Author's Note: Weeeeell, I lied. This is not the second-to-last chapter, as you might have guessed...if you've read it...which actually you probably haven't yet...right.

In any case, I've just discovered that the last chapter is either going to be 12 or 13, but I've got most of them written, so you can all expect consistant updates over the next few days until it's finished.

So yeah, enjoy this rare occurrance and please comment! Thanks to those who have!

And just in case anyone forgot, I don't own any of this. Not Chihiro or her family, not Kohaku or any of the spirits, but her two friends belong to me. And that one other guy...yeah...

Enjoy!

Why couldn't they understand? my voice was crying even in my mind. Why couldn't they just see how important that tie was to me? Aren't they my friends?

My mind closed in on that thought and I suddenly found myself staring at the pavement instead of simply focusing inside. I knew they were my friends. I knew they were my friends. But they why couldn't I shake the feeling that I had better friends? Somewhere? Someone I could really talk to, cry to, tell all my troubles to? Someone who understood the importance of the tie…someone who reminded me of water…and shadows…and radishes?

"Where are your shoes, little one?"

I gasped and turned around. In the shadow of his umbrella, I couldn't see the man's face as he stood above me. I hadn't heard him come up.

"Are you lost?" he asked when I didn't answer his first question.

I felt like shaking my head—telling him that I was perfectly fine; that I could take care of myself. But then I realized that I was lost, and that my feet hurt, and I was very cold. I needed help. I nodded slowly.

"Would you like to come with me?" he asked. "I've got someplace warm we could go and dry off."

I hesitated. I still couldn't see his face.

In the moment of pregnant silence between us, the rain seemed to come down even harder, if that was possible. It poured over his umbrella; I could see he was having trouble holding it up. Then I saw his hands. They were dirty.

It all came to me in a flash; the drifter!

I jumped up and prepared to run, but he must have seen the realization in my eyes, because he lunged at me, grabbing at my hair. I screamed.

Suddenly, the wind picked up, throwing the rain into our faces. The rain had made my hair slick, and as the man was hit full in the face with the oncoming rainwater, his hand slipped and he stumbled backwards. I bolted. I could hear him following.

I was still tired from my run earlier. There was no way I was going to outrun this guy. What was I going to do? How could I get away?

I suddenly flashed back on a similar experience, where I was being chased by something else—something big and black and dangerous like the monster following me now. Except that had been a real monster.

I didn't stop to wonder how that was possible; I just used the tactics I had used back then to weave my way between houses and through fences; over gates and under them. But I took too much time going under one gate. I felt his greasy hand grab my ankle. I screamed again but the rain was too loud—no one would hear me. The drifter must have known this too, because he didn't try to cover my mouth. Instead, he brought my face very close to his so that I could see his wildly bloodshot eyes.

"You're coming with me."