Chihiro goes through all the rooms on one end of the main building and crosses everyone off on a map. "This is hopeless." She goes outside in the courtyard and sits down. "The North Wing is entirely uninhabitable." She feels a chill in the air and looks up. Clouds are moving across the sky. Chihiro stands up and sees Kuu in the archway. Kuu does not notice anyone so Chihiro calls out to her. "Kuu!"
 
"Good morning." Kuu says. "What are you doing over there?"
 
"I was going to ask the same of you since it's so early."
 
They go to the guest room where Chihiro tries on a coat in front of a mirror.
 
"I'm so glad." Kuu says. "It's the perfect size for you."
 
"Are you sure? You don't want to keep it?" Chihiro asks.
 
Kuu nods. "It's way too big for me and winter will be going soon."
 
"Winter?" Chihiro turns around and looked out the windows. "But it's been so warm until just a few days ago."
 
"Winter seems to come here very suddenly. That's why everyone gets a cold in their first year." Kuu walks to a window. "So you should be careful."
 
"Sure. Thanks for the help."
 
"You can tell when it's coming. Take a deep breath, and if you feel a sting in your nose that's the beginning of winter."
 
"Ah. You're so full of knowledge, Kuu."
 
Kuu picks up the map Chihiro laid on the bed. "So what's this?"
 
"Huh?" Chihiro walks toward Kuu. "I thought it might be about time to for me to find a new room."
 
"What?"
 
"This is a room for everybody. It's so comfortable in here that I might grow lazy if I stay any longer."
 
"How grown up! You're now a full-fledged resident."
 
"Thanks to the help of a good senior." Chihiro walks back to the mirror.
 
"Found a good room yet?" Kuu asks.
 
"No, they are all pretty much just full of dust so every room that I see I can't tell if it's good or not."
 
Kuu writes something on the map. "I got to go now."
 
"Huh? But it's almost time for breakfast."
 
"Yeah, but I got a lot of things to do today."
 
 
Chihiro tells Reki what Kuu said as the two of them and Hikari make breakfast.
 
"She did?" Reki asks. "What's with her? I especially made hot cakes just because Kuu said she wanted some."
 
"Well, she said she had something to do."
 
"Maybe I should wait to make them for her."
 
"Let's just make them now," Hikari suggests, "I'm sure she will be back when she smells them."
 
"Yeah. I guess you're right."
 
The bell in the clock tower rings for the first time. The three of them walk outside and looked at the clock. From the window below, Kana says, "Hey you guys! I did it!"
 
"That's great!" Hikari says.
 
"She really did fix it." Chihiro exclaims. "We have to celebrate!"
 
"Good idea!"
 
"Hey! Come on over here!" Reki says, "Everyone wants to congratulate you on your achievement!"
 
The bell would not stop ringing.
 
Kana arrives in the lunchroom. "Hey! The triumphant hero returns!" She looks at her fellow residents. "Huh? Now what's with all the long faces? Aren't you excited and thrilled?"
 
"Ah, well, we were just wondering how long it's going to keep ringing?" Chihiro asks.
 
"Well, the ringing will stop when I kill the breaker, but then the clock will die as well."
 
"What? Then it's useless." Hikari says.
 
Reki stands to her feet. "You idiot! Go kill it now!"
 
"What?" Kana asks. "You just told me to come and now you are telling me to go? It will do a great job waking you up with the bell ringing so loud and long."
 
"We'll never sleep."
 
"Man, it was just a test. I was still going to work some more on it." Kana leaves.
 
Reki remains standing. "She had to do this on a Sunday."
 
"Why don't I go help her?" Chihiro walks into the tower.
 
Kana pulls the switch to turn off the clock and the lights. "Wait a second." Kana walks to the desk, turns on a flashlight and sits down. She shines the light on the gears as they came to a complete stop.
 
Chihiro walks to the desk where Kana is sitting. "It stopped."
 
"Oh well, that's it."
 
"Sorry about that."
 
"For what? It would have been a failure if the bell hadn't rung but it rang too much so I call it a great success." Kana stands up. "Anyway, thanks for coming up, Chihiro, but there's nothing I really needed help with. And I wouldn't want you to get your clothes dirty." She shines the flashlight on Chihiro. "That's Kuu's, isn't it?"
 
Chihiro nods. "Oh, yes."
 
"If she gave it to you, then she finally gave up, I guess."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"Well, that's the first thing she got after arriving here. She always hated being treated like a kid and wanted to have clothes that were the same size as ours but she could never fit into them."
 
"Is it okay? Should I keep it?"
 
"She no longer has to pretend to be what she isn't any more."
 
"Huh?"
 
"Kuu used to want to copy everything that we did."
 
"Really?"
 
"She tried to ride Reki's scooter and ended up crashing into a utility pole. She got dizzy wearing Hikari's glasses and fell down the stairs. Kuu's just a little kid getting into trouble all the time but maybe she's grown up in her own way."
 
 
Chihiro continues to look for a room and notices a room on the map is circled with the words "Kuu's recommendation." She goes to the room and opens the door. The room was clean and what little furniture it has is in order. She steps inside and hears Kuu's voice behind her. "How about this room? Do you like it?" Chihiro turns around and nods. "Yes. Oh, yeah, where have you been all this time? Reki was very mad because you asked her to make hot cakes and then you didn't show."
 
"I asked her to pack up a breakfast for me." She reaches into a bag she's carrying and hands something to Chihiro. "And for you too. Here."
 
"Thank you. That's right, I almost forgot I missed breakfast too."
 
"You know. Reki was very mad." Kuu walks to a window but doesn't say anything at first.
 
All that could be heard was the sound of the wind. The clouds are darker and there're more of them.
 
Kuu speaks. "Inside my mind there's a beautiful cup, a very beautiful clear cup. Tiny drops kept falling into it, slowly but steadily every day and today I felt that the cup had finally become completely full."
 
Chihiro walks toward her.
 
Kuu turns around. "And that's because you gave me some of those drops." Kuu takes Chihiro by the hand. "Chihiro, thank you." Kuu runs out.
 
 
The dark clouds moving across the sky were more numerous and darker.
 
Reki walks into the lunchroom where Chihiro is sitting alone. "It's getting stormy. Seems we're going to have some rain. Too bad it's on a Sunday."
 
The Japanese cat answers with a mousy voice. "Yes."
 
Reki approaches Chihiro. "So, you are moving into a new room? Kuu told me."
 
"Did she say anything else?"
 
Reki thinks about it. "Not really. Oh yeah, was it you who cleaned up the kitchen for me today?"
 
"No."
 
"No? Who was it then?"
 
"Kuu."
 
"Kuu? But I did not find any broken plates in there." Reki winked and then sighed at Chihiro's unresponsive demeanor. "I'll go make some tea."
 
 
As the two of them are having tea, Reki says, "Everyone feels depressed when the weather is like this or become obsessed with the idea something bad is going to happen."
 
"I'm not sure."
 
"You can keep the guest room for a while longer if you are not ready to move out yet."
 
"No, it's not that. Listen. Why is this town surrounded by walls?"
 
"Why is it? I don't know for sure. It's probably because this is a protected place."
 
"Protected? Protected from what?"
 
"From everything that's not good."
 
The first lightning strikes followed by a power failure.
 
Reki stands up. "Stay put. There's a flashlight somewhere in here."
 
Chihiro goes to the windows.
 
Even with the rain there's still some light coming through.
 
A crow lands by the windows. "Caw! Caw!" The crow quickly flies away, heading north.
 
Chihiro does not speak Avian but she detects a sense of urgency in crow's tone. Chihiro runs out of the lunchroom and to another window to see where the crow is going. She opens the window to get a better look.
 
As Chihiro is getting wet, the crow heads into the Western Woods.
 
In the Western Woods, near the wall, crows were squawking fervently.
 
Reki approaches with a flashlight. "Chihiro."
 
"In the Western Woods, the crows."
 
"They must have been surprised as well."
 
"It seemed like they were trying to tell me something."
 
Reki closes the window. "Why don't you go back in and dry yourself? You'll catch a cold. I'll go check on the kids. Stay in the lunchroom."
 
 
With no power, Nemu, Chihiro and Hikari had gathered in the lunchroom lit by a single candle.
 
Reki returns to the lunchroom. "Oh, boy. Some were crying. The others were excited. It was a big mess." She looks around. "Where are Kana and Kuu?"
 
"Kana went to check on the generator. Kuu is." Hikari starts to say.
 
"Not here." Nemu finishes. "And she's usually the first one to come down when things get like this."
 
"I thought she may have gone into town but."
 
"I hope she found some shelter from the rain." Reki says. "She must be miserable if she's on the road."
 
Chihiro stands up. "I'll go look for her."
 
"Look for her where?"
 
Chihiro walks out.
 
"What's with Chihiro?" Nemu asks.
 
"I have no idea." Reki answers. "She's been as gloomy as today's weather since morning."
 
"I kind of know how just Chihiro feels." Hikari says. "If you look at today's sky, it makes you feel restless."
 
"Yeah, it's nasty weather, all right but it's always like this when summer turns into winter." Nemu says. "It's only natural to feel a little worried when the seasons start to change."
 
"That's right. That must be it."
 
"I'll go out and look for Chihiro." Reki says. "Tell Kana to stay here when she gets back. Things could get way out of hand if everyone goes off on their own." Reki finds Chihiro outside under the archway. Reki has an umbrella but it's useless. The rain is coming down heavy.
 
"Maybe Kuu did not go into town." Chihiro says. "This morning she asked you to pack her a lunch, right? And she had a water bottle. To me it looked like she was getting ready to go."
 
"To go?" Reki asks. "To go where?"
 
"Probably the Western Woods."
 
"It can't be. She wouldn't have done that. Kuu knows how dangerous it is to go. There's no way!"
 
Kana heads to the clock tower when she overhears Reki and Chihiro outside under the archway. "Kuu's gone into the Western Woods?" She asks. "I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop but the generator's fuse blew so I trying to use the one in the clock tower and I heard you say."
 
"Well, we were just saying she might have because she's late to come back here." Reki answers.
 
"But what if she really did go there? Then that means."
 
"Kana! We don't know anything for sure."
 
"What's that? What do you mean?" Chihiro asks.
 
"Chihiro," Kana says, "I know you have never been to the Western Woods. So what makes you think she went there?"
 
"When the rain started the crows went crazy in the Western Woods as if they were trying to tell me something."
 
"That was because of the Rain." Reki says.
 
"But they were by the wall." Chihiro continues.
 
"You saw them, by the wall?" Reki puts her hands on Chihiro's shoulders. "Are you sure? You really saw them?"
 
"You're lying! I refuse to believe that happened! It just can't!" Kana runs inside.
 
"I did not want to believe it either," Reki says, "but it seems that Kuu might have really left all of us, the time when a mutant leaves this world on their Day of Flight."
 
Kana returns to the lunchroom and goes to a closet.
 
"Reki told us to wait here." Hikari says. "What's wrong, Kana?"
 
Kana gets out a raincoat and puts it on. "Kuu is in the Western Woods. We still may be able to catch up with her."
 
"What do you mean?" Nemu asks.
 
"Her Day of Flight has come."
 
Kana ran back under the archway and meets up with Reki and Chihiro. "I'm going."
 
Nemu and Hikari are still inside but by the door.
 
"You can't." Reki says. "It's too dangerous after sunset."
 
"All the more reason why we can't leave Kuu all by herself." Kana continues.
 
"A guiding hand is given to a mutant on their Day of Flight."
 
Kana walks up to Reki. "You may know things that we don't but until I see it, it's nothing but a myth."
 
"Kana, even if you go, there is nothing you can do."
 
"I know that. I just want to see her one more time, to see her face. Don't you even care that you are never going to say goodbye to her?"
 
Nemu steps under the archway. "Reki, is it true about Kuu?"
 
Hikari joins the rest of them. "If there is still time, I want to see her too."
 
"We all want to see her but think." Reki continues. "If you go into those woods without knowing where you are, you will never come out again."
 
"We need to have a point of reference." Chihiro says.
 
"What's that?"
 
Chihiro turns to Kana. "Kana, the bell in the clock tower."
 
"What?" Kana asks.
 
"Start the bell. The tower's generator works, right? You can keep the bell ringing, can't you?"
 
"That's right." Kana runs inside.
 
Reki turns to Chihiro. "Chihiro."
 
"Please, Reki," Chihiro says, "I know that I will regret it forever if I don't do anything right now."
 
"So bring three more rain coats," Nemu asks, "or four more?"
 
"All right, then." Reki answers. "We will all go together." The bell begins to ring. "But promise you will not go near the wall no matter what."
 
 
The five of them go into the woods. It had stopped raining by the time they arrive at the church ruins.
 
Some crows were in the trees, others on the ground, they bow their heads in silence.
 
Kana removes the hood of her raincoat and calls out for Kuu. "Kuu!"
 
Chihiro runs to the steps of the church where she finds Kuu's hat and some black feathers. She picks up Kuu's hat and starts crying. Kuu's last words replay in her mind:
 
And that's because you gave me some of those drops. Chihiro, thank you.
 
 
Four of them stood there in silence as the bell rings in the distance.
 
Reki stands alone. "Everybody, in the end everybody leaves me."
 
 
When they walk back, Chihiro stops. She stands there, crying.
 
"Chihiro," Nemu says, "if you keep crying like that Kuu can't go on her journey without worrying about you."
 
"Chihiro," Hikari says, "we will be seeing her again. We have to believe that. Kuu just went there ahead of us. You shouldn't be feeling sad for her."
 
Reki takes Chihiro by the hand. "Let's go."
 
As they continue, Kana asks, "I wonder if Kuu can hear the bells."
 
"I'm sure she can." Hikari answers, "May the bell be a guide for her Day of Flight."
 
 
In her new room, the wind blows at the windows as Chihiro lies on the couch she's been sleeping on. The bell in the clock tower rings and Chihiro sits up. "I have to find a bed."
 
She goes to the window and puts her hands on the glass. "Winter is here, Kuu." Her warm breath frosts on the cold glass. She watches as Kana and Hikari play with the children in the courtyard. "I can't. I shouldn't cry."
 
Dressed, she goes to Kuu's room with a mop and closes the door behind her. "Good morning, Kuu." She walks to the desk, wipes her hand across the surface and looks at her hand. It's free of dust. She then goes to mop the floor. "It's already been a month since you left. Winter has finally come to the City of Charlton. But thanks to your advice, I didn't catch a cold. How are you doing, Kuu? So what's it like where you are now? What do you do there? I hope people there are as nice as those in the City of Charlton. In case you are wondering, everybody here at Old School is doing fine. And." Chihiro starts crying and drops the mop. "Sorry, but I can't congratulate you like everybody else. I wanted to be with you much longer. I wanted to go shopping with you and eat with you and talk about a lot of things with you. There was a lot more things that I wanted you to teach me."
 
There's a break in the clouds and the sun shines through the windows. Chihiro walks to the windowsill where Kuu has six ceramic frogs and their little village. Names of the six older residents on the South Campus are written on the ceramic frogs. Kuu had placed the frogs labeled "Chihiro" and "Kuu" next to each other.
 
Chihiro walks to town, to the café. She brought in a bowl made from a large bamboo. The top half is hinged to the bottom with two small latches on the front. She hands it to the man at the counter. "Pea soup, please."
 
"Hey, I see a lot of you these days. Is that all you want?"
 
Chihiro quietly nods.
 
"You know. I haven't seen that kid around. Know him? That boy, he's just a little shorter than you."
 
"Kuu."
 
"Oh, that's it. I didn't remember his name. Oh, she's a girl. Now I feel bad. I kept calling her 'boy.' Tell her I'm sorry."
 
"Kuu isn't here anymore."
 
"What? Then she's disappeared?"
 
Chihiro nods.
 
"Well. I guess that's how it always ends with all of you mutants. I understand. So, this is to go, isn't it?"
 
Chihiro pulls out her notebook.
 
"Oh, don't worry, it's on me. Save that when you come to have a big full-course dinner."
 
The attendant approaches a customer with a pot of coffee. "Here you go. Have some more coffee."
 
Chihiro thanks him with a bow.
 
 
Chihiro sits outside on a bench. "For the people of this city, Kuu's disappearance is not a big deal. Life goes on. Soon they'll probably forget that she was even here. Kuu. Don't you care about that?"
 
As Hyoko rides his skateboard, he sees Chihiro and approaches. "Hey. You live on the South Campus, don't you? Get it? I'm from the North Campus."
 
"You're Hyoko."
 
He kneels close to Chihiro. "So listen, do you remember a bunch of crows making a big ruckus in the Western Woods, you know about a month ago when the storm came? My friend told me something. The crows make a big ruckus only when a mutant is gone, when they are supposed to go beyond this world. But everybody is still around at our campus so we thought it was someone from your campus. So tell me, was it Reki?"
 
Chihiro shakes her head.
 
Hyoko sighs with relief. "That's good. I was worried. Oh, don't tell anybody that I asked."
 
The bamboo bowl fell to the ground, spilling pea soup on Chihiro's dress.
 
Her hands tremble. "What do you mean saying, ‘that's good?' I just lost a close friend." Chihiro takes off running, leaving her bowl on the ground.
 
"Hey! Wait!"
 
 
Chihiro walks back to Old School. She goes to the hooks on the wall and was about to turn her nametag over then looked at the blank space where Kuu's nametag used to be. She hears a crow outside. She walks back out and sees a couple of crows, perched on a tree, looking at her. The crows nod their heads and fly away.
 
 
Reki is in the kitchen as Hikari and Kana are cooking.
 
Nemu steps in. "Where's Chihiro?"
 
"I went to get her but she wasn't there." Hikari answers. "She doesn't eat with us anymore, does she?"
 
"I heard that she likes to go into town more often to eat these days." Kana says.
 
"Alone?"
 
"Maybe she wants to be left alone. She was the most depressed out of all of us when Kuu left."
 
"Did you know?" Nemu asks. "Chihiro's been cleaning up Kuu's room all this time."
 
"Oh, so Chihiro did it too?"
 
"Kana," Reki asks, "you went to Kuu's room too?"
 
"Just one time. I've accepted it. I know Kuu isn't with us anymore."
 
"I wonder if Chihiro just can't accept it?" Hikari wonders.
 
"You know, I thought maybe we should leave her alone until she's ready to let it go." Nemu suggests.
 
"But she has to find closure to this event some time." Reki points out.
 
 
The following morning Hikari knocks on Chihiro's door. "Good morning! Rise and shine! Are you awake?"
 
"Yes."
 
"That's good. I was thinking it's been awhile since everyone ate together."
 
"Okay, hold on." There's a sound of a thump on the floor. "I'll join you when I get dressed. You go ahead."
 
"Fine. We'll be waiting." Hikari leaves.
 
Chihiro comes in the lunchroom, in her brown dress, looking as if she did not get enough sleep. "Good morning."
 
Nemu approaches. "Good morning, Chihiro."
 
"What happened to your dress?" Reki asks.
 
"It got dirty so I washed it." Chihiro answers.
 
"What's wrong?" Hikari asks.
 
"It's nothing."
 
"You look tired. Did you get enough sleep?"
 
"Not really. My sofa is really hard."
 
"Oh, yeah." Kana says. "You don't have a bed yet. I guess moving is hard work."
 
"Oh, I know." Hikari suggests. "How about you take the bed that's in Kuu's room?"
 
"What?" Chihiro asks.
 
"Hey, that's a great idea." Kana says. "I'll help you if you want to move it."
 
"But it's Kuu's."
 
"I think Kuu would be very happy knowing you would have it." Nemu says.
 
"Maybe she would but I don't know."
 
Reki knows the signs. It's not the couch. "Chihiro." Reki approaches Chihiro.
 
Chihiro runs out.
 
"Chihiro?" Kana asks.
 
"What happened?" Hikari asks. "It seems like I said something wrong to her."
 
"No, it's not your fault at all, Hikari." Reki answers. "I better go talk to her."
 
"I'll come with you."
 
"No, leave it to me."
 
"But."
 
"It's all right." Reki leaves.
 
Reki knocks on Chihiro's door. "Chihiro." She listens. She could hear Chihiro crying. "Chihiro. I'm coming in." She opens the door and finds Chihiro on the floor, crying. She approaches Chihiro.
 
"Stay away!"
 
Gently Reki kneels down and holds onto Chihiro.
 
Chihiro is now sobbing.
 
"It's all right."
 
Chihiro shakes her head. "The same dream keeps coming. I'm scared."
 
"It's going to be all right."
 
"Am I . . . sin-bound?"
 
"You're not sin-bound. So, please, don't worry. Chihiro, you have nothing to be blamed for."
 
 
Reki takes Chihiro to her room. In Reki's room there's a bottle on a table with a reddish-brown liquid, a dye collected from an elderly tree.
 
"Why do you have such special medicine?" Chihiro asks.
 
"This city exists for the mutants. The walls are there to protect us. A good mutant lives here happily and goes beyond this world when their time comes. But once in a while a mutant is born who cannot be blessed by the city. A mutant who cannot remember anything about their dream, the Day of Flight never comes to him or her. For such an unblessed mutant the city becomes a cage that offers no escape. This mutant is declared to be sin-bound."
 
"So am I?"
 
"No, absolutely not. You're a good mutant. You're not like I am."
 
"Reki. Your feathers aren't black."
 
"The wings on my back had black spotted feathers. I was sin-bound from the very beginning. I could hardly remember the dream I had. Because of the black feathers, everybody was afraid of me. I was an outcast. Even Nemu avoided me. If it wasn't for Kuramori who protected me, I would be all alone to this day."
 
"Kuramori?"
 
Reki gets up, goes to the painting she had worked on and removes the cloth draped over it.
 
Chihiro looks at the portrait of an adult woman with long hair and glasses. "She's beautiful."
 
"Yeah. She was like a mother to the kids and a good mentor to Nemu and myself. And despite her delicate health, she helped me by going to the heart of the forest to collect the medicine from the elderly tree. She's the one who decorated the guest room as it is now so she, Nemu and I could live there together. Kuramori wasn't afraid at all to be near me. She was always there by my side. Not out of pity. She was just there for me when I needed her."
 
"She was a good person. But Reki, I think you are a good mutant too."
 
"Whatever you might think, I'm still a sinner. Five years ago, Kuramori left us. I didn't know anything about the Day of Flight so I thought that she had abandoned me. I was so depressed that Nemu became concerned for me so she did some research at the library on the old legend. She told me about the Day of Flight. But I didn't believe it. I had become too emotionally blinded. I hated a lot of things and I think I said many terrible things to Nemu. I ran away but I kept repeating the mistakes at the place I ran away to. In the end, I was caught by the city watch and eventually punished by the Renmei as well. But you, Chihiro, haven't done anything to be punished for. You've done nothing at all."
 
"Reki, you don't remember your dream?"
 
"Not completely. I've been drawing pictures and pictures of it, trying to remember." Reki picks up a painting. "Since I came here, I've been haunted by nightmares. In my dreams it's a very cold night and there is a red moon in the sky. I'm all alone just walking on a stone-laden path. Then something happens there. I can't remember what it was but it's something very horrible. Every time it happens I scream myself awake. Always the same dream. I don't understand it all. Why are there good mutants and cursed ones? Why was I born sin-bound?"
 
 
Chihiro leaves. "Until now, I had thought that this city was a paradise to live in. Yet, despite everyone's caring and compassionate hearts and willingness to do their best for each other, sad things still happen. Some suffer from the curses given to them. What are the mutants?"
 
 
The following morning, there's a knock on Chihiro's door. "Chihiro, are you up?"
 
"Yes." Chihiro answers, still in her pajamas.
 
"We're all going into Kuu's room."
 
"Okay, I'm coming."
 
Dressed, Chihiro opens the door to Kuu's room where the older residents of the South Campus are already gathered.
 
"Every one of us will take one of Kuu's belongings to remember her by." Nemu says.
 
"Chihiro?" Reki asks. "How about the bed? Do you want anything else?"
 
"Just those." Chihiro refers to the ceramic frogs and their village.
 
 
"Coming through." Reki brings in the mattress as Chihiro sets up the frog village on her desk. Reki places the mattress on the bed frame and sits down on the couch.
 
Chihiro kneels at the desk, looking at the frogs. "I still wonder what the mutants are. Everyone says both the walls and this city exist for the mutants. But the mutants are born into this world suddenly." Chihiro stands up. "And just as suddenly they disappear. I don't know the reason why I became a mutant. And if I'm to disappear someday without accomplishing anything, what's the meaning of my existence?" Chihiro is being hard on herself. She has already accomplished a lot for a thirteen-year-old.
 
"You know, at one time I felt the same way as you. I think there is a meaning. But only you can find it."
 
 
Reki and Chihiro walk with the children on the road to town.
 
"Come on, walk in a single file!" Reki says.
 
They cross the bridge.
 
"Hey! You'll fall into the river if you walk on the edge like that!" Reki continues. "This is the last time we'll see it like this. We'll have snow soon. Then everything around here will be covered in pure white, as white as if we're floating in the clouds. That's why we have to get ready quickly before winter arrives."
 
"Floating in the clouds. In my dream I felt like I was in the clouds, too."
 
"Your dream of falling from the sky?"
 
"But you know, I don't remember what happens to me after that even though I think I met someone very important during my dream. But there are times when I can almost remember something about my dream, then I am afraid."
 
"Hey, don't get so far ahead!" Reki calls out to the children.
 
"Reki! Come on!" The children call out.
 
"I'll be by your side." Reki continues. "I went down the wrong path because I lost Kuramori. But no matter what happens, I will always be by your side."
 
One of the children falls down.
 
"What? Oh, no!" Reki runs to the children. "I told you to be careful! Didn't I tell you to walk in a straight line in the middle of the road?"
 
Chihiro looks up and sees a couple of crows perched on a utility wire looking at her. Chihiro continues to walk but the crows kept watching her.
 
 
At the thrift store, the kids try on identical coats.
 
"Everybody, fall in!" The clerk barks like a sergeant. "About face!"
 
The children turned around in a straight line.
 
"Man. The lengths are completely wrong. We're going to have to redo all the hems."
 
"Oh, great." Reki says.
 
"Now don't you start giving me that look. I deserve commendations for finding ten of the same style."
 
"I guess. Okay then," Reki removes her coat. "I'll give you a hand." She turns to Chihiro. "Chihiro, pick winter wear for yourself while you wait. It won't take long."
 
Chihiro looks.
 
"Send them in after they take off their coats." The clerk says.
 
"Okay." Reki says.
 
One of the children starts running to the back of the store.
 
Reki runs after him. "Hey! I told you to take your coat off first."
 
Other children take off running to the back of the store.
 
"Come on!" The clerk says. "Not all at once!"
 
"Sorry about that." Reki says.
 
"Hey, stop fumbling around! You'll get hurt! Ouch! Stop pulling on my beard!"
 
"I'll finish taking the measurements. Why don't you go wait outside?"
 
The clerk opens the door, returning to the front of the store. "Yeah, I think I will. Thanks." He closes the door. "Man. I hate kids." He asks Chihiro. "Got use to the city yet? Bet you are surprised at how early winter comes around here, right?"
 
Chihiro does not say anything at first. She hands the clerk the dress she picked out. "This one."
 
"Okay. You need some shoes, too."
 
"But."
 
"You must be cold in those sandals. It's going to be snowing soon." He picks out a pair of boots. "How about you try on these?"
 
"Well, but."
 
"A mutant should always be in high spirits with a smile on her face."
 
"But why?"
 
"Why? Well, how should I put this? Since I was a kid, my mom's been telling me the mutants are the ones who receive blessings from above. So you are like a good-luck charm. No offense."
 
"Blessing? But I'm not."
 
"Oh, don't mind what I said. It's what us simple townsfolk believe." He put the boots in a box and the box in the bag with the dress. "Here."
 
"Oh no, my notebook I only have enough for the dress."
 
"Well, why don't we say that the boots are maybe a Christmas present? Might be a little early."
 
A couple walks into the store.
 
The clerk continues. "Look, I don't know what happened but things are going to get better at some point."
 
"No, they won't."
 
The woman sees Chihiro's feline teeth. "Ah, it's a little mutant!" She ran to Chihiro. "Oh, she's so cute! Wow! She's for real and her hair tie shimmers in the light!" She turns to the man she's with. "Look! It's a little mutant! We're so lucky! Something good will happen today!"
 
"Leave her alone. You're bothering her." The man says.
 
"No, I'm not bothering her. Right?"
 
"Don't touch me!"
 
"Huh?"
 
Chihiro ran out of the store.
 
"Hey!" The clerk calls out.
 
As she ran, Chihiro fell on the sidewalk.
 
A well-dressed gentleman approaches her. "That was a big fall you took, young miss." He offers his hand and helps her up.
 
"Thank you." She bows. "Thank you very much." She keeps running.
 
 
In the late afternoon she reaches the Hill of Winds. She walks to a wind turbine. "I don't belong anywhere, nowhere at all." She leans against it and starts crying. "It's better if I didn't exist at all."
 
Perched on another wind turbine, a crow caws. Chihiro looks at the crow.
 
The crow looks at her. It flies to another wind turbine.
 
Chihiro watches as it flew. "It's calling to me."
 
The crow looks at Chihiro again. It flies, heading to the Western Woods. Another crow joins it.
 
Chihiro walks to the edge of the Western Woods and stops.
 
The bell in the school's clock tower rings.
 
She turns around, still able to see school. She continues walking in the woods. She starts to move in one direction but hears the crow caw again. "I feel it. He's calling me." She walks that direction till she reaches a clearing. There she sees a well and walks to it. Several crows are on the ground, gathered around the well. A few of them are perched on it. They all look at Chihiro.
 
Chihiro looks down the well and sees something. "What is that?" She looks at the crows. "You wanted to show me this? You called me for this?"
 
The crows just look at her.
 
Using the rusted rungs, she climbs into the well. One of the rungs broke and she falls to the bottom of the dry well.
 
In the well she has that dream again but this time when she's falling from the sky, she's in her sailor dress, sandals and the coat Kuu gave her. She unclenches her fist and in her hand is a single black feather. When she clears the clouds, she sees she is heading into the well.
 
She wakes up in the bottom of the well, sits up and looks at her hand. In her hand is a single black feather. She looks in the middle of the well and sees the skeletal remains of a crow. She stands up and realizes she had sprained her ankle. She limps to the rungs. She grabs the bottom run but the rusted metal crumbles in her hand. "I guess this well has been here for a long time." She sits back down and looks at the skeletal remains. "What's wrong with me? I should be afraid." She crawls to the bird. "Are you the one who called to me? It feels like I've known you from somewhere else a long time ago."
 
At Old School, Reki runs into the lunchroom. "Where's Chihiro? Did she come back?"
 
Hikari shakes her head. "I wonder what happened to her."
 
"Hey," Kana starts to ask, "do you think that maybe?"
 
"It's different from Kuu's time. Chihiro hasn't."
 
"Weren't you the last one with her, Reki?" Nemu asks.
 
"Sorry about that. I guess I messed up."
 
Kana stands up. "She's not a kid who needs adult supervision. But should we go look for her? Or wait?"
 
"Even now it's still not too late for her to be outside of Old School." Nemu stands up. "But it is better to go look for her now than to wait until the middle of the night and panic even if this turns out to be needless worry."
 
"All right, then." Kana says. "Let's go."
 
Hikari and Kana leave the lunchroom. As Nemu passes Reki, she asks, "You're not thinking she's running away like you did, are you? The situation does have a familiar ring to it."
 
"You're right. The situation is similar but she's not as stupid."
 
"As you were? Sorry."
 
"It's okay. Let's go."
 
Chihiro digs in the soft dirt next to the bird. "Forgive me. I wish there was something more I could do for you." She buries the remains of the crow. "I don't know who you are except that you were somebody precious to me. I was alone and I thought that nobody would ever grieve for me, even if I were gone forever. I just wanted to disappear and never feel anything again. But you were always by my side."
 
Flakes of snow begin to fall in the well.
 
On the Hill of Winds Nemu, Hikari, Kana and Reki, each carrying a flashlight, call out and search for Chihiro. The wind is blowing harder and the snow is heavier.
 
They regroup.
 
"Found her?" Reki asks.
 
Nemu and Hikari shake their heads.
 
"I hope the storm's not going to get any worse." Hikari says.
 
"Don't worry." Reki continues. "I'm sure it will let up any minute now." She looks up and whispers. "Please."
 
In the well Chihiro hears the sound of small bells approaching and looks up.
 
A Toga, carrying a lantern, approaches the well. He places the lantern on the edge of the well.
 
Chihiro stands up. "Hello? Excuse me. I need help. The ladder is broken and I can't get out. My name is Chihiro and I'm a resident from Old School on the outskirts of the city. Can you hear me?"
 
The Toga leaves.
 
Chihiro continues. "No, wait! I can't get out. Please help me!" She looks at the rung above the one that broke and twice she jumps up to attempt to reach it but could not. After the second jump, she lands on her already twisted ankle and falls to the ground. "Please help me!"
 
She hears the sound of small bells approaching again. This time there are two Renmei monks. The one not holding the lantern crossed his wrists and uses their form of sign language.
 
The lantern is placed in the bucket and lowered into the well. When the bucket reaches her, Chihiro removes the lantern.
 
One Toga helps the other one into the well. When the Toga in the well faces Chihiro, he motions to her to lower the lantern.
 
She lowered the lantern.
 
He crosses his wrists and makes shapes with his hands.
 
Chihiro shakes her head. She does not know their language.
 
He turns around, kneels down below the ladder and twice he pats his shoulder and points up.
 
Chihiro puts the lantern back in the bucket, removes her sandals and holds them by the straps with her teeth. She gets on the man's shoulders. He starts to get up as Chihiro pulls herself up by the rungs of the ladder.
 
The other Toga turns the crank to retrieve the bucket as Chihiro climbs out of the well. When she climbed out, she tumbles onto the ground and drops her sandals. "Excuse me."
 
The Toga pulls up the bucket and removes the lantern. The other Toga climbs out of the well.
 
Still on the ground, Chihiro bows. "Thank you so much for rescuing me. You saved my life."
 
The monks walk off.
 
Bracing herself against the well, she stood to her feet. "No, wait! A young mutant girl named Kuu went beyond this life recently!"
 
The monks stop.
 
Chihiro continues. "She's my friend! Do you know what happened to her?" She limps toward them. "I'm really sorry. I know I am not allowed to speak to you. But Kuu is my friend and I'm really concerned about her because I don't know anything at all about what goes on beyond this life. Is Kuu doing all right?"
 
The monks continue.
 
"If you can't speak, could you please at least nod if you've seen Kuu? Tell me something! Anything!"
 
The monks leave.
 
Chihiro puts her sandals back on and continues to limp. She reaches the western wall and stops. "The wall."
 
Crows stand between her and the wall.
 
She hears what sounds like children's laughter from within the wall. "Kuu!" She limps to the wall.
 
The crows squawk, warning her not to touch the wall.
 
"Kuu!" She puts her hands on the wall. "It's cold!"
 
"What are you doing?"
 
Chihiro turns around and sees the Communicator with a lantern.
 
"You must not touch the wall. You were told to stay out of the woods."
 
He comes closer and sees her ankle. "Have you sprained your ankle?"
 
Chihiro nods.
 
He hands his staff to Chihiro. "Use this. You are a resident from Old School, are you not? Your name is Chihiro."
 
Chihiro accepts the cane. "Yes."
 
"You may explain this situation later. Stay here if you cannot walk." He begins to walk. "I will get someone."
 
"I'm all right!" Chihiro walks with the Communicator.
 
"Your rescue from the well was inevitable but you must not make contact with the Toga. Only official Communicators are allowed to do so."
 
"My friend, she went beyond this world. So I thought the Toga might know something about it. One more thing! I heard my friend Kuu's voice from inside the wall."
 
"Your mind thinks that you did. It was merely that the wall echoed your inner concern for the friend who had taken the Flight. Only those whom the wall recognized as ready to live outside may go beyond. Therefore, you need not worry. Why did you wish to check the well?"
 
"There was a dead crow at the bottom of the well."
 
"And that is the reason you went down, risking danger?"
 
"It was just that, since the day I came to this city, I've been feeling like that crow was calling out to me. I don't know how to explain it right but I feel like I was responsible for it dying."
 
The Communicator stops. "Crows are the only creatures allowed to go beyond this world. Hence, they're said to carry the things we've lost." He turns around and looks at Chihiro. "Did you feel fear when you saw its dead remains?"
 
Chihiro shakes her head. "No."
 
"In that case, the dead crow is proof that you now know what you should know. The crow was proud knowing it completed its mission and showed you its body." The Communicator continues walking. "There is no need to grieve."
 
Chihiro drops the staff. "The crow let me understand the true meaning of my dream. I had another dream at the bottom of the well. The crow was someone I used to know, someone who cared for me. I didn't even try to understand!" She begins crying.
 
The Communicator kneels down to pick up the cane and hands it back to Chihiro. He refers to a snow-covered log. "Please sit. Talk to me and take your time. What you said is very important."
 
Chihiro sits down. "In Japan I was obsessed with the idea that I was all alone. I thought that nobody would care or even miss me if I vanished from the face of the Earth. I wanted to disappear. Then I had a dream about falling from the sky. I just remembered that the crow was in the dream with me and that the crow was someone in the form of a crow, trying to call me back. I now know I was never alone."
 
"You must not think of it in such a way. You have no sin to be atoned for in this world."
 
"But you don't understand."
 
"Sin-bound?"
 
"What do you mean by sin-bound? Are you saying I am a sinner? And does that mean that the dream I had was real?"
 
"There is no way to be certain. What you lost dreaming cannot be retrieved. Even if you did hurt someone, you will never see that person again."
 
"What shall I do? So if I really am a sinner and am not supposed to be here, then I need to go back to Japan. This place, this city is too good to me. Everyone is so caring. Everyone treats me so kindly. I feel so guilty. If the dream I had is real, I want to go back. I have to go back. I have to apologize."
 
The Communicator puts his hand on her head. "One who recognizes their own sin has no sin. That is the riddle called the Circle of Sin. Think about it. One who recognizes their own sin has no sin. Now I ask you, are you a sinner?"
 
"Am I a sinner? If the dream I had was real, then I think I am a sinner."
 
"Then do you recognize your own sin?"
 
"If I do, does that mean my sin will be erased?"
 
"Then I ask you again. One who recognizes their own sin has no sin. Then are you a sinner?"
 
"If I think I have no sin then I become a sinner."
 
"Perhaps that is what it means to be bound by sin. To keep going around in the same circle looking to find where the sin lies and at some point losing the sight of the way out."
 
"What is the right answer, then?"
 
"Think. You must search for and find the answer yourself. Come."
 
They walk to the edge of the woods.
 
"This is where I must leave you." The Communicator says. "Take my cane and have a safe walk home."
 
"Can I see you again?"
 
"I will need to have the cane returned." The Communicator leaves.
 
Chihiro bows. "Thank you for everything."
 
Riding her scooter alongside the Hill of Winds, Reki sees Chihiro. "Chihiro!" She approaches the bridge, jumps off the scooter, runs to Chihiro and hugs her. "Chihiro, you're okay."
 
"Ouch, Reki, that hurts."
 
Reki lets go.
 
"I'm sorry."
 
"You're covered in mud. What happened?"
 
"I fell into the well in the Western Woods."
 
"Hey!" Kana calls out, riding her bicycle. "Don't run off by yourself like that."
 
"You found her!" Hikari calls out from the back of Nemu's bicycle.
 
Reki waves. "Over here!"
 
Using the staff the Communicator lent her, Chihiro waves to Kana, Nemu and Hikari. "Hey! Over here!"
 
Reki sees the staff with the symbols. "That cane!"
 
"Oh, the old Communicator let me borrow it for a while. I know he seems scary but he's really nice."
 
"If he was a truly nice man, he would not have left an injured girl all by herself. Oh no, look at your hands. Your nails are broken." She touches Chihiro's hands. "They're cold! This isn't normal. You feel like ice."
 
"That's strange, I don't feel like anything's wrong. Hey, my ankle doesn't hurt any more."
 
Reki kneels down to check Chihiro's ankle. "It hasn't gotten better. You've gone numb. Can you walk?"
 
Chihiro nods. "Yes."
 
"While you were out there, did you touch the wall?"
 
"Yeah." Chihiro admits.
 
Reki grabs the staff and walks Chihiro.
 
"What's wrong?" Kana asks. "You look so pale."
 
"I have to take Chihiro home right now. Let's go." She hands Kana the staff.
 
"Hey, wait!"
 
"She said she touched the wall."
 
Kana is alarmed. "What!"
 
Hikari props up the scooter.
 
"Chihiro, get on." Reki says.
 
"Hey, what happened?" Hikari asks.
 
Reki gets on, sits behind Chihiro and grabs the controls.
 
"Reki, tell me what happened."
 
Reki starts the scooter and drives off.
 
"Wait." Hikari continues.
 
Nemu approaches Hikari. "Hikari, we all have to hurry back now."
 
The light in the guest room comes on. Reki helps Chihiro into the guest room and into bed.
 
"My body feels like it is getting lighter." Chihiro says.
 
"Try not to talk and get some sleep." Reki says.
 
"I can't. I'm afraid to close my eyes. I feel like I'm just going to disappear if I fall asleep like this."
 
Reki unbuttons her coat. "The walls are extremely dangerous." She removes her coat. "Especially near the Western Woods. Didn't I tell you that several times?"
 
Chihiro lies down. "I'm very sorry."
 
Reki leaves the room and returns with a tray of medical supplies.
 
"It was the crow that called me." Chihiro continues.
 
"The crow?"
 
"While I was in the well, the dream I couldn't remember came back to me."
 
"Your dream? That means."
 
Chihiro goes right to sleep.
 
Hikari, Kana and Nemu walk in.
 
"Will she be all right?" Hikari asks.
 
"Is she asleep?" Nemu asks.
 
Reki looks at Kana. "Kana, sorry, but could you go to town and get some fever medicine?"
 
"What? Why didn't you ask me while we were out?"
 
"Come on, I'll even let you take my scooter."
 
"Fine. But is the store even open now?"
 
"Make them open it for you and don't say anything about the wall."
 
"Yeah, I know." Kana reaches out her hand. "Keys?"
 
Reki goes into her pocket. "Oh, I left them in the ignition."
 
"Why do you always have to do that?" Kana leaves.
 
Hikari feels Chihiro's forehead. "Reki, I don't think she has a fever. In fact she feels cold."
 
"The fever won't start until after midnight."
 
"Reki, how do you know so much?" Hikari asks.
 
"Reki, have you let the housemother know you found her yet?" Nemu asks.
 
"No, I haven't."
 
Nemu takes Hikari by the hand. "Hikari, we have to go tell the housemother and check on the kids."
 
"Thanks a lot," Reki says, "for the help."
 
"I'm always good at putting them to sleep."
 
"Better not fall asleep before they do."
 
Chihiro remains asleep. Her coat and sandals have been removed. She wakes up.
 
Reki, sitting at the edge of the bed, cleans the mud off of Chihiro.
 
"Sorry, did that hurt?" Reki asks.
 
"No. I almost feel like my body isn't here."
 
"Well, just looking at you hurts."
 
"You know, Reki, you're always taking care of me."
 
"I'm a busy body. It's just in my nature." She touches Chihiro's hands.
 
"Your hands, they're so warm."
 
"That's because your hands are so cold. They're just like ice."
 
"Reki, I feel like my body's getting lighter. Tell me, am I still here?"
 
"Don't worry. You're still here."
 
Chihiro sits up. "Reki, I don't want to go."
 
"You're not going anywhere. Don't worry about it."
 
"I want to stay here. I don't want to go anywhere else." Her eyes well up. "That's okay, isn't it?"
 
"Of course." Reki eases Chihiro back down. "You can stay here for as long as you like. After all, you are a blessed mutant."
 
"Reki, you've always been helping me." Chihiro falls asleep again.
 
Reki remains at the edge of the bed. "You're free. And now I'm alone."
 
The door opens. Nemu and Hikari come in. "How is she?" Hikari asks.
 
"She just fell asleep. Hopefully the medicine will get here before the fever kicks in."
 
"Is it something medicine can cure?" Nemu asks.
 
"I'm not really sure. If her fever hasn't broken by the morning, I'll take her to the Renmei. I'll tell them what happened."
 
"Reki!" Hikari says. "I know you know a lot and I know that you can handle anything by yourself! But you don't have to shoulder everything alone. Tell us if there's something we can do to help. We're all friends."
 
"I'm sorry. Let's take turns watching her. So, can you take the first shift?"
 
"Of course." Hikari answers.
 
"Thanks a lot." Reki turns to Nemu. "I'm going to take a nap. You can call me if you need me."
 
Reki goes to her room, now more organized. With no one there to listen to her, she talks to a wooden statue. "You know. Chihiro doesn't really need my help either. There's no need to be depressed. I should be happy. Chihiro isn't sin-bound anymore. I've gotten used to being abandoned. I mean, after all, it's happened so many times over the past seven years."
 
 
The following morning, in the guest room, Chihiro still sleeps as Kana paces nervously.
 
Reki walks in. "How is she?"
 
"I'm glad you're here. I was debating if I should wake you up or not."
 
Reki removes the cloth from Chihiro's forehead and feels her forehead. "The medicine working?"
 
"I gave her some but the fever won't come down. I was going to take her over to the doctor in the morning."
 
Reki gets back up.
 
"Where are you going?" Kana asks.
 
"I'll be right back!" Reki quickly drives her scooter to the temple, storms in the courtyard and marches right up to the Communicator. Though there's snow outside the temple grounds, the garden in the courtyard is as green as a summer day.
 
Two temple workers approach, anticipating trouble. The Communicator "spoke" to them in sign language. The two temple workers leave.
 
"I permit you to speak."
 
"How could you leave her alone like that? You knew that if she touched the wall she would develop a fever."
 
"Because you are in Old School, I suspected that if something should happen you would come here as you had for Hyoko."
 
"We're not talking about Hyoko! You have to cure Chihiro! It's not like she violated the wall, why do this to her?"
 
"The walls are absolute. There's nothing I can do."
 
"The walls are supposed to protect good mutants, aren't they? And Chihiro isn't sin-bound anymore, is she?"
 
"Even a good mutant must be punished if she touches the wall. Chihiro did overcome her ordeal."
 
"So, it's true. She really did it."
 
"She had a crow help her. And she will find a way to break out of the Circle of Sin before long."
 
"Then you mean you gave Chihiro and I the same riddle?"
 
The Communicator nods.
 
"So then, did she find an answer?"
 
"I know not. However, the crow did give her forgiveness and therefore she is no longer sin-bound."
 
"Oh."
 
"Only a little time remains for you to stay here. You had better mentally prepare yourself."
 
"The Day of Flight never comes to the sin-bound, right? I'm fine staying here. Besides, I need to stay and watch the kids."
 
"That is not for you to decide. You know what becomes of a mutant whose time expires before she becomes ready to take the Flight. You have no choice but to prevail against your own ordeal. The Day of Flight comes equally to all good mutants."
 
"What do you mean ‘equally?' Kuu was the youngest of us all."
 
"Yet, she was not afraid of the walls and she knew that if she went beyond this world, the rest of you would follow soon. Kuu's dream was to become a role model to you all."
 
"How do you know that?"
 
"I know nothing. I am merely voicing the thoughts you have deep in your mind."
 
"How about Nemu? She's always been a good mutant. Nemu deserves to take the Day of Flight with your blessing."
 
"Nemu wishes to see that you take the flight first. She never voices it, but she is more concerned for you than for herself."
 
"She is? Then are you saying I'm a burden on her?"
 
"No. It is Nemu's issues are not your fault. But that is how it is." The Communicator pauses. "Go now. Chihiro awaits you. You may help yourself and pick the medicinal herbs you need." He begins to walk away. "I trust you know which ones. You have always been there for Chihiro. You have been doing the right thing. And now, you must not be envious of Chihiro for moving forward."
 
"Be envious? Me? You must be out of your mind!"
 
The Communicator walks away.
 
 
At Old School, Reki grinds herbs with a mortar and pestle.
 
"The water is boiling." Hikari approaches with a kettle while she holds her nose. "What's that smell?"
 
Reki picks up a cup and spoon. She scoops some of the ground herbs into the cup and adds the hot water.
 
Hikari continues to hold her nose. "Is it really going to work?"
 
Reki takes the cup to Chihiro, still in bed. She helps Chihiro up. "Be careful. It's very hot."
 
Chihiro takes a sip. "It's bitter."
 
"It's medicine. You just have to take it. One more mouthful."
 
Chihiro took another sip and sat back down. "Thanks, Reki."
 
"I hope you get well soon." Hikari says.
 
 
Outside, Kana approaches Reki. "Reki! On the bulletin board! It's from the Renmei!"
 
Reki reads the message on the board. "Chihiro, you are hereby ordered to appear at the Temple of the Renmei, before the end of the day." Reki punches the bulletin board. She continues to read. "You are to be punished for the crime of touching the wall."
 
"What will we do?" Kana asks.
 
"We'll just ignore it! I'll take full responsibility! They don't have the right to punish Chihiro!"
 
"Reki." Chihiro approaches. She's in her winter dress, boots and coat and holding the Communicator's cane.
 
Reki approaches Chihiro. "Chihiro! You shouldn't be out of bed!"
 
Chihiro holds up the cane. "I promised him that I would go and return the cane. Don't worry. I'll be fine. The fever is gone. Your medicine made me feel better. Thank you so much." She turns to the others. "And I'm sorry for making everyone worry about me."
 
"It's okay." Nemu says.
 
Chihiro walks to the door.
 
"Take care." Reki says.
 
Chihiro turns around, waves and leaves.
 
 
At the temple Chihiro and the Communicator walk along a corridor. Chihiro sees tags with the same symbols.
 
"Look over here." The Communicator goes to one of the tags on the wall. "You are to circle this corridor. You must purify the rusted tags. That will be your job in this city. It is an important task. Can you do it?"
 
"You mean by myself?"
 
"Are you frightened?"
 
Chihiro shakes her head. "I'll do it."
 
The Communicator begins to leave. "I will come to collect you later."
 
As Chihiro cleans the tags on the wall, she pays close attention to the symbols.
 
Each symbol has four horizontal lines and one vertical line, to the left or right. Some of the horizontal lines are straight. Others are bent.
 
 
The snow is coming down again as Hyoko and Midori approach the South Campus.
 
"Like I said, why do I have to do something like this?" Midori asks as she carries a basket.
 
"There's no choice." Hyoko answers. "I'm not allowed to enter the South Campus."
 
"Then why are you coming with me? I just bet you are hoping that we're going to run into Reki, aren't you?"
 
"Right."
 
Midori holds up the basket. "And I'm the one who made all these for you! Why can't you do anything by yourself?"
 
"What? When did I?"
 
They notice Reki, holding up an umbrella, on the other side of the bridge between the two campuses.
 
Midori walks across the bridge and hands the basket to Reki. "There's a girl on your campus with a sparkling purple hair tie, right?"
 
In addition to the umbrella Reki is using, she's carrying a second one. "You mean Chihiro?"
 
"Hyoko wants to give her this."
 
"What is it?"
 
"No, don't open it! Just promise us you will give it to her, okay?" Midori begins to walk away.
 
"Midori." Reki offers the other umbrella to her. "Here. You'll catch a cold."
 
Midori accepts the umbrella and walks across the bridge. "We're going home!"
 
"Don't order me around!" Hyoko protests. He gives Reki the thumbs up and then turns his thumb down.
 
Reki gives him the finger. "You jerk!"
 
From behind, Reki hears Chihiro. "What are you doing?"
 
Reki turns around. "Nothing! Nothing at all." She approaches Chihiro. "Sorry, I was going to come get you but an idiot held me up. Oh, and the idiot asked me to pass this bag onto you."
 
Chihiro accepts the basket.
 
Reki continues. "Anyway, what was your punishment? It wasn't too horrible, was it?"
 
"Well, it was cleaning the temple. They told me that's my job now."
 
"Cleaning?" Reki sighs. "This world is filled with idiots."
 
 
The basket has pastries and a card that says: To the residents of the South Campus
 
"Wow!" Hikari exclaims.
 
Nemu counts the pastries. "There's enough here for the housemother and all the kids as well. How polite. I'll have to think better of them now."
 
Chihiro reads the note included: A token of apology for your soup
 
"What is that?" Kana asks.
 
Chihiro shows her.
 
"Check it out. What sloppy handwriting."
 
"We should really give them something in return." Hikari suggests.
 
"Shouldn't have to." Kana says. "The note says it's an apology."
 
"But we still should."
 
"What do you think, Reki?" Nemu asks.
 
"I really have no idea what we should do."
 
"Anyway," Nemu continues, "Huck will be going back to the North Campus very soon. Shouldn't we pay a visit prior to that?"
 
"What do you mean?" Chihiro asks.
 
"They can't take care of the little ones on the North Campus so we've been fostering them. They get to go back there a few times a year."
 
"Oh, I see."
 
"If it's the North Campus, then." Reki begins to say.
 
"I know. Someone else will host the visit."
 
"Oh, I want to go." Hikari volunteers.
 
"But I have to warn you, the boys can be pretty rowdy."
 
Kana picks up the note. "No kidding."
 
"I would like to go." Chihiro offers.
 
"Well then, I'll make some treats." Hikari continues.
 
Nemu turned to Reki. "Is that okay?"
 
"It's up to you."
 
As they left the lunchroom, Reki says to Nemu. "Nemu."
 
"Yeah?"
 
"I want you to know something. Stop worming about me. I'm perfectly fine on my own."
 
"You're what? What are you saying?"
 
"I'm saying I don't want to be a burden to you anymore."
 
"Reki, what's wrong?"
 
Reki ran upstairs.
 
"Reki?"
 
Jeanette Isabelle

April 25, 40 AC
 
On the south campus, before breakfast, an adult woman, with wolf ears, a wolf's tail and wearing a lab coat, waits outside the girls' bathroom.
 
Chihiro walks out of the bathroom in her usual attire: white sailor dress with orange trim, sandals and her purple hair tie.
 
"Do your sandals still fit?" The wolf in the lab coat asks.
 
Chihiro moves her foot. "Yes."
 
"It does not look like you will be able to wear them much longer. Are you ready?"
 
Chihiro nods her head. "Yes."
 
The two of them disappear from the school and appear in a modern examination room in pre Happening condition.
 
"Have you eaten anything since midnight?"
 
"No."
 
"I need for you to remove your clothes and step on the scale."
 
Chihiro starts with her hair tie then sandals, dress and finally her underpants. With only what she was born with Chihiro stands straight on a scale more precise than those used in a pre Happening hospital.
 
The woman first gets Chihiro's height. "Height is 146.866 centimeters, weight is 33.6486 kilograms. You may step off the scale and get dressed."
 
"Any change?" Chihiro asks as she puts her underpants on.
 
"You've grown 3.087 millimeters and gained 356.1 grams in the past month." The woman enters the data.
 
"That's not what I meant."
 
"Your still on the projected path. At this rate, you will be 151.1112 centimeters tall [4' 11 ½"] by your twentieth birthday."
 
"Could you give me an extra centimeter for my twentieth birthday?" Chihiro asks.
 
"You want bigger breasts?" The woman asks.
 
"It's not that. Could you make me just one centimeter taller, please?"
 
"Chihiro, that's not for me to decide."
 
"But you can ask the other Spirits, can't you?"
 
"I can but why do you want to be taller? You're cute the way you are. All right, I'll ask but I can't promise anything."
 
"Thank you." Chihiro finishes getting dressed.
 
"I have something for you." The Spirit retrieves a violin case. "We were able to locate a violin made by the master luthier, Seiji Amasawa." She opens the case.
 
Chihiro looks at the violin. "It's amazing."
 
"Made in Cremona Italy." The Spirit continues.
 
"Seiji fulfilled his dream of becoming a master violin maker."
 
"Yes, he did."
 
Tears appear in Chihiro's eyes and she wipes them away. "I want to finish school so I can fulfill my dream, like Seiji. I already missed one year, working in a bath house and cleaning the Renmei temple."
 
"We can arrange that. We have your school records. How do you like Charlton?"
 
"It felt strange at first but now that's where I'm comfortable. Everyone in Old School and the town's people are so caring."
 
"Glad to hear that." The Spirit closes the violin case and gives it to Chihiro.
 
"I can keep it?" Chihiro does not play but the first guy she fell in love with made that violin.
 
"Of course. That's why we searched for a violin he made."
 
Chihiro accepts the violin case and bows. "Thank you."
 
"You're quite welcome. I'll see you again Tuesday morning, May 25. Ready to be sent back?"
 
Chihiro holds the case with both hands in front of her. "Yes." Back in Old School, she stands in front of the girls' bathroom. She takes the violin to her room before going to the lunchroom.
 
Jeanette Isabelle

Jeanette sends another E-mail to Fernando.
 
Code:

As I mentioned in the previous E-mail, "Bartering" was inserted under
"AMK" as in Adventure Medical Kits, the company that makes the Mountain
Medic. Maybe that kit is for the general population? The other two kits
are labeled "Party" and "Four-Person." Hikaru will be with me but she
does not need medical care. So far there are five people in the party.
There has to be more than five people in the party. If there weren't,
there would not be a Party and a Four-Person kit. Maybe the Party is
the people who are rescued? I don't know.

I don't think the angels are spirits. Why would I need to save one
specific spirit, Baroness Louise, and a group of spirits, angels?

I ask the crow, who are the angels? The following page is loaded:

http://www.behindthename.com/name/gabrielle

Ah, so it's one being, not a group. I get the reference but telling me
a being's name does not tell me much. Why is this being called an
angel besides the fact her name is Gabrielle? I ask what groups does
Gabrielle fall under. The following pages are loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutant_%28disambiguation%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child

Mutants are one of the groups I'm supposed to rescue. I ask what is a
mutant. The following page is loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

Gabrielle is for some reason separated from the other mutant humans.

An idea hit me. I asked who is the Four-Person kit for? The following
pages are loaded:

http://www.behindthename.com/name/jeanette

http://www.behindthename.com/submit/name/chihiro

http://www.behindthename.com/name/gabrielle

http://www.behindthename.com/name/danielle

I don't know anyone by those names but they must be important to the
spirits. I ask who is Chihiro. The following pages are loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education_in_Japan#Junior_high_school

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student

Gabrielle is answered, rather cryptically, so I ask who is Danielle.
The following page is loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_self-defense

Since the other three are important, I ask why is Chihiro important?
The following page is loaded:

https://www.google.com/#q=find

I ask whom is Chihiro supposed to find. An image of Baroness Louise is
loaded again. I ask how will Chihiro find baroness Louise. The
following page is loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_1400

Aliens need a junior high school student with an old laptop to find
one of their own? Should I be concerned? I ask why is Gabrielle is
important. The following page is loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_change

Danielle has been explained.

These spirits, aliens or whatever you want to call them better have a
plan on how to rescue child prostitutes. Right now, I don't have a
clue.

Like I said, experience is a teacher. I have not been in a situation
in which I was out and needed a fresh pair of panties. I have been in
a situation in which I needed dry socks.

There is something that concerns me so I asked why the crow called it
self a spirit in the beginning and an alien later. The following page
is loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_area

I asked the crow to list every category it or others like it fall
under. The following pages are listed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curio#Objects

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figurine

I asked the crow which one of these categories it best fits. The
following pages are loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit

Since Baroness Louise is the only other one specifically mentioned, I
asked which category she best fits. The following page is loaded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doll

I turned around and looked at my collection of dolls, wondering.

Jeanette Isabelle 

Fernando replies.
 
Code:

I can understand sox as they can get wet and you need a pair of dry ones.
But really, what's the longest you wore a pair of panties? Knowing how
girls work down there, I could figure 2, maybe 3 days tops. After that,
things are going to get ripe for you. It can also open you up for
infections (UTIs); of course, this also means taking a bath or shower too.
Since you can't wear just one constantly, you are going to need a couple,
at best 3. If they provide more then good, but as is right now you're buck
naked if you have wash them and let them dry. And two o three panties,
like a Bikini Cut Pair, rolled up together do not a lot of space, perhaps
the same space as a roll of ace bandages.

"Party" can mean many things. Thus you to find the exact number they are
talking about. It could be a "Rescue Party" or a "Search Party" or
searching for a "Group Party." With Mt. Everest parties, such groups can
be 20 to 100 people at a time climbing the mountain.  So you need to find
out what is exactly meant by "Party."

This is going to be crowded. Already you have 3 girls, yourself and
Hikaru. That's 5 and there might be more. Just be careful out there. I can
see you going out on your own to do rescues while Hikaru takes care of the
girls. If so than this is going to be a problem. These crows seem to know
more than they want to admit.

Gabrielle is the messenger angel who told Mary that she was going to give
a virgin birth to Jesus. I seriously doubt it's the same Gabrielle. It's
the how that has me wondering. Chihiro could be needed to tap into a
computer lock with her [Powerbook], and running System 7, I bet System 7.6.1 ,
can make her unstoppable, as they will not have the ability to shut her
down under System 7 but could under OSX. A lot of my equipment is older
for this reason, everyone's busy learning the new OS weaknesses, while the
old System is forgotten and becomes unbeatable. Even DOS does not have the
weaknesses Windows does and Linux Kernel 2.4 is more secure than Linux
Kernel 2.6 and 2.8. Strange but true. My concern for her is to hit as many
back doors as possible or else she is going to be traced quickly and
physically found.

You have a lot of clues to sort through. So lets see what happens.

~Fernando 

Even with unplanned overnighters, Jeanette has never gone two full days without changing clothes. A situation happens, she's back home the next day, takes a shower and puts on clean clothes.
 
Because Jeanette knows what is to happen, she needs to plan accordingly.
 
A Camper does not have a bath or shower and the Spirit has not addressed that yet.
 
Fernando replies with a video attachment.
 
Code:

It is best to be prepared for any given situation. This is not like Monty
Python, when an attacker comes at you with a raspberry in his hand ready
to use it and you have access to the level that releases the Bengal Tiger
to take care of the assailant for you! (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWCBOsJr-w ) At least you will have crows
or at least they say so.

I don't think you will be there for a couple days. Weeks maybe, possibly a
couple of months. As long as you can wash out your things and get them to
dry, you should be fine.

~Fernando 

Jeanette replies.
 
Code:

At the risk of making it sound like a Monty Python joke, I'll be able
to defend myself with a crow if the assailant is not wearing a suit of
armor.

I've factored in necessary measures to deal with my phobia of cross
contamination.

I also hope I can find a hot shower. I'm bringing soap and a beach towel.

Jeanette Isabelle 

Fernando lost his original reply he was writing form a browser crash. He submits a summarized version of what he lost.
 
Code:

I know that there are solar shower camping kits, fill up the tank and let
it sit in the sun for a while for hot water. But the shower kit will be
too big to carry. They may have to supply it. But the VW camper does not
have a toilet either. A Winnebago has a bathroom - Shower and toilet - but
it's 3X the size of a VW Camper and very complicated to fix if it breaks
down. Plus it has high maintenance - water tanks to fill; toilet tanks to
empty, rinse out and refill with anti-bacterial powder; etc. Plus gas
milage is awful on the Winnebago, you get 4X more miles on the VW Camper.

Things can be worked out no matter what is decided.

~Fernando 

For the time being, Jeanette can't think of any questions for the Spirit that can be answered with web pages.
 
Jeanette Isabelle and Fernando

On the North Campus, in her room, Danielle, a girl in her early teens, sits at a round table. She's wearing a green beret and matching skirt from an old scouting uniform. Her gun cleaning kit sits on the table, open, as she reassembles her M1911. She picks up the next part and inserts it in her gun without facing that direction. Her beautiful brown eyes have a blank look to them.
 
Her room is tidy and void of clutter and decorations. The room is sparsely furnished with just the necessities: a twin-size bed made with hospital corners, a basic nightstand, dresser, the mentioned table and two chairs. On the dresser is a King James Bible in Braille, all eighteen volumes.
 
There is a knock on her door.
 
Danielle's expression does not change. "Come in."
 
A woman with wolf ears and a wolf's tail opens the door. She is holding a box of ammunition.
 
Danielle takes a breath. "Hello, Spirit." She hears the subtle sound of objects moving. "What do you have there?"
 
"A twenty-count box of .45 ACP."
 
"May I?" Danielle asks.
 
The Spirit walks in, closes the door behind her and places the box of ammunition on the table.
 
Danielle places the partially assembled 1911 on the table, picks up the box and opens it. She removes one round and twists it around as she feels it.
 
The Spirit is straight to the point. "One box of ammunition now, the rest of the case when you get to your destination."
 
Danielle places the round back in the box. "I only use lethal force in defense of myself or others."
 
The Spirit touches the back of the other chair. "May I?"
 
"Sure, have a seat."
 
The Spirit pulls up the chair and has a seat. "The defense of yourself and others is all we ask. I would say you are as good as any skilled sighted person but your mutation gives you the advantage. At the end of the month, in the Northwest, a party will be rescuing mutants, orphans and child prostitutes and bring them here. We, the Texas Spirits, need your help in protecting members of the party."
 
"Psalm 82:3-4 says we have an obligation to preserve the life of others and protect those in danger. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
 
"Ezekiel 33:2-6 says: Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
 
"If we know danger is coming and deliberately fail to warn others, we are guilty." Danielle's tone lowers. "Even when obligated, using lethal force must not be taken lightly. 1 Chronicles 22: 7-8 says: And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
 
"Later in 1 Chronicles 28:2-3 it says: Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
 
"Shedding blood, taking the life of another, is a big deal. Even if it's commanded and sanctioned, it's serious enough to disqualify us from certain types of spiritual service. Even if we're the good guys, we are marked in the eyes of God. I'm not saying we're guilty. I'm showing how God viewed David. Bloodshed must have the same significance to us. It's never a light thing."
 
"Would you use leather force in a case of arson, rape or kidnapping?" The Spirit asks.
 
"Exodus 22:2-3 says: If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him;
 
"If someone breaks into Old School in the middle of the night and I kill him, I'm not guilty. During the night, when everyone is supposed to be asleep, they won't announce they are there to steal tools. There's no way of knowing if the person is there to steal or kidnap, rape and/or murder.
 
"If the sun be risen upon him and I kill the intruder, I'm guilty of murder. In the daytime, when people are awake, intention of the intruder can be discerned. If he is a thief, lethal force cannot be used.
 
"Nehemiah 4:12-14 says: And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
 
"The Jews were sanctioned to defend their homes and city.
 
"If I agree, I will not defend select members of a party, I would defend everyone in need I'm with."
 
"Would you be willing to hang around select members of the party?" The Spirit asks.
 
"Yes. Whom will I be with?"
 
"Chihiro will be a member."
 
"I know her. She works at the Renmei temple."
 
"The other two are Gabrielle, a future resident of Old School, and Jeanette, a co-leader of the party, medic and citizen of Charlton."
 
"Jeanette is co-leader and she is in need?"
 
"Is that surprising? She's armed with a knife. But this is a rescue party and, as I said, she is a medic. We will be leaving on the last day of the month. Do you have several days' worth of clothing and a suitcase?"
 
"No."
 
The Spirit smiles. "We will get you a suitcase and more clothing. You like scouting uniforms so we will get you more of that style. May I ask why scouting uniforms?"
 
"Years ago, at the Charlton library, Storybook Lady read a story about a blind Girl Scout. I could relate. In the story, the scout leader had the blind scout teach her fellow scouts navigation. There was no mention of the girl being a mutant; she does some of the same things I do such as knowing the direction she is facing by the way the sun touches her face."
 
Jeanette Isabelle

April 30, 2010
 
Jeanette and her partner climb into an ambulance. They leave the garage with lights flashing and siren blaring. Emergency personnel from surrounding areas respond to an active shooter at High Pointe Elementary School, immediately south of West Intermediate School, near the Western Woods.
 
Police are first on scene. Gun drawn, the first officer walks down the main hall, passing by an injured student on the ground. He is unable to help the victim until the shooter is first stopped.
 
A member of the school faculty sees the student on the ground, goes to the LIFE Station (mounted on the wall near the entrance) and retrieves a kit. The untrained caregiver opens the package, and pulls out the illustrated instructions. He gloves up and applies a tourniquet to the injured leg.
 
Another officer yells as he approaches. "Show me your hands! Show me your hands!"
 
The faculty member raises his gloved hands.
 
"Where did they go?"
 
He does not say anything, just points.
 
The officer heads that direction.
 
Down the hall, the officers come across a bizarre situation. A gun is on the ground. There are drops of blood on the floor leading to the boys' bathroom and a bloody handprint on the door. The sounds of an adult male screaming and crows squawking could be heard from inside the bathroom.
 
One of the officers motions to another and kicks open the door.
 
So far, no one is in sight. Directly in front of them is a bathroom wall. The sounds are clearer: squawking, the flapping of the wings of a number of birds and other sounds that has not been identified yet.
 
The second officer enters and turns to the only direction he could: right. So far it's clear. He goes around the bathroom wall.
 
The first officer has his back.
 
The second officer turns the corner and sees an adult male being attacked by a murder of crows.
 
The crows fall back once they see the uniformed officer. They fly to the sink, stall doors, floor or where ever they can land.
 
The man on the floor is all bloody. He has a hand over his eye and is screaming.
 
A human eyeball is on the ground next to him.
 
As one officer has his gun trained on the man on the floor, another checks all the stalls. It's clear.
 
In front of the two-story building with a clock tower are a number of emergency vehicles: police cars, ambulances and a fire truck.
 
Inside, Jeanette and her partner have a boy on a stretcher.
 
He has a chest wound and a chest seal (from the LIFE Station) already on him when they arrived.
 
He is attached to diagnostic equipment. Oxygen saturation is normal, pulse is normal (given the frightening ordeal) and blood pressure is normal. He is breathing normally, alert and responding to questions.
 
Handcuffed and with a bandage over one eye, the suspect is being treated by other emergency medical workers.
 
Other than a murder of crows, who remain quiet, and the suspect, there is no witness to testify as to what happened.
 
An officer is taking the suspect's statement. "And prior to this, you had no run in with the crows?"
 
"That's correct. A bunch of crows suddenly appeared in the building and started to attack me about five minutes before you arrived. And just as suddenly, they backed off when you entered the bathroom."
 
Silently the crows just look at the suspect.
 
The officer looks at the crows, not sure what to make of this.
 
Outside, Jeanette backs up in the ambulance as she and her partner lift the stretcher into the ambulance bed. As they do, Jeanette sees a wolf, by its self, standing in front of the building. Jeanette has no time to look at a wolf. She has to focus on her job. To the best of her determination it is a wolf and not a police dog or some other canine that looks like a wolf. Jeanette is unable to determine if anyone else sees the wolf.
 
On the way to the emergency room Jeanette monitors the vital signs as her partner drives the ambulance. Vital signs are still strong. There is some blood under the chest seal and no other wounds. Jeanette is unable to make the determination but believes the boy's outcome is positive.
 
Back in the garage, Jeanette sits on a bench in front of her locker. The shift is coming to a close.
 
Her partner looks at Jeanette. "Your first mass incident?"
 
"Yes but that's not what's bugging me. Did you see a wolf standing in front of the school?"
 
"A wolf? Are you sure it was not a police dog?"
 
"As sure as I could be under the circumstance."
 
"I saw your pets there but no wolf."
 
"Those crows are not my pets. They just adopted me for some reason."
 
"I didn't know crows adopt singing chipmunks. Oh, that reminds me, how is your next movie coming along?"
 
"It's in the beginning of the technical phase. The movie comes out next year." Jeanette stands up and retrieves her purse. "I don't know about you but I have a date with a cup of coffee with extra cream."
 
At the Race Track gas station, Jeanette is getting coffee the way she likes it: decaffeinated with extra cream, no sugar. As she is filling her cup, Jeanette thinks it must be an embarrassment to local places that serve coffee that a gas station has the best decaffeinated coffee in town.
 
"Jeanette Miller?" Says a female voice Jeanette does not recognize.
 
Jeanette turns around and sees a female in her late teens.
 
"I thought that's you." The teen girl approaches and sees Jeanette in an EMT uniform. "Are you doing live action films now?"
 
"No." Jeanette answers. "I really am an EMT."
 
The teen retrieves her smart phone. "Can I take a selfie with you?"
 
Jeanette places her coffee cup on the counter, removes her uniform cap and hides it behind her back. "Sure."
 
The teen stands next to Jeanette, extends the smart phone in an elevated position and takes a picture.
 
After shaking the girl's hand, Jeanette puts her uniform cap back on, retrieves a bottle of hand sanitizer from her pocket, squeezes a small amount in her left palm, closes the cap on the bottle and returns it to her pocket before rubbing the sanitizer on her hands. She goes back to filling her cup and then to the condiments and such. She adds the cream but none of the flavored creams such as Irish cream or hazelnut. After adding some cream, she stirs it and tastes it. She adds more cream, stirs and tastes it until it's just right. She disposes the plastic stir and secures a lid. She goes to the cashier and pays for her coffee by running her card trough the reader.
 
She drives to Putt-Putt Golf and Games and brings her cup of coffee with her in the arcade. Sugar Rush is available. Jeanette puts a dollar in the change machine and retrieves her quarters.
 
She sits down at the candy-themed kart racing game and selects her favorite Sugar Rush character, Princess Vanellope, as her racing avatar.
 
Introduced in 1997, Sugar Rush remains a popular game for the advanced graphics, the look of the confectionery world and merchandising.
 
Jeanette has a Vanellope von Schweetz doll dressed in her princess gown, mint in box, and the game's theme song on her iPod.
 
Vanellope and Taffyta are on the starting line. The light turns green and, in big letters, the word "Go!" appears on the screen.
 
Vanellope, in her vanilla-colored racing suit and royal race kart, and Taffyta, in her strawberry-colored racing suit and race kart, are the first from the starting line.
 
Taffyta quickly passes Vanellope.
 
The racers make their first jump over a slice of cake and into Gumball Gulch where gumball machines release gumballs, giving the racers their first obstacle. A green gumball knocks Swizzle Malarkey out of the race.
 
Adorabeezle Winterpop drives through a cube hovering above the racetrack.
 
"Power up!" Says an announcer over the PA and the words "Power Up!" appear on the screen.
 
Adorabeezle's kart transforms and has an ice cream cone attached to the back of her kart. She turns her kart around and aims it at Vanellope. Vanellope swerves to miss the ice cream and it lands on Jubileena's cherry pie themed kart that turns into a cherry pie with ice cream on top.
 
"Oh! A la mode!" The announcer says. The words "A La Mode!" appear on the screen.
 
On the spiral cake, Vanellope approaches Rancis, Candlehead and Taffyta. Candlehead lights up the cherries on the cake.
 
"What's this?" The announcer asks. "Cherry bombs!"
 
The words "Cherry Bomb!" appears on the screen.
 
Vanellope downshifts, and revs her engine to avoid the exploding cherries.
 
Vanellope and Taffyta make the next jump. Rancis and Candlehead do not and are out of the race.
 
Driving on the ice-covered road up Ice Cream Mountain, Taffyta is in the lead but Vanellope is catching up. Vanellope passes Taffyta before entering the tunnel. Taffyta takes a detour.
 
In the tunnel, Taffyta exits the detour and rams her kart into Vanellope's. In the story behind the game, Vanellope and Taffyta are best friends. In this game, they appear to be highly competitive. In the struggle, Taffyta bumps into the wall of the tunnel, costing her some time. Vanellope is the first out of the tunnel.
 
"Bring it home, Vanellope!" Jeanette says to her racing avatar. "The finish line is wide open!"
 
Vanellope gets the Sugar Rush cup and Jeanette bumps fist with her racing avatar.
 
Jeanette returns to the school in her vehicle where an officer stops her upon arrival.
 
Jeanette is still in uniform. "Officer. I responded to a call earlier and saw something unusual while I was here."
 
A gunman opens fire in a school and is apprehended by a murder of crows. What isn't unusual?
 
"We'll have an officer take your statement." The officer addresses the nearest fellow officer. "An EMT who responded earlier wants to give her statement." The officer turns to Jeanette. "Proceed."
 
Jeanette pulls into the next available parking spot.
 
On the scene are her pastor (also a police chaplain) and TV news crews.
 
One is currently reporting as the camera is rolling. "And from what we've been told, lives were saved by the flock of crows you see behind me."
 
Behind the reporter some, but not all of the crows, look at the camera. All of them remain silent.
 
A newspaper reporter, from The Dallas Morning News, gets a winning photograph of the crows.
 
Jeanette tells an officer what she saw. "I saw a grey wolf standing in front of the building."
 
At first the officer does not write anything down. "Are you sure it was not a police canine?"
 
"As sure as I can be given the circumstances." Jeanette points to where she saw the wolf, next to the building, north of the main entrance. "There was no indication the canine I saw is a police dog. It was standing by the building, away from the entrance, and no one was near it."
 
"Your name?"
 
"Jeanette Miller."
 
The officer records Jeanette's statement.
 
After Jeanette finishes, she pulls out of the school parking lot and onto High Pointe Lane. She looks left and sees the wolf again. "I knew I saw a wolf."
 
The wolf runs north and stops at Wintergreen before crossing the road.
 
Jeanette follows the wolf, stops at Wintergreen and waits for cars to pass before crossing the street. "First crows and now a wolf?"
 
The wolf runs past West Intermediate School and turns right on Straus, which runs along part of the Western Woods. The wolf runs along Straus Road until it becomes Country View, stops at Mountain Creek, allowing Jeanette to catch up, and turns left. The wolf turns left again on the side street going into the Western Woods.
 
"You want me to go into the Western Woods?" Jeanette drives through the Western Woods, following the wolf, until they reach the old church building.
 
No longer used as a church, the building was built before electricity and indoor pluming.
 
Jeanette has seen the old church building many times as she grew up but this is the first time she has seen the building open.
 
The wolf walks into the church and Jeanette parks her vehicle in front. Jeanette gets out of her vehicle and walks in the building. The wolf stands by large open book.
 
Jeanette approaches the book and looks.
 
Each letter in the book consists of four horizontal lines and one vertical line. Some lines are straight. Some are bent.
 
Jeanette looks at the old book and then at the wolf. "You brought me here to show me a book?" Jeanette looks at the book again. "I don't even know what alphabet this is." Jeanette looks at the wolf again.
 
The wolf looks straight ahead and puts a paw above its eyes.
 
"You're looking. Oh, you want me to look?"
 
The wolf puts its paw down and looks at Jeanette.
 
Jeanette looks at the letters on the open page. "Each letter consists of five lines, four horizontal and one vertical. I've never seen this alphabet before." She feels the wolf pawing at her leg. Jeanette looks down.
 
The wolf holds up a paw in front of Jeanette.
 
"Paw? Hand?"
 
The wolf puts its paw down.
 
Jeanette tries to understand. "Hand? Five!" Jeanette looks at the book and her hand. Jeanette has her fingers in the horizontal position and thumb in the vertical position. "The human hand has four fingers and a thumb." She looks at the letters again. "Some letters the vertical line is on the left. Some are on the right. The position of vertical line must mean which hand is used, the straight lines must mean which fingers are straight and the bent lines must mean which fingers are bent." Without actually seeing a demonstration, Jeanette alternates hands and each time she copies the letters by bending and straightening her fingers. "The crow perched on my monitor a few weeks ago communicated that there is a grey area between aliens and spirits. This must be your language. Without the Rosetta Stone, I'm unable to decipher it. Why is this book here?"
 
The wolf walks out the front door.
 
Jeanette follows.
 
The wolf walks around the building and to the back. Behind the old church is Farm Road 1382. The wolf stands a few feet from 1382. Then it lefts up its paw, holds it in a vertical position and moves the paw around while still in the vertical position.
 
"You're pawing at something. You want someone to let you out?"
 
The wolf continues with its paw in the vertical position, moving it around.
 
"You're a mime? Oh, you're miming a wall."
 
The wolf puts its paw down.
 
Jeanette looks straight ahead, wondering what the wolf is getting at. "Oh, the city boundary line." Jeanette looks down again but the wolf is not there. "Wolf?" Jeanette looks around. "Wolf, where did you go?" Jeanette walks back to the church but it's closed.
 
Jeanette goes to her a salon for her appointment, a shampoo and a trim. Jeanette removes her hair tie and has a seat. As the beautician washes Jeanette's hair, she asks Jeanette about her hair. "Your hair is healthy and strong. What do you use?"
 
"I prefer a natural solution: Castile liquid soap and Dr. Bronner’s Organic Citrus Conditioning Hair Rinse."
 
After the beautician trims the ends of Jeanette's hair, Jeanette gets up and ties her hair back in a ponytail.
 
She considers where to eat, Dairy Queen or Boston Market. Jeanette is in the mood for Boston Market's chicken tortilla soup.
 
At Boston Market Jeanette is greeted by her first name as crows are outside looking through the windows. "Hello, Jeanette. It's all over the news. Your pets stopped the shooter."
 
"The crows are not my pets. They adopted me."
 
At a table near the windows, a child points to the crows. "Mom! Dad! Those are the black birds that stopped the man with the gun."
 
Jeanette goes to the ladies' room as she wonders how a singing chipmunk became known as the bird woman.
 
After leaving the bathroom, Jeanette places her order and sits down with her chicken tortilla soup as she tries to chill. According to the crow, Jeanette is to leave for the Pacific Northwest this month. In less then eight hours the month will be over.
 
Jeanette drives home. She has yet to tell anyone what transpired a few weeks ago. She believes she should; how is she supposed to tell her family that she has been communicating with aliens and she will be going on a rescue mission in the Pacific Northwest this month?
 
Jeanette parks her vehicle in front of the house.
 
"Jeanette, what's going on?" Ellie, Jeanette's youngest sister asks. "People are saying the suspect was attacked by crows. By the way, a packaged arrived for you today."
 
"Thanks. As for what happened, I was too busy with one of the students to know what exactly happened."
 
Having returned from an early dinner, Jeanette goes to the bathroom to brush and floss her teeth.
 
A crow could be heard inside the house, down the hall.
 
"How did a crow get inside?" Ellie asks.
 
Jeanette steps out of the bathroom. "Nothing surprises me any more." Jeanette walks to her bedroom and sees a crow perched on her monitor.
 
The computer is on and a web browser is running. The following page is loaded:
 
http://www.behindthename.com/name/ellie
 
"Ellie! Could you come here?"
 
Ellie comes in and sees the crow perched on the monitor. "Why is the crow still in the house?"
 
"A few weeks ago a crow was communicating with me by pulling up web pages. Just now, the crow pulled up this page so I thought it meant I'm supposed to call you."
 
Ellie begins to leave.
 
"I'll prove it to you." Jeanette asks the crow, "Where am I going."
 
The following page is loaded:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest
 
"As you just saw, no one touched the keyboard or mouse." Jeanette asks the crow another question. "When am I leaving?"
 
The following page is loaded:
 
http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2010&month=4&count ry=1
 
"How long have you known this?" Ellie asks.
 
"Just the past few weeks."
 
"It's the last day of the month and your telling me this now?"
 
"I didn't know how to tell you I've been communication with a crow so it's doing it for me. Let me show you something." Jeanette asks the crow. "What are you?"
 
A page on the Japanese and a page on spirits are loaded.
 
Jeanette continues. "The Salish Indians believe spirits take on animal forms."
 
"A web site on the Japanese was loaded."
 
"I believe there are different groups of spirits. Also I think it tried to tell me that there is a grey area between spirits and aliens. Look, how else do you explain that a crow is pulling up web pages without touching the keyboard and mouse?"
 
"Why would aliens or spirits want you to go to the Northwest?"
 
"To rescue orphans, child prostitutes and mutants."
 
"Mutants?"
 
"I don't understand that one either other than mutants are humans."
 
"Why do they want you?"
 
"To the best of my understanding, they want an EMT with supplies, from this area who knows Hikaru. Hikaru, and at least three other people will be with me."
 
"Besides you and Hikaru, is there anyone else we know who will be there?"
 
"No."
 
"It's April 30. When are you leaving?"
 
"I don't know. If these guys really are aliens, maybe Scotty will beam me there? I'll continue to get ready for the wilderness class and if nothing happens, I'll just be over prepared for the class."
 
Jeanette continues to get ready for whatever may happen. She tops off the fluid in her Zippo lighter and returns the lighter fluid to a safe location before washing her hands. She puts the lighter in her purse.
 
She retrieves the stainless steel water bottle from her purse, empties it and puts it in the dishwasher. She retrieves an identical unit, fills it with water and puts it in her purse. She retrieves the water bottle from her custom kit, fills it and returns it to the kit.
 
"Jeanette." Ellie approaches. "Did you tell anyone else about the spirits or aliens?"
 
"No, only you and that's because your name appeared on the screen."
 
"I just talked to Hikaru. She said she wasn't contacted by aliens or spirits in any form."
 
"I don't know what to tell you. You saw what happened. I need to finish getting ready for the class."
 
"Don't you think you should have said something?"
 
"If the spirits wanted to include her, don't you think they should have said something to her?" Jeanette pauses. "Come to think of it, they did not mention her by name. Just said an Immortal from the Duncanville/Cedar Hill area would be apart of the party."
 
Hikaru is the only Immortal they know.
 
Jeanette straps Doc Blue's Emergency Medical Kit to her back, hangs the strap of the Emergency Preparedness Medical Kit over one shoulder, the pulse oximeter over the other, grabs the Guide I by the handle in one hand and her custom kit in the other. Jeanette is not ready to leave just yet. She's loading her vehicle. "I need to make more than one trip. Ellie, could you get the door?"
 
Ellie opens the door.
 
Jeanette steps outside and finds herself in a wooded area. From the position of the sun, it's approximately two hours earlier. Her purse, which she did not have on her as she was loading the vehicle, is on the ground by her feet. She looks behind her. Her house is not there.
 
Jeanette faces forward and sees two young ladies in their pre or early teens. The smaller of the two is a Japanese girl wearing a white sailor dress, with orange trim, and a sparkling purple hair tie. She is holding onto a bike. The other is wearing dark glasses and an old Girl Scout uniform. Crows surround all three young ladies.
 
The crow perched on Jeanette's computer did indicate she would be in the Pacific Northwest. From the position the sun, she may very well be in the Pacific Time Zone.
 
"You certainly have your hands full." Danielle comments. "You must be the medic. Jeanette, right?"
 
"EMT, actually." Jeanette corrects. "And yes, my name is Jeanette."
 
"EMT?"
 
"Emergency medical technician."
 
"My name is Danielle."
 
Chihiro does not say anything. She looks at the new arrival.
 
Jeanette looks at the Japanese girl. "You must be Chihiro."
 
Chihiro nods. "Yes."
 
"You will be the one to find Baroness Louise."
 
Chihiro refers to Jeanette's purse on the ground. "Need help with your purse?"
 
"Sure, I would love some help."
 
Chihiro picks up Jeanette's purse and puts it in the basket of her bicycle.
 
Jeanette Isabelle