Descending from the sky, his hand in mine. "You did it, Chihiro! I remember. I remember my name! It was-" Stop. Static. There He is again. "Don't talk to me. And address me as Master-" More static.

"Chihiro, honey! Wake up!" A dream. Just a dream. About a simple boy. And a simple girl.

With a grumble, Chihiro stumble from her bed toward the bathroom. That dream had come and gone, night after night. And it stung that she could never remember who he was.

Brushing her teeth, she wonder where he was from. I feel as though I know him. I'm sure it was just a dream I had. A dream. The word hurt, because she didn't really believe he wasn't real.

Bumbling down the stairs, she slips into the kitchen, and is greeted by the smell of egg and sausage. "Morning dear." Her mother set the plate of food in front of her, and with a kiss to her forehead, "Happy birthday."

She flusters, hating when her mother treats her like she's... ten. Today was a special day, it was. Chihiro had turned sixteen.

"Are you sure you do not want a party? Or a little get together? You only celebrate this birthday once."

Chihiro smiles at her, and replies softly, "It's alright, mom. I just want to enjoy this on my own."

Her mother frowned, knowing very well why she wanted to.

Ever since they had moved here, she felt out of place. It wasn't that she wasn't pretty, she was. It wasn't that she wasn't smart, She is. It was because of what happened before. Before.

Waking up. Six years had passed since... I don't remember. It was so long ago. Shouldn't dwell on the past.

"Chihiro! You'll be late for school!"

Thank you, father.

Grace was something she had yet to fully master, and this morning was no exception. As she ran down the hall toward her locker, Chihiro had tripped over a crack in the side walk and ran right into a wall.

It almost reminded her of running down... stairs. No. Not that again.

Slipping into the classroom, She knows the teacher is turning a blind eye to her. She knows it's my birthday. I wish she didn't.

"Class. We have a special occasion today." Oh lord. "Chihiro has turned the wonderful 16." She did.

At least 20 pairs of eyes turned to look at Chihiro. Like owls... or toads.

Yoshi leaned over and whispered, "Sixteen? Why didn't you tell me?" She shot him a soft glare.

His response was an impish grin that clearly implied more was in store for Chihiro later. Someone called out a happy birthday, and she sunk slowly into my chair. She hoped to disappear but she would never be so lucky.

Hands over her eyes. Stumbling towards what? It reminded her of walking down a tunnel. Yoshi had his hands over her eyes, and the way the light peeked through his fingers gave her tingles she could not place the origins from.

"Almost there…"

Chihiro chewed her cheek softly.

"Okay."

His hands lifted, and she was blinded by light. She was confronted by a tunnel.

A long, familiar tunnel.

"Yoshi…"

Her voice quivered and she didn't know why.

"I thought we could… explore together."

Turning to face him, he had a backpack in one hand, and was pulling out a can of juice.

She felt the wind tug on her, wanting her.

"We could find a place to picnic. I know it's not… normal for a boy to pack a lunch for a girl, but…"

He trailed off, but Chihiro was not paying attention.

Her breathing was shallow and uneven.

"Chihiro?"

…

"Chihiro?"

Sen.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"You were daydreaming. I knew you'd like this tunnel!"

Her face was troubled, and when he took her hand, she yanked it away. Her face had contorted into fear.

"Hm? Chihiro? What's wrong?"

Yoshi analyzed her face. Her petrified, pale face.

"I don't want to. I want to go home." She turned and began running.

"Chihiro! Chihiro wait!"
The wind hit her face bitterly. Tears were sliding from her eyes into her hair. Everything she passed resembled translucent creatures that were familiar but were like unobtainable mist. She turned down a road, and stopped.

Chihiro panted heavily, and came face to face with a long path of cherry blossoms. They were falling gracefully and heavily perfumed the air. She stared down the path, and just then a gust of heavy air blew through the path, sending the petals to swirl around her. They whispered to her.

"Sen…"

"Sen…"

"Sen…"

"Come back…"

"We miss you…"

"Sen…"