"Mom, please. I just need to go out, okay? I'll talk to you soon."

"But you just got back from school yesterday! And it's so hot out! Oh, do be careful, Chihiro. Please. You know I don't like you wandering around all the time. Do you need the car?"

"Mom, I'm 20. I think I'm old enough to go out on my own, but no, thanks, I'll take my bike."

I hopped onto my rusty pink bike, threw my backpack into the bent woven basket, and waved to my mother as she stepped out onto the front porch. Sunflowers popped over the white picket fence, and as I rode away, they blocked me from seeing my mother any further.

The dirt road was a bumpy one, but I was ready for what was to come. I made sure to fill my tires with a good amount of air the night before in preparation.

The dirt stuck to the tires, and every bump made my backpack bounce up in the air. It was a hot day, around 88 degrees Fahrenheit, but it was worth the trip. I knew that I wouldn't be back right away, and that Mom would need the car. She always went out.

No one remembers that day, except for me. I tried asking Dad about it once.

"Hey Dad, remember when we went to the forest way down the road, around 10 years ago?"

"Yeah, the day we moved in, right?"

"Exactly. Do you remember anything about, an old, abandoned amusement park building?"

"Hmm… doesn't ring a bell, kiddo. Sorry, but I really have to get back to my work."

And that was that.

"Hey, Chihiro!"

A pickup truck passed me as a trekked up the hill into the woods, and pulled over. I stopped to turn around and saw a familiar face. I wiped the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand and pulled down the kicked stand, walking over to the truck.

"Kaito! How are you?" I hugged him, and he let go, smiling at me.

"It's been great, how's school? It's been so long since I've seen you. Since we-"

"Graduated together. I know! It's unbelievable how time flies."

"Yeah, really. So," he looked at me, then down the road at my bike. "What brings you in this heat towards the forest, hm?"

"I, uh, wanted to picnic out here today and see some sights."

"Well I just came from there, and there's nothing really to see but some dirt and trees."

"Why were you over there then, Kaito?"

"You'll make fun of me."

"No, I will not!"

"Fine!"

He reached in through his opened driver window and pulled out a notepad. He handed it to me, and I flipped through it delicately.

There were drawings of the forest, and shrines placed all over the road. There were birds in full color, and the tallest trees I had ever seen. When I got to the last page, I flinched.

"Chihiro, you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. They're just so beautiful."

It was a drawing of the arch from that day so long ago, but it had vines overgrown onto it, and trees covering the entrance to what was beyond. The statue in front of the opening remained completely intact as it had before.

I handed the book back to him.

"Those are great, Kaito! Really great!"

My hands were shaking; with fear of not being able to get in, and excitement to see what awaited.

"Alright, well it was great seeing you. I gotta head home, my granfather's going to be wanting lunch."

I laughed and gave him a good-bye hug.

"We should hang out this summer while you're on break!"

"Sounds great! I'll give you a call!"

He hopped back into his truck as I walked towards my bike, and beeped the car horn as he screeched down the dirt path.

Little did he know that I wasn't going to come back.