Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters that appear in this story.

Part 1

If I would of known this was going to happen, I would have stayed back in the US, thought Sally, wishing that she could think of a plan, instead of regrets. She decided to risk a glance over her shoulder, fear tightening her stomach muscles. The monster was still there, quickly closing the gap between it and her; it's large white body moving like a lioness's would after a gazelle. Cheek, it's face frightened Sally the most, it's grinning mask like face. It had no eyes, just two glowing lights floating in dark pits in it's head.

What was this thing? Why is it after me? How come no one else can see it? Nothing but questions...I need a plan!, she roared in her mind.

Dashing around a small produce store to an ally a new thought popped into her head. I've seen that thing before, this morning on my way to school. I thought I was just seeing things, but Adeena and Thera had seen it too. And know it's trying to kill me!

Sally skidded to a stop. Idiot, I ran down the wrong ally. A wall stood looking back at her, there was no way she could jump it and it was too smooth to climb up.

Heavy footsteps stopped at the entrance, then continued slowly, it knew that Sally was trapped, just as Sally did.

Sally slowly turned around, when the monster started to laugh, an all too human laugh.

"You have know where to go, what will you do?"

Sally was too deep in shock to come up with a smart retort. She pressed her body against the wall, wishing so hard that she could just melt through to the other side.

She cringed when the all too human abomination sniffed her, it's nostrils quivering as it pressed it's snout against her left checked. "Your soul is strong, different then others. I was so very lucky to come across you when I first entered the human realm." It chuckled softly into her ear, sending chills down her spin.

There is no way I'm going to survive this, it's going to eat me and no one can see it. A tear ran down her eyelid and onto her cheek.

"Hey, hey you there."

A man, who was not there a second ago, tapped the monster it's side with a cane. Sally could not see the man from behind the monster's girth. But who ever it was made the monster jump away in a flash. It stood ready to attack, it's muscles tense. Sally looked back at the man. He looked normal enough, wearing traditional Japanese clothing, with wooden clogs, and a dark green and black stripped beach hat, that sat on his blond head. The brim of his hat shadowed the upper part of his face, making it hard for Sally to see his eyes. But, the thing that unnerved Sally the most was that he had a big stupid looking smile on his face.

The guy stood up straighter, raised up his cane and smiled wider.

"Your lucky, Miss red head. I usually don't run around doing a Soul Reapers job." With that he dashed forward with inhuman speed, thrusting his cane forward till is struck the monster in the head. Causing cracks to spider across it's face, like a baseball hitting a window. Pieces of it's face started to crumble away revealing a very shocked human woman's face, a small trail of blood running down it's forehead.

Before Sally knew what was happening, the creature's body had changed into a human one and then disappeared, leaving nothing behind, except a tiny puddle of blood from the woman's head wound.

She slid down to the ground shaking, her eyes wide, in a cold sweat. "That was a woman! Inside that thing was a woman. No, not inside, it was the woman." Her head was spinning with thoughts that didn't make any rational sense.

The man turned was walked quietly over to her. He kneeled down and put his hand under her chin, lifting her head up til they were at eye level. He was not smiling anymore. Instead, the look on his face was of a very serious, calculating man. She tried to turn away, but his hand was like a vice. Then he smiled and moved his hand away.

"Don't cry. Your safe now, well at least for now", he said scratching his chin. He pulled her up into her arms, holding her until she was still. He was much bigger then her, his arms felt strong, his face was kind.

"We have a lot to talk about. Come with me." He said as he let her go, turning away to leave the ally.

"Who are you? What was that thing? Was it a person?"

He looked over his shoulder at her. "Urahara Kisuke, you may call me. As for your other questions, I'll answer them back at my store. This way," he said pointing, his sneaky smile back on his face.

Sally stood for a moment, wondering if this was the right thing to do. She closed her eyes and a voice deep inside her said to go. She walked out of the ally to catch up with the man that saved her life.

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