Thirteen, the age you're officially a teenager. The age you can finally go out and do the things "teenagers" could do, and not have your parents creeping down your back. This was how Chihiro felt the day after her birthday and the months to follow. She felt like she could take on the world, but then again, age was just only a number. And just like age was a number, so were the years that passed her by.

Even though Chihiro could still count the number of years on her fingers since she had been to the spirit world, the years felt like eons. Every minute of every day, even every moment, something had to always remind the thirteen year old of the world that was soon disappearing into her past. No matter how old Chihiro got, those thoughts would never be pushed away.

And never pushing them away meant she would constantly be reminded of them; Of how it felt to ride on the back on the one she loved, to feel the magic pulsating in the air, to see see the bathhouse towering over the endless ocean and into the beyond.

"You'll never be forgotten," she whispered and headed back into her house.


A few feet from where she had been standing a figure watched her, a small smile crept on his face. His transparent hand to reached out to beckon her to stay outside, but it was no use, both of them were from different worlds, life would not allow the same accident to happen more than once.

"It's good to know you're doing good, Chihiro." The sad smile spread across his face. "Just please wait."