Chihiro Ogino walked silently down the dirt path, observing her surrounds as if looking for something near and dear to her. The trees swayed softly against the summer wind, as the sun beamed down lighting her usual path going home. She continued on as the path turned to concrete, she held her book bag straps tight as she approached a busy street and waited for the walk sign to turn. She sighed as the wind brushed softly against her pale skin and moved her wavy light brown hair in its pony tail. Chihiro looked up toward the light blue sky, her eyes training as she observed the birds flying by.
~..Of course… just birds~ Chihiro once again felt stupid for even trying to search in the sky, for even trying to look for him when it was pointless. Concentrating on the walk sign, she hurried across the street landing near the corner of the street that lead to her house and the forest where it all happened. She looked ahead seeing the small of concrete stretch near the tree and the view of the entire town. The little houses were placed where the always had, she remembered that day so easily. When she asked her mom
"What are all those stones? They look like little houses?"
"Those are shrines. Some people believe spirits live in them."
Chihiro laughed to herself looking at the little stone houses and as she looked up to the dirt path leading to the place that changed her and where her adventure began .she stood her ground. She felt her pulse race and her heart quicken, she wanted to badly explore but she hasn't touched this road or even visited it for 7yrs. She could just give an excuse to her mother and father, act like it was just a walk and come back. ~as long as I don't cross the stairs…I'll be fine. Right? ~she sighed feeling defeated and turned to her right going up the steep hill home. ~
Chihiro moved up the front steps to her blue house, it was a simple two story family home like all the rest on the block from her including her friend izumi. Ever since she moved her, they have been close since elementary till junior year in high school. Izumi you could say was her best friend, they knew everything about each other and live within a good distance. Though her only secret was the adventure of going into another world, seeing things no one has ever seen and meeting her first love. Chihiro took her key from her side pocket of her book bag and slide it in the key hole opening the door with a click.
She walked in dropping her bag slowly as she slipped off her black flats onto the mat where her mother's shoes were placed, her fathers were missing. ~he must be at work again, better help mom in the kitchen. ~ Chihiro slipped one strap of her book bag onto her left shoulder, moving her way toward the kitchen opening already hearing the sounds of pot and pans. The smell of ramen in the air along with her favorite, sushi and she was happy to help if it meant eating it in the process. She dropped her bag near the stairs leading upstairs and slid into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "Hey mom i can guess what your cooking!" her mother laughed as she was stirring a huge pot of noddle's and vegetables that filled the house.
She turned to face chihiro as she had her short sleeve plain white blouse on and khaki pants. ~must have started cooking since she came home from the office. ~ "well look who came home! Hi honey, i had a feeling you would have wanted to help but I'm almost done." Chihiro rolled her eyes folding her arms across her chest, "i had a feeling you would try to finish faster because of how i nibble on dinner." Her mother smiled brightly ,showing white teeth in place as she hugged chihiro and kisses her forehead. Chihiro smiled as she hugged back and kissed her mother's cheek. Her mother moved back moving around the huge island in the kitchen to start on the dumplings. "So how was school? I thought you and izumi would come home later than usual?"
Chihiro placed herself with her elbows on the counter and her hands cupping her face, "she had to stay after for math and i didn't want to hold her back because i needed company so i just walked home early." Her mother nodded as her hands worked in a bowel with meat and spices, "well good have any homework," she asked. Chihiro nodded as she sighed not wanting to complete the math assignment, she finished everything else including honors art homework but wasn't up to it, "yeah i only have math since i finished everything in class including m art project for art honors."
Her mother smiled and looked up at chihiro, "still drawing those dragons huh?" Chihiro looked away letting her hands fall from her face and move to settle in front of her instead, "yeah you know how much i love them mom." She looked up happy to see her mom back to preparing the meat adding some soy sauce to not see the sad look on her face. "Um i was wondering if i can take a quick walk, I'll be sure to change out of my clothes and bring my phone in case of anything." Her mother nodded with a bright smile and looked quickly to the clock, "alright! Sure honey but be home before dinner okay? And remember after dinner to finish your math homework all right?"
Chihiro nodded with a bright smile anxiously as she hurried and kissed her mom's cheek and hurried out the kitchen grabbing her book bag by the stairs racing up stairs. She felt her heart beat furiously at the thought of returning to the very place she thought she would never step foot on again. The thought of looking for Kohaku even though he promised to come back.
Chihiro : Will we meet again sometime?
Haku : Sure we will.
Chihiro : Promise?
Haku: Promise…Now go, and don't look back
She felt tears sting but she held them back as she closed her door and settled her bag near her desk by her beside. She took in the look of her room, light blue sheets along with light green decorative pillows. She looked over where her wide window faced the town and its blue sparking sea and the movement around the small town. Her desk was clean, her calendar was attached to her board that was pinned with pictures of her friends, the vacations she went on, herself and some sketch drawings. Chihiro smiled at each picture, where a sweet happy memory laid. She sighed and looked at the clock quickly. ~2:30, i still have time to come back by 5:00 before dad gets back. I hope this walk isn't for nothing.~ I hope i can find you haku...~
Chihiro laid her hand on a sketch of a dragon in profile, its eyes soft mirroring and looking into hers, the details of the dragon in place with heavy lines of refining. His scales that gleamed and the aquamarine hair that swayed within the wind was sketched with light lines. ~ I'm coming. Just hold on. Please~ she moved back from her desk and hurried into her small walk in closet. She grabbed a pair of jogging shorts and a white t-shirt. Laying them out on the bed she slipped out of uniform, sliding off her hanker chip, and white blouse. Carefully as she sat on the edge of her bed she slid off her socks and skirt. Placing her uniform on the bed she hurried into her t-shirt and jogging shorts, she moved to her dresser accompanied with a mirror looking into one of draws to find socks for her sneakers.
Chihiro stopped short as she looked up at herself, her breasts grew and were fully out slightly. She was a B-cup and stayed that way till now. Her hair was longer even though she cut it recently last month, her bangs were slightly longer. Her lips were pink as a rose, her cheek bones settled more. Her eyelashes swept with an innocence to showing off her dark brown eyes. Her strong arms filled with muscle even if she was skinny, having no curves and no butt. Ever since she came back from the magical world, she took on hard jobs since she was 10, helping anyone in need, working even when her parents' seen no point to it. She works whenever she's called on by the restaurant not too far from her house. Without her help the place would look a mess, she fixed it up resembling the bathhouse Yubba had and never grew tired of it. Chihiro moved from her gaze into the mirror onto the edge of her bed and slid on socks and was close to leaving her room. ~ Opps! Can't leave without my phone...~
Chihiro turned around and hurried opening the front zipper of her bag and sliding out her phone. Her parents bought her an i-phone, their new in America and coasted a lot. Hers was a 4s but to chihiro as long as it connected to her friends and family she was happy with it. Chihiro hurried closing her bedroom door closed and ran down the stairs quick pushing past the kitchen to the mat where her sneakers laid. "Don't forget! Come back before dinner!" her mother yelled. Chihiro slipped on her sneakers off of the edge of the little ledge a few feet from the door as she nodded and responded, "I won't! I love you! I promise to hurry back!" Chihiro hurried out the door and down the steps slipping her phone in her pocket. She moved into a fast jog, wanting to get to her destination before the sun went down. ~Haku...please be there. Please~
Chihiro ran down the hill and made a right up the dirt path b the tree and shrines. She was good at running and was the second best in the track team. Chihiro knew this wasn't going to be a long ran and kept going without looking back to the town. Sweat dribbled down her forehead but kept breathing in and out watching her breathing. She turned to her left noticing something caught her eyes and stopped. The stone statue that she passed by long ago was still there, standing untouched by the terrain of the forest and felt as if she was younger. She shakes her head with a smile as she got into a slow jog angling her arms as her hands were aligned as if cutting knives.
Time passed and before Chihiro knew it she gasped as she came upon the entrance. The same statue from down the road stood in front as if guarding its secret's. She reached into her pocket looking at the time, 4:00 Pm.
~i expected to be faster than this, I'm going to really have to hurry up! ~ Chihiro pressed her camera app and snapped a picture of the statue and the dark entrance. She smiled pressing on the top right bottom as the screen went black and placed it into her pocket. She hurried into a jog once again moving around the statue and looking into the dark entrance feeling the wind trying to slowly pull her in. she clenched her fists, her face serious and was sure of walking in. ~ I'm coming haku... Just hold on a little longer. ~
