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Chihiro stared at the jade beads encircling her pale wrist - the red, satin knot allowing the bracelet to slide down her hand, almost past her fingertips. She slid the books into a neater pile for more stability upon her lap as the bus passed over a pot hole in the old road. She pulled the two strings, tightening the knot and enclosing it around her arm once more. She sighed, returning her gaze to the outside of the window. Blue birds sprang from the tops of the cherry blossom trees and danced within the blue skies; the sun glazing everything it could reach.

"Next stop: Zeneba Drive," announced the public bus driver in his deep, monotone voice.

Chihiro wrapped the corduroy strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder, sliding her forearms under her college books. The bus came to a quick stop as Chihiro staggered, catching herself and the books from falling to the buses' steel, lined flooring.

"Thank you, Sir," she skipped down the steps and landed on the curb.

"Have a nice evening, Madam," the bearded man smiled, pulling the handle and closing the door. The long automobile moved forward quickly and disappeared behind the hillside within seconds.

Chihiro started walking to her apartment, returning her eyes to the clear blue sky. "Well, at least it's a nice day out," she remarked to herself.

A rather loud noise clashed a little further up the road. Looking at the crane and dump trucks parked on the grass and side of the road. A few men wearing orange construction hats stood chatting on the side of the street, talking to each other with cigarettes in hand while another held a cell phone to his ear.

"I wonder what they're building," she looked at the sides of the two trucks. One with a picture of trees and a mountain printed along the side, with the other a drop of water and 'H20' engraved below. The crane had been lifting boulders into the alley where it seemed as if the bedding from a previous river had laid. A small, old bridge had been stretching over the empty alley since before Chihiro had moved to the neighborhood years ago.

"A river? Hmm… I guess there hasn't been enough rain for quite a while," she thought about the day before with the pouring rain soaking her as she walked to the bus for college.

She walked passed the construction worker on his cell phone, "no sir, the last of them are being installed now. The water can be released by six tonight…"

"I guess they are just trying to get the river going again," she said quietly to herself, a book dropping from her arms.

Chihiro sighed, "WHY do they have to give us so much damn homework on the first day back!" She tilted the three books to view the titles once again. 'Holistic Healing & Therapy', 'Nursing IV', and 'Pediatrics: Basics'.

She closed her eyes, continuing to walk straight. 'What am I going to make for dinner? Ramen? Eh, why not?'

'Chihiro, Happy Birthday!' Mom and Dad said happily, placing the cake inches in front of her on the table.

'You are getting so old, you're making us feel like we grew up with the dinosaurs!'

'Mooom! C'mon! I'm only 18!' Chihiro laughed.

Her Mother sat down to the right of her daughter. 'Come on, darling, we're going to have wax cake to eat if you don't blow...!"

'Damn!' Dad said, displeased.

Mom sighed, 'What's the matter now?'

'I forgot the i-c-e c-r-e-a…"

'ICE CREAM! Dad! I CAN spell!' the family laughed.

'I'm sorry, cupcake, but we cannot have our baby's birthday cake without ice cream! It wouldn't feel like a birthday!' Dad rubbed the back of his head and fished in his pockets for his keys.

'I have to pick something up, too, I wouldn't ask you to get it for me… it's not a man's task.' Mom said.

'Alright. Chihiro, we'll be right back. We are so sorry, baby, we'll be back in a few minutes.'

'It's okay, Dad, I have to finish my essay, anyway.' Chihiro watched her parents walk out the door, her Mother locking the top and closing it softly. She blew out the candles to prevent anymore wax from casing over the cake, and walked to her bedroom.

The moon shone through the curtains, it's reflection in Chihiro's teacup twinkled with the steam rising. She yawned, the radio softly playing a song from a few years before. Sipping her tea and finishing it with two quick swigs, she stood and walked to the kitchen; the dishwasher became completely stocked full with the last two pieces of dinnerware, and with a small tab of dishwasher fluid, the machine started to run.

She stretched once again, turning her head to look at the picture of her Mother and Father.

"I love you… Mom… Dad. I hope you are having fun up there. Visiting the world with all the beaches and restaurant buffets..." A tear fell from her eyes as she smiled, placing the picture in it's usual spot.

"Ugh, I really need to stop yawning so… much!" Another interrupted her discussion with herself.

"Good night." A flock of snow white birds flew below the moon. "Mom, Dad, Granny, Rin,…" she watched them skim the sky, "Haku."

05.17.11

Hey everyone! I've been trying to get myself to start writing again for a while, but whenever I had the time I chose to sleep. Sorry! To get myself back into the 'groove', I am going to be reading over and editing. I am working full-time now and just got my laptop fixed, so hopefully you'll be able to keep reading! (: Forgive me! Enjoy!