Chihiro took a steady breath in, and let it out calmly. Stretching her arms once more she set off on her morning jog. She glanced up at the large…green hill. Painted with large colorful houses, she would have enjoyed her new home more, more if it wasn't for the fact- no. She sighed and tossed the thought from her mind. She had told her self again and again, she wasn't going to think about any of that! Never again…she was better of this way…right? She heard a engine roar behind her, she didn't even turn her head. Boys shouted and howled Just like dogs… She thought with venom. They blared the horn as they drove by suddenly. She rolled her eyes, not even looking up at them. She let out a breath and kept on jogging.

Chihiro had been trying to live life normally ever since her encounter with the spirits and such… It had been years since she ever set foot near that place… she didn't plan to do so ever again. She was sixteen years old and her hopes of finding that right someone to end all of her pondering thoughts. No such person came. It's almost like…she met the other half of her soul, and he…he was a spirit! How absurd….out of all the damn people to fall for! She didn't usually curse at all, but today hadn't been her day at all. It was a Saturday, Saturday's where supposed to be happy…right? What? Was she supposed to throw her arms up and shout? Run off with all her buddies…who don't even think about what'll happen to them in life? She didn't think so. But…Haku….she felt a jolt in her heart when she thought of his name, a feeling over powered her helpless mind. He…he was so…something. She couldn't really put her finger on it…no not at all. He was that…that wonderful. She blinked tears away and started thinking about the cries of pain coming from her over-jogged legs, burning in flames of sweat….who would ever put there attention on that? Didn't normal people think about something other than the burning pain in there legs, while they where jogging?

Chihiro made a face, oh yeah. She forgot. She wasn't normal.

"Hey! CHI!" She winced as someone called out her nick-name mindlessly. Turning she saw a black haired girl running toward her. Her big brown eyes smiling with joy…Chihiro felt like she could puke, what a look. The girls body shook from excitement.

"What Shiro?" Chihiro didn't have time to play games, she loved her friend but…she was so, so predictable.

"Oh my! How can you run like that?" Chihiro didn't have time to respond. "Any ways… GUESS WHAT?" Shiro jumped with glee.

"What?" Chihiro's shoulders slumped, this was going to be awhile. Turning she started to walk slowly.

"Karo is having a party tonight!" She shrieked, hugging Chihiro around the shoulders.

"He's always having party's…" Chihiro didn't understand, what was so wonderful about party's? And he was a jerk. Annoying, irritable, and selfish. She didn't understand the meaning of it all.

"Chi! It's my birthday party! It's my birthday tomorrow, so the party's gonna be an all nighter!" She squeled with happiness.

"Happy birthday." Chihiro sighed, hugging her friend quickly. There! Please…please, would Shiro leave so she could continue her jog?

"That's it?" Shiro seemed very disappointed… "Your not going to come or anything?"

"You know I can't…My parents trust me but they won't let me stay out all night." Chihiro sighed, angry. Hadn't she told her friend this before?

"LIE!" Her friend pointed out the obvious with a smart, DUH, at the end.

"I can't do that-" Chihiro began…

"You mean you wont." Her friend rolled her eyes, with a moan.

"I won't because I can't." Chihiro growled to Shiro.

"How does that make since?"

"Because! I have no need to lie to them. They haven't done anything wrong to me, and I'm not going to start acting up now they have faith in me. They believe that I'll do the right thing. Why would I destroy such a bond, with the people who have been there for me…my inter life?"

Shiro didn't seem to be listening. "I wonder if it'll be fun?" Chihiro looked around anxiously, she had to find a way out…somehow… She winced. There it was. The gravel road that lead her to the most amazing place in the inter world. Could she do it? Would she do it? Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friend talking, blabbing about her wonderful party…She peered behind her swiftly, a group of rowdy teenagers where walking toward them, and my what a large group! She stopped walking, knowing Shiro wouldn't notice.

She was right, she just faced Chihiro and kept on going on, and on. Chihiro waited…and waited when finally:

"HEEEYYY!" A high pitched voice rang from the crowd, most stopped talking to face Shiro…one of the most popular girls in school.

"Mainda!" Shiro leapt from her spot and was swallowed within the crowd. The group of teens grew even more loud, rowdy and hyper. This was her chance!

She slipped threw the crowd, and ran as fast as she could down the long dirt road. She jumped over overgrown weeds that now owned the road almost completely. She stopped, almost out of breath and looked back. All she could see was road…long and winding threw out this small forest, she turned and started to walk. How beautiful this place was! She seemed to have almost forgotten the lovely beauty; The trees leaves soaked in the sun, which was glowing over them with golden sparkles, the long branches dances with the wind and the leaves fluttered peacefully, following the steady beat of nature. With a faint smile Chihiro went on calmly. Her sneakers crunched on the dirt road, but she hardly noticed, being back, just at this simple overgrown road, seemed so much like a dream…

She could feel her legs wobble slightly when she reached the tall building, the building that her father had thought was a amusement park entrance… it everything but that. It was an entrance…but not that sort of entrance. This was a portal…a portal to the realm of spirits, the realm of adventure. Taking a step closer, she noticed that small statue, the same short stone figure…gazing at the building in front of her. Everything seemed to blur slightly and Chihiro took a deep breath. This was it.

This was the place that had changed he life… her life forever. She gazed curiously at the long, black tunnel. A few steps…a few simple steps inside and she'd be into an entirely different world…one of beauty, love, mystery, monsters and… Haku. Her heart raced inside her chest, threatening to burst if she didn't listen to it's wild demand.

Then…without thinking, without cautious warning to her mind , she entered the tunnel, she didn't seem to care any more…because the wild burning in her heart…the flame the tormented her every passing day wouldn't allow her brain to get in the way of her destiny…and with that she walked into the world of spirits.

The only world where she actually felt welcomed.