Standard Disclaimer applies: I do not own Spirited Away.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Nighttime Escapes

The front door of a navy blue house was silently opened as a young girl sneaked out of the Ogino family home and stealthily made her escape. Concealed by the darkness of the night, the girl effortlessly disappeared.

Fourteen year old Chihiro hated sneaking out, but being a teenager gave her an excuse to run off every once in a while.

Well, maybe more than just every once in a while.

What her parents didn't know couldn't hurt them, right?

She could feel the smothering air dissipate more and more the farther she got away from the presence of her overbearing parents.

Ever since she could remember, Chihiro had loved being outside during the night hours. She cherished the freedom the darkness gave her with only the light of the moon and the stars as her guide. Nighttime exploring had recently become a newfound hobby and Chihiro had been taking every chance she could get to carefully explore every nook and cranny of the forest a couple meters away.

She wasn't quite sure what the name of the enchanting place she came to love was, so she simply called the forest her "safe haven". After all, the forest was the place where she felt the safest, protected from the pressures and rules that come along with being a so-called "adolescent."

As she approached the forest, Chihiro took out a long, slender, braided rope from her small knapsack. Quickly approaching the nearest tree, Chihiro tied one end of the rope to a narrow tree and the other end to her wrist. She couldn't afford to get lost and get caught sneaking out now could she? Chihiro just shuddered at the thought.

"I'd be grounded for life," she muttered to no one in particular.

Fueled by her anticipation, Chihiro sped as fast as she could without running into anything. She was determined to find something new before the sun came back up and reminded her that she needed to sneak back into the house. Minutes passed as Chihiro went deeper into the forest. Slowing down to a slow walk, Chihiro noticed the sound of running water.

"Jackpot," she mused.

No longer feeling the anxiety to find something new, Chihiro languidly made her way towards the running water. 'A river,' she concluded. Making her way to the riverbank, she collapsed on the soft grass. Taking a good look around, she was robbed of her breath as she noticed the hauntingly beautiful landscape painted in front of her eyes. When satisfied, she let herself collapse on her back to examine the clear sky.

"I probably have an hour left before I should head back home," Chihiro sighed.

A bit bored and lonely of being by herself, Chihiro entertained herself by singing.

Chihiro knew she didn't have an amazing voice, but she could carry a tune or two.

Too engrossed in admiring the view and remembering the lyrics to one of her favorite songs, Chihiro failed to notice the shadow that timidly made itself towards her.

"So what's a young human girl like you doing here at this hour?" a soft, silky voice whispered.

Chihiro quickly sat up, but fear soon overcame her and her body refused to turn around to meet the voice.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt you," the masculine voice tried to assure her. "Though my words are probably not all that convincing," he added to himself.

Coming back to her senses, Chihiro summoned the courage to take the flashlight out of her front jeans pocket. She flicked the flashlight on and quickly whirled around to get a better view of the intruder.

Her eyes came to rest on a young man with ebony hair and olive green eyes. He held his hands up as a sign of peace and gave her a soft smile, although stunned by the sudden brightness of Chihiro's flashlight. Under her close scrutiny, she came to realize that the boy couldn't be a day older than sixteen.

After deciding that this boy was not a threat, Chihiro realized that she was absolutely smitten with the stranger's boyish smile and couldn't help but stare for a couple more moments.

"See something you like?" the boy teased.

Chihiro voicelessly thanked the darkness for her face must have been a brilliant shade of red when she felt her face burn up. It wasn't everyday that she got caught staring at a devilishly handsome boy.

"Would you mind turning your flashlight off or pointing it in another direction? My eyes are starting to hurt," the boy continued cheerfully.

Hesitantly, Chihiro lowered the said flashlight and turned it off.

"That's much better," the boy thanked her. "So what's your name?"

Chihiro found her voice as she stuttered, "Chi-… Chihiro. Ogino Chihiro."

"Chihiro," the boy tested the name on his tongue. "What a pretty name. It suits you."

"Thank you. And your name is…"

"Kohaku."

"Last name?"

"That's not important." Kohaku's voice had suddenly turned angry, and Chihiro decided that now wasn't a good time to pry.

"Well then. It's nice to meet you Kohaku," Chihiro warily replied.

"Likewise. So I guess I'll ask again. What's a girl like you doing here at this hour?" Kohaku prodded.

"Exploring," she vaguely admitted.

The two teenagers left it at that.

Content to sit and get to know each other, the pair continued to chat amiably. They talked well into the night and Chihiro had lost track of time before she saw the sun break the horizon.

"Oh shit!" she cursed. Chihiro didn't like cursing all that much, but considering the current situation, she felt compelled to do so.

"Is something the matter?" Kohaku asked the frantic girl.

"I'm going to be grounded for life!" Chihiro exclaimed. "I have to go."

Hastily, Chihiro collected her things and began to run back towards her home. She was about to leave when a gentle hand caught her wrist.

"Will I see you again?"

It was a simple question, but somehow, it made Chihiro's heart beat faster.

"I'll try to come back tonight."

Kohaku smiled. "I'll be waiting."

And with that, he gently kissed the back of Chihiro's hand. It was a friendly gesture. Maybe even a romantic one, but Chihiro had no time to think about that now.

"Goodbye!" she called to Kohaku as she turned and started running.

Kohaku waved.

"If she turns around, she's the one," he made a bet with himself.

At the edge of the clearing, Chihiro slowed her pace. Hesitantly, she turned around to make sure that Kohaku had been real and not a figment of her imagination. When she saw his smiling face and the wave of his hand, Chihiro could not help but smile back and wave before taking off once again.

"This should be quite interesting," Kohaku voiced to the air.

The sun continued to move higher into the sky and suddenly Kohaku disappeared, as if he was never there at all.

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Edited 6/11/2009

Just made some minor spelling corrections. Thank you to all that have reviewed the first chapter and enjoy the second!

Awaiting your wonderful reviews,

~Kireiyuhi