Author's Note: Hello all! Hey, it looks like I'm back, doesn't it? I humbly beg your forgiveness for my lack of activity these long months past, but so much has been going on in my life that I've barely been able to keep track of it all, much less keep writing this story! But as you can see, I'm back on track, and we're nearing the finale. In fact, there are only two chapters left to go! Exciting, ne? Well, I like to think so.

Hope you haven't ALL abandoned me--I'm almost done! U

Now, enough with my jabberings--here's the next installment!

Chapter 7

The clouds were still there when I woke up. The sky seemed to reflect my mood perfectly—my despair at having lost my treasure was so great that it was difficult to get out of bed. I finally managed to get up when I half-heartedly convinced myself that it was just an accessory; nothing so brilliant or special as the treasure that I couldn't convince myself it wasn't.

When I came downstairs with my backpack, Mom got up from the dining room table and called to me.

"Chihiro," she said. "Come with me. I'm driving you to school today."

It was only after I could hear the light note of concern in her voice that I noticed the lines of worry on her face. But with the clouds still in my head, I didn't quite care to ask why—I didn't need to, since she explained herself as we got in the car and began driving.

"A drifter has been seen around town lately," she told me. "It was on the news last night. Some people have been complaining about stolen goods. Chihiro, are you listening to me?"

I was spared an answer as she pulled into the front of the school. As I got out of the car, I saw Nakashi and Tome. They waved to me and I suddenly remembered.

"Oh, Mom!" I turned back. "Can I go over to Nakashi's house today after school? Please?"

Mom looked at me; she seemed to be observing my sudden change in enthusiasm. At first I thought she was going to say no.

"All right," she sighed finally. "Just be careful!"

"Thank you, Mom!" I called as I shut the car door and ran off to join my friends.

School took a long time to get out. Tome and Nakashi and I passed notes between ourselves most of the time—anything to keep from being bored. My worries slipped quietly to the back of my mind as the day wore on, and by the time we were allowed to grab out bags and change our shoes, they were nearly gone. But as we stepped outside into the gloomy weather, umbrella's prepped for any sudden showers, the gloom was back.

I looked up at the cloudy sky. It reminded me of something, but I couldn't tell what. It had to do with my mood, and it wasn't about the hair tie. Someone…a name on the tip of my tongue.

"Chihiro!"

I hadn't realized I had stopped walking, but Nakashi and Tome were halfway up the hill ahead of me when I heard them calling.

"Come on, Chihiro!" Tome called to me. "Let's get home before it rains!"

"Coming!" I called back, and dashed up the hill, my thoughts scattered again.

We didn't make it back before the rain. Our umbrellas got a little wet as we came in, but not even our shoes were that damp by the time we got inside. It was warm inside, as opposed to the cold, damp air outside. We three sat by the heater while Nakashi pulled out her new sewing kit.

"So what do you think?" she asked us. "Blue or pink?"

"Pink!" Tome said.

"Blue," I chorused.

We all laughed.

"Blue it is," Tome said. "As long as you stop that sulking, Chihiro!"

"I'm not sulking."

"Not sulking?" Nakashi asked. "You've been staring out the window all day with a sad, dreamy look on your face! If that's not sulking, I don't know what is!"

I turned from them and continued leaning on the window by the heater.

"Maybe I am sulking," I sighed.

"Why?" Tome asked. "What happened, Chihiro?"

"I lost something," I said. "A special hair tie."

Tome and Nakashi both broke into another fit of laughter.

"You've been sulking all day over a hair tie?" Nakashi squeaked.

"Somebody's a little obsessive about their accessories!" Tome added.

"I am not!" I whipped around and glared at the both of them. "It was something really important, okay?"

"Gosh, Chihiro, you're making an awful big deal over it," Nakashi said defensively.

"It couldn't have been that important, could it?" Tome asked.

I stood up, furious. Not important!

"It was really important, okay!" I yelled, coming over and kicking Nakashi's sewing kit a little harder than I meant to. "A lot more important than some stupid sewing kit!"

I rushed out of the room, and ignored my friends calling after me as I kicked off my slippers and didn't bother putting on my shoes as I made for the door. It was getting harder to hear their calls, as the rain had begun to fall. It seemed to fall even harder as I opened the door.

The water was like a row of bars in front of me. I felt like something caged. I didn't like it.

I rushed out into the rain, my feet bare and without an umbrella. I was soaked to the skin within seconds. I ran and ran and ran. I didn't know where I was going; just that I had to get away. I had to ignore the rain, pounding harder and harder on me, as if trying to force me under cover. With the wind, rain and darkness against me, I was soon out of energy. Instead of making for the shelter of a roof or tree, I simply sank to the ground in a childish squat and hugged my knees, crying.