Chapter 4 - Refuge

Haku ran as fast as he could and when he reached Chihiro''s house, he stopped running and began climbing up the side of the house. He didn''t know how, but somehow he knew exactly which window was Chihiro''s. He found her window and tapped on the glass. Chihiro happened to be in her room at that moment, and she looked towards the window when she heard him tapping on the window and saw him there outside her window.

"Haku!" She exclaimed, running to the window and opening it for him. Haku climbed in through the window, and Chihiro flung her arms around him and held him close.

"Oh, Haku...I was so worried about you." She told him. "They didn''t hurt you, did they?" Haku wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

"No...they didn''t get the chance." He replied. "I escaped before they could." Chihiro looked at him and smiled, but then her smile faded.

"What''s this?" She asked, gently touching a small tag that had been attached to Haku''s ear. Haku reached up a hand and felt the tag.

"They must''ve put that on me while I was asleep." He remarked. At that moment, he heard footsteps coming towards Chihiro''s bedroom door, and his cat ears pricked up alertly. Chihiro heard the footsteps as well.

"Hide!" She whispered urgently. Haku nodded.

"But where?" He asked. Chihiro looked around quickly. Then, it hit her.

"In the closet! Hurry!" She told him. Without waiting for an answer, she shoved Haku into the closet and closed the closet door, and then she grabbed a book, quickly lay down on her bed, and pretended to be reading. Her mother opened the door a second later.

"Chihiro? What''s going on in here?" She questioned.

"Nothing, Mom." Chihiro lied. "I''m just reading." Her mother smiled.

"Okay, sweetie." She said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom." Chihiro acknowledged. Her mother then closed the door and left. After Chihiro''s mother was gone, Haku came stumbling out of the closet with his foot tangled in a fishing net, which Chihiro''s father had shoved in the closet a week ago because it was in the way.

"What are you keeping in there, Chihiro?" He asked. "A bunch of mattresses?"

"Sorry, Haku." Chihiro said apologetically.

"Don''t worry about it." Haku told her. "Just don''t shove me in anymore closets." Then, he began trying to get his foot untangled from the fishing net, but he ended up getting his hands tangled in it as well. Within minutes, he''d gotten himself completely tangled up in the net. He looked at Chihiro helplessly, and she smiled at him and shook her head.

"You really are turning into a cat, Haku." She remarked. Haku smiled sheepishly, and Chihiro began to get him untangled from the net. Once she''d gotten him untangled, she helped him get up and hugged him again. As she hugged him, she could hear him start purring, and she smiled.

"My parents can''t find out about you." She told him, looking at him. "So you can''t leave my room, okay?" Haku nodded.

"I understand." He stated. "But if I can''t leave, then you''re going to have bring me food."

"I know." Chihiro replied. She began rubbing his left ear a little, and Haku began purring again and closed his eyes contentedly. The end of his long cat''s tail began waving back and forth gracefully behind him. At that moment, a breeze blew in through the window and swirled around Haku, and Haku''s ears pricked up alertly once again. He looked towards the window and gulped nervously. Then, he darted under Chihiro''s bed and didn''t come out. Chihiro knelt down by her bed and looked under the bed at him.

"What''s wrong, Haku?" She asked.

"The scientists I escaped from aren''t the only ones who are after me." Haku answered.

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