The next day, Chihiro was enrolled in one of the cities' many shougaku, (elementary schools) and settled into her new life without too many problems. Her mother and father joined a new corporation in the city, and eventually they moved into a nicer apartment. They also switched Chihiro to a private school when she was 12. She'd complained a bit about the uniforms, but other than that she enjoyed her new school. She'd been having trouble getting along with the other girls at her old school after the spa mishap, and was happy to have a fresh start. That was almost five years ago. Her strange dreams had never completely gone away, but they had definitely faded as time went on. Until now. Recently she had them every night, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she had forgotten something important, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't make out any details. But with her seventeenth birthday just around the corner, the last thing she wanted to do was make her parents worry about her.

"Maybe if I wait them out the dreams will go away", she decided realizing that the storm clouds were almost overhead now. "Hmm, I was hoping to make it to Kiyomi's house before it rained," she murmured to herself, "Maybe if I run…Mom!" she called across the apartment, "Can I go to Kiyomi's house?"

"When?" Her mother called back from another room.

"Now," she answered.

"I can't drive you Chihiro," her mother replied, walking into the room, "I've got a board meeting."

"That's ok, I can walk," she said, grabbing her bag off the table next to her.

"Isn't it about to rain?" Her mother asked, pointing to the storm clouds outside the window.

"I'll walk fast," she said, "Can I go?"

"Alright," her mother sighed, "but don't stay over too late."

"Thanks Mom!" Chihiro smiled, heading to the door.

"Take your jacket with you," her mother reminded her.

"Ok," she said, grabbing it off the hook as she left. "See you later Mom."

"I really should have brought an umbrella," Chihiro grumbled as she ran for cover under a bus stop. A few minutes after she'd left the apartment it had started pouring, and it showed no signs of easing up anytime soon. She took her phone out of her bag and dialed Kiyomi's number.

"Hello?" Kiyomi answered.

"Hey Kiyomi," Chihiro said "Is it still alright if I come over?"

"Sure Chihiro, but it's pouring outside, you'll get soaked," she said.

"I'm already soaked," she replied.

"Ok, I'll see you soon then," Kiyomi said.

"See you soon," Chihiro said, "bye,"

She put her phone back, and peered through the rain for any sign of the bus. She saw headlights approaching, and dug in her bag for bus fare as it came closer.

"How far does this bus run?" She asked as the doors opened.

"Runs until the city limit," the driver said, barely sparing her a glance.

"Ok," she said choosing a seat near the front. The bus was otherwise empty, except for a hunched figure in the back row reading a newspaper. The bus passed two stops before an elderly women boarded and sat down in the row across from Chihiro.

"This is going to be a powerful storm," she said, looking out the window. "I hope you have a way home."

"Me?" Chihiro asked, surprised.

"Yes deary, the bus used to run both ways, but these days it's a one-way ride. You'll have to find your own way back," she explained.

"I will," she smiled distractedly, before turning to gaze out the window. The nagging sense that she had forgotten something had been growing stronger ever since her earlier dream. But what could she have forgotten that was so important?

"I think this is your stop dear," the woman said gently, shaking Chihiro from her thoughts.

"O-oh, you're right," Chihiro said, quickly standing up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled kindly. "It looks like the rain has stopped for now," she said, nodding to the window, "best to hurry inside before it starts up again." Chihiro nodded in agreement as she hurried off the bus.

It wasn't until she was halfway towards Kiyomi's apartment complex that Chihiro wondered how the old woman knew which stop was hers. She turned back just in time to see the bus go past, without the mysterious woman on board. Chihiro looked up and down the street in confusion, but there was no sign of her. "That's odd…" She said to herself, slowly walking towards the apartment complex. "Where could she have gone?" She didn't have long to consider it though, since at that moment lightning began to flash in the distance and the rain started to pour again. Chihiro quickly ran up the stairs to Kiyomi's apartment, all thoughts of mysterious old women and strange dreams fading away.

All rights to these characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki.