Elle: what's scary about this chapter is that I didn't have the movie playing or the screenplay when I wrote it, it was all from memory

Chapter One

"Up," Hiyori Sarugaki rapped on the door to the cupboard under the stairs. "Get up, now" and she slammed her hand on it before storming off.

Inside Ichigo Kurosaki, now 15 rolled over in his tiny bed. The cupboard was just big enough for him. There was slamming above his head. No doubt his cousin Jinta was running down the stairs. At some point the slamming stops and then started again but this time in one spot as if Jinta was jumping on the stairs causing the dust to fall into Ichigo's face.

"Wake up berry head," Jinta screamed "We're going to the zoo"

As Ichigo was trying to come out of the cupboard Jinta pushed him back in slamming the door in his face before scurrying off into the kitchen where Hiyori was cooking bacon.

"Here he is the birthday boy," Hiyori said proudly as Jinta ran into the room.

"Happy Birthday son," Shinji Hirako said from over his newspaper. Hiyori hugged Jinta tightly before turning to Ichigo.

"Why don't you just cook the breakfast and try not to burn anything," she snapped at Ichigo.

"Yes Aunt Hiyori" Ichigo said

"I want every second to be perfect for my Jinta's special day." She added covering Jinta's eyes and bringing him over to the table which was covered in presents.

"Hurry up," Shinji snapped as Ichigo tried to plate the bacon. "And bring my coffee boy"

"Yes uncle Shinji," Ichigo said taking the coffee pot over to the table. Jinta was staring at the table which was hardly visible under the packages.

"How many are there?" Jinta asked.

"Thirty-six," Shinji said proudly. "Counted them myself"

"Thirty six?" Jinta screamed. "THIRTY SIX BUT LAST YEAR LAST YEAR I HAD THIRTY SEVEN!"

"Some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year," Shinji said reasonably trying to quell the eleven year olds tantrum.

"I don't care how big they are!" Jinta screamed.

"This is what we do," Hiyori said coming to Shinji's rescue. "When we go out we're going to by you two new presents. How's that popkin?"

~*~*~*

As the family was heading out to Shinji's Mercedes-Benz, Shinji pulled Ichigo aside as Hiyori and Jinta got in the car.

"I'm warning you now boy," he said sternly. "Any funny business, any at all and you won't have any meals for a week. Get it."

And they drove off to the zoo. When they got there Jinta dragged Hiyori and Shinji into the reptile house to stare at the python, thick as a human's thigh sleeping peacefully in its container.

"Make him move!" Jinta ordered Shinji. Shinji rapped on the glass.

"Move," he snapped at it. Jinta slammed on the glass.

"Move," he barked. Ichigo stared at the snake feeling sympathetic for it.

"He's asleep," Ichigo informed his uncle and cousin. They left to see the other inhabitants of the reptile house leaving Ichigo alone to stare at the snake. "Sorry about them, they don't understand what it's like. Laying here day after day watching people press their ugly faces in at you."

The snake raised its head off its body and looked Ichigo in the eyes. Ichigo swore he saw the snake wink at him.

"Can you understand me? You're from Brazil right? Was it nice there? Do you miss your family?" The snake pointed its tail at a sign next to its container. The sign said that the snake was bred in the zoo.

"I see," said Ichigo understandingly. "That's me as well, I never knew my parents either."

"Mum, dad, come here you won't believe what this snake is doing!" Jinta yelled running over to the snake. In his rush to see what it was doing as Ichigo was talking to it he shoved Ichigo out of the way and he fell to the ground. Ichigo glared at his cousin's back. Jinta pressed his nose against the glass and the next second the glass was gone and he fell through. The snake slithered out of his container and onto the floor.

"Thanks," it hissed at Ichigo.

"Any time," Ichigo said slightly confused as the snake slithered away. Jinta stood up in the snake container and tried to get out but the glass had reappeared trapping him inside. He screamed causing Hiyori and Shinji to run over. Hiyori started screaming and Ichigo laughed at the rather amusing sight until Shinji cast him a look that clearly said shut up.

~*~*~*~

Hiyori lead Jinta, wrapped in several blankets back into the house as Shinji dragged Ichigo inside by the ear.

"I'm telling you," Ichigo said for what felt like the hundredth time. "One minute the glass was there and then it was gone it was like magic."

Shinji and thrown Ichigo into his cupboard and slammed the door in his face.

"There's no such thing as magic!"