Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, Another Note, or any of their characters. However, I do own my OC (Before Break), so don't sue me. ^_^ Otherwise, I may have to sell our computer for money and then I couldn't write anymore.
Also, I just wanted to provide the background for this story. I decided to do a story about Beyond Birthday in a mental hospital, but it turned into a story with a whole lot of OCs. Also, I wanted to do a story where Beyond somewhat repents for his killings, so I decided to combine the two ideas, creating this story. So, yup...I hope you enjoy!
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My name is Before Break. Hm, I have just realized my name is very befitting for my situation. It is both appropriate and good that should be my name, seeing as how my circumstances suggest I am Broken, but my life was lived Before the break.
I'm sorry, I'm rambling aren't I? It's something I tend to do now, ever since I've been here. I find that it helps to talk to…well, anyone really. Everyone except that stuffy 'psychiatrist' that's supposedly supposed to help us. That's complete crap, in my opinion, seeing as how nothing can really help us after what we've seen. Who are we? Why, the crazies and the lunatics of course! The ones society has rejected because of the chemicals we all have in our brains.
Rambling again…I really need to stop doing that for now. Anyways, I'm surprised to see you here. I never would have thought I'd have a visitor who would listen to my story. Just be careful, because being a visitor is how I ended up here. I was just curious, like you, but it turned into something much more than a child's innocent desire to understand. Yes, something much more powerful.
I like to think it was love, but the guards here always tell us we are incapable of love. That we are soulless creatures that have lost their humanity. I don't buy that, but I don't really know what to call what I felt. Love sounds like a loser word compared to what I felt.
My job now, I suppose, is to explain all my mixed up sentences and odd trains of thought. I'm going to tell the story of how I met my lover. My heart's murderer; my Beyond Birthday.
***
The rain splattered against the side of the building; ominous, forlorn.
Eyes staring across the field—of thriving grass and withered weeds—through the tiny window. 'That's the way of things, isn't it?' he thought, 'The vast majority live on the outside while the few are left to rot in a god-forsaken cell.'
Beyond Birthday, Rue Ryuzaki, B, Backup, all the names of one person; very appropriate that he would have so many names. He had so many pieces of himself to name, so one name just never suited him.
Beyond, as I must call him now for the sake of my own sanity (Pardon my own pun) was quietly observing the lovely scene before him; a mother and father walking their child to the park. The little boy had tripped and was crying on the sidewalk. His mother rushed over and bent down to comfort him while the father looked at them lovingly.
It made Beyond sick.
He knew that the parents probably didn't truly care about what happened to their child. They just wanted to impress the other passing pedestrians with their amazing parenting skills. But no, Beyond wasn't buying into that whole love thing.
His parents were dead before he really got to know them, so of course he wouldn't understand a parent's love for their child. I admit, not all parents are wonderful, but mine were.
I was a very lucky child…in the beginning. I had parents and grandparents who loved me and cared for me until I was seven. At that time, a hit-and-run offender killed my father and grandparents while they were walking to the park, leaving my poor mother to fend for herself and me. She was, and still is, doing very well. She copes by burying herself in books. Thousands and thousands of books.
She always told me that books could save my life. While I don't think they can do that much, I do believe it saved her from depression and suicide. She still paid plenty of attention to me, but I knew things would never be the same for anything. Still, it was so much better than what many children have to go through.
I grew up and eventually got to the age where I could attend college. I don't really like bragging, but I'm sort of a genius in my own way. I am a genius with analyzing people. I can tell what someone is thinking just by looking at their facial expressions and body language. It's not an exact science, but it's better than nothing.
I went to college in LA, turning 20 during my third year there. This was the year that changed everything.
Beyond Birthday turned from the window, his day having been automatically ruined by the false kindness presented before him. He lay back on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, simply thinking. He was always doing that, you know, thinking. He always had several things going on in his head at one time, which may have been his downfall. Unlike me, he was a true genius in every aspect.
He was also a murderer.
But we'll get to that later.
Like I said before, it was the third year at the college in sunny Los Angeles, and the class was excited because we were going on a field trip!
"I have an important announcement, class. We will be going on a field trip to reinforce your study in psychiatry," our professor had said.
Everyone went into an uproar; a classic case of small scale anarchy, and my professor (Mr. Collins) had to yell over everyone to say where we were going.
"We will take a tour through a mental institution and discuss the levels and results of insanity."
Everyone grew even more excited at this. It was going to be like a trip to the zoo, except we would be examining live humans in their 'unnatural' habitat.
Thus began my adventure.
***
We arrived at the institution several hours later.
I stepped out of the small bus that had shipped our class here, and immediately began striding towards the building.
"Wait one moment, Miss Break. Some students will be taking pictures for the school newspaper, and this is not a safe place to wander by oneself," Mr. Collins called out to me. Before I turned to go back, I took note of the name of the institution.
Mentis Institution: For the Criminally Insane.
Oh yeah, this was going to be interesting.
After the pictures were taken, we all went as a class to the main office, where a middle-aged woman came forward to meet us.
"Hello, dear friends, welcome to Mentis Institution!" she said in a sickly shrill voice. I took a good look at her face and posture, and knew she was a fake. She wasn't happy we were here, and I had no doubt that she would only take us through to the less-mental patients; the ones that were 'healing'. I realized with disappointment, that I would not get to see what I was looking for: someone truly insane.
Of course, looking back, I realize it was me that was insane, seeing as how I was leading a life that was a complete lie. I just didn't realize it then.
We walked down long corridors filled with nothing more than pictures of the founders and important people in the institution. My God, it was boring.
As we went down, the time seemed to slow until I suddenly noticed we were walking by an open door. Glancing around to make sure I wouldn't be caught, I ducked through the door and closed it softly behind me. When I turned I was faced with a stairwell that spiraled up to the next level.
I giggled gleefully. From what I had studied about mental hospitals, I knew the severe case patients were either kept below ground or on the upper levels. Hoping it was the latter, I slowly began to ascend the steps.
I got to the top, and found that the door was not locked. I opened it slowly, and was immediately assaulted with the smell of mold and stagnant air. All in all, nothing at all like the friendly appearance of the lower level. I grinned; this was exactly how I pictured my adventure.
I crept slowly through the halls, hoping that a guard wouldn't see me sneaking around. I turned the next corner and was faced with rows upon rows of bars. It was rather dark, so I had to squint, but with a jolt, I realized that these were prison bars.
I frowned. 'Wow, these people must have done something really crazy to end up here.'
That's when the noise started.
Hey everyone, thanks for reading the first chapter! I'm really excited about this story. I can't wait to update the next chapter. ^_^ I will probably update quickly every time, but no guarentees.
So, review my lovely friends! Me without reviews are like Ryuk without apples…it makes Beyond Birthday look sane.