A/N: Hi there, everyone! This is my very first fan fiction, and I knew that I had to begin with a story regarding Spirited Away, one of the most excellent movies I have ever seen. Please feel free to leave comments and constructive criticism- I need all the help I can get! I appreciate it, and hope you enjoy!
Prologue
The sun crept over the horizon, signaling the beginning of a new day. Yellow light from the sun's rays danced across the walls of the room, slowly waking the girl from her sleep. She began tossing in the creamy white sheets, trying to find a way to avoid the bright intrusion. Birds in a nearby tree began to greet the day with their chatter, which was what finally succeeded in waking her.
Chihiro sat up in her bed and stretched. Tossing off the covers, she yawned and threw open the blinds. She was always the first to wake up at her house, and enjoyed watching out the window as the woods around her came alive with the dawn of a new day.
Turning around, Chihiro glanced at her alarm clock on the nightstand, which read seven o'clock. She walked to the bathroom and quickly jumped in the shower. After a few minutes in the soothingly warm water, she got out and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. Wiping the steam from the mirror, she glanced at her reflection. Pretty average for a seventeen year old girl, she thought. She had dark brown hair, and rich brown eyes, which held within them a high level of intelligence and curiosity. Her face was thinner than it had been when she was a child, but still had the rosy blush on her cheeks that warmed her light skin tone.
Combing through her shoulder length brown hair, she took her favorite sparkly purple hair tie and put the hair up in a loose ponytail. Then, she washed her face and brushed her teeth, doing the minimal amount of preparation because she planned on going for a run.
Going into her room, she dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and slipped on a pair of socks and running shoes. She then glanced at her disheveled bed, and contemplated whether or not she should straighten it out.
"Well, maybe I will take care of that later," she muttered, smiling to herself as she left the room.
Running down the stairs, Chihiro stopped in the kitchen and quickly ate an apple while writing a note to her parents that she was out for a run. Once she was done, she tossed the core into the trash and headed out the front door.
Jogging down the dirt road, Chihiro glanced at the ancient trees around her, and admired them for their enormous presence. She observed the little spirit houses that were sporadically placed down the path. She always wished that she would someday see a little spirit hiding out in one of the little concrete dwellings, but had yet to witness it. She shook her head at the silliness of her thoughts sometimes. Of course spirits didn't exist.
"It would be here that they would exist, though," she said to herself, slowing down to a walk. The forest always seemed strangely magical to her, and she had been drawn to it ever since she could remember. She loved the wildness of the surrounding woods, and always felt that she was lucky to be able to enjoy such a sacred and beautiful place. Sighing, she turned back towards her house. "Back to the real world again," she muttered, leaving the forest behind.