Right! As I said in my author's note in the original story, I am doing this again. Read this chapter and tell me honestly if you want me to keep the other story. I seriously don't want to, but if everyone does, then I won't delete it. My writing skills have improved so much that I wanted to make this even better. I read my most recent stories and love going back to certain chapters. I can't do that will the original because the grammar and the story overall was crap.

Let's begin!

Time is a strange thing. It goes away and never comes back no matter how much you wish it to. Memories that were once treasures may soon become blurred and unclear.

Okay, that sounds awful. Let me start again. My name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi and I am a river spirit. Nine years ago, I recovered my name back from a witch and was saved by a young human girl.

That human girl was someone very important to me. I wouldn't say first love because she was only a child and to be honest, that would be wrong. I guess she was my first true friend.

True, I had people like Lin and Kamaji looking out for me, but neither of them heard my silent cries for help. Only she did.

Her name is Chihiro and currently is living a life in her own world, around her own kind.

I remember the day I last saw her and let go of her hand, saying 'don't look back'. I feel like I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. I sometimes wish I had never met her. I am in desperate need of a friend that no one has ever been able to replace. A friend who is brave and kind, but also a cry-baby at times.

I wonder what our lives would have been like if we had never met.

. . .

"Freak!" Haru shouted in my ear.

"Loner!" Lucia pulled my hair.

I had grown tired of the same thing every single day. I winced as Lucia tugs harder.

"Oi, listen when you are being spoke to," Lucia said.

I wondered how long it has been since the last time I smiled. I wondered how long it has been since I last shed a tear...

Let me start from the beginning. My name is Chihiro Ogino and I am 19 years old. My head sometimes wondered back to the days that I spent at the orphanage.

You see, when I was 13, a virus hit Japan and consumed many lives in a matter of months. Doctors said that it was something that they had never seen before.

Anyway, as you can probably guess, both my parents were consumed by this strange illness, leaving me alone in the world. Because of my age and the fact that I had no relatives that were willing to take me in, I was forced to live in an orphanage.

The first few months there weren't too bad. I used to tell stories to the younger kids about the Spirit World.

It's a real place, you know. You may not believe me, but I've been there. 9 years ago, I stumbled into a world that was both terrifying, but also beautiful beyond imagination. I told these stories so that I could keep my memories alive.

The kids loved my stories, but people wanted to adopt young kids. So one by one, they began to leave with their new families. I think that was the last time I smiled.

The older kids found me strange and the social-workers didn't appreciate me telling bizarre stories when I should be focusing on my studies. I never though one person could feel so alone.

During my years at the orphanage, on the days the older kids banged at my door to have a go at me, I used to lie on my bed and think about to the Spirit World.

Lin, Kamaji, Granny...Haku. They were my real friends. I wish time could be reversed. I wish it could be stopped. But it cannot. After all, time is a strange thing.

. . .

I guess you could say that I wanted my life back. I wanted away from a world full of pollution and noise. Away from pain.

When I left the orphanage, I rented an apartment near the place I used to live with my parents. Near the forest that was originally the entrance to the Spirit World. I got a job and kept my mouth shut. I hope you're okay with listening to my tale of woe. I don't sense a happy ending in my human life.

I was in the middle of September when I began thinking seriously about what I wanted. The sun was going down and I sat at my breakfast table, reading bills and postcards from co-workers that seemed to be having a better life than me.

I leaned back in my chair and sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Okay, Okay. Let's think this through before you make another stupid mistake," I said to myself. "If I truly did this, who would I be leaving behind? No one. Who would truly notice my disappearance? Only my landlord."

I counted the things in my head, making sure that this decision was right. It then occurred to me that it was, and as soon as I worked that out, I stood up and ran to my bedroom.

I grabbed a rucksack and began shoving clothes and any necessities that I should need. Once my bag was pack, I walked over to the table again and wrote a short letter pretty much saying that I was running away. It was address to my landlord, of course.

I reached into my pocket and grabbed my iPhone. I wouldn't be needing it, nor any money. I placed them on the table next to the letter, grabbed the apartment keys and stood by the door. I turned and took one last look back, before smiling for the first time in god knows how long, and opening the door.

I made sure to lock everything up and put the keys under that mat. He would find them, but I honestly didn't care.

I left the premises and made my way through the dark towards the forest. The idea creeped me out slightly, but I had to be brave.

I remember the route my parents took and have actually tried to find this place before, but was never able to. What if I couldn't find it again? I shook my head, getting rid of the thoughts.

It was not long before I stood just outside the forest, on the 'road' my dad drove down 9 years ago.

The wind blew through the trees, making the forest howl. I felt like I was being watched and was beginning to have second thoughts.

Second thought my ass! I was doing this. I took a deep breath and grabbed out the torch from my bag, before venturing in. I stuck to the road, trying to stay as calm as possible, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of eyes. It was like the forest was alive.

I gasped and shakes every time I heard a twig snap or an owl 'twit twoo'.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea in the first place, but I kept my head up high. However, it was until I felt something across my back that I literally legged it. I never knew I could run so fast while not know where I was going.

I kept the torch pointed to the ground so that I didn't trip over any logs or run into any trees. It was then that I saw something red at the last second, but was too late that I smacked right into it. I dropped my torch and slowly moved away from the wall that I had just crashed into, rubbing my poor nose.

I grabbed my torch from the ground and looked up. It was a clock tower. My eyes widened as I recognised the place almost instantly and nearly wept with joy, but I knew I had to find the tunnel first.

I scanned along the wall and saw an opening. I looked down it and saw it was dark, but I could see a light at the end.

I spent a good five minutes just staring down that tunnel. I had found it after 9 years. I was able to go home.

I could feel the familiar breeze from behind me, before repeating the words, "The wind's pulling me in." It was that moment that I took my first step through the tunnel. I guess you could say that it was that day that sealed my fate.

. . .

The bathhouse was as busy as ever. Customers flew in through the front gate and stayed for a number of days, before departing once more to their homes in the Human World.

I sometimes wished that I could return to mine, but the humans made it impossible. I wondered what life would have been like if my river was never destroyed. But because of my river's destruction, I would have never come to the bathhouse and been able to rescue Chihiro from Yubaba.

After she left that day, I went back and spoke with Yubaba. I told her that she had no power over me anymore. As you can guess, she wasn't happy. I knew I had to do something, so I challenge her for the Bathhouse. The old witch looked at me like I had grown three extra heads. A duel took place, and I won't bore you with the detail, so I'll just say that I won.

I allowed her and Boh to make a choice: stay and work for me or leave. Yubaba glared daggers at me and said that she would rather follow Sen to the Human World than work under me. So she left, taking Boh with her.

Back to the present day, I had made Lin my second in command. She keeps me sane and dealt with a lot that happens in the Bathhouse, while I deal with the paper work. We switch jobs here and there, so it's not all boring.

I was working on a report of the Bathhouse when suddenly Lin walked in through the door. I looked up, ready to lecture her on the wonderful concept of door knocking, but her face looked serious.

She walked up to the desk. "Haku, the workers have been saying that their getting a strange feeling. It's like they can sense something's coming," Lin informed. I sat back in my chair and frowned.

"Maybe this is just another excuse for them to have a break. Time is money, Lin, and the Bathhouse is a place for work," I said, but Lin shook her head.

"No, can't you sense it too. Something, or someone, is coming," she replied. I sighed and set down my pen. I stood up and walked to the window behind me, opening it to reveal the late Summer night.

"So what do you want me to do about it? We have had plenty of strange customers make their way through our gates. Don't you remember the 'Stink Spirit' 9 years ago?" I asked. I looked back and saw Lin smiling sadly to herself.

"I remember that time more than anyone? You weren't even here, so you never got to see Sen's valiant show," Lin said, her eyes looking like they were revisiting the past. I sighed and looked out the window again.

"It's too dark at the moment to go searching for whatever's out there. If their destination is here, then we'll find out soon enough," I said. Lin nodded and walked out of the office.

I stared a little longer into the darkness. I, too, could feel something strange, but couldn't quite work it out. I huffed and closed the window, before sitting back in my seat and looking over the report again.

It was that moment when a strong, familiar scent hit my nose. I literally jumped out of my seat and focused only on that scent. I knew only one person who had that kind of smell, even though it had been 9 years. It wasn't long before I had Lin running into the office again, her face lit up and shocked.

"You smell that too, right?" she questioned, thinking she had gone crazy. I smiled gently and sat back in my chair, nodding slowly. Lin's grinned and jumped around a bit, clearly excited.

"Make sure everyone continues with their jobs. She'll show herself when she is ready. Make sure you bring her to me," I ordered. Lin raised an eyebrow.

"You sure that's the right thing to do? You're about to-"

"I don't care!" I interrupted. "Please, Lin? I want to see her." Lin sighed and bowed slightly, before rushing out of the office.

I couldn't hide my smile anymore, but thought for a moment back to the reason of Lin's uneasiness. I could understand why, but I have to do my best. "Oh, Chihiro, you really chose your timings well, don't you?" I muttered sarcastically, groaning in my chair.

. . .

The tunnel was as creep as I remember, but this time, it was in the dark. I had no mother to cling on to. No father to tell me to 'watch my step'. This whole tunnel just brought back memories. I jogged the last few metres into the warm light and found myself surrounded my spirits. I had done it! I found my way back!

I walked up to a duck spirit. "Hello? Can you help me?" I asked, but it just walked past like it had never seen me. Was I invisible.

"Last call for the Bathhouse!" someone shouted. Bathhouse! That's the place I need to go.

I ran through the crowd, realising that I just going through them. I was invisible. I found the familiar boat from my childhood and sprinted towards it, getting on just before the bridge went up.

I breathed heavily and looked around at the spirits. None of them could see me, so I just crouched down in a corner and waited for the boat to dock.

I knew time was running out for me because I had to eat something from this world before I disappear. No one could see me and I suspected that the only way they could see me is if I breathed on the bridge.

The boat shook as it docked at the steps. I jumped up and literally sprinted for my life, running through the town, passing the restaurants. All the lamps were lit and the spirits were wondering the place.

I ran up the stairs, made a sharp right turn, and found myself staring at a place that I hadn't seen in 9 years. The Bathhouse. I walked calmly to the bridge, and saw that the frogs and ladies were already waiting to greet the spirits from the boat.

I didn't pay attention to the frogs' conversation and just walked along the bridge, holding my breath.

Over the years, I had learnt to hold my breath a lot longer and made it close to the other side quite comfortably. I was only until I was a foot from the end, that I purposely let out a breath.

I could hear gasps around me, and I swiftly moved to the tiny door in the midst of the confusion. Now they knew of my presence. I hid in the back garden for a few minutes, listening the panic and, strangely, the excitement. Had I been missed so much?

"Please, everyone, calm down! We all know who has returned and Master Kohaku has been informed. Sen will show herself when she is ready. Now...Get back to work!" shouted one of the frogs. Hearing Haku real name gave me a strange warmth. He truly got his name back. He knew I was here.

I smiled and crawled over to the back door. I opened it and saw the dreaded stairs of doom. I did not miss these stair one bit. I made my way carefully as possible down the stairs, managing to reach the boiler room and only squealed twice. Good work, Chihiro!

I looked down at my hands and realised that I was beginning to fade. I panicked inside, but tried to stay calm.

I walked into the boiler room and immediately saw Kamaji at the boil. I smiled; it felt good to smile again, and walked slowly inside, prepared for a little performance. I cleared my throat quietly and spoke.

"Um, excuse me..." I said uneasyly. Kamaji, just like last time, ignored me. "Excuse, are you Kamaji?" I called again. This time he looked at me a scoffed.

"Great, another human. And this one is just as shy as the one. But, that was 9 years a...go..." I could see the light bulb on Kamaji's head light up. He looked at me, astonished. "Good heavens, can it really be?" he questioned. I smiled and nodded.

"It's good to see you again, Kamaji," I said. I feel myself fade away and this reunion would have to be very short if I didn't eat something. "Before you throw yourself at me, do you have any food?" I asked, started to get a bit worried. Kamaji noticed the problem and immediately grabbed a bit of prawn from his food bowl and handed it to me.

"Good thing I don't put my food out for Lin to take it, otherwise, you would be on your way to the kitchens, while everyone is trying to find you. Lin had said I would have a visitor. I thought it was the boiler inspector," Kamaji told. I smiled and rolled my eyes as I took the prawn and put it in my mouth, chewing and swallowing.

I immediately noticed the difference as I was no longer glowing or see through.

"There, that's better. Now, where's my hug from my favourite granddaughter?" the boiler man asked. I felt like laughing, but nothing came out. I hadn't had a hug in years, and instead of smiling and running into his arms, I just looked sad and walked very slowly into his arms, clinging tightly.

Kamaji seemed to realise something was wrong and hugged tightly. I winced to myself, remembering what was still littered across my body.

The spirit withdrew and looked at me seriously. "Sen, why are you here?" he asked. I looked down at my feet and realised that the Soot Spirits were around me.

"I wanted to go home," I muttered. Kamaji didn't seem to understand, but he hugged me again, a little gentler this time.

"I don't know what has happened Sen, but you're here now. I won't say you're safe, but if you see this place as your home: Welcome home," he replied. I nodded. The hug was warm, I missed these sort of moments.

I pulled away and took a deep breath.

"Right, I should get upstairs, before everyone come downstairs," I said. Kamaji still looked worried, but nodded.

"Come and see me again? I would love to have your company," he asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Of course. See you soon," I said, before taking my shoes and socks off, leaving them with the Soot Spirits, and leaving the boiler room, before muttering, "Thank you, Mister Boiler Man." Kamaji smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

"Good luck." I nodded and closed the slide door.

Everything seemed very quiet and I knew that people were waiting for me. I found the lift and pulled the lever, going up. My heart was racing for some reason and it only raced more when I got to the top and found a horde of workers smiling excitedly. Their smiles widened as they saw me. Everything sort of froze for a few seconds before they all came charging at me.

"Sen!" the literally all cried, moving forward to hug me. I had no idea how many people the lift could carry, so I moved out and allowed everyone to hug me. This was why this place was my home.

"I see everyone missed me," I muttered, smiling.

"Even after all these years, you're such still a dope," said a familiar voice. The workers stood aside and allowed Lin to come into view. Lin, my sister. I ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Hey, what's wrong? You didn't miss me that much, did you?" she asked. We were now around the same height. I shook my head, not wanting to make a scene in front of the workers.

"No, I just had nowhere else to go," I muttered. I heard Lin hum in confusion.

"Right, everyone, get back to work. Your customers are waiting for you and Master Kohaku would not be please if you spent your time with Sen," Lin ordered. Everyone groaned and grumbled as they stubbornly went back to work. "Come on," she beckoned, walking across the bridge. The baths were below us.

She took to the lift we originally took 9 years ago leading to Yubaba's office.

"Is Yubaba going to steal my name again?" I asked. Lin shook her head.

"Yubaba isn't the owner anymore. Haven't you been listening. Have you heard Yubaba's name mentioned once while you've been here. What name have you been hearing?" she asked.

"Haku's..." I muttered.

"Exactly," Lin said, pulling on the lever. It was only to my confusion that she pulled the lever again, stopping the lift. "What do you mean you have nowhere else to go?" she asked, turning to me. I wished she didn't ask that.

"Can we not, Lin?" I asked. Lin sat down on the floor, but guarding the leaver.

"We are not moving until you tell me," she said, stubbornly. I sighed and sat down with her.

"There's nothing to tell..." I muttered. Lin growled.

"Yes there is. Please, Sen? You're like a sister to me and you look so lifeless. What happened in the Human World? Why are you here?" she asked. I sat quietly, not really wanting to speak. Lin sighed and looked down. "Did Haku send you off to live a life of pain?"

I shook my head. "No, I loved my parents and I enjoyed my life with them," I replied. Lin bit her lip.

"You're using past tense, Sen," she said. I rolled myself further into a ball and put my forehead on my knees. "Are they dead?" she asked. I just nodded my head, not saying anything. "Will you tell me what happened?"

I looked up and licked my dry lips. "There was a disease that spread through Japan. My parents didn't make it. I used to think I was alive because of Zeniba's hair tie," I replied.

"Hair tie?" Lin asked. I nodded and showed her the shiny, purple hair tie in my hair.

"Zeniba made it for me 9 years ago when I went to visit her. She said that it would protect me. I guess her magic really does work, just not of physical things..." I muttered. Lin looked puzzled.

"Okay, so your parents died, meaning you were sent to one of those places they put abandoned kids?" she questioned. I nodded.

"It's called an orphanage."

"What happened there?" Lin asked. I just shook my head and curled back into a ball. Lin sighed. "You're 19 years old, Sen. Why are you so afraid?"

"Because if I tell you, I'll remember. I don't want to remember the pain..." I said.

"Pain? Sen, what did they do to you?" she asked. I bit my lip and took a deep breath.

"They hurt me for telling strange stories," I finally said. "I used to tell stories about the Spirit World to the younger kids, but the older ones just thought I was strange and found me an easy target. At first, I would fight back, but I was too rough on them and they got hurt, making me seem like the bad person. I was alone after that. I haven't laughed or cried in years. I saw Kamaji earlier, and I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cry into your shoulder, but I couldn't. Nothing came and I feel lost."

Lin looked shocked.

"D-Do you still have marks?" she asked. It took a while, but I nodded and curled back up. "I have to tell Haku-"

"No! Please don't tell him! He doesn't have time to worry about me. I'm sure he's got enough on his plate running the Bathhouse," I pleaded. Lin smiled and caressed my cheek.

"Haku and I run the Bathhouse together. Besides, he hasn't seen you in 9 years. He would always have time for you. Just be careful around him for now," she told me. I looked puzzled.

"Why?" I asked. Lin sighed.

"You'll find out soon enough," she replied, before standing up, pulling the lever again, making the lift move upwards. I stayed very silent on the ground. I hated revealing my past. It made me feel like I still held a grudge. Believe me, I do, but I didn't want other people finding out.

We reached the top floor and I realised that everything had been redecorated. Instead of a crow on the wall, there was a dragon. I rolled my eyes at the unoriginality.

"Come on. Haku's waiting," Lin said, opening the doors and walking down the corridor. They were so unreasonable long that I felt like pretending to drop down and say 'Go on without me, I'll slow you down', but I doubt Lin would get the joke. Lin knocked on the office door and entered. She put her hand out to tell me to wait and I did. I didn't know what she was going to tell him, but I prayed that she wouldn't tell him about my Human World horror life.

I could hear voices from inside, and a little shouting. Lin, you bitch.

The door opened and Lin gestured for me to come inside.

"Did you tell him?" I asked quietly.

"Tell me what?" a familiar voice asked. I turned my head and saw Haku leaning on his desk. I smiled more than I ever have, before running to him and throwing my arms around him, burying my head into his neck. His hair was longer, but still as smooth as I remembered. He was taller too.

I could feel his hand stroke my hair as I clung to him. I don't know why I was trembling, but I felt like I was finally home; safe and sound. Haku was very quiet and allowed me to cling to him. Maybe Lin did tell him, but he wanted to keep quiet about it.

"You can go now, Lin. Thank you," he said. I missed his voice so much. I heard the door close. "Chihiro?"

I snapped out of it and let go of him, backing away. I tried my best to sound okay. I learnt how to act over the years.

"Sorry about that, Haku. It's really been a long time, hasn't it? How are you?" I asked him. His eyes darkened, but I ignored it.

He had changed so much. Haku no longer looked 12. He was taller and his hair was longer and more uneven, instead of being the same length. His hair went to his waist. He looked to have more muscle too. I don't know if he was hiding his age or something when he first met me, but you could say that puberty was good to him. He wore a similar uniform from what he used to wear, but it looked better made and, of course, bigger.

"Life has been fine. Yubaba had a lot of work. Maybe that was why she was such a bitch," he replied. I smiled a true smile. Haku sighed and walked over to me, but he seemed to keep his distance. Why was that? "And what about you? How have you been?" he asked, something in his eyes made me wonder if I was going to be truthful.

"Not the best. My parents died and I had to live in an orphanage. Apart from that, my life was fine," I half lied. Haku look a little disappointed in me.

"I'm sorry about your parents. You came here because of them 9 years ago, after all. How old were you?" he asked.

"13," I struggled to say. I hadn't spoken about my parents for quite some time. Haku looked down. "Don't look like that. I'm fine-"

"Then why are you here?" Haku interrupted. I gulped. Haku began to circle me. "If your life is fine, why are you here?" I continued to look straight on. He was testing me. Was this really my Haku?

"Is there anything wrong with wanting to see my friends again?" I asked, staying strong. Haku stopped.

"No," he muttered. He walked back to his desk and sat down. "Well, you've seen us and we've seen you. It was wonderful to see you again. Now, I'm very busy, so I think it'll be best to send you home in the morning." My eyes widened. He was letting me go? Haku went back to his work. I bit my lip and my fringe covered my eyes.

"Did Lin tell you?" I asked, wanting to know the reason behind Haku's dismissal.

"That will depend on what you mean. Lin has told me many things," he said without looking up.

"Don't play dumb with me! Did she or did she not tell you about my past!?" I exclaimed. Haku was now looking at me with serious eyes that I had never seen before.

"I will not say. I want to hear the truth from you. Don't lie to me, Chihiro. Your heart is beating too fast," he said darkly. Shit.

I looked passed him to the window. I walked to it, still feeling his eyes on me, staring at the lights down below.

"What do you want me to say? I don't want to tell you anything I don't need to," I asked.

"Then I will never trust you," Haku muttered. I growled.

"I'm not one of your employees, Haku. I don't need your trust," I said, not looking at him.

"Yes, but you want it," he said calmly. Something snapped inside of me that moment. I turned to him.

"What the fuck would you know about what I want!? I want my parents. I want my life back. I want my nightmares gone. I want this. I want that. I want to go home," I exclaimed loud enough that the people downstairs could probably hear. Haku didn't seem effected by my sudden outburst.

He stood up, but I backed away.

"Fuck you!" I shouted to him, rushing to the door and opening it, only for a hand to come from behind me and closing the door.

"I'm sorry," Haku apologised. "I just want to hear it from your own mouth. Lin told me and I wanted you to trust me with this knowledge. I'm sorry I forced it out of you."

My back was to him as he spoke these words in my ear. I felt my heart snap in two. It was that moment when I felt something wet falling down my cheeks. Tears? I didn't know I could cry anymore. I couldn't stop them. 6 years' worth of tears came rushing out of my eyes. Haku just stood there behind me, hand still on door, allowing me to cry. He knew I need to.

Was this what they called home? A place of comfort and peace? A place where you can depend of the people around you? Yes, I was home.

What did you think? Better? I think so. I prefer Lin telling Haku instead of Chihiro just spilling it out. I wanted Haku to get it out of her, instead of just being clueless. I plan to take their relationship a lot slower. As you can see, I you read the original, Chihiro and Haku didn't kiss. Haku just stood behind her and allowed her to cry, not interrupting. Chihiro isn't going to be a cry-baby in this story, don't worry. Everyone's character is going to develop in some shape of form. I'm going to leave this now. I don't know when I am going to update again because I plan to finish another story. It's almost done and I have been holding it off because I wanted to wait until I got my laptop. I turned 18 yesterday, so now I am officially legal to write these stories, unlike when I was younger ;).

Until Next Time!