A/N: Hello everyone, I am RAYNeeDAYZ! I just watched "Spirited Away" for the first time in seven years and loved it just as much as I had when I was a child. Being disappointed that there is no sequel to such a great movie, I set out to read the next best thing: fanficition. And let me tell you, there are some FANTASTIC stories written on this site alone, and I that I would write one of my own. This is my second attempt at writing the first chapter, since the first comment I got was not too friendly, and the person said that english is probably not my first language (it IS btw). So I tweaked it and here it is again.

You may be confused as to who's who in the beginning of the chapter, but it should be cleared up at the end.

Disclaimer: I own only this story. I do not own Spirited Away or any of the characters.

Full Summary: At 22 years old, Chihiro Ogino has lost the very things that she tried so hard to save during her time in the Spirit World; her parents. Devastated, she becomes a former shell of what she used to be. But through determination and a desperate dream, Chihiro seeks to return to the Spirit World in hopes of saving her parents again by the same way she had the first time; working for Yubaba. None of the spirits recognize Chihiro, which suits her just fine. But encounters with old friends will rekindle the love and memories that she once shared with them, and she may just find something else other than the lives of her parents.

The girl was young - merely 20 years old, getting ready for the first day of her job. Despite the all-black dress code, the woman's eyes glinted with excitement. She was on her own for the first time, and this day would unfold the first chapter of her new life.

Though her parents disapproved of her career path, the girl had always wanted to be a waitress - the job was perfect for her. She was very bright and loved to talk to people. Everything she said had a trace of kindness and enthusiasm, and everybody who crossed her path loved her immediately. In addition to her downright personality, the girl had a talent of suppressing her emotions behind a perfect smile of dazzling teeth, and she decided to use that talent to deal with rude or angry customers.

It had taken the woman a long time to master the skill. As a child, she was constantly mocked by her peers for her over-imaginative mind filled with colorful fantasies and desires, which she often told of as if they were real. The other children proclaimed her insane, and that she could not accept the real world - the only world - that was handed to her. Alone and discriminated, the girl was prone to instant tears and rash actions influenced by anger. But even though she was emotionally defeated, the girl still retained her unwavering optimism. Driven by her positive attitude, the girl hardened her sensitivity and locked it away beneath and authentic set of white canines. To her tormentors, it appeared that the girl was no longer plagued by their glaring eyes and pointing fingers. She proved to them that she would not give in to their insulting taunts so easily. With her strong demeanor, the girl was finally accepted into the childrens' exclusive society. With time, her fantasies ceased to exist in her mind, and the only thing that reminded her of them was the flawless smile that she had held in place for so long as a bullied schoolgirl.

Now, that same girl looked through the reflection of a window of a parked car for a self-examine before pushing through the doors of "Aoi Uso".

The restaurant was empty, as it was only 6:43 in the morning. To the woman, it was strange to see such a popular place so vacant. The usually full tables were bare of plates, utensils, drinks, and of course, people. Somewhere in the back was the low, constant drone of a working refrigerator, and right behind the woman was the airy sound of passing cars. But everything else was silent.

The woman still stood in the doorway, deciding whether to remain where she was or venture further in the restaurant when the sound of walking heels sounded from the back. The footsteps crept closer towards the entry, and a minute later an older woman emerged from the doorway that had the word "KITCHEN" painted in gold across its surface.

Though the stranger was older than the girl, she was still young. She appeared to be in her early thirties; a black waitress uniform hugged her petite body, and she - like the girl - had long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. The woman's face was pretty and defined, but early hints of aging were beginning to show in the sags beneath her eyes.

"Oh!" The older woman, who had been expecting the girl, still jumped at the sight of her standing in the entrance. Taking in the clothing of the new face, she quickly composed herself. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in - I was in the back." The older woman walked across the room and held out an outstretched hand. "My name is Aiko. I'm the manager of 'Aoi Uso.' And I'm guessing from that uniform that you must be our new worker that I spoke to over the phone... correct me if I'm wrong."

The girl reached out to shake Aiko's hand. "Yup, that's me." Grinning, she formally introduced herself to her boss. "I'm Natsumi. I'll be working for you from now on. It's a pleasure to meet you."

xxxxx

"You place orders here, but you pick them up there. If there happens to be a mess, you clean it up with this. Utensils are kept in that, and at the end of the day make sure this goes here..."

Natsumi struggled to keep up with Aiko, both physically and mentally. Aiko had been familiarizing Natsumi with the job by leading her around the whole restaurant while muttering tips and lessons. But Natsumi practically had to jog to keep up with Aiko, and she struggled to remember the seemingly endless list of instructions.

Other employees began to file in the restaurant throughout Aiko's tour. Each one of them glanced curiously at the new girl before assuming his everyday position.

"...and don't forget - the customer is always right." Aiko stopped and turned to face Natsumi. "Any questions?"

Natsumi was overwhelmed, yet overjoyed all the same; this was the life she had waited so long for. By then, "Aoi Uso" was bustling with black uniforms. The scent of fresh meat wafted from the kitchen, and the once silent room was now pierced by the sounds of clinking silverware and barked commands.

Just directly to the left, a flash of purple color traveling in a circular motion gleamed where it caught the light. But it was nothing but a sparkled hair tie wrapped around the wrist of a co-worker who was wiping down a nearby table. Unlike every other woman employee, this girl had her long hair down, which completely covered her face. As another worker walked through the entrance, a gust of wind from outside found its way to the sparkly-hair tie girl. It blew her hair from her face, and Natsumi could feel her eyes widen - the girl was breathtakingly gorgeous. Although she wore no makeup, Natsumi felt sure that no model or celebrity could compete against this girl's beauty. Her facial features were perfect, yet there was not a hint of emotion among them. Her full lips curved down into a seemingly permanent frown, and her eyebrows neither arched up in happiness nor down in sadness. The girl's dark, protruding eyes seemed to be the most noticeable feature. They were in the direction of the girl's task at hand, yet at the same time they seemed to be completely detached. Nothing appeared in those eyes - they didn't even reflect the blinding lights of the restaurant. Two black beads would have held more life in them than those eyes.

The girl paused slightly to grab both sides of her hair and push it back around her face before moving on to wipe another table.

"Who is that?" Coming from Natsumi, it sounded more like an awe than a question.

Aiko followed Natsumi's line of vision, then stiffened when she landed on the subject. "Her? That's Chihiro. She doesn't talk much."

"Why not?"

"Chihiro's a little insecure... she mostly keeps to herself."

Natsumi raised her eyebrows. "She's insecure? But she's so cute!"

Aiko mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't have even mentioned Chihiro. "Natsumi is only on her first day," she thought. "Maybe I'll tell her the dig on Chihiro another time. But then again..." Aiko had taken note of Natsumi's bubbly, determined self, and knew that whether Aiko avoided the question or lied and said that Chihiro was a permanent mute of some sort, Natsumi would attempt to confront the girl herself and probably goad her with uncomfortable questions. And Aiko definitely did not want Chihiro to get upset, for Aiko would blame herself if Chihiro tried to hurt herself again.

Mind made up, Aiko grabbed Natsumi's elbow and steered her towards the back corner of the room. She scanned the floor to make sure that nobody - especially Chihiro - was going to eavesdrop on them. With everyone busy with work, Aiko proceeded to tell Natsumi what every other employee already knew about Chihiro.

"As you just saw, it's pretty obvious that Chihiro isn't the happiest person," Aiko began, nervously twining the tip of her ponytail through her fingers. "But she wasn't always like that. In fact, she used to be the brightest person here!"

Natsumi could feel herself tense. Why was the boss dragging her into a corner just to discuss a fellow co-worker? Was she not supposed to have asked about the girl named 'Chihiro?'

"And you know-" Aiko continued. "Chihiro moved into this town when she was only ten. Back then, she and her parents weren't too close with each other. Chihiro viewed her parents as the people who robbed her of her childhood home, school, and friends. But Chihiro matured into a fine, young lady. She ended up loving her new home and was able to make many friends at school. She began to understand the meanings behind her parents' decisions."

"Not to offend or interject," Natsumi said, still confused at where the conversation was going. "But how do you know all of this if it's from Chihiro's point of view?"

Aiko laughed. "Well, she told me! Chihiro started working here when she was only sixteen. Since I was the second youngest person next to her, me and her bonded quickly. She told me pretty much everything that was happening at home. I remember her saying that she didn't give her parents enough credit for always wanting the best for her." Aiko sighed. "I'm going past the main point, aren't I? In short, Chihiro grew to love her parents more than ever before.

"But then there was the accident. The Ogino's car was smashed by a drunk driver and was flipped three times."

An innocent conversation had sharply veered into a horror story.

Natsumi paled, and her eyes immediately flashed to Chihiro, who was swirling a soggy mop about the floor. Had somebody so pretty and innocent really been through such a horrific moment?

Aiko nodded as if she had answered Natsumi's unspoken question. "Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Ogino were both killed immediately upon impact."

Natsumi put her hand over her mouth, too stunned to piece together the facts that Aiko was telling her. She had not expected to receive such a terrible story about somebody working not twenty feet away from where she currently stood.

"Thankfully, Chihiro walked away with only minor cuts and a broken arm.

"But she also walked away with a broken heart. Chihiro had always said that one day she would show her parents her appreciation. She didn't know how she would or when for that matter, but it was a wish that she intended to fulfill. That's why it tore her apart to be there at the time of her parents' death without them knowing how much they meant to her. Chihiro mourned for several days. She wouldn't talk to anybody.

"It frightened me when I saw what had become of her with my own eyes. She refused to eat, and her lack of energy made me think that she suffered from severe insomnia. But her neighbors claimed that insomnia was not the case, because they could hear her screaming in her sleep every night. The vibrant Chihiro everybody used to know died with her parents that day.

"I've never felt so helpless, watching her silently suffer day by day. Eventually, I guess Chihiro couldn't take the anguish anymore. Aside from Mrs. Takagi who had caught Chihiro in the act, I was the first person the police called when she was found hanging inside her home."

"What-"

"Of course Chihiro survived," Aiko reassured Natsumi. "But that wasn't the only time it happened. Chihiro tried to end her life on various occasions. Her 'methods' ranged from drug overdose, stabbing herself, and even jumping in front of trains. Yet strangely enough, Chihiro managed to walk away every time with insignificant injuries."

For a wild moment, Natsumi thought that Aiko was playing a prank on her – the new girl. After all, who lived after purposely trying to die through such extreme measures? Chihiro deserved to be famous for her seemingly invincibility!

"Some thought that she would do better off in a mental institution, but I was able to force her to see a therapist daily. Although the sessions have helped coax her out of her insane quests for death, I suppose it ended our friendship. She didn't want anybody's help.

"The accident was seven years ago, and even at age 29, Chihiro is still very sensitive about the whole topic. Though her suicide attempts have since diminished, I wouldn't doubt that she doesn't go a day hoping it to be her last."

Natsumi leaned back into the wall, suddenly shocked back into the real world. When she had asked about Chihiro, it had only been in regard as to why she didn't talk. Natsumi had no idea that such sadness could be bottled up within one person for such a long time.

Natsumi didn't know what to make of this tragic story. Chihiro was ripped apart, but couldn't she see the positives that life had to offer? She was alive, even after the numerous encounters with death. And even if she was still hurt, shouldn't she at least act like everything was okay? In doing so, everything actually does get better. A lie that sugarcoats disaster turns into a truth when the being associated can convince himself and others that everything is fine.

"I think," Natsumi began, renewing Aiko's attention, "that Chihiro should smile more."

xxxxx

The Oginos were going out on a family outing, something they did every Friday since they first moved into town. Mr. Oginio was driving, and Mrs. Ogino sat in the passenger seat. Every now and then one of them looked back to throw their daughter a loving gaze, which Chihiro always returned with a smile of her own. How she loved them.

Chihiro rolled down the window from her seat in the car, and let the wind blow through her ponytail. It was a great day - the sun shone happily upon the earth, and fat clouds rolled lazily across the sky. Right then and there, she decided to take down her everyday hairstyle for a change. The glittering purple hair tie released its hold on her hair and was pulled over her left wrist.

Chihiro held up her wrist and examined the tie like it was a watch. It was the only thing that reassured her that her time in the Spirit World was not a dream. Zeniba had made such a thing, and she claimed that it would protect Chihiro. Chihiro didn't know what that meant, but the small trinket made her happy; it reminded her of Kamaji and Lin and Boh and Haku...

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the car on the right coming straight towards her family. The car was traveling at a rate far beyond the speed limit, and it tore through the intersection without hesitation.

The vehicles collided, and the unnatural sound of metal on metal tore through Chihiro's train of thought. Before she could process what was happening, she was thrown to the side as far as her seatbelt would allow her to go, and then felt the sickening twist of her right arm. She was too dazed to scream, and her body continued to lurch this way and that. She couldn't tell what direction the car was moving in - it just seemed like a series of endless, dizzying flips and spins.

Somewhere in the back of her subconsciousness did she mind the burning sensation that encircled her left wrist. But this was overlooked by the current situation.

The windows shattered and flew towards her in a frenzy of shards, opening small cuts in her flesh. Chihiro instinctively held her arms over her face, but found that her right arm was hindered by pain.

Her mother's screaming that had been in synchronization with the moaning clatter of metal was suddenly cut off prematurely. Her father still sat in the driver's seat, but was limp and tossed about like a rag doll.

The car skidded to a stop. And even though she didn't know it yet, so did Chihiro's life.

Chihiro shuddered out of the memory and continued to mop up the floor. Her hair tie was still bound to her wrist as it had been seven years ago. After the accident, Chihiro found that the tie was unremovable. Whenever she tried to take it off, it tugged at her skin. It was as if the tie had emerged as one with her body; she could even feel her blood pulsing through its stitching. Chihiro had puzzled over the hair tie, but decided that she didn't care about it all that much. She didn't care about anything all that much.

Chihiro knew that she needed to move on. The accident was seven years ago, and she still acted as if it was yesterday. But then again, she remained the same age for seven years in a row.

After the accident, Chihiro noticed that she did not seem to age. By the ages of 25, everyone she knew her age was starting to change; they grew taller, they gained weight, their facial structures shifted, their very personalities changed. But Chihiro didn't change in the least - the length of her hair didn't even grow. Though she had been living for 29 years, Chihiro was not necessarily 29 years of age. She was stuck at the age of 22 forever; the very age that she had been when the extreme levels of agony had been introduced into her life. She did not have a clue as to why she did not mellow with the passing years. All she figured was that if she kept hidden beneath her hair, nobody would question her young, preserved face.

Along with being forever young, Chihiro could forever live.

When the pain of living had become too much for her, Chihiro had attempted to end her life. She had tied a noose at the top of the doorway leading into her parents' room, hoping that dying in the room of the people she loved the most would ensure that she would meet them in the after life. When she was actually hanging, nothing happened. The rope was taut against her neck, yet her breaths came out evenly. She had not realized that she had been hanging for three and a half hours when a concerned neighbor entered the house to check on her. The neighbor had let out a startled scream upon finding Chihiro attached in the air, then quickly dialed an ambulance before Chihiro could stop her. Chihiro didn't even know that neighbor's name.

Chihiro was baffled at the fact that she was indeed still living. So she set out in hopes for another entry in death. Chihiro bought a bottle of strong sleeping pills, and managed to ingest 32 of them in only a matter of minutes. She had felt horribly fatigued, and then felt the sharp claws ripping at her from the inside out. She lost consciousness, then woke up in the hospital. The same neighbor who had found her hanging had found her lying on the kitchen floor as well. Chihiro left the hospital with no serious blows to her health.

When Chihiro tried again to die, she made sure that her neighbors would not interfere. She ran to the train tracks just outside of her town, and watched as the train's headlights glided towards her until she was blinded by them. She could feel the agonizing impact of the train, and it seemed that her motive would finally be carried out. But to her dismay, she woke up on the side of the tracks with nothing but a fractured ankle.

People called it a "miracle." Chihiro called it a "curse." So she could not die, but she could still feel the worst pains that were found in life? It hardly seemed fair. On top of that, Aiko had forced Chihiro into seeing some psychotic man who had claimed that he would "save" her. He was never going to save her. Nobody was ever going to save her. Why couldn't they see that? It was Chihiro who was trying to save herself. Why couldn't they leave her alone and let her keep trying to destroy the strangling pain of loss?

By then, Chihiro's shift at "Aoi Uso" came to an end. She nodded a goodbye to Aiko, who was serving food with the new girl, 'Natulu' or 'Natsuki,' or whatever her name was.

"See you tomorrow, Chihiro."

If Chihiro was still normal, then she might have felt sympathy for the sadness in her former friend's tone. But Chihiro simply walked out the door without looking back.

A/N So what do you think? It's my first fanfiction ever. If you're confused about why I did not introduce Aiko or Natsumi's name until later in the chapter, then you're not the only one, because I'm confused too. I honestly forget why I didn't say their names until later. But once my mind is made up, theres no changing it, even if I do forget my motives. Anyway, you'll soon find out that Zeniba's magical hair tie has something to do with Chihiro not aging and dying (just in case you're confused about that too). Don't worry about future chapters, because this is the last chapter that Natsumi will be mentioned, even if she had a lot of details about her. And in case you're wondering, "Aoi Uso" means "Blue Lie." I already have the second chapter halfway written, and I'll try to finish it ASAP. Even though this is only the first chapter and I doubt anybody will read it, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading!