Chihiro recalled the moment when she and her parents stepped back into the human world. She was a young girl then, matchstick-thin and with a mop of brunette hair swept up in a ponytail.

Her parents had no memory of their trials in the spirit world. They did not realise that days had passed, and were confused and upset by their dusty, leaf-strewn car. Her mother, Yuuko, was convinced that local pranksters were to blame.

But Chihiro still remembered the spirit world, and in her mind's eye she could see Haku's face. She could feel his fingers entwined with hers. But the memories began to fade from the moment she returned the human world. It was like trying to hold on to a handful of water.

By the time the Ogino family drove out of the forest, Chihiro had no recollection of her adventure in the spirit world. She stared at the shrivelled bouquet in the back seat. She had forgotten something important, but what was it?

They pulled into the driveway of an unfamiliar blue house at the edge of the forest. A moment passed before Chihiro realised that it was their new home. But something was wrong - a police notice had been taped to the front door.

The family edged inside and discovered furniture and smaller belongings strewn about the house. Chihiro's father, Akio, gripped her shoulder protectively.

"Hello?" he called into the empty house. "Is anyone there?"

There was no reply.

While Yuuko muttered under her breath about irresponsible removalists, a police car pulled up in front of their house. The officer found them to be of sound health and mind, but obviously unaware of the situation. He explained to the Ogino family that they had been reported missing three days ago.

Yuuko and Akio vehemently denied that they had gone missing for any length of time. But the officer refused to believe that Chihiro and her parents possessed no memory of the previous three days. He politely escorted the Ogino family to the local police box. Another officer was waiting for them inside, and she was obviously relieved to see them all safe and well. The two officers then interviewed Chihiro, Yuuko, and Akio separately.

Chihiro was already fragile from the loss of an important memory and the stress of moving house. She found the officer's questions confusing, but answered them as best she could. She was so exhausted by the interrogation that she sobbed when they left Tochinoki police station. The police were unable to determine a clear explanation for the Oginos' disappearance.

For the rest of the afternoon the family were subjected to a series of tests at the local health clinic. They were released in the evening. According to the doctors and nurses, Chihiro and her parents were in fine health.

The family returned to their dark, cold, and messy house. Yuuko immediately sat down on a couch and cried, and Chihiro and Akio joined her. The family held onto each other for a while, until Akio left to buy takeaway. For the first night in many years, Chihiro slept between her parents on their futon.

Their missing person's case was filed and the local police turned their attention to other matters. But the Oginos' ordeal was far from over.

The following morning, the story had exploded onto the prefectural news. Journalists came knocking, desperate for an interview with the time-travelling family.

Chihiro sometimes noticed their neighbours staring at her family or the house. A few of the nosier ones snuck up to the windows, craning their necks for a better look inside. Some of the locals were kind, offering small gifts to welcome the Ogino family into their town. But many refused to speak to the family, believing them to be liars. Psychics and conspiracy theorists also visited to offer their own outlandish explanations. One couple even camped across the road on the vacant lot until the exasperated police shooed them away. Yuuko distracted herself by cleaning the house and applying for work. Akio stayed in his office from dawn until dusk.

Three days after arriving at Tochinoki, Chihiro began her classes at the local elementary school. She was behind in her studies by two weeks. Catching up on missed homework was annoying, but Chihiro's classmates were much worse. Their incessant questions grated on her sanity.

It was understandable that the other children wanted to know the truth about what happened. But when Chihiro could not give them the answers they wanted, her classmates shunned her and some were openly hostile. By the end of her first school week, Chihiro overheard a group of them talking about her. In hushed tones, one boy confessed that his parents had told him to stay away from the new girl. They said she had been cursed.

At home, Chihiro immersed herself in her studies to catch up with the rest of the class. When her neck and eyes began to ache, she would lie in bed and play with her old Tamagotchi.

She pined for her former school, her friends, and her old home. She also grieved for the memory that had been left behind in the forest. Chihiro knew that it was somehow connected to their disappearance. She could not remember if the memory was of a friend, a lesson, or a warning.

The following Monday, Chihiro pretended to be sick and stayed in bed. Her teacher drove by after school to drop off her homework. Despite Yuuko's offer of afternoon tea, he politely declined to stay.

Chihiro remained in bed on Tuesday and Wednesday: she did not intend to ever return to school. But on Wednesday afternoon Chihiro had a very unusual dream that changed her mind.

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