Spirited Away/Transcript

FADE IN: 
A bouquet of pink flowers wrapped in plastic, with a hand  drawn not embellished by crayon flowers and hearts. 
CHIHIRO: (V.O.)  “I’ll miss you, Chihiro. Your best   friend, Rumi.” 
INT. CAR - DAY 
A VOICE interrupts from the driver’s seat. 
FATHER: Chihiro? Chihiro! We’re almost   there. 
CHIHIRO, a ten-year-old girl with a sulking face, is laying  still in the backseat, staring at the car ceiling. She is  holding the bouquet on her lime & white striped shirt, and  resting her yellow Velcro shoes on a moving box. 
MOTHER: This really is in the middle of   nowhere. I’m gonna have to go to   the next town to shop. 
FATHER: We’ll just have to learn to like it. 
She slowly turns her head toward the front seat. 
Her FATHER, a tall, brawny man in a sky blue polo, looks  excitedly out the window, then turns back to Chihiro. 
FATHER  Look, Chihiro, there’s your new   school. Looks great, doesn’t it? 
MOTHER: It doesn’t look so bad. 
With hardly any interest, Chihiro slowly pulls her frame to  the backseat window, stares dispassionately for a moment,  then sticks her tongue contemptuously at the school before  laying back down. 
CHIHIRO: It’s gonna stink, I liked my old school..
She panics as she notices her wrinkling flowers, then  hurriedly leans to her MOTHER in the passenger seat. 
CHIHIRO: Mom! My flowers are dying. 
Her Mother is prim, with gold earrings and a clean bob  haircut, but serious, disapprovingly eyeing the bouquet. 
MOTHER: I told you not to smother them like that. We’ll put them in water when   we get to our new home. 
Chihiro retreats to the back seat. 
CHIHIRO : I finally get a bouquet, and it’s a   goodbye present. That’s depressing. 
MOTHER: Daddy bought you a rose for your   birthday. Don’t you remember? 
CHIHIRO: Yeah, one. Just one rose isn’t a   bouquet. 
Mother sees the dropped hand drawn note, looks it over, and  hands it back to Chihiro. 
MOTHER: Hold on to your card, I’m opening a   window. 
The window opens and the wind blows through Chihiro’s hair. 
MOTHER: And quit whining, it’s fun to move   to a new place. It’s an adventure. 
Chihiro stares out, through the passing power lines, at a  towering forest ahead. 
EXT. ROAD 
The car waits for a truck to pass before turning onto a road  which ascends a sloping forest to a hilltop city. 
SUPERIMPOSE TITLE: SPIRITED AWAY 
EXT. HILL ROAD 
At the side of the mountain track, an old wooden Torii gate  is leaning against a massive, beaten tree. 
The road continues into a shrouded forest, but the car stops. 
FATHER: Wait. Did I take the wrong turn?   This can’t be right. 
MOTHER: Look, there’s our house. 
FATHER: Huh? 
THEIR POV  A cute two-story blue house on top of the hill, at the end of  a suburban neighborhood. 
MOTHER: It’s that blue one on the end. 
FATHER: Oh, you’re right, I must have   missed the turnoff. This road   should get us there. 
MOTHER: Honey, don’t take a shortcut, you   always get us lost. 
Father neglects this and drives into the forest. 
FATHER: Trust me, it’s gonna work. 
As they look ahead, Chihiro stares curiously at a chaotic  pile of small stone houses laid on the forest floor. 
CHIHIRO: What are those stones? They look   like little houses. 
MOTHER: They’re shrines. Some people think little spirits live there. 
Chihiro looks at the shaded dirt road. 
CHIHIRO: Dad, I think we’re lost. .
FATHER: We’re fine, I’ve got four-wheel   drive. 
They hit a bump and Chihiro is knocked back and forth. 
MOTHER : Sit down, please, sweetie. 
The car passes onto a curving stone path and Father only  speeds up as the bumping intensifies. 
Chihiro stares mystified as they pass a round, smiling  Dosojin statue hidden behind the trees. 
The car violently thumps over a hole in the stone road and  tree branches batter the windshield. 
MOTHER: Honey, honey, honey! Slow down!   You’re gonna kill us. 
Father notices another statue ahead and slams the brakes. 
FATHER: What’s that? 
The car EEKS to a stop a mere foot from the Dosojin. 
The family looks ahead in awe at a looming red building with  an arching hallway, its breadth hidden by the forest. 
Father opens the door and steps out, inquisitively  approaching the dark hallway. 
MOTHER: What’s this old building? 
FATHER: It looks like an entrance. 
MOTHER: Honey, get back in the car, we’re going to be late. 
Chihiro follows her Father’s lead, exiting the car and  running to catch up. 
MOTHER: Chihiro. Oh, for heaven’s sake. 
Father runs his hand against the chipped paint. 
FATHER: This building’s not old, it’s fake.   These stones are just made of plaster. 
The pitch-black hallway appears to lure them in. The leaves  by Chihiro’s feet slowly roll toward it. She notices. 
CHIHIRO: The wind’s pulling us in.
Mother steps out and joins them at the threshold. 
MOTHER: What is it? 
FATHER: Come on, let’s go in. I wanna see   what’s on the other side. 
CHIHIRO: I’m not going. It give me the   creeps. 
Father looks forward eagerly. 
FATHER: Don’t be such a scaredy-cat,   Chihiro. Let’s just take a look. 
MOTHER: The movers will get to our house   before we do. 
FATHER: It’s all right, they’ve got the   keys. They can start without us. 
MOTHER: All right, just a quick look. 
Mother crosses her arms and shrugs. 
CHIHIRO: Forget it, I’m not going. 
Chihiro runs back toward the car. She stops to plead-- 
CHIHIRO: Come on you guys. Let’s get out of   here. 
FATHER: Come on, honey. It’ll be fun.
CHIHIRO: I’m not going! 
Chihiro stares in fear at the Dosojin, its two faces staring  blankly in either direction. 
MOTHER: Chihiro, just wait in the car then. 
Chihiro dances anxiously, takes one more look at the statue  and chases the pack. 
CHIHIRO: But, Mom! Wait for me! 
INT. OLD BUILDING PASSAGEWAY 
They start down the dark hallway, Father leading. 
FATHER: Everybody, watch your step. 
Chihiro catches up to her Mother and grabs her arm in fear. 
MOTHER: Chihiro, don’t cling like that,   you’ll make me trip. 
A light appears at the other side, and the passageway opens  into a room with high, vaulted ceilings supported by columns.  The plaster walls are cracked and bare. 
CHIHIRO: What is this place? 
A faint RUMBLING begins, hardly perceptible. 
MOTHER: Oh, do you hear that? 
CHIHIRO: It sounds like a train. 
The Mother and Daughter share a glance and smile. 
MOTHER: We must be near a train station. 
FATHER: Come on. Let’s go check it out. 
Father leads the girls toward the open archway ahead. 
EXT. FIELD 
The sun beams down on an open, hilly field of unkempt green  grass, with smaller abandoned buildings and more Dosojin scattered about. 
A traveled dirt path leads to a collection of buildings  peaking over the hill. 
CHIHIRO: What are those weird buildings? 
FATHER: I knew it. It’s an abandoned theme   park. See? 
Father looks up and behind and they follow his gaze to the  building they just exited. A clock tower sits atop the  building, with another clock facing the park. 
FATHER: They built them everywhere in the   early 90s. Then the economy went    bad, and they all went bankrupt.   This must be one of them. 
Father starts up the path, Mother leaving Chihiro to follow  him. 
CHIHIRO: Where are you going, you said just   a quick look! Now let’s go back. 
The parents neglect to respond, continuing. 
CHIHIRO: Hey! 
The wind blows from behind, sending a stream of leaves  forward, urging Chihiro to continue. She cowers under the  imposing clock tower, then runs to catch up. 
CHIHIRO: Did you hear that building? It was   moaning. 
MOTHER: It’s just the wind. Oh, what a   beautiful place. We should have   brought our lunch. Then we could   have had a picnic. 
Father steps onto a collection of boulders which run through  the field like a river.
FATHER: Look, they were planning to put a river here. 
He reaches his hand back to help Mother across, but something  distracts him and he turns his head the other way. 
He takes a few whiffs of the air. Mother nearly trips, but  latches onto him. 
FATHER: Hey, you smell that? Something   smells delicious. 
She smells, too. 
MOTHER: Yeah, and I’m starving. 
FATHER: Maybe this theme park’s still in   business, let’s go. 
He continues and Mother turns back to Chihiro. 
MOTHER: Chihiro, hurry it up. 
Chihiro is on all fours, struggling to cross. 
CHIHIRO: Wait a minute. 
Panicked, she jumps to the next rock, crosses, and follows  them up a staircase. 
INT. GHOST TOWN 
An abandoned street of tall, colorful shops and attractions.  A stone staircase leads to another level of buildings. 
Father reaches the top and sniffs. He points down the  intersecting street. 
FATHER: Over there. 
Mother and Chihiro catch up and follow. 
They meet another intersecting road and Father sniffs, looks  left and right, and decidedly turns left. 
FATHER: This way. 
Mother and Chihiro walk behind, looking at the buildings. 
MOTHER: How strange, they’re all   restaurants. 
CHIHIRO: Where is everybody? 
Father stops, spotting something ahead. 
FATHER: Ah, there it is. 
A pillar of smoke leaves a street restaurant. Father runs to  it and turns back. 
FATHER: Hey, I found it! 
EXT. RESTAURANT 
Father pushes through decorative flaps and into the  streetside buffet. There is food cooking and mountains of  savory, prepared cuisine lined on a bar, but no one in sight.  Father looks over the buffet in awe. 
He steps out of the pavilion to alert Mother and Chihiro-- 
FATHER: Hey, you gotta see this, in here. 
Mother joins him and looks in yearning at a fish head and  saucy meat dumplings. Chihiro stays behind, reluctant. 
MOTHER: Ah, look at this. 
Father looks behind the bar. 
FATHER: Hello in there, does anybody work   here?!  
No response. Mother sits on one of the stools. 
MOTHER: Come in, Chihiro. It looks   delicious. 
Chihiro shakes her head, stays put behind the wooden pillars. 
FATHER: Anybody?! 
Father nervously scans the dark, empty kitchen. 
MOTHER: Don’t worry, Honey, we can pay the   bill when they get back. 
Father smiles and turns his gaze to the buffet. 
FATHER: Good plan-- Hey, that looks great. 
He walks off and Mother grabs a winged dumpling. 
MOTHER: I wonder what this is called. 
She sniffs and pulls the skin with her teeth. With a smile,  she turns back to Chihiro, still chewing. 
MOTHER: Oh, it’s delicious! Chihiro, you   have to taste this. 
Chihiro, clinging to her shirt in fear, shakes her head. 
CHIHIRO: I don’t want any. We’re gonna get   in trouble, let’s just get out of   here! 
Father uses chopsticks to fill three plates with every food  on the line. 
FATHER: Don’t worry, you’ve got Daddy here.   He’s got credit cards and cash. 
He sets the plates down and sits next to Mother, who takes  another bite and “Mmms” in delight. 
MOTHER: Chihiro, you have to try this, it’s   so tender. 
CHIHIRO: (shaking her head)  Mm-mmm! 
Chihiro glances frightfully to the side. Mother and Father  chew faster, groaning and snorting in gluttonous delight. 
FATHER: Mustard? 
MOTHER: Thank you. 
Father speedily inhales a full dumpling, bites an egg roll  and chomps a sausage. 
CHIHIRO: Come on, you guys, you can’t! 
Oblivious, they continue gobbling. Chihiro gives up and walks  away. 
EXT. GHOST TOWN 
Chihiro turns onto the street and stops the scan the town.  She spots a tall red shrine-like monument atop another  staircase. 
She looks back at her parents, then approaches. AT THE TOP OF
THE STAIRCASE 
Chihiro climbs the last step and stares at the monument. She looks past it an her eyes widen when she sees-- 
A grandiose red building with green roofing and gold accents,  standing innumerable stories tall, jetting from the shallow  water below. 
CHIHIRO: That’s weird. 
She walks to the edge of a red, wooden bridge linking the  cliff-top ghost town to the behemoth bathhouse. 
She gets a closer look-- the high, massive windows facing in  all directions rattle into the wind, and steam rises from a  garden hot spring at the bottom. 
CHIHIRO: It’s a bathhouse. 
She walks to the red rails of the bridge and looks several  stories down, where a train exits a tunnel at the bottom of  the cliff. 
CHIHIRO:There’s the train. 
She runs to the other side and jumps on the rail to follow  its track and gasps upon spotting a BOY in a short, white  kimono, stopped dead in his tracks. 
He glares frightfully at Chihiro with steely green eyes. As  he hastily approaches her, the sun sets rapidly. 
BOY: You shouldn’t be here, get out of  here now! 
Chihiro steps down from the rail, frightened and confused. 
CHIHIRO: What? 
BOY: It’s almost night. Leave, before it   gets dark. 
The sun falls faster and the bathhouse lights turn on. The boy grabs Chihiro and pushes her back. 
HAKU: They’re lighting the lamps. Get out   of here. 
Chihiro runs off the bridge and toward the staircase. 
BOY: You’ve gotta get across the river.   Go, I’ll distract them! 
The boy turns toward the bathhouse and blows glowing white  shards from thin air. 
Chihiro looks back as she runs, still perplexed. 
As she runs down the staircase, the red paper lanterns  hanging from the shops illuminate the dark street. 
She stops and rubs her face, as if in a dream. 
CHIHIRO: What’s up with him? 
She runs again and the town comes to life-- the red lanterns  lead the way for translucent, vague black ghosts to roam. 
EXT. RESTAURANT - SUNSET 
The parents have made a mess of plates, grime, and bones on  the counter and surrounding floor. They are massive, their  back skin bulges from their clothing. 
CHIHIRO: Mom! Dad! Come on! Quit eating! 
She shakes her hunchbacked, gobbling father and a humanesque pig turns to face her. She gasps at her animal parents. 
They turn back to continue eating, so pudgy that they knock  plates to the ground, shattering the dishes. 
A frog-like creature extends its warty arm from the hazey yellow smoke to smack Father across the face with a fly  swatter, knocking the slob to the ground. 
He stands up and spews grime from his mouth as he SQUEALS.  Chihiro scream and runs away. 
EXT. GHOST TOWN 
She looks around and yells into a street full of wandering  spirits. 
CHIHIRO: Mom, Dad, where are you? 
The bloblike, inexpressive spirits hardly acknowledge her. 
CHIHIRO: Mommy!  
She runs down the street and descends a staircase. 
EXT. FIELD 
She reaches the first staircase, where a frog statue spews  water from its mouth. Chihiro descends the staircase only to  fall waist-deep in the water. 
CHIHIRO: Water? 
She climbs out of the water and looks ahead-- the field has  filled with an enormous lake. On the other side, the clock  tower and various buildings are lit up in the night. 
CHIHIRO: What? 
She closes her eyes and hits her head with her fists. 
CHIHIRO: I’m dreaming! I’m dreaming! Come   on, wake up, wake up! 
She squats on the ground and curls into a ball.  A ferry, bursting with hundreds of lights, approaches the  staircase.  Chihiro rocks back and forth. 
CHIHIRO: It’s just a dream, it’s just a    dream, go away. 
Her body fades slightly, and she is partly translucent. 
CHIHIRO: Away. Disappear. 
She removes her head from her hands and stares at them,  shocked. Through her hands, she sees the incoming ferry. 
CHIHIRO: I’m see-through! It’s just a bad   dream. 
The staircase rumbles as the ferry reaches shore and lowers  its gate. The doors fly open and invisible figures with  decorated paper masks and robed shadows step out in a line. 
As they step onto shore, they become visible and proceed up  the staircase. More bloblike spirits climb out of the water. 
Chihiro turns around and runs away, climbing the grassy hill. 
INT. GHOST TOWN OUTSKIRTS - DUSK 
The boy runs through the dark edges of the town. 
He stops at the top of a hill and scans the area. He spots  something and continues. 
On the far side of a building, Chihiro is curled in a ball.  The spirits enter the bright city, chatting in the distance. 
VOICE: Looking forward to a relaxing time. 
VOICE (CONT’D _Quite a long journey. 
VOICE (CONT’D)  I hope they have something... 
Haku puts his arms around Chihiro, frightening her. 
HAKU : Don’t be afraid, I just wanna help   you. 
Chihiro, nose running, shakes her head. 
CHIHIRO : No, no, no! 
Haku pulls a tiny red ball from his pocket. 
HAKU: Open your mouth and eat this. You have to eat some food from this   world, or else you’ll disappear. 
CHIHIRO: No! 
Chihiro tries to shove him away, but her ghostly arms push  through his body. She pulls her arms back.  Haku gently places the ball in her mouth. 
HAKU: Don’t worry, it won’t turn you into    a pig. Chew it and swallow. 
Chihiro winces, struggling to eat the bitter ball. She  swallows, and her anxious shoulders drop. 
HAKU: There you go, you’re all better.   See for yourself. 
Haku holds out his hand and Chihiro presses hers against it. 
CHIHIRO: I’m okay. 
HAKU: You see? 
Haku holds her hand and stands up. 
HAKU: Now, come with me. 
Chihiro grabs his arm, worried. 
CHIHIRO: Where are my mom and dad? They   didn’t really turn into pigs, did   they? 
HAKU: You can’t see them now, but you   will. 
Haku senses danger and looks to the sky behind him. In a  panic, he covers Chihiro with his body. 
HAKU: Don’t move. 
IN THE SKY 
A dark, winged creature with a bird’s body and an old woman’s  head circles like a vulture, patrolling the area. 
HAKU & CHIHIRO  watch silently.  THE BIRD  flies out of sight, behind a building. 
HAKU: That bird’s looking for you, you’ve   gotta get out of here. 
He tries to pull Chihiro up, but she is unable to stand. 
CHIHIRO: My legs! I can’t stand up. Help!   What do I do? 
She pulls his hands, trying to rise. He kneels to her level. 
HAKU: Calm down, take a deep breath. 
Chihiro closes her eyes and slowly inhales. Haku puts his  glowing hand over her leg and chants-- 
HAKU: In the name of the wind and water   within thee, unbind her. 
Haku stands up. 
HAKU: Get up. 
She immediately stands and he runs, pulling her behind. 
EXT. ALLEYWAY 
He rushes her through a dark alley, extends his hand toward a  sliding door at the end. 
INT. SAKE BREWERY 
A shovel jamming the door glows and flies to the side, door  slides open and Haku quickly leads Chihiro, past enormous  barrels and towering storage vases-- 
INT. BUTCHERY 
--past a grotesque scene of piled dead fish, squid, hanging  sausages, chickens, and cow ribs-- 
INT. FREEZER 
--through an icy room full of hanging meat-- 
INT. PIG PAVILION 
--past innumerable feeding, squealing pigs. As they reach the  end and leave, Chihiro looks behind, searching. 
EXT. BATHHOUSE - NIGHT 
The bathhouse is fully illuminated, welcoming the night faring monsters as they cross the bridge to enter. 
VOICE: Welcome. Welcome. Always nice to   see you, welcome back. 
HAKU  opens a gate and walks Chihiro down a stone path toward the  bridge. 
HAKU: You have to hold your breath while  we cross the bridge. Even the tiniest breath will break the spell, and then everyone will see you. 
Chihiro clings to Haku’s arm, but he remains postured. 
CHIHIRO: I’m scared. 
HAKU: Now just stay calm. 
Haku opens another gate by the bridge threshold, where two  short, olive-skinned frog-human creatures bow to the spirits. 
GREETER: Welcome, welcome, always nice to   see you. Welcome back, welcome,   welcome. 
HAKU: I’m back from my mission. 
GREETER: Ahh, welcome. Welcome back, Master   Haku. 
Haku and Chihiro pass the greeters. 
HAKU: Take a deep breath. 
Chihiro’s eyes peeled in fear, inhales deeply. 
HAKU: Hold it. 
Chihiro covers her mouth with her hand.  They cross the bridge threshold and the test begins. 
They walk by human-sized Ootori-Sama chicken-ducks and robed  spirits with straw masks. A translucent BLACK SPIRIT with an  expressionless mask stares curiously at Chihiro as it passes. 
Chihiro’s cheeks inflate like bubble gum, ready to explode. 
HAKU: Hang on. Almost there. 
Just as they approach the finishing threshold, a tiny, kimono clad frog-human runs excitedly toward them. AOGAERU jumps up,  trying to level with the human’s height. 
AOGAERU: Master Haku! Where have you been? 
This shocks Chihiro, who removes her hand from her mouth and  gasps for air, immediately catches herself and covers up. 
But Aogaeru noticed and stares at her, stock-still. 
AOGAERU: (CONT’D) Wha, a human? 
The loud little creature jumps up to continue the  conversation, but Haku catches him in mid-air in a paralyzing  black bubble, grabs Chihiro’s hand, and runs. 
HAKU : Let’s go! 
They speedily fly near the ground, leaving a gust of wind in  their wake which sends a group of women’s skirts flying.  They hold the skirts down and giggle. Haku opens a hidden,  knee-high door and leads Chihiro through. 
AOGAERU 
The black cloud surrounding the frog disappears and he drops  to the ground, confused. 
EXT. GARDEN 
Haku runs Chihiro through an empty garden and ducks behind a  bush. Through the see-through sliding doors, we see workers  inside running about like headless chickens. 
WORKERS : Master Haku! 
WORKERS: (CONT’D)  Oh, Master Haku? 
WORKERS: (CONT’D)  Hurry, boy, boy, boy, it stinks up   the place! 
HAKU: They know you’re here. 
CHIHIRO : I’m sorry, I took a breath. 
Haku, arm around Chihiro, leans into her. 
HAKU:  No, Chihiro, you did very well.   Listen carefully to what I tell you   to do. You can’t stay here, they’ll   find you, and you’ll never get to   rescue your parents. I’ll create a  
diversion while you escape. 
Chihiro grabs Haku’s kimono. 
CHIHIRO: No, don’t leave me, I don’t wanna   be alone. 
HAKU: You don’t have any choice if you   want to help your parents. This is  
what you have to do. 
Chihiro’s brow droops. 
CHIHIRO : They did turn into pigs, I wasn’t   dreaming. 
Haku puts his hand on Chihiro’s forehead.
HAKU: Don’t worry. 
Her forehead glows, and-- 
IMAGES TRANSFER-- 
The garden back gate unlatches and opens; a steep staircase  protruding from the building ends at a dirty green door; the  door opens into a smoky boiler room. 
HAKU: Now, when things quiet down, go out   through the back gate.  Go all the way down the stairs   until you reach the boiler room,   where they stoke the fires. There   you’ll find Kamaji, the boiler man. 
HAKU  pulls his hand from Chihiro’s forehead. 
CHIHIRO: Kamaji? 
Haku nods. 
HAKU:  Tell him you want to work here.   Even if he refuses, you must insist. If you don’t get a job,   Yubaba will turn you into an   animal. 
CHIHIRO: Yubaba. Huh? 
HAKU: You’ll see. She’s the witch who  rules the bathhouse. Kamaji will   try to turn you away or trick you   into leaving, but just keep asking   for work. It’ll be hard work, but   you’ll be able to stay here. Then,   even Yubaba can’t harm you. 
Through the sliding doors, the workers continue to panic. 
WORKERS: Master Haku? 
WORKERS: Master Haku, where are you? 
HAKU: I have to go, and don’t forget,   Chihiro, I’m your friend. 
Haku stands up. 
CHIHIRO: How did you know my name’s Chihiro? 
HAKU: I’ve known you since you were very   small. Good luck, and whatever you   do, don’t make a sound. 
Haku lets go of Chihiro’s hands and steps out from the bush. 
WORKERS: Master Haku? 
HAKU: Calm down, I’m coming. 
The humanesque workers open the door.
WORKER: Master Haku, Yubaba wants to see   you. 
Haku sheds his shoes and reluctantly enters. 
HAKU: I know, it’s about my mission,   right? 
They shut the door and Chihiro sticks her head between her  knees for a moment. Then she crawls off. 
EXT. STAIRCASE
Chihiro closes the gate behind her. She clings to the side of  the building, keeping from the rail-less edge. 
She stares down, past the jagged, wooden staircase at a  passing train which seems small so far below. 
She takes a fearful gulp, sits down, and inches herself  toward the first step. 
She sets her feet down, and lowers her body to the next step.  She tries another, and slides down, managing to stop herself. 
She extends her foot to the next step and when she presses  down, the nails give way to a snapping plank and she SCREAMS  while a ceaseless momentum carries her downward. She barely  stays on the rounding steps, then finally smacks flat into a  cement wall at the landing. 
She peels herself off the wall and breathes. 
A worker opens a window above and pokes his head out for a  cigarette, blowing his smoke into the night air. 
Chihiro slowly moves around the corner to avoid detection.  She walks down the next flight and reaches the green door.  She opens the door, enters, and gently shuts it behind her. 
INT. BOILER ROOM 
Chihiro slowly walks through a dark passageway with thick,  steaming pipes. 
An enormous metal furnace opens its jaw-like doors every few  seconds for a legion of tiny, wiry-legged SOOTBALLS to throw  lumps of coal bigger than their own body into the flames, and  run off. 
A hunchbacked old man with an enormous moustache uses his six  long arms to simultaneously grab jarred herbs, crush them in  a mortar bowl, itch his bald head, and pull a hanging token  above. This is KAMAJI. 
Chihiro retreats to the passageway in fear, and jolts when  steam jets from a nearby pipe. She peaks into the boiler room  and sees Kamaji turning a metal wheel. 
He notices her, stops wheeling, pounds a wooden mallet on his  stone workplace and the Soot Sprites immediately retreat into  their mouse-like holes. 
Chihiro walks in and nervously approaches Kamaji. 
CHIHIRO: Hello, excuse me. 
Kamaji looks at Chihiro through his dark sunglasses, takes a  sip from his teapot, and returns to his work. 
CHIHIRO: Uh, hello? 
She walks to his station. 
CHIHIRO: Uh, hello, are you Kamaji? 
The grumbling man brushes crushed herbs into a chute, then  peaks under his arm to look, confused. 
KAMAJI: Eh? 
Kamaji groans and turns his body towards Chihiro, moving his  head in to get a better look. 
CHIHIRO: Haku told me to come here and ask   you for work. Could you give me a   job please? 
A bell RINGS and four red tokens drop from a chute above.  Kamaji growls. 
KAMAJI: Four bath tokens at once. 
He grabs the mallet, clangs the wheel, and yells back. 
KAMAJI: Come on, get to work, you little   runts!  (to Chihiro)  Yeah, I’m Kamaji, slave to the   boiler that heats the baths.  (yelling again)  Move it, ya stupid soot balls. 
Chihiro desperately interjects-- 
CHIHIRO: Please, I’ve gotta get a job here. 
KAMAJI: I don’t need any help. The place is   full of soot, I just cast a spell   on them and I’ve got all the   workers I need. 
The sootballs come out, carrying the coal toward the furnace  door. Chihiro tries to step out of the way, but the sootballs run into her feet, causing a jam. 
CHIHIRO: Wait, just a second. 
Chihiro steps out of the way, careful not to step on any  sprites. She finds a corner and leans against a wall of  wooden drawers running ceiling-high. 
One of Kamaji’s arms extends to the wall and signals Chihiro  to move. 
KAMAJI:Out of the way. 
Chihiro jumps out of its path and Kamaji’s hand opens a  drawer, pulls some stems, reaches to grab herbs from a high  drawer, and brings them back to his station. 
Chihiro curls up in defeat. 
A sootball exits the hole and drops the coal on themselves.  They squirm beneath it and Chihiro lifts the coal up. The  sootball detaches from the coal and runs back to the hole. 
CHIHIRO: What should I do with this? Should   I leave it here? 
KAMAJI: Finish what you started, human. 
The sootballs move out of Chihiro’s path as she slowly   carries the heavy chunk to the furnace, nearly dropping it. 
The furnace doors spit fire as they open, and close, open.  Chihiro waits as they close again, then open, and she throws  the coal in and runs away. 
The spectating sootballs walk toward Chihiro and all drop  their pieces on themselves. 
Kamaji clangs the mallet again. 
KAMAJI: Hey, you runts, you wanna turn back   into soot?  (to Chihiro)  And you, back off, you can’t just   take someone else’s job. If they   don’t work, the spell wears off.   They turn back into soot. There’s   no work for you here, got it?   Try somewhere else.
The sootballs stand up, raise their coal pieces in protest,  and pile on Chihiro’s feet. 
KAMAJI:You soot balls got a problem? Now   get back to work! 
A sliding door opens at the other side of the room and a  woman enters with a bowl of food and a basket. 
LIN: Chow time, what’s going on? Are you   guys fighting again? 
LIN walks to Kamaji, who calms down at the sight of food. 
LIN: Where’s your other bowl? 
Kamaji moans at the sight of the rice and butterfly shrimp. 
LIN: From yesterday? 
Kamaji looks around his hectic station full with toothbrush,  tissues, scattered cigarettes, and finds the dirty bowl. He  hands it to Lin and she walks off. 
LIN:I keep telling you to leave it out,   Kamaji. 
Kamaji shouts to the soot balls. 
KAMAJI: Meal time, take a break! 
The soot balls hop happily from the coal pile at Chihiro’s  feet to Lin, who reaches into the basket and throws colorful  Konpeito candy to the dancing sprites. 
Lin turns to the side and gasps upon seeing Chihiro. Chihiro  stares in fear and Lin points at her. 
LIN: A human! You’re in trouble. You’re   the one everyone’s looking for. 
Kamaji takes a bite of his shrimp and calmly interjects. 
KAMAJI: She’s my granddaughter. 
LIN: Granddaughter? 
KAMAJI: She said she wants to work here,   but I’ve got all the help I need.   Will you take her to see Yubaba?   She’s a tough little girl. I think  she can handle it. 
LIN: No way, I’m not gonna risk my life. 
Kamaji extends a hand holding a small, charred lizard. 
KAMAJI: What if I give you this roasted   newt, hmm? 
Lin, shocked at the sight of it, considers this.
KAMAJI: It’s a good one.  (turning to Chihiro)  If you want a job, you’ll have to   make a deal with Yubaba. She’s the   head honcho here. 
Lin snatches the newt. 
LIN: Give me that. Come on little girl,   you better follow me. 
Chihiro climbs out of the coal pile and runs to Lin. 
LIN: Can’t you even manage a “yes,   ma’am” or a “thank you”? 
CHIHIRO:  Yes, ma’am. 
LIN: What a dope. Hurry up. 
CHIHIRO: Yes, ma’am. 
Chihiro grabs her shoes and follows Lin, who grunts. 
LIN: You don’t need your shoes or your   socks. Just leave ‘em. 
CHIHIRO: Yes, ma’am. 
Chihiro takes off her socks, places them in her shoes, and  sets them on the ground. The soot balls flock to them. 
Chihiro crouches through the sliding doorway and Lin whispers  to her-- 
LIN: Thank the boiler man, you idiot.   You know he’s really sticking his   neck out for you. 
Chihiro turns around and bumps her head on the low doorway.  She yelps in pain and bows to Kamaji. 
CHIHIRO: Thank you, Mr. Boiler Man! 
Kamaji gives her a thumbs up. 
KAMAJI: Good luck. 
Chihiro crosses under the short doorway and slides it shut. 
INT. HALLWAY 
Lin leads Chihiro through a dim hall. 
LIN: We have to go all the way to the   top floor. That’s where Yubaba  
lives. 
INT. SHAFT ROOM 
Lin enters a room with colossal gears pulling ropes. She  signals Chihiro to follow her in.  Chihiro stops and stares curiously above: 
CHIHIRO’S POV 
The ropes reach past several dark stories, into the bright,  seemingly endless floors above. 
LIN: (O.S.)  Get over here. 
Chihiro snaps out of her curious gaze and rushes to meet Lin  on a doorless elevator, just stepping on before it ascends. 
INT. ELEVATOR 
Chihiro rests her head on a wood plank, just inches from the  passing wall. 
LIN : You wanna lose your nose? 
Chihiro jumps away from the side in fear. 
SEVERAL STORIES ABOVE THE SHAFT ROOM 
Opulent red wooden beams run from the dark floors below.  Servants carry plates and trays of food through the well-lit  hallways of this wide-open area. The elevator zooms upward. 
INT. HALLWAY 
Lin and Chihiro exit the elevator and pass through a hallway  of painted floral walls and resting piles of containers. 
They pass by a busy kitchen, where frog-humans in sanitary  face masks fill rows of bowls with snacks and soup. 
WORKER: (O.S.) They’re not spicy enough. 
A woman with hikimayu eyebrows and a pile of trays exits an  elevator. Lin and Chihiro sneak around the corner and enter  behind her. 
INT. ELEVATOR 
Lin pulls a lever and the elevator rises. 
LIN: We’re halfway there, just stay  close. 
CHIHIRO: Okay. 
Open slats in a passing wall let in light. Chihiro looks  through and sees vague blobs lounging in the baths. 
LIN: Here we go. 
The elevator slows, stops, and the door opens. 
Waiting outside is a chubby, towering white creature,  humanesque with its large breasts and stomach, but inhuman  with its tusk-like face flaps, wearing only a red loincloth  and large bowl as a hat. 
Lin gasps, surprised and faux-enthused. 
LIN: The Radish Spirit. 
This is the RADISH SPIRIT and he points a finger upward while  grumbling incomprehensibly. 
LIN: Sorry, sir, this elevator doesn’t   go any higher. You’ll have to take   another one, thank you. 
Lin leads Chihiro past him and raises her eyebrows  contemptuously.  The inexpressive Radish Spirit follows them with long,  booming footsteps as they cross a red and gold bridge. 
ON THE FLOOR BELOW 
Smiling servants-- near-human women with wide faces and  stocky bodies-- massage and pamper the soaking spirits, from  inexplicable, diverse creatures to tentacled humanoids to  Ootori-Sama. 
LIN AND CHIHIRO  stepping off the bridge. Chihiro looks behind at the tailing  Radish Spirit. 
CHIHIRO: He’s following us. 
LIN: Just don’t look at him. 
They reach a closed elevator and Lin presses the button. As  they wait, the slow Radish Spirit catches up. The tall  spirit’s lumpy, bare breasts rest just at Lin’s eye level. 
She closes her eyes. 
The door opens and three tusked Ushioni-sama monsters with  colorful stringy hair step out. 
A frog-human SERVANT escorts them. 
SERVANT: Step out to the right, please,   gentlemen. 
MONSTER :(mumbling to the others)  I don’t think they’re big enough. 
SERVANT: Your rooms are right this way. 
He sniffs something and turns around. 
SERVANT:Hmm, Lin? 
Lin pushes Chihiro into the elevator and the Radish Spirit  follows her in, hiding the small girl. 
LIN: What? 
SERVANT: What’s that smell? It’s human. You   smell just like a human. 
LIN: Oh, really? 
SERVANT: Where’s it coming from, Lin? Come  on. 
Lin appears annoyed, refusing to respond. 
SERVANT: You’re hiding something, aren’t   you? Show it to me. 
Lin reaches into her pocket and grabs the roasted newt. 
LIN: Is this what you smell? 
The servant’s eyes widen and his face perspires in awe. 
SERVANT: Roasted... newt! 
He snaps his hands to grab it, but Lin pulls it up. 
LIN: No way, frog, I’m saving every last   bite for myself. 
SERVANT: Please, just a little bit, just   give me a leg. 
The short frog grabs at it, but Lin holds it out of reach.  She turns to the elevator. 
LIN: If you wanna go up, pull the lever   on your right. 
The Radish Spirit grumbles and nods his head. 
SERVANT: Gimme, gimme, gimme, how could you  be so cruel? Can’t you share? 
Chihiro squeezes between the Radish Spirit and elevator wall  and pulls the lever, closing the door. 
The servant continues to reach for the newt. 
SERVANT: Let me suck on the tail, please!   Let me just... 
He gasps as Lin eats the entire newt and smiles. 
INT. ELEVATOR 
The elevator carries the adverse pair upward. 
It stops, the doors open. A long hallway with sandals resting  by closed shoji doors upon which spirits’ shadows move. 
Chihiro and the Radish Spirit stay put, the elevator closes. 
Chihiro, wedged against the wall, stares up at the spirit. He  slowly meets her gaze and she turns away quickly. 
INT. HALLWAY 
A tall, dark hallway with fluted columns and floral relief  carvings. The elevator door opens and the Radish Spirit steps  out to scan the area. 
Chihiro steps out and looks at the red doorways ahead,  illuminated by mounted kerosene lamps. The Radish Spirit  steps back into the elevator and bows to Chihiro. 
She bows back and the doors close. She walks along the  patterned tile floor, past tall, ornate vases, and stops in  front of a short staircase. 
She sees an engraving of the bird-bodied old woman. 
She slowly ascends the stairs and reaches for the door  handle, but a door knocker in the shape of a face yells at  her: 
DOOR KNOCKER: Aren’t you even going to knock? 
Its eyes rolls to the back of its head, return and glare. 
DOOR KNOCKER: You’re the most pathetic little   girl I’ve ever seen. 
Chihiro winces as the door opens, revealing another room,  where another set of doors open, revealing another and  another and the apparent mise-en-abyme continues... 
YUBABA: Well, come in. 
CHIHIRO  clings her shirt, afraid and still. 
INSERT: 
The old woman’s hand, covered in vibrant, bulbous rings with  pointed red fingernails, waves her in. 
YUBABA: I said, come in. 
BACK TO: 
CHIHIRO  is pulled through the doors, which shut and lock behind her,  past the golden rooms of engravings and potraiture, hallways  with spotlighted, painted vases, and into-- 
INT. YUBABA’S OFFICE 
Chihiro is tossed on the ground, rolling and landing on her  face. She sits up, looks up after hearing approaching GRUNTS. 
Three tough-looking green, bearded heads (KASHIRA) jump and  roll along the patterned carpet, then circle around Chihiro,  who cowers in fear. 
The old woman, with a massive, wrinkled face, imposing nose,  thick violet eyeshadow, and a large, bushy head of yellow  hair, looks down as she writes. 
This is YUBABA. 
YUBABA 
Quiet down, you’re making a racket. 
The Kashira retreat behind Yubaba’s desk. 
CHIHIRO: Excuse me, I was wondering if you   could give me a job? 
Yubaba slowly looks up and waves her hand, shutting Chihiro’s  mouth like a zipper. The young girl tries in vain to open it. 
Yubaba laughs and returns to her work. 
YUBABA: I don’t want to hear such a stupid   request. You’re just a stinking,   useless weakling. 
Yubaba places a bag of gold into a small chest and closes it. 
YUBABA: And this is certainly no place for   humans. It’s a bathhouse for the   spirits. It’s where they come to  replenish themselves. 
Yubaba puts a long cigarette in her mouth. 
YUBABA: And you humans always make a mess   of things. Like your parents, who   gobbled up the food of the spirits   like pigs. They got what they  deserved, and you should be   punished, too. 
She makes a small fire with her finger, lights the cigarette. 
YUBABA: Hmm. 
She inhales and blows jets of smoke from her nostrils. 
YUBABA: You could be a piglet. Or, maybe   you’d prefer a lump of coal. 
Chihiro trembles, on the verge of crying. Yubaba laughs. 
YUBABA: I can see you shaking. Actually,   I’m impressed you made it this far.   But I’m sure you didn’t do it on   your own. Let’s thank whoever   helped you. Just who was it dear,   why don’t you tell me? 
Yubaba waves her hand, unzipping Chihiro’s mouth. 
CHIHIRO: Please! Can’t you give me a job? 
Yubaba yells back angrily-- 
YUBABA: Don’t start that again! 
Chihiro scream desperately-- 
CHIHIRO: Please, I just want to work. 
Yubaba grows angrier, sending the papers and treasures flying  off her desk, and she takes off into the air. 
YUBABA: Don’t say that! 
She stops in front of Chihiro, pressing her massive nose in  the girl’s face as she speaks-- 
YUBABA: Why in the world do you think I   should give you a job? Anyone can   see you’re a lazy, spoiled crybaby,   and you have no manners. 
Yubabe pokes Chihiro’s stomach with her pointed nails. 
YUBABA: This is a high-class place I’m   running here. So there’s no job for   you, now get out. I’ve got all the   lazy bums I need. 
Chihiro is stock-still, afraid for her life. Yubaba wraps her  disproportionately large hand around Chihiro’s chest, working  her nails up her side until she digs them against the  terrified girl’s throat. 
YUBABA: Or maybe I’ll give you the most   difficult job I’ve got, and work   you until you breathe your very   last breathe. 
Yubaba stops upon hearing a distant RUMBLE. She GASPS. A  divider falls down and the books fall off her desks. 
The sound of a WEEPING baby precedes a giant foot kicking  through a wooden door. 
YUBABA:Oh, dear, you woke up the baby. 
The terrified witch picks up her dress skirt, runs to the  door and pokes her head in. She uses her baby voice-- 
YUBABA: Mommy’s here. Be a good boy now. 
She grimaces back at Chihiro. 
YUBABA: Why are you still here? I told you   to leave. 
CHIHIRO: (yelling)  I want you to give me a job,   please! 
YUBABA: Quiet down, you’re scaring the   baby! 
Just then the foot kicks through the door, pummeling Yubaba’s  face. 
YUBABA: Hi, sweetie. Don’t be angry. That’s   a good boy. 
Chihiro stays put. 
CHIHIRO: I’m not leaving till you give me a   job! 
YUBABA: Okay, okay, just be quiet.  (turning to the baby)  Here comes Mommy, I’m coming to get   you. 
Chihiro and the Kashira wait silently.  A paper flies out of a fallen stack, followed by a pen, and  floats to Chihiro, who grabs them. The Kashira jump up and  down. 
YUBABA: (O.S.) That’s your contract. 
Yubaba reenters, pulling broken wood planks from her hair. 
YUBABA: (CONT’D)  Sign your name away, and I’ll put  You to work. 
She waves her hands and the scattered papers, books and  valuables fly neatly back to their place. 
YUBABA: If I hear one little complaint out   of you, you’ll be joining your   parents in the pigpen. 
Chihiro points to a spot on the paper. 
CHIHIRO: So I-- do I sign my name here? 
YUBABA: Just sign it, do you want the job   or not? 
Chihiro searches around, kneels at the tile floor by the  fireplace and begins signing.  Yubaba continues waving her arms, restoring flying pens and  jewelry.  
YUBABA: I can’t believe I took that oath.   To give a job to anyone who asks. 
She fixes a fallen lamp shade and turns the light on. 
YUBABA: Ridiculous, I hate being so nice   all the time. 
The Kashira are watching Chihiro sign. 
YUBABA: Are you done yet? 
The paper flies into Yubaba’s hands before Chihiro finishes.  The old woman inspects it. 
YUBABA: So your name’s Chihiro? 
CHIHIRO: Yes, ma’am. 
YUBABA: What a pretty name. 
Yubaba waves her hand above the inked name and three  character float into her hand, leaving only one. 
YUBABA: And it belongs to me now. From now   on, your name is Sen, you got that? 
Chihiro stares silently. 
YUBABA:Answer me, Sen! 
CHIHIRO: Yes, ma’am. 
HAKU: (O.S.)  You called for me? 
Haku is standing at the entrance. 
YUBABA:This girl signed a contract. Set   her up with a job.  Haku, straight-faced, turns to Chihiro. 
HAKU: Right, what’s your name? 
CHIHIRO: What, Chih-- oh, it’s Sen. 
HAKU: Okay, Sen. Follow me. 
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT 
The elevator zooming down the shaft. 
INT. ELEVATOR 
Haku and Chihiro are staring forward, wordless, until-- 
CHIHIRO: Haku, uh... 
HAKU: Don’t talk to me, and address me as   Master Haku.  
Haku’s long black bangs leave his blank eyes in the shadows.  Chihiro turns away. 
EXT. THE BATHHOUSE 
The bathhouse, lit in the gray night, spews small  smokestreams. 
INT. SERVANTS’ QUARTERS 
Curious, chattering servants in pajama kimonos are watching  the silent Master and the timid human walking down a  staircase. 
A peach-colored frog-human at a front desk smiled slyly. 
CHICHIYAKU: I don’t care if Yubaba gets angry  with us. 
CHICHIYAKU’s taller assistant, ANIYAKU completes him-- 
ANIYAKU: We’re not taking humans. 
The servants crowd around, watching the conversation. 
HAKU: She’s already under contract. 
CHICHIYAKU and the onlookers GASP. 
CHICHIYAKU: What? 
CHIHIRO: I promise to work very hard. 
An onlooking WOMAN speaks from behind her folding fan. 
WOMAN: We are not gonna take her in our   department. 
ANOTHER WOMAN: She’ll stink up the whole place. 
FROG-MAN: We don’t want her. 
HAKU: Three days of eating our food, and   her smell will go away. And if she   doesn’t work hard, roast her, boil   her, do whatever you want. 
The crowd smiles in approval. 
HAKU: Now get back to work, where is Lin? 
The crowd disperses and passing woman smirk at Lin, who is  leaning against a wooden column. 
LIN: What, don’t you dump her on me. 
HAKU: You said you wanted an assistant. 
CHICHIYAKU: (smiling jokingly)  That’s perfect, give the girl to   Lin. 
Haku turns to Chihiro-- 
HAKU: Sen, get going. -- who runs to an angry Lin. 
CHIHIRO: Right. 
LIN:Why are you picking on me? You owe   me one, Haku. You hear me? 
ANIYAKU: (sardonically)  Have a nice day. 
LIN: Hmph. 
Lin walks off. Chihiro is still staring at Aniyaku. Lin turns  back. 
LIN: Come on. 
Chihiro bows to the managers and runs off. 
INT. HALLWAY 
Lin, apparently angry still, rounds a corner and turns to  Chihiro with a smile. 
LIN: I can’t believe you pulled it off. 
CHIHIRO:Huh? 
LIN: You’re such a dope, I was really   worried. Now, keep on your toes,   and if you need anything, ask me.   Okay? 
CHIHIRO: Okay. 
LIN: Hmm? What’s wrong? 
Chihiro is trembling, cheeks reddening. 
CHIHIRO: I don’t feel so good. 
EXT. BATHHOUSE 
A train chugging along the tracks. 
INT. WOMEN’S BEDROOM 
Lin leads Chihiro into an open room, where a few women lie  asleep on comforters. Lin opens a sliding door closet and  searches around. 
LIN: So, this is our room. A little food   and some sleep and you’ll be fine. 
Lin hands Chihiro a blue apron-- 
LIN: Here’s your apron. You have to wash   it yourself.  
-- some pink pants-- 
LIN: Your pants. 
Lin rifles through the clothing baskets, pulls a large shirt. 
LIN: You’re so puny. Way too big. 
CHIHIRO: Lin, you know Haku? 
LIN: What about him? 
CHIHIRO: There aren’t two of him, are there? 
LIN: Two Hakus? I can barely stand one. 
She pulls another shirt and looks at it. 
LIN: Too big. He’s Yubaba’s henchman,   don’t trust anything he says. 
She throws the shirt on the floor and Chihiro sighs. She  drops, curls into a ball and MOANS. 
Lin holds up a shirt happily, but kneels down when she  notices Chihiro is crying. 
LIN: Ah, here we go... wh-- what’s wrong   with you? Are you feeling okay? 
A WOMAN wakes up and pulls down her comforter. 
WOMAN: Quiet down. What’s your problem? 
LIN: It’s the new girl, she doesn’t feel   so good. 
INT. TOWER 
Haku ascends a rail-less, spiral stone staircase snaking the  walls. 
EXT. BATHHOUSE ROOFTOP - DAWN 
A small bird, with a head resembling Yubaba’s, is perched on  the railing of this out looking balcony. The doors open from  the inside and Yubaba is standing at the threshold. 
Haku and Kashira standby silently as Yubaba wraps a black  cloak aroun her face and body, and walks out. 
She leaps onto the railing, rocks a few times before flapping  her newly formed cloak wings and taking off with her mini-me. 
The fly over a marshy field which the train tracks run  through, extending for as far as the eye can see. 
INT. BATHHOUSE ROOFTOP 
Haku turns off the lights and the Kashira hop away. OUTSIDE 
Massive clouds of fog cloak the bathhouse. The sun is rising. 
EXT. GHOST TOWN - MORNING 
The morning sun hits the shop rooftops. The lanterns turn  off. 
INT. WOMEN’S QUARTERS 
Rows of women asleep beneath bright patterned comforters. CHIHIRO  shivering under her covers.  The door quietly opens.  Chihiro opens her eyes.  Silent feet walk across the scattered blankets. Chihiro closes her eyes i fear, but a hand comforts her.
HAKU:Meet me at the bridge, I’ll take   you to your parents. 
He leaves and the door SHUTS. Chihiro rises, wearing her blue  apron. She holds up her pink shirt, looking it over. 
INT. WOMEN'S QUARTERS - HALLWAY 
A soft morning sun shines through the windows. Chihiro crawls  into the hall, stands up, looks around, and turns a corner. 
INT. SHAFT ROOM 
Chihiro is walking down the stairs. 
INT. BOILER ROOM 
Kamaji is asleep, SNORING, his many arms wrapped around his  blankets. Chihiro looks around the quiet, empty room. 
CHIHIRO: My shoes are gone. 
THE SOOT BALLS  peak out from their holes, collectively pull out the yellow  shoes and set them by Chihiro. 
CHIHIRO:Thank you. 
She pulls her balled socks from the inside, slides the shoes  on, taps her toes against the ground for good measure, and  runs off. 
She puts her hand on the handle, but stops to look back at  the chirping, hopping soot sprites. She waves, opens the  door, and steps into the daylight. 
EXT. STAIRCASE 
Chihiro calmly climbed the jutting stairs. She looks across  a valley to a distant cliff, where the long pigpens lay. 
EXT. BRIDGE 
Chihiro steps through the garden gate and approaches the  bridge, where a translucent black spirit is standing alone.  
NO-FACE has a long, white, expressionless mask and peers  silently at Chihiro. 
She pauses before crossing the bridge, ducking her head to  avoid contact with the strange spirit. Once she passes, she  runs to the end of the bridge, turns around, and finds No Face is not there. 
She turns around as Haku approaches from the other side. 
HAKU: Come with me. 
He walks away and she runs after him. 
EXT. GARDEN 
Haku leads Chihiro through a sensational walkway of vibrant  azaleas, blooming rhododendrons, and striking perennials. 
Chihiro holds up her arms as the pair whooshes by, careful  not to brush against the dazzling display. 
HAKU: We don’t have much time. If you’re   found here, you’ll be turned into a  
pig yourself. 
They reach the end of the bushes and descend a hill toward  the pig pens below. 
HAKU: You must never come here without   me, understand? 
CHIHIRO: I understand. 
INT. PIG PAVILION 
The pigs, crammed into fenced pens, are standing calmly. Two  isolated pigs sleep on the muddy cement floor. 
Chihiro looks away from them, to Haku, who nods. The unnerved  young girl runs to the fence and shouts to the snoring pigs. 
CHIHIRO: Mom, Dad, are you alright? It’s me, Sen, hey, wake up! Mom! Dad! 
The resting pigs are oblivious. Haku walks to Chihiro. 
CHIHIRO: What’s wrong with them, are they sick? 
HAKU: No, they ate too much, they’re   sleeping it off. They don’t   remember being human. So look hard.   It’s up to you to remember which   ones they are. 
Chihiro tears up, but passionately belts-- 
CHIHIRO: Don’t you worry, I promise I’ll get   you out of here. So just don’t get   any fatter or they’ll eat you! 
She immediately turns around and runs out of the pavlion. 
EXT. GARDEN 
Chihiro is curled in a ball, head between her knees.  Butterflies flutter above the nearby orchids. 
Haku, standing above, reaches into his kimono, pulls her  green t-shirt and shorts, and extends them to her. 
HAKU: Here are your clothes. Hide them. 
Chihiro’s eyes widen, she grabs the clothes, hugs them tight. 
CHIHIRO: I thought they’d been thrown away. 
HAKU: You’ll need them to get home. 
Haku pulls a small package from his kimono and Chihiro pulls  the handwritten card from her shorts. 
CHIHIRO: My goodbye card’s still here. 
She reads it. 
CHIHIRO:Chihiro, Chihiro. That’s my name,   isn’t it? 
HAKU: That’s how Yubaba controls you, by   stealing your name. So hold on to   that card, keep it hidden. And   while you’re here, you must call   yourself Sen. 
CHIHIRO: I can’t believe I forgot my name.   She almost took it from me. 
HAKU: If you completely forget it, you’ll   never find your way home. I’ve   tried everything to remember mine. 
CHIHIRO: You can’t remember your name? 
HAKU: (smiling)  No, but for some reason, I remember   yours. 
He unravels the package and offers Chihiro a rice ball. 
HAKU: Here you go, eat this, you must be   hungry. 
Chihiro turns her head away, saddened. 
CHIHIRO: No. 
HAKU: I put a spell on it so it’ll give   you back your strength. Just eat it. 
She takes the onigiri in her hands and takes a small bite.  She chews, realizes her hunger and takes massive chomps. 
The rice sticks to her face and she sheds a deluge of tears.  She eats the rest of it as pools drop off her chin. 
She puts her hand in her balled fists and WEEPS. Haku puts his arm around her and extends the other onigiri. 
HAKU: Have some more, you’ll be alright. 
She grabs both and fills her mouth between the sobs. 
EXT. BRIDGE 
Chihiro, leading the way, opens the garden gate and steps  through. 
HAKU: I’ve got to go now, I’ll be back to   help you soon. Just stay out of   trouble. 
Chihiro turns to him, a smile on her face. 
CHIHIRO: Thank you, Haku, you’re a good   friend. 
Haku nods and Chihiro runs off, crosses the bridge. When she  reaches the other side she turns around, looks to the sky and  gasps. 
A bright dragon with a long, white, snaking body is flying  among the clouds. Chihiro stares in awe. 
CHIHIRO: Haku. He’s a dragon? 
Haku flies out of sight and Chihiro runs toward the  bathhouse. 
The strange masked spirit reappears as he steps off the  bridge, then disappears just as fast. 
INT. BOILER ROOM 
Kamaji snored in his sleep. He wakes up, reaches to grab his  tea pot, and takes  sip. He notices something-- 
KAMAJI: Huh? 
-- Chihiro is lying asleep on the wood floor, curled up with  her t-shirt and shorts as a makeshift pillow. The soot balls  are congregated by her shoes. 
Kamaji extends his lengthy arms to grab a blanket and cover  the sleeping girl. 
EXT. MARSHES 
Dark grey rain clouds are crawling over the marshes, blocking  the daylight. The cloaked Yubaba and her mini-me fly through  the storm unaffected, returning to the bathhouse roof. 
EXT. GHOST TOWN - DUSK 
Darkness covers the town and the lanterns turn on. 
EXT. BATHHOUSE - NIGHT 
The bathhouse lights turn on. 
INT. WOMEN'S QUARTERS 
Chihiro is handing comforters to Lin, who puts them back into  the closets. Nearby women clean up and comb their hair. 
LIN: Where were you, Sen, I was really   worried. 
CHIHIRO: I’m sorry. 
INT. SERVANTS' QUARTERS 
Women and frog-men ascend the staircases and travel the  halls. 
LIN AND CHIHIRO 
follow and line of workers, grabbing tokens on a wall. Sen takes too long and a women bumps into her from behind. 
WOMAN: Out of my way. 
INT. LOUNGE ROOM 
Chihiro and four other girls run wet cloths across the wooden  floor, Chihiro quickly falling behind the fast pack. 
Chihiro falls down, but gets back up as the girls lap her. LATER - CHIHIRO  struggles to squeeze the wet rag above a bucket. 
LIN: Gee, Sen. Haven’t you ever worked a   day in your life? 
Aniyaku approaches them, a notebook in hand. 
ANIYAKU: Lin and Sen, you get the big tub    today. 
LIN: What? Hey, that’s frog work. 
ANIYAKU: Orders from the top, so quit your   complaining! 
EXT. GARDEN 
Inside, Chihiro carries the bucket to the glass sliding  doors, opens them and pours the water outside. Something  outside catches her attention-- 
No-Face is standing in the rain, staring blankly at Chihiro,  who bows. 
CHIHIRO: Hello, aren’t you getting wet out   there? 
No response. 
LIN: (O.S.)  Sen, hurry up! 
CHIHIRO: Coming!  (turns back and smiles)  I’ll leave the door open for you. 
Chihiro picks up the bucket and walks off.  No-Face turns invisible as he approaches the door-- 
INT. BATHHOUSE 
-- and reappears at the threshold. He steps inside, and fades  away again as he walks deeper in. 
LIN AND CHIHIRO 
walking past cubicles, where servants are filling baths with  water from wooden chutes from the ceiling. A WOMAN steps out  of one to joke Lin-- 
WOMAN: Heard you got the big tub, Lin. 
LIN : Leave me alone. 
IN A MASSIVE BATH ROOM 
A particularly large bath is covered in weeds, with a thick  layer of brown grime. Lin and Chihiro are standing at the  entrance, looking in. 
LIN: Those jerks, they haven’t cleaned   this tub in months.  
A few frog-men peak behind corners to watch. Lin walks   forward and Chihiro trips, dropping her bucket and broom. The  frog-men GIGGLE at her expense. 
LATER 
-Lin is sweeping the pile of weeds while Chihiro carries a  bushel off. 
-Inside the emptied tub, Chihiro and Lin use large rags and  all their strength to scrub the filthy walls. 
LIN: We only use this tub for our really   filthy guests. Disgusting, this is   so caked on, it’ll take days to   scrub off. 
Aniyaku peaks his head in. 
ANIYAKU: Lin, Sen, you’ve got some customers   on the way. 
LIN: Wait! Give us a minute, this is   clearly harassment. 
Lin angrily throws her rag on the ground and walks off. 
LIN: We’ll have to soak it off. 
Lin lifts Chihiro out of the tall tub. 
LIN: Get an herbal soak token from the   foreman. 
CHIHIRO: A what? 
Lin hoists Chihiro over the side of the tub and the young  girl topple over, rolling down the slope and falling on her  face. Lin pokes her head over the side-- 
LIN: An herbal soak token. 
Chihiro rubs her head and runs off-- 
CHIHIRO: All right. 
-- but she runs back a moment later. 
CHIHIRO: Hey, Lin, what’s a foreman? 
INT. YUBABA'S OFFICE 
Yubaba is peering through a magnifier, inspecting an emerald,  a pile of jewels and crystal ball laying on the desk below. 
he looks up, sensing something. 
YUBABA: Hmm, something’s coming, I wonder   what? 
She stands up and rakes the jewels into a chest before  running to th window and looking out. 
YUBAB: What useless scum is sleeking   around in the rain? 
EXT. GHOST TOWN 
The bloblike spirits retreat to the shops, slam the doors,  and turn off the lights. 
Only the lanterns stay lit, leading the way for a sad, oozing  MONSTER, a pile of black sludge which is making its way down  the street. 
INT. BATHHOUSE 
Chihiro is standing by the FOREMAN, who is speaking from  behind his elevated desk. 
FOREMAN: I can’t waste a token on you. 
He smiles while he hands a red token to an approaching woman. 
FOREMAN:Relax, good morning. 
He passes another to a woman escorting a tall orange monster. 
FOREMAN: Enjoy. Have a nice bath. 
Chihiro hasn’t moved. Another woman approaches. 
WOMAN: For the Radish Spirit. 
FOREMAN: One sulfur soak. 
He hands her a token and turns to Chihiro. 
FOREMAN: Why are you still standing here?   Scrub it yourself. I’m not giving   you a token. 
He smiles at a passing big-eared, pink monster. 
FOREMAN:Relax, good morning.  (to Chihiro)  I said scrub it yourself! 
CHIHIRO: But I was told it has to have an   herbal soak. 
FOREMAN: Well, that’s too bad. 
As he hands a token to another servant, No-Face appears at  the foreman’s side. 
FOREMAN: Mugworth bath, relax and enjoy it. 
Chihiro stares at No-Face and bows. Foreman turns to see what  she’s looking at, but No-Face disappears. 
FOREMAN: Hmm? 
The phone RINGS, and the foreman picks it up to answer-- 
FOREMAN: Foreman speaking-- oh, yes, what? 
A bath token floats up and the foreman tries to grab it, but  it flies into Chihiro’s unsuspecting hands.  She smiles, bows, and runs off. 
CHIHIRO: Thank you very much. 
FOREMAN: Get back here! Hey! Wait a minute. 
YUBABA (ON THE PHONE)  What’s going on? 
Foreman puts the phone back to his head-- 
FOREMAN: Nothing, everything’s fine. 
INT. YUBABA'S OFFICE 
Yubaba is holding a tiny skull under her hand. 
YUBABA: We have an intruder. 
The skull’s jaw chatters as the foreman responds. 
FOREMAN (ON THE PHONE)  Is it a human? 
YUBABA: I’m not quite sure. Figure it out   and report back. 
INT. BIG BATH ROOM 
Lin is looking at Chihiro’s token, impressed. 
LIN: Wow, Sen, you got a really good   one. 
Lin clips the token onto a cord coming from an open plank an  open door in the wall. 
LIN:Clip this on, then let go. 
Lin pulls the cord down and it springs up. She closes the  door. 
LIN:It goes straight to Kamaji, then he   sends us our water. 
A wooden plank on the beautifully painted wall rustles, then  a chute suspends downward, above the tub. 
Lin walks up the side of the tub and puts her hand on a rope  hanging from the chute. 
LIN: You pull on this to start the water  flowing, give it a try. 
Chihiro walks up the side, grabs the rope, but before she can  pull, she slips, yanking the rope down and summoning a  stream. 
The warm, greenish water begins filling the tub. Chihiro  stands on her feet. 
LIN: Uh, you’re such a klutz. 
Chihiro looks at the filling tub. 
CHIHIRO: Yuck! What’s in this water? 
LIN: Dried worm salt, it’s supposed to   be good for you. And with water   this murky, you can’t see all the   sludge in the tub. 
Lin walks down to the ground, turns back to Chihiro. 
LIN: Yank it again when the bath is   full, it’ll stop. You can let go of   the rope now, I’ll go get us some   breakfast. 
CHIHIRO: Okay. 
Chihiro slowly releases the ropes, smiles at the job she’s  done. She turns around, sees No-Face lurking in the corner. 
She loses her footing and tumbles down the side again,  hitting her head. She sits up, holding it, moaning in pain. 
No-Face approaches her, and she stands up. 
CHIHIRO: Uh, sir, the bath’s not ready yet. 
No-Face extends his hands, offering a bounty of bath tokens  to a surprised Chihiro. 
CHIHIRO: There’s so many. 
No-Face extends them forward more, urging Chihiro to take  them. 
CHIHIRO: What? And they’re all for me? 
No-Face nods. 
CHIHIRO: Thanks, but I don’t need any more. 
No-Face keeps holding them out. 
CHIHIRO: No. I only need one. 
No-Face’s mask frowns and he vanishes, the tokens dropping to  the floor. The bath overflows, carrying the tokens. 
INT. BATHHOUSE 
Yubaba rushes down the stairs, passes spectating servants,  and stops at Chichiyaku’s side. 
CHICHIYAKU: Oh, Yubaba. 
YUBABA: It’s a stink spirit. 
CHICHIYAKU: And apparently, it’s an extra  smelly one. 
A groups of panicked servants rush up to them. 
SERVANT:  He’s headed straight for the   bridge. 
EXT. BRIDGE 
Servants run to the edge of the bridge and try to wave the  incoming stink spirit away. 
SERVANT: No no, we’re closed, go away! No   no, hey, we’re not open! Go,   please, go leave us. There’s no one   here. 
The frog-men cover their noses with their sleeves. AOGAERU  passes out from the smell and falls backwards. 
INT. BATHHOUSE 
Yubaba senses something, furrowing her brow-- 
YUBABA: Hmm. Something’s fishy. That   doesn’t seem like a stink spirit to   me. 
She turns to the side. 
YUBABA: But we have no choice. Go greet   him. 
EXT. BRIDGE 
The huge, unstoppable spirit slowly inches along, the bridge  leaving a path of sludge which drips off the bridge. 
YUBABA: (V.O.)  Just give him a bath and get him  out of here as fast as you can. 
INT. BATHHOUSE - CUBICLES 
A stir of rushing women, panicked frog-men, and fast-walking  spirits. A SERVANT yells out-- 
SERVANT: Everybody go back to your rooms! I   repeat, back to your rooms! 
Chihiro peaks her head from the big bath room and Aniyaku  approaches her. 
ANIYAKU: Sen, Yubaba wants to see you. 
CHIHIRO: Yes, sir. 
BY THE ENTRANCE 
Yubaba waves a stick in Chihiro’s face while speaking. 
YUBABA: Sen, don’t mess this up. Take this   guest to the big tub and take care   of him. 
CHIHIRO: Bu-- but I-- 
YUBABA: No buts, or I’ll turn you into   coal. You here me? 
Panic strikes Chichiyaku’s face, he and Aniyaku back up. 
CHICHIYAKU: Ah, it’s here. 
Frog-men burst through the entrance, running away from the  spirit, which slowly oozes toward the entrance. 
Servants scream in PANIC, Yubaba winces from the smell and  Chihiro covers her nose. 
YUBABA: Hands down, you’ll insult our guest. 
The spirit pushes through the entrance curtains, soaking them  in a brown film. 
YUBABA: Look, a valued customer, welcome to   our baths. 
The spirit oozes as it walks, filling the entrance with a  pool of sludge. It extends a balled fist to Yubaba, who is  trying to stay polite despite the debilitating odor. 
YUBABA: Oh, it’s money. Sen, take the nice   customer’s money. 
CHIHIRO: Yes, ma’am. 
The spirit drops gold coins and a pool of sludge into   Chihiro’s hands. A disgusted shiver travels up her body. 
YUBABA: Don’t make him wait, get him to the   bath. 
Chihiro slowly tip toes along the floor, leading the spirit.  Onlooking servants covers their noses, fumbling as they run  out of the path. 
SERVANT: Get out of my way! 
Lin walks out with two bowls of rice and groans in disgust at  the smell.  She sees Chihiro and runs forward-- 
LIN: Sen! 
But she can’t join her, as the spirit is blocking the hall.  She winces as the white rice shrivels into a black pile. 
LIN: Our food! 
ON THE BALCONIES ABOVE 
Yubaba runs through the halls, shouting to the frog-men-- 
YUBABA: Open your windows, all of them! 
FROG-MAN: Quickly! 
Yubaba looks down, to the big bath below. Chihiro leads the  stink spirit, who crawls up the side and dives into the bath,  sending waves of sludgy water in all directions, knocking  Chihiro off her feet. 
The spirit rises from the water and looks at its long, sludgy  arms. It looks at Chihiro and breathes brown, smoggy breaths.  
CHIHIRO: What? Just a minute, sir. 
Chihiro looks at the bucket of tokens in her hands, and  slowly walks through the thick, mucky pool. 
Yubaba LAUGHS above. 
YUBABA: Disgusting. 
CHICHIYAKU: I don’t think it’s very funny. 
YUBABA: Let’s see what she’ll do next. 
Chihiro struggle to pull open the token door. 
YUBABA: Look, she wants to refill the tub. 
CHICHIYAKU: Oh, dear, she’s gonna waste all our   good water! 
Chihiro manages to open the door, slamming it into her head  in the process. She rifles through the bucket of tokens and  pulls one. 
She tries to clip it to the cord, but drops it down the  shaft. She grabs another, clips it and sends it up. 
Yubaba leans over the railing above, upset. 
YUBABA: Who gave her all the bath tokens? 
CHICHIYAKU: Don’t look at me, I didn’t do it. 
The chute opens out, Chihiro wades through the muck, climbs  up the side, barely pulls the rope before falling into the  tub. A greenish-blue water flows out, filling the room. 
Chichiyaku looks panicked, Yubaba is angry. 
CHICHIYAKU: Oh no, that’s our best herbal formula! 
UNDERWATER 
Chihiro is head-first in the muck, waving her legs, unable to  break free. The spirit extends his arm and pulls her out. 
ABOVE WATER 
Holding her in his palm, the spirit lifts Chihiro above  water. She opens her eyes, looks around and reaches her arm  into the flowing stream. 
She feels around and rests her hand on a rod jutting from the  spirit. She gasps and looks up. 
LIN  weaving through the cubicles, which are partly submerged in  the overflowing water. 
LIN: Sen! Sen, where are you? 
CHIHIRO: Over here! 
LIN: Don’t worry, stay right where you   are. I’m coming to help you. You’re   gonna be fine, I won’t let him hurt   you. 
CHIHIRO: I think he needs help, it feels   like there’s a thorn in his side. 
LIN: A thorn? 
Chihiro pulls-- 
CHIHIRO : It won’t come out! 
Yubaba, Chichiyaku and a crowd of servants and spirits are  watching from above. 
YUBABA: What’s that, he has a thorn, hmm...  (turns to Chichiyaku)  Get the staff down there, step on   it! 
CHICHIYAKU: Right, right, right, get   downstairs, help her, you! 
Yubaba jumps down, descending several stories before  suspended in mid-air by Lin and Chihiro. 
YUBABA: Listen to me. That’s no stink spirit we have on our hands... 
Yubaba claps her hands together and summons a rope from thin  air, which she throws to Chihiro. 
YUBABA: Grab onto this rope. 
CHIHIRO: Right! 
Chihiro catches the rope. She reaches into the stream, ties  the rope around the rod. 
LIN: Mmm. Hold on tight. 
CHIHIRO: Got it. 
BY THE ENTRANCE 
Yubaba is standing atop the cubicle wall as the workers rush  to grab the rope. 
YUBABA: Hurry up, now. 
CHICHIYAKU: Get in there! 
YUBABA: Everyone get in there and help   them. 
CHIHIRO looks at from the stream. 
CHIHIRO: We’ve got it tied on! 
YUBABA: extends a folding fan in each hand and directs the workers-- 
YUBABA: Everyone, ready on my command.   And... 
She pushes the fans to the side-- 
ALL: Heave! 
The workers pull the rope in unison as they chant-- 
ALL: And, heave! And, heave! And, heave! 
At the front of the line, Chihiro falls back as the rope  pulls a sludgy bicycle from the spirit, goop flying about. 
CHIHIRO: A bicycle? 
YUBABA: Thought so.  (to the workers)  Get ready, now!  
They pull again-- 
ALL: Heave! 
The bicycle breaks free, and Lin and the other workers run  out of the way as it is followed by a sludgy garbage wave of  refrigerators, iron beams, tires, and miscellaneous waste. As the workers recoil, Chihiro pulls a fishing line from the  spirit. It makes a POP as it is pulled out, followed by a  squirt of water, and an alleviated BREATH from the spirit. Chihiro screams as the water grabs her, sending a small  gusting wave toward the workers. Lin holds the wall. 
LIN:  Sen, Sen, where are you? 
CHIHIRO  floating in a comfortable bubble, staring curiously forward. 
From the golden water, the mask-like face of a wrinkled,  toothless old man emerges, his eyes squinted happily, his jaw  hanging from small ropes. He speaks to Chihiro alone. 
RIVER SPIRIT:Well done. 
He fades away and the blob of water releases Chihiro, who  groans in confusion and checks her hands, which are holding a  gifted, chalky green ball. 
She is standing on the edge of the tub, and the room is  silent. Yubaba looks at the wood planks on the floor-- 
As the sediment settles, the clear water shows pieces of gold  collecting in the plank ridges. 
The workers GASP and rush to grab the small, shining pieces. 
SERVANTS: Gold! 
Chichiyaku struggles to hold them back. 
CHICHIYAKU : Hey, wait, that’s company property!   Stop! 
YUBABA: Back off! Our guest is still here,   you idiots! 
SUDDENLY the big tub bubbles, and something begins to form.  Yubaba rushes to Chihiro. 
YUBABA:Sen, you’re in our guest’s way,   step aside. 
CHIHIRO: Yes, sir. 
Chihiro bows to the spirit and descends the side of the tub.  Yubaba shouts back-- 
YUBABA: Open the main gates! Make way! 
The spirit, a long, light blue, translucent dragon with the  mask as its face, emerges from the water and circles the  bathhouse bridges, LAUGHING in delight. 
The other spirits CHEER and bid the enormous spirit farewell  as he flies out of the front doors and takes off into the  night sky. 
The Radish Spirit and other guests wave their hand fans  excitedly and the servants CHEER. 
Yubaba rushes to Chihiro and hugs her. 
CHIHIRO: Sen, you did great, we made so much   money! That spirit is rich and   Powerful (turning to the rest)  everyone learn from Sen. Sake’s on   the house tonight.  (clapping from servants)  But first, hand over all the gold   you picked up.
The crowd COMPLAINS. Chihiro smiles to herself. 
SERVANTS: That’s not fair! 
WOMAN: How stingy, that’s no fair! 
No-Face reappears at the back of the crowd, then vanishes. 
EXT. WOMEN'S QUARTERS - BALCONY 
Chihiro is hanging her legs over the side, looking out. Lin  joins her, a plate of dumplings in her hand, and shares one. 
LIN: Here. I swiped a dumpling for you. 
CHIHIRO: Thank you. 
LIN: What a day. Mmm. 
Chihiro leans over the balcony edge and takes a bite. Lin  lays on her side and eats, relieved. 
CHIHIRO: Lin, have you seen Haku? 
LIN: Not Haku again. He just disappears   sometimes. Rumor has it he runs   around doing Yubaba’s dirty work. 
CHIHIRO : Does he really? 
WOMAN: (O.S.)  Lights out, Lin! 
LIN: Fine. 
The lights shut off, but the moonlight brightens, bouncing  off the calm waters which have covered the fields. 
The train steams ahead through the shallow sea. 
CHIHIRO: There’s so much water, it looks   like a sea. 
LIN: What’d you expect after all that   rain? I’ve gotta get out of this   place. Someday, I’m getting on that   train. 
Chihiro looks at the green ball in her hand, a glow in her  eyes. She takes another bite of the dumpling and looks up at  the moon. 
CHIHIRO: Mmm... 
She sniffs the ball, confused by the smell. She takes a small  bite and winces, disgusted. She GROANS and balls her toes. 
LIN: What’s wrong? 
Chihiro takes several bites of the dumpling to negate it. 
INT. HALLWAY 
In a dark hallway, Aogaeru checks the area before sneaking  along. 
INT. BIG BATH ROOM 
Aogaeru turns on a small light, enters, and hunches down to  search the cracks. He uses a pen to scrape between and  dislodge a small piece--  
He inspects it, but throws it to the side, displeased. 
SUDDENLY a piece of gold drops from above, into view. Aogaeru  leaps forward to grab it. 
AOGAERU: Huh? Ahh! It’s gold! 
He looks up-- 
AOGAERU: Huh? 
--where No-Face is standing in the bathtub, looking down. 
AOGAERU: What do you think you’re doing?   You’re not allowed in there. The   bath’s closed. Get out, you! Get   out of there! 
No-Face puts his hand out and creates gold pieces, which drop  to the floor and Aogaeru quickly grabs. 
AOGAERU:: Oh! More gold! Are you, are you--   are you giving them to me? 
No-Face forms more gold and signals Aogaeru to approach. 
AOGAERU: Wait, you can make gold? 
Aogaeru stares, transfixed, and climbs up the tub. 
AOGAERU: Gimme! 
When Aogaeru reaches him and grabs for the gold, No-Face’s  hand squeezes the frog and throws him in the open mouth  beneath his mask. 
ANIYAKU  walking through the cubicles, angry. 
ANIYAKU: What’s going on in there? It’s way   past bedtime. Come on! 
Aniyaku looks around, and gold drops to the ground. 
ANIYAKU: Wh... 
Aniyaku looks to the top of the cubicle wall, where a bloated  No-Face is crouched, holding a handful of gold, using  Aogauru’s muffled VOICE to speak. 
NO-FACE: Hey, boss, up here, I’m hungry,   starving! And I want you to serve me. 
ANIYAKU: (terrified)  I know that voice. 
NO-FACE: Here, I’ll pay you up front. And I   wanna take a bath, too. Why don’t   you wake everyone up? 
INT. WOMEN'S BEDROOM - DAY 
Chihiro awakens.
CHIHIRO: Lin? 
Chihiro turns to her side, but finds Lin is not there. She  looks around the room, but the women have abandoned the mess  of blankets and clothes. 
CHIHIRO: Where is everybody? 
She puts her hair up-- 
EXT. WOMEN'S QUARTERS - BALCONY 
-- and exits, dressed in her work kimono. She looks out at  the sparkling sea. 
CHIHIRO:  Wow. It really is a sea. 
She look at the pigpens on the neighboring cliff. 
CHIHIRO: There’s Mom and Dad’s pigpen. I sure hope they’re doing all right   over there. 
She looks up at a pipe chimney, spewing black gas into the  bright blue sky. 
CHIHIRO: Kamaji lit the boiler already? How   long was I asleep? 
INT. BATHHOUSE 
Women and frog-men race up and down the stairs in a panic. 
FROG-MAN: Hurry up! 
INT. KITCHEN 
A room full of cooks hastily prepare huge bowls of fish,  wings, dumplings, ribs, Aniyaku overlooking the process. 
ANIYAKU: Come on, he’s starving, can’t you   cook any faster? 
INT. HALLWAY 
Chichiyaku directs the flow of servants carrying big bowls of  rice. A team of frog-men carries an enormous fish. 
CHICHIYAKU: Serve everything you’ve got, even   leftovers if you have to. Hurry up!   He’s starving! 
INT. SERVANTS' QUARTERS 
Chihiro steps into the main hall. Lin walks up the stairs to  meet her. 
LIN: Hey, Sen. 
CHIHIRO: Oh, Lin. 
LIN: I was just coming to wake you up,   look. 
Lin holds up a gold nugget for Chihiro to see. 
LIN: It’s real gold, there’s a new guest   here who’s loaded. He’s giving gold   away by the handfuls. 
INT. BIG BATH ROOM 
No-Face chomps down a bowl of leftovers and throws it to the  side before inhaling a tray of rice and sides, spitting out  the bowl, and devouring a large fish. 
The servants are crowded around, holding heaps of food for  him. He is a black blob now, submerged in the running bath. 
NO-FACE: Just keep the food coming, I wanna   eat everything! 
He throws handfuls of gold to the crowd.  
INT. SERVANTS' QUARTERS 
Chihiro is thinking-- 
CHIHIRO: Hmm. Who is the guest? 
LIN: Oh, who cares? Come on, before  Yubaba wakes up. 
Lin walks off, but Chihiro stays put. 
CHIHIRO: I’m going to go look for Haku. 
LIN: Oh, would you quit worrying about   Haku? Come on, Sen. Let’s go get   some gold. 
Two GIRLS walk by and grab Lin. 
GIRL: Come on, Lin! Let’s go get some   more! 
LIN: You bet! 
Another TEEN GIRL chases after. 
TEEN GIRL: Hey, wait for me! 
Chihiro stares, uninterested, and walks off. 
EXT. WOMEN'S QUARTERS - BALCONY 
Chihiro walks to the edge and looks at the pig pen. 
CHIHIRO: Where is Haku? He better get here before I forget what my parents   look like. I sure hope Dad hasn’t gotten too fat. 
She leans her chin on the rail and sighs. FAR BELOW, the water beats lightly against the cement base of  the bathhouse. Groups of fish swim slowly over the submerged  tracks. SUDDENLY, Dragon Haku, surrounded by a swarm of white  creatures, flies by. 
CHIHIRO  hears this, opens her eyes and looks up. 
She gasps when she sees-- 
Haku’s bloodied, snake-like body writhing in the air, unable  to shake the white swarm. He loses energy and falls into the  water below, the white creatures staying above surface. 
CHIHIRO: It’s Haku! He’s back! 
Haku swims through the water, still pursued by the swarm. THE SHIKIGAMI  ar small, possessed, humanoid paper cut-outs, flying  extremely fast-- 
CHIHIRO: Are birds chasing him? 
Haku emerges from the water and flies up the side of the  bathhouse, in front of Chihiro, who jumps back. Haku continues to struggle against the Shikigami. 
CHIHIRO: Haku, fight ‘em, come on! 
Haku, short of energy, falls down before catching himself. 
CHIHIRO: He’s hurt! Haku, this way! 
Haku flies toward Chihiro, who SCREAMS and moves out of the  way for the dragon to fly through the doors. Chihiro slams the doors as the Shikigami chase after, and  many batter into the doors, but some hit Chihiro, and fall to  the ground. She SCREAMS, then looks down, relieved. 
CHIHIRO: Huh? It’s just paper. 
The paper spirits fly up and out the doors. The stream of  Shikigami travel calmly out to sea. Dragon Haku tries to drag his bloody body up, but struggles. 
CHIHIRO: Haku, you’re bleeding. Hold still,   those paper things are gone now.   You’re going to be all right. 
Haku suddenly lunges forward and flies out of the doors,  spraying blood across the walls and dripping down the rails. 
Chihiro looks up and sees Haku batter a wall, before rounding  the side of the bathhouse.
CHIHIRO: He went in that top window. I’ve got to get there before he bleeds   to death! 
A one-armed Shikigami stands on its pointed leg and follows  Chihiro through the hall, clinging onto her back. 
INT. BATHHOUSE - HALL 
Servants holding boxes, lining a pathway, down which Aniyaku  dances with folding fans, chanting-- 
ANIYAKU: Welcome the rich man,  He’s hard for you to miss.  His butt keeps getting bigger,  So there’s plenty there to kiss.   Haha! 
Aniyaku turns around to welcome the terribly obese, bloated  No-Face, slowly ascending the stairs. 
ANIYAKU: Oh, everybody, bow down. 
WOMEN: (bowing)  Welcome, rich man. 
ANIYAKU: Beg for tips, this is the time.  Beg for tips, make yourselves a   dime. 
The servants raise their boxes, begging for gold. 
CHIHIRO rushes through the crowd, pushing between the  oblivious workers. 
SERVANT: Give me some gold, give me some   tips! I’ll do anything for you,   just give me some tips! 
Chihiro runs for the elevator, but a FROG-MAN stops her. 
FROG-MAN: Hey, what are you doing? 
CHIHIRO: Going upstairs.
FROG-MAN: No, you’re not. 
He notices Chihiro’s bloody hand. 
FROG-MAN: Huh, ah blood! 
He lets go of Chihiro to look at the blood on his hand and  she runs off, stopping in front of No-Face and Aniyaku. 
ANIYAKU: Get out of the way, our guest is   coming through here! 
Chihiro bows to No-Face. 
CHIHIRO: Thank you for helping me earlier. 
ANIYAKU: Don’t talk to him, you stinking hum 
No-Face picks up Aniyaku and throws him to the side, onto  unsuspecting servants. 
ANIYAKU: Whoa, hey! 
All are quiet as the massive No-Face crouches down to Chihiro  and offers her a stupendous pile of gold from his hands. 
Chihiro shakes her head. 
CHIHIRO: I don’t want any, but thanks. 
This saddens No-Face, whose masks frowns and hands shake. 
CHIHIRO: I’m sorry, but I’m in a really big  churry. 
No-Face drops the gold to the ground and the servants rush to  it. He looks up, sad.  Chihiro runs into a hallway.  Aniyaku whacks some servants with his fan, trying to restore  order. 
ANIYAKU: Hey, there, hey, get back, get back   now! Everybody, out! 
The servants disperse, leaving Aniyaku to wait on No-Face. 
ANIYAKU: Oh, I’m terribly sorry, sir. You’ll   have to excuse the little girl,   she’s just a human. 
No-Face leans down to Aniyaku. 
NO-FACE: Wipe that smile off your face. 
ANIYAKU: What? 
No-Face opens his mouth-- 
NO-FACE: You’re still smiling. 
ANIYAKU: No, I’m not. 
No-Face picks up Aniyaku and a nearby woman and throws them  into his mouth, swallowing them.  The servants runs away in fear and No-Face crawls around on  all fours. 
EXT. BATHHOUSE
Chihiro opens a high window, crawls out, jump down to a  jutting roof top, but slips on the shingles and falls down. 
She crawls up the side of the roof, uses the side of the  building to hold herself up. She looks at her next obstacle--  a long, rusty pipe running along the building, to a ladder. 
Chihiro looks, afraid, as bird fly below. She kicks the fear  and looks resolute now. 
She sees that her palm is scraped up, but balls her fist and  continues, grabbing her hanging apron fabric, wrapping it  around her shoulder, and pulling up her pants. 
With little hesitation, she runs onto the pipe, which crushes  and snaps off the wall, falling off the side of the building  as she leaps onto the ladder, hugging it. 
She begins climbing up the ladder, clouds passing below. 
She stops for a break, and the Shikigami hops up to her hair.  Chihiro looks behind her, hearing something, but instead  finding the cloaked Yubaba flying through the clouds. 
CHIHIRO: It’s Yubaba! 
Chihiro quickly continues climbing. 
EXT. BATHHOUSE ROOFTOP 
The bird-woman, wearing purple sunglasses and toting an  orange coin bag, lands on the balcony, greeted by Mini-bird  and the Kashira. CHIHIRO  is crouched, standing on the ledge of a small, closed window.  She pounds on the window, to no avail. The Shikigami slips through the small crack, unlocks the  window just as Chihiro readies pushing her hips forward, and  smashes her back into the window, opening it-- 
INT. YUBABA'S BATHROOM 
--and falling onto the checkered tile floor of the luxurious  bathroom. She stands up and the Shikigami clings to her back. 
INT. HALLWAY 
Chihiro runs through the lavish hallway, finds a fork in the  path, and turns left. 
INT. BOH’S NURSERY 
Chihiro wanders into a large room, floor and walls covered in  green cushions with decorated pillows, unopened presents and  toys scattered all around. 
YUBABA: (O.S) We’re in a big mess. I found out   who our rich customer is. He’s a No  Face! It’s all your fault. You’re   so greedy. You attract terrible   guests-- all right, I’m on my way. 
Chihiro walks back to the door, peaks into Yubaba’s office,  where the witch is speaking to the skull. 
YUBABA: Don’t let him eat anyone else till    I get down there. 
Yubaba turns to the side and GROANS. 
YUBABA: Haku is bleeding all over the   carpet. Get him out of here. He’ll be dead soon anyway. 
The Shikigami looks over Chihiro’s shoulder. Yubaba looks  toward the nursery and approaches. Chihiro gasps, and runs back in, looking around and panicking  before jumping into a large pile of pillows. Yubaba pushes through the curtains, sees the giant pile, and  starts pulling away pillows, finding a giant baby’s head  beneath. This is BOH. 
YUBABA: Hi, sweetie, hiding under the   cushions again? 
Boh begins WEEPING, startled by the light. 
YUBABA: Oh, I woke you, and you were sound   asleep. I’m sorry, let me give you   a kiss. 
Yubaba leans into the pillows and give Boh a big kiss. 
YUBABA:Go back to sleep now. 
Yubaba puts the pillows back, cleans up some toys, flips a  light switch and an installation on the ceiling turns from  sunny day to moonlit light. 
Yubaba leaves and Chihiro begins to crawl out, but Boh’s hand  grabs her wrist. She GASPS as he pulls her in. 
INSIDE THE PILLOWS 
Boh pulls Chihiro toward him. 
CHIHIRO: Ow! Let go of me! 
She gets a better look of the huge baby, with a head half as  big as Chihiro’s body.
CHIHIRO: Wow, you’re a big baby. Would you   mind letting go of me? I’m in a   really big hurry. 
BOH: You came in here to make me sick. 
CHIHIRO: Huh? 
BOH: You’re a bad germ from outside,   aren’t you? 
CHIHIRO: I’m not a germ, I’m a human. Now,   would you please let go of me? 
BOH: You’ll get sick if you go outside.   So stay here and play with me. 
CHIHIRO: You won’t get sick. 
BOH: Yes, you will. That’s why I’ve   never left this room. 
CHIHIRO: Staying in this room is what’ll  make you sick. Listen, someone very   important to me is terribly hurt.   I’ve got to go right now, so please   let go of me. 
BOH: If you go, I’ll cry, and Mama will   hear me, and Mama will come in here   and kill you. 
Boh squeezes her arm with both meaty hands. 
BOH: Play with me, or I’ll break your   arm. 
CHIHIRO: That hurts! Please, I’ll play with   you later, okay? 
BOH: No, I wanna play now! 
Wincing, desperate, Chihiro shows Boh her dirty, scraped  palm. 
CHIHIRO: Germs! I’ve got germs, see? 
Boh lets go and begins a panicked uproar, CRYING profusely.  Chihiro crawls out of the crumbling pillow mountain, Boh  kicking his enormous leg out. 
INT. YUBABA'S OFFICE 
Chihiro bursts in through the doors, finding the Kashira  pushing Haku toward an open chute in the floor. She races  toward them. 
CHIHIRO: Haku! What are you doing? Get away!   Get back! 
The Kashira hop out of the way and Chihiro kneels down to a  beaten, bloody Dragon Haku. 
CHIHIRO:Haku, are you okay? Can you hear me? 
The Kashira bounce and GRUNT by Chihiro and Haku’s head. 
CHIHIRO: Shut your mouth!  (back to Haku)  Haku! 
Mini-bird Yubaba SCREECHES as it flies by, then circles back,  bearing its talon as it flies around Chihiro’s head,  distracting her as the Kashira nudge Haku toward the edge. 
CHIHIRO: Get back!  (to Kashira)  Stop it!  
She holds Haku’s head as Mini-bird SCREECHES at her face. BOH pushing through the doorway, ripping down the curtains. 
This captures the Kashira and Mini-bird’s attention. Boh,  wearing nothing but a red apron, slowly stumbles toward the  group. He stops in front of them, angry, tears in his eyes. 
BOH: I’m not afraid of germs. If you don’t play with me, I’ll cry.
CHIHIRO: Please don’t cry. Just wait.
BOH: Right now, or I’ll start crying.
Boh begins shedding a waterfall and SOBBING.
CHIHIRO: Don’t cry! Don’t cry!
The Shikigami floats off Chihiro’s back and in a voice much like Yubaba’s--
ZENIBA: What a spoiled brat!
It flies to Boh’s head. Boh stops crying, curious.
ZENIBA: Shut your big mouth! You’re a bit of a porker, aren’t you?
The Shikigami rests on the ground and a translucent woman  appears in its place-- she looks nearly identical to Yubaba–  the same blue dress, wrinkled skin, and massive nose. ZENIBA looks down at her translucent body.
ZENIBA: Hmm, still see-through.
BOH: Mama?
ZENIBA: You pea-brain. Can’t you even tell me from your own mother?
Zeniba taps her finger, casting a white glow towards Boh, and the big baby transforms into a tiny, plump mouse.
ZENIBA: There, now your body matches your brain.
Zeniba turns to the group.
ZENIBA: Let’s see, what else can we mess with?
The Kashira hop off and Mini-bird tries to fly away, but Zeniba waves her sparkling finger and turns Mini-bird into  a small, buzzing, yellow-beaked Crow-Fly, which drops to floor aside Boh-Mouse. The Kashira are stacked on top of each other and transform into an imitation of Boh. Zeniba laughs and turns to Chihiro.
ZENIBA: This is our little secret. You tell anyone else, and I’ll rip your mouth out.
Chihiro stares angrily at the woman.
CHIHIRO: Who are you?
ZENIBA: Zeniba, I’m Yubaba’s twin sister. It was nice of you to lead me straight to this dragon’s hiding place. Now, hand him over to me.
CHIHIRO: What do you want with Haku? He’s badly hurt.
ZENIBA: Too bad. He stole my solid gold seal. It’s magic and powerful, and I want it back!
CHIHIRO: Haku wouldn’t steal. He’s a good person.
ZENIBA: Ha, do you know why he become my sister’s apprentice? To steal her magic secrets, and now he’s stolen  my magic, too. He’s a greedy little thief. There’s nothing good about him.
Zeniba points her red nails in Chihiro’s face.
ZENIBA: Step aside, little girl. I’m going to take my seal back from him. There’s a spell on the seal, and anyone who steals it will die.
Zeniba reaches forward and Chihiro shakes her head furiously.
CHIHIRO: No, you can’t!
A loud CRASHING-- The Kashira Boh crawls forward, smacking its hands as it chases Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly.
ZENIBA: You idiots! What’s your problem? Keep quiet, I don’t want my sister coming up here.
Zeniba walks to Kashira Boh while Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly crawl up Chihiro’s kimono and perch on her shoulder. Haku writhes and GROWLS, snapping the Shikigami with his tail, which cuts Zeniba’s projection in half.
ZENIBA: Ow. A paper cut.
She slides apart and disappears. Haku falls into the chute, pulling Chihiro down.
CHIHIRO: Haku, we’re falling!
DOWN THE CHUTE
Haku falling, Chihiro hanging on. The featherweight Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly begin to float up and away, but Chihiro grabs them and holds tight as they fall through a deep, extensive chamber.
Chihiro checks on Haku, whose eyes are closed.
CHIHIRO: Haku!
FLASHBACK:
Chihiro underwater, holding on as Dragon Haku pulls her.
From the black, glowing eyes appear, the rising bodies of dark spirits. Haku’s eyes, dazed and white, open and he flies up just before slamming the ground. He heads into a small brick chamber in the side of the chute.
INT. VENT
Haku flying through, sometimes grazing the narrow walls, moving lightning fast. At the end of the corridor, a ventilation fan. He heads straight for it--
INT. BOILER ROOM
--and bursts into the boiler room, breaking the vent, Chihiro flying into Kamaji’s quick, open arms. Haku smashes into the drawer walls, the fan and debris fly across the room. Crow-Fly carries Boh-Mouse safely downward. Chihiro crawls  off of Kamaji, toward Haku, who’s writhing to stay up.
KAMAJI: What’s going on here?
CHIHIRO: Haku!
KAMAJI: Sen, be careful! Stay back!
CHIHIRO: Haku, are you okay?
Haku collapses.
CHIHIRO: Haku!
Haku tries to rise, blood pooling from his mouth.
CHIHIRO: What’s wrong with you?
Chihiro reaches for Haku’s face, but he GROWLS, immediately recoiling in pain, losing more blood. Kamaji crawls down from his work station.
KAMAJI: This looks serious.
CHIHIRO: Haku, don’t give up! (to Kamaji) What do we do? Is he dying?
KAMAJI: It looks like he’s bleeding from the inside.
CHIHIRO: From the inside?
KAMAJI: I think so, maybe he swallowed something.
Chihiro pulls the chalky green ball.
CHIHIRO: Haku, I got this gift from the River Spirit. Eat it. Maybe it’ll help.
The soot balls watch from the holes as Chihiro pulls the dragon’s flew up, finding closed teeth.
CHIHIRO: Come on! Open your mouth! Please, Haku! Eat it!
Chihiro bites off half, shows it to him.
CHIHIRO: See? It’s okay.
Kamaji looks closer, curious.
KAMAJI: Medicine from the River Spirit.
Using both hands, Chihiro manages to inch Haku’s mouth open.
CHIHIRO: Open your mouth. That’s it.
She reaches her arm in, places the medicine, retreat her arm from the closing cave of fangs and holds his head down.
CHIHIRO: Now swallow.
Chihiro struggles to hold his head as he winces from the bitter medicine, lashing his tail, knocking drawers of herb out and nearly hitting the soot sprites. Kamaji retreats to his station. A lump travels up Haku’s body and he pukes up a black sludge ball, which bounces across the room, sticking to the floor. Kamaji points to it. 
KAMAJI: Sen, look there!
The sludge ball releases black gas as it melts down to the floor, leaving a small black slug sitting atop a solid gold seal with a frog design. The slug looks around, a guilty look on its face, and scurries off.
CHIHIRO: The gold seal!
Chihiro rushes to grab the seal, but Kamaji points at the escaping slug.
KAMAJI: Get that black slug! Over there!  Get it, get it, get it!
Chihiro chases it with her feet, but the fast slug eludes her. It tries to escape to the soot holes, but the soot sprites build a wall and scare it off Chihiro stomps her feet repetitively, finally squashing the  slug. She looks at the spattered black sludge, shocked.
KAMAJI: You killed it? Those things are bad luck.
Kamaji chops one of his arms through the air.
KAMAJI: Hurry, before it rubs off on you!
Chihiro turns, on one leg, toward Kamaji.
KAMAJI: Put your thumb and forefingers together.
She form a square with her two hands, and Kamaji reaches an arm to her, and chops the hands apart--
KAMAJI: Evil, be gone!
Chihiro is holding the seal in her hand.
CHIHIRO: Haku stole this seal from Yubaba’s sister.
KAMAJI: Zeniba’s solid gold monogrammed seal. That’s as powerful as it gets.
Chihiro runs to Haku, who shrinks from dragon to his usual demi-human self.
CHIHIRO: Look! He’s changed back.
Kamaji and the soot balls join her.
CHIHIRO: Help me. What do we do?
Chihiro flips Haku onto his back.
CHIHIRO: Haku, Haku, wake up!
Haku GROANS, eyes still closed.
CHIHIRO: Zeniba put a curse on the seal.
KAMAJI: That’s strong magic, it’s made him gravely ill.
LATER
Kamaji is feeding Haku a bowl of soup. Chihiro rests his head on a pillow, atop a blanket with a bowl and rag on standby.
KAMAJI: That should make him more comfortable. (turns to Chihiro) Poor Haku. He’s had it hard ever since he got here. He just showed up out of nowhere, just like you did.
While he explained, the soot balls gather around the black footprint where the slug squashed. Boh-Mouse looks up to Crow-Fly, who’s resting on his head, and points to the soot ball crowd. Crow-Fly BUZZES and flies, Boh-Mouse in its talons, to the scene. Boh-Mouse steps on the footprint and shivers travel up his body. He connects his forefingers, a soot ball chops them apart, and the soot balls celebrate the broken curse.
KAMAJI: But he got mixed up with Yubaba. He took a job as her apprentice. I warned him it was too dangerous. “Just quit, go back home!”, I told him. But he said for some reason he had no home to return to. Once Yubaba got control over him, his face turned pale and his eyes turned steely. He’s never been the same.
CHIHIRO: Kamaji, what if I take the gold seal back to Zeniba? I could give back the seal and apologize to her for Haku. Can you tell me where Zeniba lives.
Kamaji scratches his head, surprised.
KAMAJI: You’d go to Zeniba’s? It might help, but she’s one dangerous witch.
CHIHIRO: Please? Haku helped me before, now I wanna help him.
KAMAJI: Hmm. I know how you can get there, but you’ll have to get back on your own. Wait here.
Kamaji crawls to a wooden cabinet and searches through the hectic drawers.
KAMAJI:  Let’s see now, I know it’s around here somewhere.
Chihiro approaches the soot balls and unties her kimono as he searches.
CHIHIRO: Everyone, I need my shoes and clothes, please.
The soot balls, Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly disperse.
CHIHIRO: I guess my parents will have to wait.
The small door opens and Lin crawls through.
LIN: Sen, I’ve looked everywhere for you.
She shuts the door, walks in, looking at the bloody scene.
CHIHIRO: Lin! 
LIN: There’s blood everywhere.
Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly fly onto Chihiro’s shoulder.
LIN: What’s going on here, who are those guys?
CHIHIRO: I picked up some new friends, see?
The soot balls carry the shoes and clothes from the holes.
LIN: Everyone’s looking for you, Yubaba is furious.
CHIHIRO: Huh?
LIN: The guy with all the gold turned out to be a monster called No-Face. And he says that you let him into the bathhouse.
Chihiro thinks, and realizes--
CHIHIRO: I did let him in.
LIN: Are you serious?
CHIHIRO: Yeah, I thought he was a customer.
LIN: What? He’s a monster, he’s already swallowed three people.
KAMAJI pulls a piece of paper from the drawers, ecstatic.
KAMAJI: Found it! Here it is, Sen.
He rushes to Chihiro.
LIN: Hey, we’re busy, boiler man.
KAMAJI: (ignoring her, to Chihiro) You can use this.
Kamaji holds up four tickets, and hands them to Chihiro.
LIN: You’ve got train tickets. Uh, how did you get a hold of them?
KAMAJI: I’ve been saving them for 40 years. Now, listen carefully. The train  stop you want is called Swamp Bottom.
CHIHIRO: Swamp Bottom?
KAMAJI: That’s where Zeniba lives. The sixth stop.
CHIHIRO: Sixth stop.
KAMAJI Make sure you get it right. The train used to run in both directions, but these days, it’s a one-way ride. You still wanna go?
Chihiro nods.
CHIHIRO: Yep, I’ll walk back along the tracks.
Chihiro walks to Haku.
LIN: Sen, what about No-Face?
CHIHIRO: I’ll take care of that now.
Chihiro kneels by Haku’s side.
CHIHIRO: Haku, I’ll be back soon, just hold on.
Lin turns to Kamaji.
LIN: What’s going on?
KAMAJI: Something you wouldn’t recognize… it’s called love.
EXT. BATHHOUSE
In the glass hallways, servants run around in panic.
INT. HALLWAY
Three WOMEN round the corner, stop to speak to a friend in a green kimono--
WOMAN: It just keeps getting bigger!
--before running off. The girl turns to her FRIEND.
GREEN KIMONO: I’m scared.
RED KIMONO: I don’t wanna be eaten by it.
Another woman looks back contemptuously, spotting someone.
BLUE KIMONO: It’s her.
It’s Chihiro, walking calmly through the hall. Chichiyaku runs to her.
CHICHIYAKU: Oh, Sen, thank goodness. Yubaba can’t hold him off much longer.
The room RUMBLES. Chihiro looks at nearby closed door, illustrated with a red demon. From inside:
YUBABA: (O.S.) There’s no need to get upset. I’m sure they’ll find Sen somewhere.
Another RUMBLE.
NO-FACE: Where is Sen? I want Sen!
Chichiyaku pushes Chihiro, ushering her to the door.
CHICHIYAKU: Hurry! This way!
He leans against the door and yells in.
CHICHIYAKU: Madam, Sen is here now.
Yubaba opens the doors and immediately pops out.
YUBABA: Finally! (turning back, softly) Sen has arrived, sir. She’ll be with you in just a few minutes.
She slams the door behind, GRUNTS, and puts her nose against Chihiro’s face.
YUBABA: He’s destroying everything, it’s  costing us a fortune. So suck up to him and get every last speck of gold he’s...
Crow-Fly carries Boh-Mouse toward Yubaba. Yubaba stops, disgusted by Boh-Mouse.
YUBABA: Eww, what’s that dirty mouse doing  here?
Crow-Fly rests the saddened Boh-Mouse on Chihiro’s shoulder.
CHIHIRO: Huh? He’s your... He doesn’t look familiar?
YUBABA: Familiar? Don’t be stupid. Now, get in there.
Yubaba opens the doors and pushes Chihiro in.
INT. HALL
Chihiro falls and Yubaba pokes her smiling face in--
YUBABA: Here’s Sen.
-- before shutting the doors.
OUTSIDE THE DOOR
Yubaba listens, approached by Chichiyaku.
CHICHIYAKU: Will Sen be all right in there by herself?
YUBABA: You wanna take her place?
Chichiyaku shuts up, afraid.
CHICHIYAKU: Huh?
YUBABA: Hmpf!
Yubaba walks off.
INT. HALL
Painted dragons cover the walls of large room. There are messy piles of fish carcasses, meal grease, bowls and plates scattered everywhere. Chihiro is kneeling in front of No-Face, who is gargantuan now, his black, lumpy body stretching, his mouth drooling. He crawls on all fours toward Chihiro, holding a bowl of dumplings.
NO-FACE: Try this. It’s delicious.
No-Face drops the bowl and moves closer, his belly RUMBLING.
NO-FACE: What some gold? I’m not giving it to anybody else.
Chihiro is still, and silent.
NO-FACE: Come closer, Sen, what would you like? Just name it.
CHIHIRO: I would like to leave, sir. I have someplace I need to go to right away, please.
No-Face recoils, offended and gorged.
CHIHIRO: You should go back to where you  came from. Yubaba doesn’t want you in the bathhouse any longer.
No-Face shivers, backing up.
CHIHIRO: Where is your home, don’t you have  any friends or family?
No-Face retreats his mask into his blob-like body, his voice muffling.
NO-FACE: No. No! I’m lonely, I’m lonely.
He crawls toward Chihiro, who runs back to the wall.
CHIHIRO: What is it that you want?
His mask pops out from his body.
NO-FACE: I want Sen, I want Sen!
He summons gold.
NO-FACE: Take the gold. Take it!
Chihiro backs up.
CHIHIRO: Are you going to eat me?
NO-FACE: Take it!
His hand wraps around her head, but before it can squeeze, Boh-Mouse bites down on him. The small mouse does little, and No-Face pulls his hand back
to his mask to look. He tries to swat them, but Crow-Fly flies off in time, and returns to Chihiro, who pulls out the other half of the green medicine.
CHIHIRO: If you want to eat me, eat this first.
She holds it out and approaches No-Face.
CHIHIRO: I was saving this for my parents,  but I think you’d better have it.
She tosses it into his large, open mouth, which he closes, and he GROANS in disgust. He waves his large tongue and black goo seeps from his mouth.  He circles around and pukes a pile of the gunk. He faces Chihiro, who backs away.
NO-FACE: Sen, what did you do to me?
He throws up more, then chases her.
INT. HALLWAY
Chihiro opens the door and runs out. No-Face knocks two doors onto Chichiyaku and other unsuspecting servants, then chases.
CHIHIRO rounds a corner and runs past women and frog-men, followed closely by No-Face, who bears his chomping mouth wide open. Chihiro reaches the end of the hallway, where Yubaba appears and stands firm in place.
YUBABA; Enough, I don’t care if he’s rich! This nonsense has gotta stop!
She summons a glowing ball in her palms and shoots it at No- Face, pelting his mask. The monster can’t help but release a  puke stream forward, covering the unwitting Yubaba. He runs past her, slams into the rail, nearly pukes over the  edge before hearing--
CHIHIRO: (O.S.) No-Face!
Chihiro is on a lower-level balcony, signaling No-Face to follow her.
CHIHIRO: Over here!
She runs off and No-Face crawls down the wall in pursuit.
CHIHIRO  running down a staircase, servants moving out of the way.
SERVANT: Run for your life!
Crow-Fly and Boh-Mouse fly closely behind as Chihiro crosses  a landing and descends another flight. No-Face reaches for her, but misses, losing much of his black, gooey mass as he bumps into wall and rails.
CHIHIRO  reaches the bottom, turns the corner, and starts down another staircase. No-Face slips on the turn, losing another goo pile.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRCASE
Chihiro waits for the monster. As an elevator of servants stops, the momentous No-Face slams into it, knocking down the  servants, who run away. No-Face slowly stands up, squashed into a ball at the base. He leans against the elevator, and pukes up the woman and  Aniyaku.
ANIYAKU: Now, that’s an esophagus!
No-Face breathes heavily, winded.
NO-FACE: I’ll get you for this, Sen!
INT. KITCHEN
The cooks duck behind the counters as Chihiro waits for the lethargic, skinny No-Face to catch up A cook tries to look up, but another cook yells at them--
COOK: Duck!
INT. HALLWAY
Chihiro leads No-Face through the dim hallway. He leans against a wall and pukes again.
NO-FACE: Excuse me.
EXT. BATHHOUSE
Lin is waiting in a large bucket-like tarai-bune boat, floating on the water.
LIN: Sen, this way!
Chihiro is running down a cement staircase, waving excitedly. She jumps into the bucket, Crow-Fly and Boh-Mouse flying close behind. Lin turns the handle to steer them away.
NO-FACE skinny and calm now, walks along a pipe jutting from the bathhouse. Chihiro turns to him as she takes off her pink kimono, wearing her lime striped t-shirt beneath.
CHIHIRO: Hey, over here!
LIN: Sen, don’t call him over!
No-Face looks down from the steaming pipe.
CHIHIRO: I think being in the bathhouse makes him crazy. He needs to get out of there.
LIN: Yeah? And go where?
CHIHIRO: I don’t know.
No-Face jumps into the water.
LIN: You don’t know? Great, now he’s following us.
No-Face travels along the tracks, underwater, his mask leading his small, translucent body.
CHIHIRO: He won’t hurt us.
No-Face stands out of the water, spits out Aogaeru, and continue walking. The frog floats to the surface, looks up, and swims off. Lin stops at the tracks.
LIN: You’ll have to walk from here.
CHIHIRO: Okay.
Chihiro jumps into the shin-high water, holding her shoes in her hands.
LIN: The station’s just down the tracks.
CHIHIRO: Thanks, Lin.
LIN: You better come back, you hear me?
CHIHIRO: I will.
Chihiro walks off, followed by Crow-Fly and Boh-Mouse. Lin paddles away, keeping her eyes on the girl.
LIN: Sen, I’m sorry I called you a dope before! I take it back!
Chihiro, already in the distance, looking as if she is walking on water, doesn’t look back, but waves an arm.
LIN continues paddling back to the bathhouse, passes No-Face, who is slowly following the tracks to Chihiro.
LIN:  No-Face, if you put even one scratch on that girl, you’re in big  trouble.
EXT. TRAIN STATION
Chihiro, walking through the water, spots a cement block standing above surface. She runs toward it.
CHIHIRO: There’s the station.
She steps onto the platform and looks back at the bathhouse.  Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly look down at the water.
CHIHIRO: Here comes the train, come on.
The train is forming in the distance, catching up to No-Face. No-Face looks behind and the train rushes by him, sending  waves which push the spirit back. The train stops by the platform. Chihiro and the tiny pair rush to the door as it opens.
INT. TRAIN
The CONDUCTOR extends his gloved hand.
CHIHIRO: Oh, we’d like to go to Swamp Bottom, please.
She reaches into her shirt, grabs the tickets and hands them  to the conductor, who counts-- one, two, three-- he counts a fourth behind them. Chihiro looks behind, finding No-Face waiting.
CHIHIRO: Oh. You wanna come with us?
No-Face nods, uttering something resembling an “Uh-huh”. Chihiro turns back to the conductor.
CHIHIRO: He’s like to come, too, please.
The conductor runs the tickets through a paper shredder and steps out of the way. Chihiro and No-Face step onto the train. The doors shut. It is a quiet car, with scattered riders, who are nothing more than translucent grey spirits.
THE TRAIN takes off into the shallow sea.
INSIDE
The hanging handles bob side-to-side. After some contemplation, Chihiro sits in the middle of a long, empty space between two sitting spirits. No-Face stays put, GROANING lightly, confused. Chihiro pats the seat next to her.
CHIHIRO: Sit here. Behave yourself, okay?
No-Face quietly sits next to her.
Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly look out the window at the passing sea, hopping excitedly. Chihiro smiles at them, looks out.
OUTSIDE
A house and tree on a small island, glowing in the sunset. A faded father and child on a dirt mound, waiting for the train to cross. A larger island in the distance.
IN THE TRAIN
A man grabs his suitcase from the compartment above.
THE TRAIN stops, and most of the passengers get off and walk down the station staircase.
THE SEA  is dark blue and striking purple from the sunset.
INT. THE TRAIN is empty now except for our group of four. Chihiro and No- Face are sitting quietly, staring down as neon signs pass outside.
Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly are snuggled up, asleep in Chihiro’s lap, the young girl cradling them with her hands.
OUTSIDE  The train continues through dusk.
INT. BOILER ROOM
Haku, laying down, opens his eyes slowly. Kamaji is sitting against his station, snoring in his sleep. Haku rises, and rubs Kamaji’s hand, waking the old man.
HAKU: Kamaji, wake up.
KAMAJI: (delightfully surprised) Haku, you’re all right.
HAKU: I’m fine. Where is Sen? Did she go somewhere, can you tell me what’s going on?
KAMAJI: You blacked out, remember?
HAKU: Yeah, I remember being in darkness. Then I could hear Sen’s voice calling out my name. So I followed her voice, and the next thing I knew, I was lying here, feeling  better than ever.
KAMAJI: Pure love, it broke Zeniba’s spell. Sen left to return the golden seal. She did it to save you.
INT. YUBABA'S OFFICE
Kashira Boh is stuffing their face with assorted chocolates from a box.
YUBABA: (O.S.)  This gold doesn’t even come close to covering the damage that stupid No-Face caused.
Yubaba’s body and face are wrapped in towels as she dries by the fireplace, addressing the bowing Chichiyaku, Aniyaku, and Aogaeru.
YUBABA: Sen didn’t get nearly enough, she’ll have to be punished.
AOGAERU: Madam, you see, Sen was the one  that saved us from No-Face.
ANIYAKU: (nodding) Yes, yes.
YUBABA: So what, this whole mess is her fault! And now she’s run away from here. She’s even abandoned her own parents! Those pigs must be ready to eat by now. Turn them into bacon.
The servants back up in horror. Haku enters.
HAKU: Wait a minute.
The servants turn around, shocked at the sight--
CHICHIYAKU: Huh?
AOGAERU: Master Haku?
YUBABA: You’re still alive? What is it you want?
Haku stops in front of her.
HAKU: You still haven’t noticed that  something precious to you has been replaced.
YUBABA: Don’t get fresh with me, young man. Since when do you talk that way to your master?
Haku is silent, waiting.
Yubaba GULPS, panicked and picked one of the gold nuggets from a pile. That’s not it. She stares back at Haku, thinking. RUSTLING grabs her attention and she turns to Kashira Boh, who is shoveling boxes of treats into their mouth. Yubaba waves her finger at them, revealing a Kashira head atop the baby body. The baby turns back into the three Kashira, who hop to a door, press through it and leave. Yubaba rises, in shock.
YUBABA: My baby!
The gold shrivels into a brown pile, releasing smoke.
YUBABA: No!
She slaps the pile of the table and rushes out of the room.
YUBABA:My baby!
The servants catch the flying dirt.
AOGAERU: It’s just dirt!
INT. BOH'S NURSERY
Yubaba pillages through the toys and digs through pillow mountain.
YUBABA: Where are you, sweetie? Come out, please, come out! Where are you?
She looks behind the curtains as Haku walks in.
YUBABA: Sweetie, sweetie pie!
She turns to Haku, breathing heavily, her voice deepens and she fire spews from her mouth.
YUBABA: You!
Her head towel flies off as her hair takes flight, waving furiously through the hair as she rushes to Haku.
YUBABA: Where is he?
She wraps her hair around his body--
YUBABA: What did you do with my baby?
Haku remains calm.
HAKU: He’s with your sister.
The fire subsides and smoke sizzles from Yubaba’s mouth.
YUBABA: Zeniba?
She releases Haku, petrified, and walks to a chair, which lowers itself for her to sit.
YUBABA: Very clever, Haku, I get it. You’ll get my baby back for me, but at a price. (laughing) So, what do you want?
HAKU: Tear up Sen’s contract. And then I want you to return Sen and her mother and father back to the human world.
YUBABA: Fine, but on one condition. I get to give Sen one final test. If she fails, she’s mine.
EXT. SIXTH STOP - NIGHT
A marsh clearing in the forest. There is a mossy signpost standing atop the platform. The train pulls up to the stop, halts. The door opens, Chihiro and No-Face step off, and the train heads off. They look around the dim, quiet area. A dirt path above the marsh leads into the dark forest.
CHIHIRO: I hope this is the right stop.
Chihiro turns back to No-Face.
CHIHIRO: Let’s go.
Crow-Fly, with Boh-Mouse, flies off Chihiro’s shoulder. No- Face and the pair follow Chihiro down the moonlit path. Crow-Fly grows tired, and slowly drops, plopping Boh-Mouse on the ground. Boh-Mouse stands up and walks on, carrying his tuckered partner. Chihiro turns around and extends her hand.
CHIHIRO: You can ride on my shoulder if you’re tired.
Boh-Mouse, proud, turns his face away from her and continues walking. Chihiro smiles and continues. Boh-Mouse stops, spotting something ahead.
BOH-MOUSE: Hmm?
From the forest ahead, a HOPPING LANTERN held by a long, curved pole extending from a grounded hand, approaches.Crow-Fly flies themselves and Boh-Mouse back to Chihiro’s  shoulder, afraid. The Hopping Lantern stops in front of them and bows. Chihiro and No-Face bow in return. The Lantern turns around and leads them through the forest, stopping frequently to ensure they are keeping up. At the end of the forest, there is a small cottage resting beneath the stars.
EXT. ZENIBA’S COTTAGE
The Hopping Lantern reaches an arch made of branches, and hops up, wrapping itself around the top. Chihiro and No-Face stop to look around, before continuing. There is a white archway harboring the closed door, decorated with simple floral paintings and engravings. Chihiro and No-Face approach the door, which suddenly opens on its own. A kind voice welcomes them from within--
ZENIBA: (O.S.) Come in.
Chihiro takes a deep breath before entering.
INT. ZENIBA'S COTTAGE
Chihiro walks in.
CHIHIRO: Hello?
But No-Face is hesitant.
ZENIBA: (O.S.) Hurry up, I don’t have all day.
Chihiro turns to the timid spirit.
CHIHIRO: Come on.
As No-Face ducks under the archway and steps in, Zeniba closes the door, revealing herself behind it.
ZENIBA: So, you all made it.
CHIHIRO: Hmm?
ZENIBA: Sit down, I’ll make some tea.
Zeniba walks to the kitchen and set a pot on the stove. Chihiro follows her and pulls out the seal.
CHIHIRO: Excuse me, ma’am, Haku stole this from you. I came to give it back.
Chihiro holds the seal with open palms, and Zeniba grabs it.
ZENIBA: I see. Do you have any idea what this is?
CHIHIRO: Yes, it’s the golden seal you were looking for. I’m here to apologize for Haku, I’m very sorry.
Chihiro bows, her hair flipping forward, catching on Crow- Fly’s beak. The small creature squirms.
ZENIBA: He sliced me in two, you know, and I’m still angry.
CHIHIRO: What?
Zeniba looks at the seal and GASPS.
ZENIBA: What! The protective spell is gone.
CHIHIRO: I’m sorry. You mean that black slug that was on your seal? I think I squashed it with my foot.
ZENIBA: Squashed it?
Zeniba laughs.
ZENIBA: That wasn’t my slug. My sister put that slug into Haku so she could control him.
Zeniba can’t help but crack up more.
ZENIBA: You squashed it. (more laughing) What happened to my spell? Only love can break it, come now.
Zeniba leads Chihiro toward a dining table.
CHIHIRO: Can you please turn these two back into their normal forms?
Zeniba looks at Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly, resting on Chihiro.
ZENIBA: The spell on those two wore off long ago. Change back if you want.
They both shake their head.
LATER
Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly are running on a spinning wheel. They take a quick break to rest before starting again. At the dining table, there are tea cups, a cheese wheel and desserts set out for No-Face, Chihiro and Zeniba. The spirit sips his tea while Chihiro and Zeniba talk.
ZENIBA: I don’t get along with my sister. She’s so obnoxious. You saw how tacky her home is. We’re identical twins, yet exact opposites.
Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly fly onto the table. Boh-Mouse gnaws through a cookie, grabs two more, and they jump off.
ZENIBA: I’m sorry she turned your parents into pigs. But there’s nothing I can do, it’s just the way things are. You’ll have to help your parents and Haku on your own. Use what your remember about them.
CHIHIRO: What? Can’t you please give me more of a hint than that? It seems like I met Haku before, but it was a long time ago.
ZENIBA: That’s a good start. Once you’ve met someone, you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return.
Zeniba walks away from the table. Chihiro looks into her tea, thinking.
ZENIBA: While you’re thinking, the boys and I are going to make you something.And I want you to call me Granny  from now on.
Zeniba LAUGHS as Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly take another rest  from the spinning wheel.
ZENIBA: (O.S.) Come on, keep at it.
They starting running again. No-Face is feeding thread from a broom into the wheel. Zeniba looks away from her knitting.
ZENIBA: No-Face, where did you learn to spin thread? You’re really good atthis.
Chihiro is balled up on a chair by the door.
ZENIBA: Now let’s weave the threads together.
Boh-Mouse fumbles his needles through a pile of green yarn. Zeniba is instructing No-Face as he knits the red yarn.
ZENIBA: Knit one, pearl two, knit one, pearl two. Knit one, that’s right.
Chihiro walks up to Zeniba, sad.
CHIHIRO: Granny, I can’t remember anything at all. Haku could be dead already, and I’m just sitting around here. My mom and dad could’ve been eaten for dinner.
Zeniba looks back to cut and tie some thread.
ZENIBA: Wait just a little bit longer.
She hands Chihiro a tied purple thread.
ZENIBA: Ahh. There we go. Use it to tie back your hair.
Chihiro accepts the tie.
CHIHIRO: It’s beautiful.
ZENIBA: It will protect you. It’s made from the threads your friends wove  together.
CHIHIRO: Thank you.
Chihiro pulls her red tie out of her hair. She holds it in her mouth as she puts her hair up with the new purple tie. The windows RUSTLE, drawing Zeniba’s attention.
ZENIBA: What good timing, we’ve got another guest. (to Chihiro) Will you let him in?
CHIHIRO: Sure.
Chihiro walks to the door, opens it, and looks outside--
EXT. ZENIBA'S COTTAGE
-- finding Dragon Haku standing, his tail and whiskers  whispering in the wind. She runs to and hugs his head.
CHIHIRO: Haku!
She rubs her face on his snout.
CHIHIRO: Haku. Thank goodness. You’re alive, I can’t believe it, how did it happen?
Zeniba walks out, smiling.
ZENIBA:Ahh. That’s love for you.
CHIHIRO: Look, Granny, Haku’s alive!
ZENIBA: Haku, I will forgive you for stealing my precious seal. But in return, you must take care of this girl.
Zeniba turns back to Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly, flying by her head.
ZENIBA:  Okay, you two, it’s time to go home. Come back soon.
Boh-Mouse gives Granny a kiss on her large nose and Crow-Fly carries him off.
ZENIBA: No-Face, why don’t you stay with me? I could use a good helper.
No-Face nods. Chihiro runs to Zeniba and hugs her
CHIHIRO: Granny! Thank you so much, I’ll miss you.
ZENIBA: Don’t worry. You’ll be all right, Sen.
CHIHIRO: I want you to know my real name. It’s Chihiro.
ZENIBA:  Chihiro. What a pretty name. You take good care of it.
CHIHIRO: I will.
ZENIBA: Off you go.
Chihiro runs off, a smile on her face.
CHIHIRO: Okay. Bye.
Chihiro sits on Haku’s back, Boh-Mouse and Crow-Fly on her  shoulder. She looks back--
CHIHIRO: (CONT’D) Granny, take care, thanks for everything!
Boh-Mouse waves and Crow-Fly BUZZES goodbye as Haku takes  off, flying over the crops.
Zeniba, No-Face and the Hopping Lantern wave goodbye.
IN THE SKY
Haku flies through the clouds, lit up by the moonlight. Chihiro has another flash--
INSERT: The Dragon pulling her through the water.
CUT BACK TO:
Chihiro holding onto Haku’s horns as they whiz through the sky, WATER BUBBLING in the soundtrack.
INSERT:
A pink shoes swept along by the river current. A girl dives into the water. younger, shirtless, Chihiro, fixated on something underwater.
CUT BACK TO:
Chihiro, holding tight, slides up to Dragon Haku’s ears.
CHIHIRO: (CONT’D) Haku, listen. I just remembered something from a long time ago. I think it may help you. Once, when I was little, I dropped my shoe into a river. When I tried to get it back, I fell in. I thought I’d drowned, but the water carried me to shore. It finally came back to me-- the river’s name was the Kohaku River. I think that was you, and your real name is Kohaku River.
SUDDENLY Haku’s eyes widen and his feathers turn to glass scales, which he sheds into the night air, transforming back into demi-human Haku. He holds hands with Chihiro, smiling, as they fall through the sky.
HAKU: You did it, Chihiro, I remember. I was the spirit of the Kohaku River.
CHIHIRO: A river spirit?
HAKU: My name is the Kohaku River.
Chihiro tears up, full of joy.
CHIHIRO: They filled in that river. It’s all apartments now.
HAKU: That must be why I can’t find my way home, Chihiro. I remember you falling into my river, and I remember your little pink shoe.
CHIHIRO: So you’re the one who carried me back into shallow water. You saved me. I knew you were good!
Chihiro’s tears float up and Boh-Mouse reaches for them. Chihiro and Haku fly toward the sea surface, but stop short and float just above. They fly off into the night, holding hands.
EXT. BRIDGE - MORNING
The morning birds CHIRP as the sun rises. Yubaba is pacing by the bathhouse entrance, a dozen pigs contained behind a rope. Lin pokes her head over the garden wall, searching. She points up.
LIN: Hey, there they are!
Aogaeru, Kamaji, Chichiyaku, Aniyaku and the legion of servants pop up to look excited. Yubaba watches and Haku and Chihiro float to the ground on the other side of the bridge. Crow-Fly flies Boh-Mouse toward Yubaba, who is oblivious to them. She yells at Haku.
YUBABA: I see you failed to bring my baby back.
Crow-Fly drops the mouse, who transforms back into the  massive baby, THUMPING the ground as he lands.
BOH: Mama!
Yubaba rushes to hug him.
YUBABA: My baby! Are you traumatized? Did they do terrible things to you? You’re standing all by yourself, when did that happen?
Haku takes a step forward.
HAKU: Don’t forget your promise. You must return Chihiro and her parents to the human world.
YUBABA: Hmm, not so fast, Haku. I get to give Sen one final test.
The crowd JEERS at her. She turns to them.
YUBABA: Shut up!
They retreat back.
BOH: Stop it, Mama, leave her alone. Send and I had a really good time.
YUBABA: But a deal is a deal, sweetie. I  have to give Sen one final test.
BOH: If you make Sen cry, I won’t like you anymore.
YUBABA: But?
CHIHIRO: (O.S.) Hey, Granny!
Yubaba gasps and turns around.
YUBABA: Granny?
CHIHIRO: You’re right, a deal’s a deal.
Chihiro steps forward, and crosses the bridge. She stops in front of Yubaba.
CHIHIRO: Okay, I’m ready, I’ll take your test.
YUBABA: Hmm. You’ve got guts.
Yubaba holds out the paper, tied in a string.
YUBABA: I’ve got your contract right here. Come this way.
Yubaba turns towards the pigs, addressing Boh first--
YUBABA: (CONT’D) This will only take a minute.
Chihiro smiles at the big baby and Crow-Fly on his shoulder.
CHIHIRO: Don’t worry.
YUBABA: See if you can tell which of these pigs is your mother and father.
Chihiro looks at the dozen pigs, sticking their heads over the rope, bobbing for her attention.
YUBABA: (CONT’D)
You get one try. If you get it right, you can all go home.
The onlookers watch nervously. Aogaeru SWALLOWS in fright. Chihiro looks at the pigs again, then turns to Yubaba, confused.
CHIHIRO: There must be a mistake. None of these pigs are my mom or dad.
Yubaba waves the contract at Chihiro.
YUBABA: None of them, is that really your  answer?
Chihiro takes a quick breathe before nodding her head  confidently.
CHIHIRO: Mm-hmm.
The contract explodes in Yubaba’s hand and the pigs transform back to smiling frog-men and women.
SERVANTS: Oh, you got it!
The crowd of supporters cheer, workers kiss and hug in celebration, the Radish Spirit and other guests wave their arms happily. Chihiro looks up with a big smile.
CHIHIRO: Thank you, everyone.
YUBABA: All right, you win. Get out of my sight.
Yubaba turns her face away, but Chihiro bows to her.
CHIHIRO: Thanks for everything, Granny. Good- bye!
Chihiro runs across the bridge, waving to the crowd as she goes.
CHIHIRO: Thank you!
Haku is waiting at the end of the bridge, his hand out.
Chihiro meets him, grabs it, and they run off.
CHIHIRO: Haku!
HAKU: Let’s go!
EXT. GHOST TOWN
Chihiro and Haku are running down the staircase.
CHIHIRO: Where are my mom and dad?
HAKU: When you passed the test, they woke up on the human side of the river. They’re there now, and they’re looking for you. They run through the empty town.
EXT. FIELD
Chihiro and Haku stop at the frog statue and look out over the lush, grassy field.
CHIHIRO: There’s no water here. I can walk across now.
HAKU: But I can’t go any farther. Just go back the way you came, you’ll be fine. But you have to promise not to look back, not until you’ve passed through the tunnel.
CHIHIRO: What about you? What’ll you do?
HAKU: Don’t worry, I’ll go back and have a talk with Yubaba. I’ll tell her I’m going to quit being her apprentice. I’m fine, I got my name  back.
CHIHIRO: Will we meet again sometime?
HAKU: Sure we will.
CHIHIRO: Promise?
HAKU: Promise.
Haku points forward.
HAKU: Now go, and don’t look back.
Chihiro starts down the stairs and lets go of Haku’s hand.  CHIHIRO descending the hill, slides down the dried out river path.
MOTHER: (O.S.)  Chihiro!
Chihiro stops in her tracks upon seeing her shouting Mother and smiling, waving Father at the base of the clock tower.
MOTHER: Where have you been, hurry up!
Chihiro runs to them.
CHIHIRO: Mom, Dad!
MOTHER: You shouldn’t run off like that, honey.
FATHER: You could get in big trouble.
The parents walk into the building.
CHIHIRO: Are you guys sure you’re alright?
MOTHER: (O.S.) Let’s go, I don’t wanna miss the movers.
Chihiro stays put. She starts to turn her head back, but stops herself. Resolute, she runs after her parents.
FATHER: Chihiro, hurry up.
INT. OLD BUILDING PASSAGEWAY
They’re walking down the dark hallway, Father leading.
FATHER: Everybody, watch your step.
Chihiro is holding onto her Mother’s arm.
MOTHER: Chihiro, don’t cling like that,  you’ll make me trip.
FATHER: Everybody, watch your step.
Chihiro frowns, skeptical.
EXT. AMUSEMENT PARK ENTRANCE
They exit the tunnel, into the bright forest clearing.
FATHER: We made it. (spotting something ahead)  Hey, what happened?
Father runs forward. Chihiro looks at the human world in awe.
MOTHER: What is it?
Father brushes days’ worth of fallen branches and leaves off the car, and looks inside.
FATHER: Look at that. It’s all dusty  inside, too.
MOTHER: Is this someone’s idea of a joke?
FATHER: Looks like it.
Chihiro stares back at the entrance
MOTHER: I told you we shouldn’t have stopped.
The car engine REVS off-screen as Chihiro takes one last look.
MOTHER: (O.S.)  Come on, Chihiro, let’s get to our new home.
FATHER: (O.S.) You’re not scared, are you?
MOTHER: (O.S.) Don’t be afraid, honey. Everything’s gonna be okay.
Chihiro runs back to the car. As the car takes off into the forest, the Dosojin statue grows smaller in the distance.
FATHER: (O.S.) A new home and a new school? It is a bit scary.
CHIHIRO: (O.S.) I think I can handle it.
Category:Transcripts
Category:Studio Ghibli
Category:Anime Transcripts