Snowflakes

A sharp intake of bitter winter air greeted Chihiro's lungs as she stepped out of her 2 story blue house.

At 18 years of age Chihiro Ogino was a lovely young lady. Out of her childhood awkwardness she now had a slender body with distinct curves, a flawless complexion, and chestnut locks that fell to halfway down her back. She was modest about her beauty, although she had no reason to be. She always hid behind baggy clothes and kept her hair up into a messy bun or ponytail, tied with a strange purple band she had always felt some sort of connection to. She owned next to no confidence, no boy had ever called her beautiful or glanced her way twice (at least that she was aware of). This bringing on questions of her sexual orientation once or twice from her parents and those were the most awkward moments of her life. She assured them that she knew where her orientation was and that she was concentrating on her school work. They found this answer acceptable and left her to her work.

People would call her strange; she was sort of a loner. She had one or two close friends. At least she led them to believe she was their friends, she pulled a façade whenever around them, no one, not even she, knew the real Chihiro Ogino. Or so she thought.

Nearly porcelain skin matched the beautiful backdrop of the hills of the new home she moved to almost eight years ago. Snowflakes seemed to dance around the young woman, almost cherishing her existence and that they were humbled to be in the presence of her. Chihiro, of course, didn't notice. Her mind was preoccupied with finishing her school work.

She was almost done with schooling. What would she do after this? Where would she go? She had almost no clue as to who she was, much less what she wanted to do with her life.

A breeze picked up causing Chihiro to shiver, but the breeze was comforting, it almost seemed to whisper Chihiro's name. Of course, Chihiro never picked up on this either. She always missed the hidden messages that seemed to emanate from a whole different world entirely.

She never once noticed how every drop of water leaned into her touch, how the air sang along with her, or how the grass always seemed to gently caress her on a warm summer's day. Never once noticing how the rain was never cold and harsh to her, and how animals always took to her naturally.

She never thought of how a whole other world seemed to be calling her with every breath she took.

She certainly didn't feel the gaze of a pair of emerald eyes that stared at her a world away as she stepped in her car and drove away.