"Hello Mrs. Fujimoto, Its Chihiro, Aki and I are enroute and will be arriving in town later this evening. I will bring Aki over tomorrow morning, but I would like to talk to you about your newest legal filing…"

"There is nothing to talk about. Everything is in my petition before the court." Her shrill curt tone grated on Chihiro's nerves.

"Yes, but don't you think that we can talk about it and see if we can come to some sort of agreement without involving the court." Chihiro parroted what her attorney has told her to say doing her best to hide the frustration.

"No. Just make sure you drop off Aki on time tomorrow. We have nothing to discuss."

Mrs. Fujimoto hung up the phone before Chihiro could respond.

Chihiro cussed under breathe and made her way back to her car. She threw her phone on her car seat next to her. Well that didn't work. Checking behind her, she made sure Aki was still asleep spread out on the back seat of her car. Putting the key back in the ignition, she resumed her journey.

The truck stop she was pulling out of in was one of the last places you could get cell phone service before driving through the mountains. She was another hour and half from her parent's house. Usually this part of the drive would relax her, but instead, the shadows covering the moon and blocking the stars seemed more ominous. She could not see the stars for they were covered by a thick layer of clouds. Fog was beginning to fill in the night creeping in over the mountains she was headed towards. Perfect night for a serial killer she thought humorlessly.

The feeling of dread continued to grow. She didn't know why, but ever since her run this morning, she would get the feeling of someone watching her intermittently. Now it felt like whoever it was watching her had come closer and if Chihiro could reach out she would touch them. Ridiculous right? She and Aki were alone in her car driving a solitary mountain road. No other cars were out braving the fog. No one was there.

"Get it together girl." With new determination, Chihiro relaxed her grip on her steering wheel and continued her drive through the lonely mountains.

An uneventful 90 minutes later, Chihiro drove-up the final hill to her parent's blue house at the end of the lane.

Staying in the parked car in the driveway a moment longer than necessary, Chihiro mentally steeled herself. It had nothing to do with seeing her parents, it had everything to do with being two houses down from where Mrs. Fujimoto lived. Chihiro really hoped that she did not see her tonight. Glancing over, she noticed that the porch light was on, but all other lights were off in the house. But Chihiro knew that Mrs. Fujimoto was watching her behind her yellowed lace curtains.

This time her feelings of being watched were not paranoia.

Exiting the car she went over to the right door of her backseat. For the past 30 minutes Aki had been having fitful sleep. Due to driving, Chihiro had only been able to reach back occasionally and try to soothe away his dream induced anxiety. That seemed to do the trick, but now… he was struggling again.

Not quite sure if she should wake him, Chihiro gathered the floppy 77 lbs of a small sleeping Japanese 10-year old boy up into her arms. Once she had settled him in position, and using her legs and strong core moved into an upright position without blowing out her back, she slammed the car door shut with her hip. Aki started groaning in his sleep. Chihiro shushed him and placed her lips to his forehead. Aki immediately relaxed and snuggled further into Chihiro's chest. Chihiro felt her heartbreak when she heard him mumbled "I don't want to leave my mom."

Aki had been about 6 months old when Rei died. He never really got the chance to know her.

Chihiro had been 18 when she had come across her best friend's body lying in a crumpled mass in front of the community park jungle gym, just down the hill from their houses and three blocks over. Rei had been beaten and stabbed multiple times. Her amber eyes' were bruised; almost swollen shut, her lip was disfigured, split with blood pooling down her chin. As for Rei's body, Chihiro knew that most of her memory of that time was blacked out due to shock. But Chihiro could remember Rei's white button down shirt was now muddy and the color of fresh blood.

Chihiro did remember was the feeling of time ceasing to exists. Somehow, instead of freezing in shock and passing out to obliviation, Chihiro recognized her pale white hands applying pressure to a gaping wound and her voice screaming continuously for someone to call for paramedics.

During this nightmare, Rei's eyes opened up, her golden eyes looked at Chihiro one last time. Her eyes were clear and fully knowing that she was dying. Something intangible but real passed between them and Chihiro could feel what felt like butterfly kisses on her soul. Once the transfer occurred, Rei's eyes turned glassy and vacant before closing for forever. Blood continued to pump out of her body.

An eternity later, emergency vehicles could be heard coming up the mountain.

Sitting in the waiting room Chihiro still could remember looking down at her hands wondering how they had ended up so bloody and why her throat was raw.

The next three days carried out the unending nightmare. Police came, investigations were had, no arrests were made, and Rei lingered on never waking-up. Rei had slipped into a coma due to her trauma and blood loss. The doctors weren't hopefully for her chances of survival.

There is a misnomer that only family are allowed to visit patients in the ICU, or at least in this case, Rei's mother wasn't around to deny Chihiro access. Chihiro and her Dad stayed in Rei's room the whole time only leaving to shower and eat in rotation. The room had a couch and two uncomfortable chairs that could be made into makeshift beds. By unspoken agreement, Chihiro and her Dad made sure that Rei was never alone. Chihiro's mom stayed home with Aki.

During Rei's second night in the ICU, Chihiro was woken to sounds of machine alarms going off, rushing doctors and nurses frantically adjusting the life supporting machines and adding more fluid to Rei's IVs. No one explained anything to them. Later, Chihiro would learn that that night Rei had hemorrhage in her brain. Something she learned was not unheard of for victims of trauma who were in comas.

After a series of tests the following day, the Doctors determined that Rei was brain dead and would never recover. Mrs. Fujimoto, who ironically enough was finally present at the hospital, made the decision to have Rei taken off of life support after hearing that news. Rei did not have a medical directive, so that power went to her estranged biological mother.

30 minutes later, the life support machines were removed and Rei's heart stopped beating 2 minutes later. She was legally declared dead three days shy of her 18th birthday.

The day Rei had been attacked, she had left Aki with Chihiro and her parents. Rei had been estranged from her own mother for years prior to her death, Chihiro wasn't even sure if Mrs. Fujimoto had ever even seen her grandson. Before leaving for a job interview, Rei and made Chihiro promise that if anything happened to her, that Chihiro would take care of her son. Rei had been agitated and refused to leave until Chihiro swore she would do it.

That promise was useless in the eyes of the law. Aki was sent home with Mrs. Fujimoto, his maternal grandmother while Chihiro descended down her own path of destruction. Guilt, nightmares, and regrets became the powerful catalyst leading Chihiro to abuse prescription medications and engage in other dangerous behaviors.

Eight years later, after beating her demons, she finally returned to Japan and while visiting her parents learned that Aki had been released to foster care about 5 years ago. After several days of fitful sleep and Rei coming to Chihiro in dreams reminding her of her promise, Chihiro had contact Attorney Jin Takamatsu.

Now she stood with a 10 year old boy in her arms, who was becoming heavier by the minute, that she loved so deeply and it had little to do with the promise she made to her friend... Yet she couldn't move. Wanting this moment to last for all of eternity. Here and now Aki was safe in her arms; loved and protected. She still had the ability to soothe away his demons with just a soft touch or kiss. Sadly, life wouldn't always work that way.

Still she stood holding him standing in her parent's driveway. Something was coming. The wind running fingers through her hair warned. Will you be strong enough? She instinctively knew it would involve Aki.

Chihiro raced her head in defiance to the unknown foe who had followed them from the shadows. She couldn't see or sense them in a way she could explain, but she knew.

"Chihiro?" her father called for her from the front door. The spell was broken.

"I'm here Daddy."

"Well come on up, can I help you with anything?"

"Can you grab the two overnight bags from the trunk? My arms are a little full right now."

"I'm on it," replied the cheerful voice of her Father.

Several minutes later, Aki was tucked into Chihiro's old room, which had been updated to fit the taste of a little boy, sleeping soundly. Chihiro was enjoying a cup of herbal tea with her Dad.

"How are you doing honey, really?" Her father had noticed that she had called him Daddy, something that she only did when she was feeling vulnerable.

Typical daddy's girl dad. He could always read her. Despite his gruff and slightly obnoxious attitude, her father had a good heart, and though he didn't always understand her, he was the one to face her wrath and get her into rehab when she had hit rock bottom and had almost killed herself. Sitting before him on the western style bar stools and high top table in the kitchen, she felt her walls crumbling.

The stress of everything she had been holding inside was taking a toll on her. She wanted, just for tonight to have her Daddy listen to her and tell her everything was going to be okay. That she was making the right decisions in regards to Aki. That he was going to be fine and grow up healthy and happy. That Mrs. Fujimoto would not be able to take him away from her.

Before she could open her mouth, the sound of glass breaking interrupted their peaceful moment.

Chihiro froze. She and her Father looked at each other trying to determine if they actually had heard the sound of glass breaking or if it had been their imaginations. Muffled moaning broke Chihiro out of her daze. Dread filled her. She raced to Aki's bedroom but instead of being able to move quickly, she felt as if she was running through a sea of liquid cement. Her body wasn't functioning properly. A glance back showed her that her father was having an even harder time moving too. Finally, after several minutes, she made it to Aki's room and once again her life became a living hell.

Aki was gone. His comforter had been removed. His sheets were rumpled and empty. The window was broken and blood covered parts of the broken glass. It was impossible to tell whose blood it was. Looking out the window she saw a dumpy figure running towards the woods carrying something heavy wrapped in a blanket. A pale arm was jingling free from the blankets.

Aki.

"Dad!" High pitch shrill voice belied her panic. "Dad! Call the cops Aki's been kidnapped! They are taking him towards the woods!" Without waiting to hear her father's response Chihiro jumped through the broken window, nicking her arm, and tore off after them.

The spell keeping Chihiro's movements slow and sluggish was still in effect. It was taking her far too long to reach the figure ahead of her.

The figure seemed to look over its shoulder jolt in surprise to see Chihiro chasing after them. Picking up speed, the figure carrying Aki disappeared into the woods. Chihiro charged ahead being swallowed up in the fog. But never able to close the gap.

The dark foggy night interfered with Chihiro's depth perception. Tracking the figure become more difficult as they went further into the woods. Fog would blow in, distort whatever light was able to break through from the cloud coverage making it almost impossible to track the figure who had kidnapped Aki.

Chihiro lost count of how many times she lost sight the dark figure, somehow if she held herself quite long enough the shuffling of footsteps, a breaking of a branch, or a kicking of pebbles would break through the night. Turning towards the noise, Chihiro would catch another glimpse of the figure. The chase would begin again.

Hours. Or at least that was it felt like to Chihiro. Nope, it had to be at least two hours she thought with a cursory glance at the moon, which had moved across the night sky. She was becoming fatigued, but she couldn't stop. She had to rescue Aki. Pushing past her normal human boundaries, Chihoro charged on into the night praying she would once again catch a glimpse of the figure or Aki.

However, for the last five or so minutes ago she had lost the figure carrying Aki. No sounds, light movement or intuition had emerged to show her the way like before. Panicking, Chihiro's movements became frantic. Several additional minutes passed and still no sign of Aki. She didn't know what to do! She couldn't think all she cold do was react. Her breath started coming out in shallow bursts. Her movement was disjointed and jerky.

Missing her footing, once again, Chihiro crashed to the ground. More cuts and bruises joined her already bloody hands, knees and shins. The pain from falling to the ground snapped her out of her borderline hyperventilating state. Paying attention the smell of the moist damp earth, she was able to compartmentalize her fear. Once again, she found the strength to get up.

This time though, when she got back up, she missed her footing and she slipped down the side of hill she had no idea she had been on. Bounding off of roots, bushes and finally stopping after crashing her right shoulder and right temple into a life size stone statue, Chihiro took a moment to realize she was still alive. Hesitantly, she began testing her fingers, toes, arms and legs to determine if anything was broken. Blood started dripping down the side of her head. Tentatively Chihiro touched her wound. She hissed in pain. Above her right temple was a swollen knot. Damn, her head was throbbing.

The moon broke through the clouds, she noticed that she was in a place that was oddly familiar to her. Using the statute as support she staggered to her feet. She realized that she was in now in a place she had only been to once before as a child. Hint of a memory tugged at her.

Flowers from her friend, a dusty car, this same old train station tunnel...and... pigs?

Hesitating for a moment; she rocked back and forth slightly on the balls of her feet… partially due to dizziness partial do to her hesitancy. Something was both drawing her in and pushing her back. A subsonic pulse. Danger. Aki. Was she strong enough to face what she would find on the other side?

No more conscious thought. Chihiro continued to move forward taking tentative steps leaving the life size statue behind her. She entered the tunnel.

The temperature dropped colder and her footsteps echoed. Using the tunnel wall for support, she went further in. The tunnel became even darker if that was possible and Chihiro could honestly say she did not know if her eyes were opened or closed.

But wait.

Soft moonlight glowed up ahead. Breaking through the tunnel, Chihiro felt the malaise lethargy of her movement leave her. She was still in pain from her injuries, but she was no longer fighting to move forward through the invisible barrier. At the same time she saw the dark figure lay her bundle down. In the bright light of the moon with no more fog, Chihiro could make out the outline of Keiko Fujimoto carrying Aki. Chihiro ran directly to them. They were only a few yards away at the base of a huge body of water.

Her footsteps must have made noise because the stricken face of Mrs. Fujimoto, paused mid-movement.

"No! Stay back!" the irrationality and fear in the older woman's voice gave Chihiro pause.

"Mrs. Fujimoto, what the hell is going on!? Why did you kidnap Aki and what have you done to him?" Panic creeped into Chihiro's voice. Aki had to be drugged. There was no way he slept through all of this on his own.

"STAY BACK! You don't know anything!" The ferocity of her voice shocked Chihiro. The next thing she saw made her question everything she knew of her reality.

A ginormous black sinuous dragon emerged from the water behind Aki.

Chihiro noticed how Aki had been laid out before the dragon like a lamb on the sacrificial altar.

The dragon roared snapping Chihiro into action. She sprang forward. She would not let this dragon eat her son!

The dragon dropped his massive face and sniffed Aki. Finding the scent acceptable, the dragon reached down and picked-up Aki with his powerful front claws. Chihiro, still not thinking, just reacting, threw herself on the dragon. In retrospect, launching oneself at the face of a creature with sharp teeth was probably a stupid decision.

There might have been the thought that maybe dragon's were like alligators and you could keep their mouths closed with little effort. Like those Discovery channel shows showed. Whatever. Chihiro honestly couldn't say what drove her actions. But now her body was draped over the face of the black dragon. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was almost eye level with the creature, her arms griped the base of his chin, her tired and bloody legs wrapped around the bottom part of beast's jaw. She could feel impossible hot air from his snout burn her thighs and calves.

The dragon tried to roar. But he could not open his mouth. Maybe her gamble would pay off.

"No!" Get off of him!" Chihiro felt her back being pounded upon by small human fists. "He will kill me! Let him go! You know nothing!"

"Get off me!" Chihiro screamed back.

The Dragon, deciding that he had had enough of it, violently shook his head but Chihiro stayed latched on. Even with Mrs. Fujimoto assaulting her back Chihiro refused to let go. She could feel deep bruises forming on her back. And still she refused to let go.

A wailing sound could be heard in the distance.

The dragon must have decided that he had enough of this and tore off into the sky. Who knew dragons could fly? He wiggled, shook violently as they flew impossibly fast trying to knock Chihiro off his face. The dangerous speed didn't break Chihiro's hold. So next, he swirled back down and tried to brush her off on branches, the ground and finally the dragon flew into the water. All the while, Chihiro hung on.

"Stupid dragon! You are going to kill Aki!" Chihiro hoarsely screamed after they had left the water.

Intelligent eyes glared back at her. She was shocked to realize that he understood what she had said. Next a rage she didn't understand entered his eyes and for the first time Chihiro truly feared for her life.

Wind whipped her as the dragon increased his speed climbed higher in the sky. The dragon had not given-up trying to remove her. She could fel her body weakening and the dragon could feel it too.… suddenly the dragon changed its velocity, snapped its neck back and Chihiro in her weakened state could not hold on any longer.

Her fingers slipped and then broke free. Even her strong legs that had wrapped around the dragon's snout released their hold. She was slipping off of the dragon's head. Her body gave out.

Eyes open she saw the dragon still held Aki in his claws and watched with satisfaction as she fell to her death on the ground below.

All she was aware of was blinding light of purple explosion before she fell unconscious.

Sunlight bore down upon her. The only reason why Chihiro knew she was alive was because she hurt too much to be dead. A sudden break in the warmth and light brought awareness to Chihiro that she was not alone.

She fought through layers of unconsciousness to open her eyes. If she had any energy left she might have screamed when she saw what was staring down on her. But frankly after what she had seen last night, nothing surprised her.

A black see-through creature with a white mask like face stood over her.

"Uh-Uh" The creature spoke from a mouth below the mask.

Chihiro closed her eyes and decided that fate would have to take it from there. She had nothing left to give.