Chapter One: A World Far Beyond Our Imagination

There's a boy. He's staring so intently at the girl sitting next to him. The girl could not comprehend why the boy was looking at her for so long. Every time this boy would look at her, her heart would always skip beats. The boy suddenly grabbed the girl and embraced her as tightly as he could. As if he didn't want to let go. As if some kind of unimagineable force is about to tear them apart...forever.

"Ashley! Yo, Ashley!!" One of Ashley's friends shouted, her face just inches from hers.

"...Huh?" Ashley stared at her, and her other two friends, who were behind her. "Um, sorry. What were you just saying?"

"I just asked you if you're free to come over to my house today! Geez, Ashley! What's up with you, lately?" Anna, one of Ashley's very annoying friends said, her hands on her hips.

"Well, it's just..." Ashley looked down at the concrete ground for a minute or two, then looked back up at her staring friends. "I've been having these weird dreams lately. About this...couple, I think. I don't see their faces, but I know they're sad about something. They hug and embrace each other any time they get. Like, I don't know, like they're about to break up or something. It's so confusing."

"Sounds difficult," Anna said, suddenly turning serious.

"Oh my God! How sad!" Another one of Ashley's friends, Claire, said in that squeaky, preppy voice of hers.

Now Claire was a different kind of friend of Ashley's. She was a prep of course, she dressed in only pink and bright colors, her hair was as bright as the sun, she only wore dresses and skirts as well. But she wasn't snotty or obnoxious at all, like the other preps at school. Instead of critisizing on how Ashley dresses, Claire took the time to befriend her, and Ashley saw that. After that, they became good friends, quick.

"Very unusual indeed," And last but not least was Blair. Blair was a very quiet, Gothic sort of friend of Ashley's. She was very interested in stuff like black magic, black and dark clothes, dark make-up and gothic music as well. Ashley always wondered if Blair's parents named her from the movie The Blair Witch Project. But, putting all that aside, Blair was a very kind and sweet spirit toward Ashley, Anna, and even Claire.

"Dreams have been mentioned to depict upon what our emotions are, our feelings toward something that may be bothering us. Do you feel troubled in some way, Ashley?" Blair explained.

"Not that I know of," Ashley answered. "Everything's been fine with me. I'm doing good in school, and my parents are proud of my achievements, as always."

"Oh, well! We can talk it over later!" Anna said, making a fist with pride or something. "Bleach is on tonight, as well as Code Geass! That's all we need in order for a cause of celebration!!"

"But, we always watch it on Saturday. What makes this Saturday so different?" Claire asked, her baby blue eyes shining.

"Well, uh..." Anna was silent from that point forward.

"I think Anna's right, though," Ashley let out a short giggle, from Anna's embarrassment. "This day is what really brings us all together, am I right?"

"Ha ha, yeah!"

"That's right!!"

"That is correct."

It's late at night just minutes away from midnight, and minutes away from Bleach. Ashley and her friends were sitting together on the living room couch, just itching to see the new episode of Ashley's most favorite anime and manga, Bleach.

Ashley had no idea what so ever why she liked this show so much. Maybe it was the amazing, perfectly made characters, or maybe the awesome dialog of the voice actors who played each and every character so amazingly, or maybe it was a certain character who Ashley has grown a little crush on.

"Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach!!" Anna started to chant, while jumping up and down on the couch hyperily, as the theme song started to play.

Anna then started to sing along to it, and Claire hummed along with it. Once the song was over, everyone became silent, even Anna. No one said a word, not even a peep. All four girls had their eyes glued to the T.V. screen.

Ashley just loved doing this every Saturday night. Most teenage girls her age would be out at this time, hanging out with friends, partying, and going to the theaters with friends and boyfriends. But not Ashley. She would rather be doing what she is now. Staying at home with her friends, and watching anime all night long.

When Bleach ended, and the ending song started to play, everyone was still silent as the night.

Of course, Anna was the first one to break the silence. She stood up quick, jumping up and down, hyperily, "That was soooo COOOOOLLLLL!!!!!!! It's just soooo adorable how Ichigo wants to protect Rukia so badly! And! And the fight with Ichigo and Byakuya was frickin' AWESOOOOMMMMEEE!!!!"

As Anna rambled on and on about her favorite scenes from the episodes, and Claire and Blair nodding along, Ashley started to get lost in thought.

Wow, Ichigo sure has guts to go against a captain and win as well. He must really, really want to protect Rukia against execution. I don't blame him. If I had someone I loved more than my life, and they were about to die, I'd do the same thing. If I could somehow enter their world, just for one day, then I'd have the time of my life. I'd do whatever I could in my short time in there. Ichigo would show me how to fight, Rukia would show me her terrible, but cute drawings, and Orihime would teach me how to cook her disgusting recipes...but I would probably just spend my time around Uryu. He would teach me to sew and archery, too...and I would fall in love with him over and over and over.

"Wouldn't it be so cool if we could, like, go to their world? The Bleach world?" Claire said, which struck Ashley's attention; she looked at Claire, quizically. "I think it would be amazing. We would be able to meet everyone."

"Get real, Claire," Anna scoffed, the first time that Ashley has seen her so serious. "That kind of stuff can only happen in our dreams. It's all fantasy, you know."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Claire sighed.

"That's right...just a dream," Ashley sighed, along with Claire, in disappointment.

Morning came by quick as usual, as Ashley was combing out the knots in her chocolate-brown hair with her comb. After that was done, Ashley picked up her backpack from her desk chair, and placed it on her bed, as she started to stuff her books into it.

"I hate school," Ashley grumbled under her breath, as she zipped up her bag. "It's just same old, same old. Nothing exciting ever happens. I wake up, get ready, go to school, then come back home and do homework, then go to bed. And it starts all over again the next day."

Ashley strapped her bag over her shoulders, as she headed downstairs toward the kitchen.

Going through the living room and the dining room, Ashley made it to the kitchen as she saw her mother cooking breakfast and her father at the table, reading the newspaper.

"Good morning, dear," Ashley's mother greeted her sweetly, as her father nodded at her from under the newspaper. "Would you like to have some eggs?"

"Um, no, thanks," Ashley said quickly, rushing toward the door. "I'm kind of running late."

"Wait, Ashley!" Her mother called her, as Ashley looked over at her from behind her. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure to stop by Starbucks and get something."

"No, dear, it's not that," Her mother said, shaking her head, as Ashley looked at her with confusion.

"What is it, Mom?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know how or why, but..." Her mother's forehead creased, as if she was thinking about something real hard. "I have this weird feeling that you're gonna leave us today and never come back. I'm afraid that it's not just a feeling."

"Mom, you don't need to worry about that," Ashley smiled at her mother, with reassurement. "I won't be leaving for a very long while. It's all in your head, I'm sure."

"Yes, you're right," She laughed. "I guess I'm overthinking things again."

"Just shake it off, and take some Advil, if it'll help," Ashley smiled once more at her mother, before she left.

"Urgh, this head," Ashley grumpled, holding her throbbing head with her hand. "It's probably about to rain; my head never hurts this much."

It's the girl and the boy again. But, they weren't embracing each other; they were just standing beside each other, unmoving. Frozen. Nothing was surrounding them, just a blank, white background. A deep red line then started to form in between their feet. The line went deeper and deeper until it was a crimson color. It became thicker and darker, like blood. The bloody line seemed to represent something. As if one of them will die in a horrible death. As if their lives will be torn to shreds.

"It's the same dream," Ashley muttered, as she saw the clouds starting to darken. "I always have that dream, every time in a different way, and it's like they're gonna get killed or something. And I never see their faces."

Snapping out of her recurring thoughts, Ashley looked up at the sky to see lights flashing over each of the gray-painted skies: the sign of a dreary day.

"I guess it is going to rain," Ashley grumpled, as she started to pace down the street to the local high school. "I'd better hurry then."

"Why did this had to happen?! Why? Why her?!!" A screaming, echoing voice rang in Ashley's head, suddenly. Ashley stopped to a halt, as if began to silently rain small droplets of falling water. This voice sounded so loud and near, that it could have been someone screaming beside her. But no one was in listening range of her. Actually, no one was around at all. No one but her was walking down the streets, and not one car had passed by, which was very unusual. Ashley lived in New York City, one of the most busiest town in the U.S. It would be extremely rare not to see anyone there.

"Who said that?!" Ashley shouted, even though she knew she was alone; all she got was the rushing sound of the rain falling down harder.

No one answered, of course. The gushing of rain and rumbling of thunder could only be heard. Until...

"Y-Your...s...sou...l..." A soft, meloncholy voice was spoken, and it sounded near. Very near. It sounded like a man, like he was in unbearable pain. Then there came a deep, rumbling sound from him; it sounded like a snarl.

First, it sounded like a dying man, and the next it sounded like a rabid dog. Curious, and a bit fear-stricken, Ashley turned around to see what it was. And what she saw--wanted her just to scream her lungs out. It was huge, it was horrific, it was disgusting. It was a monster. It was a monstrocity, with talons on it's feet big as an infant. The talons digged into the concrete so easily, like shredding paper. It's whole body was a sickly greenish color, that towered over Ashley from about twenty feet. It had short bat-like wings, but the hump on it's back was blocking them that Ashley didn't see it. Lastly, it's face was covered with a pale-white mask all the way through. But it's yellowish eyes gleamed as clear as day.

"N-No way...it c-c-can't be..." Ashley studdered; she could feel every nerve in her body shout, 'Get out of there, idiot!' But she just couldn't find a way to summon up her leg strength.

"Heh heh," It's eyes closed into thin slits, as if in a smug manor. "You can't seem to move, can you? Well, that's good. Just endure it until it's over, eh? Smart move, little girl. But don't worry. I can honestly reassure you that it's gonna hurt a whole damn lot!!! BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!"

Aw, you have GOT to be shitting me!! That can't be a-- But Ashley didn't have time to think about this sudden, and misbelieving misfortune that fell upon her. Adrenaline pumping in her veins, and finally able to move her legs, Ashley sprinted out down the street, towards the town's limits.

"You won't get away from me, little girl!" It growled.

"Screw you!" Ashley shouted back, panting and panting as she ran.

The rain kept on pouring and pouring, over Ashley and the monster as if in an unending phase. Ashley was soaked from head to toe--even though it just started to rain--but Ashley could care less about that. All she cared about was getting far, far away from this demon that was fiercely chasing her, while shouting, "Give me your soul!!" Ashley knew that there was only one kind of a certain monster that would scream that, and appear in that monsterly form as well...But, they shouldn't exist! They couldn't!

By now, Ashley was far enough away from the city, and was now heading into the Forest of No Return. The Forest of No Return was a very wide and open shrubbery forest, and just like it's name, anyone who enters it can never come out...Dead or Alive. A number of people have accidentally travelled into this forest, bewildered by it. Ashley heard on the news once before that a family of backpackers went inside the forest for a short hike, and to camp out for the night. And the next day they never came back, but no one paid no heed to it. They may have been lost or something, so a Search Team would go in and find them. That's what Ashley thought. It's been over ten years and no has found them yet. Some people say that they died from starvation. Some people even think that one of them went insane and killed the others and ate up the remains, then killed himself for the animals to eat up the carcass. Were these myths true?

Ashley turned, swirved, slided, jumped over anything in her way to escape from the monster behind her. But, she couldn't hear it's pounding feet behind her, that waited to tear her to shreds. Quickly, she jumped behind a nearby tree, just in case the monster was nearby. It was quiet once again. The rain dropped down fast as ever, as the trees violently swayed with the wind. Ashley heaved and heaved, as she pushed a strand of wet hair behind her ear which sticked to her cheek.

"This can't be happening...this can't be..." Ashley whispered, letting out heaving sighs from running so much; her heart pounded so fast that it may burst out of her chest at any given moment. That was a Hollow. A Hollow! I know it is! It has to be! What other explanation can there be? But, this can't be real...Hollows are just made up of fiction. Clearly, made-up fiction. I...I've got to be dreaming again; I must be! I HAVE to be! Stuff like this doesn't just suddenly come true! This isn't like dreaming about true love, or marriage, or having a family...This is a nightmare.

"Oh, so this is where you're hiding," That demonic voice rang in her head, from behind her. "You hide your spiritual pressure so well, it was kind of difficult to find you."

Quick in motions, Ashley turned around in one twirl, running around a tree, only accidentally missing that one twig that stuck out of it's trunk. The tip of the twig sliced at Ashley's forearm, as a deep cut started to form on it; drops of blood started to form. Ashley cursed under her breath, as she covered the cut with her other hand.

"Urgh!" Ashley growled under her breath, as she was about to turn around and run, but she slipped on a mud puddle and fell down on the wet ground on her back! All Ashley could hear was the horrible laughs from the hollow.

"How weak of you! Appearently you have no ability what so ever; just weak spiritual pressure," The hollow said, with evil eyes.

"D..." Ashley tried to stand up, but she couldn't do that either. She was so tired of running around in the rain, that her legs ached; she could barely feel anything let alone move. Dammit! It can't end like this! No! No! No! NO!!!

Ashley shut her eyes tight, as the hollow lurched his whole body toward her.

What happened...to me? I remember was I being chased by a Hollow in the Forest of No Return. But then there was an extremely bright light...then...then...God, I don't remember anything else. What happened? Where am I?

Ashley couldn't feel anything at all the way from the neck down, as if she was paralyzed. She didn't even know where she was, since all she saw was pitch blackness. Carefully, Ashley started to flutter her eyes open as if for the first time. It was blurry at first, whites, blues, greens mixed in. She fluttered her eyes a few more times to adjust her sight, as it soon started to get clearer. She soon recognized that she was in a room.

"Oh my God," Ashley sighed in relief, covering her eyes with her arm. "It was just a dream. A nightmare, even. I guess I shouldn't watch Bleach before I go to bed every night."

Ashley chuckled to herself, as she stared up at the ceiling---Or what she thought was her ceiling. In Ashley's room, she had a medium-sized ceiling fan hanging from her ceiling...which was absent.

"My fan!" She shouted, quickly rising up. She looked around then, viewing her surroundings to notice that she wasn't in her room. It wasn't even a room she recognized. There was a computer desk a few feet away from the bed she was sitting in which was stacked with books and white paper with lettering she couldn't see at a distance. Right beside it, was a tall book-self, which was against the lime-green wall, and it was full of big and small books. There was a table and a small table here and there, not much was in it; it seemed empty. Ashley could already tell that it wasn't a teenager's room: if it was, then there'd have been posters all over the walls, stacks and stacks of music CDs, pictures of idol celeberties here and there. But that didn't matter to Ashley now. What mattered to her was the person who brought her here and why.

Footsteps could be heard from outside of the room, as they got louder and louder as they approached the door. The footsteps stopped then, as there was a clicking sound of someone opening the door. Ashley prepared her self for her kidnapper. She knew a few karate moves from Anna, and she knew how to drop-kick an intruder in just seconds. The door opened, as he stepped in; he gasped when he saw Ashley. "Oh, you're awake, I see."

Ashley didn't say anything though. How could she? The person whom she thought she'd never see before her, but only in her dreams, was now standed before her with a bewildered look on her face.

"Are you okay?" Uryu Ishida asked Ashley once more, as Ashley fell back on the bed, unconcious.