro," she said. They shook hands and he laughed. "How did a sweet girl like you get stuck here?"

Chihiro shook her head. "I don't remember." She lifted her arms. "I can't walk anymore. Carry me piggy-back." Still in good humor from human contact, Haku turned and bent his knees. He felt her jump up and settle her little legs around his waist. She rested her chin on his shoulder, clinging tightly. He started to walk down the path she had been following. "So, Chihiro," he asked, "where are we going?"

"Looking for food," Chihiro replied.

His only warning was the incredible strength of her grip as it tightened, allowing her to sink fangs into the feeble human neck.