I do not own Death Note. :'C

As soon as I walk through the front door of my house, I throw my backpack (which is filled with books and nothing else) and cane to the side and lock the door.

I walk to the couch, careful to make sure I didn't throw my things in my way. Successfully finding the TV remote, I click on the tube and search through the channels for something that sounds interesting.

I hear screaming (Ugh, Dad and his Sunday-night horror films…), and advertisement for some kind of medicine, high-pitched laughing (Spongebob?), talking in Mexican, Opera, and finally, I set the remote down and listen to Phineas and Ferb. I'd usually listen to something more in my age group, but Hey, it's easy to imagine in my head.

Half way through the next show, (which is Phineas and Ferb again…), I start to wonder where Dad is. He's usually home right after I arrive. Maybe he came in, but was in a hurry, to go to the bathroom or something? So he didn't say hi.

"Hey dad, ya home?" I call and receive no reply. I feel stupid for yelling into an empty house.

I think to myself that he's probably in the grocery store and return to my show.

Five minutes later, the phone rings. I pick it up off the receiver and walk to a different room.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Is this Miss Cara Adams?" a staticy voice said from the other end.

"Yes… Who is this?"

"I'm Dr. Westward from-" I couldn't hear anything through the static. "-pital. Mr. Adams has been in an accident. I found your name in his records."

My head spins and I nearly drop the phone.

"You are still a minor, correct?" the woman said.

"I-…I, yes. Is my dad okay?" I blurt.

"I'll… get to that in a minute. You don't have any relatives, do you?"

"No…" My dad is an only child, single, and all of my grandparents had passed away.

"All right then… I suppose you'll have to come to the hospital for a while if no one can watch you. Can you take a cab?"

I wait for the popping in the phone to stop. "I can't see… and I'm a minor with no money…"

"Honey, what do you mean you can't … Oh, I see." I could feel her cringe as she said that. "Sorry."

"…So what about my dad?! Is he alright? What happened?"

"Listen. He was in a car crash. He's unconscious still… There's very bad damage to his lungs, and brain. And… there's about a twenty-seven percent chance of him surviving."

I am frozen in shock and fear, and it seems like the rest of the world is zooming by. "Twenty…seven percent…" I repeat.

"I need to go now. Are you okay alone?"

No. "Yes…"

"Okay. You sure?" she asks, but doesn't wait for an answer. "I'll call you if anything happens. If we need to, I can get you a guardian for while you father is in the hospital." With that, she hung up.

I stumble back into the living room, and lay down on the couch. I'm not frozen any more, I've thawed out. I begin to cry, and fall asleep, not bothering to put down the phone.

The phone rings. I remember that I had it in my hand before I fell asleep.

Unfortunately, I also remember the talk I had with the doctor, and that she'd call me if anything happens.

I press the big talk button and move so I can hold the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I ask. The line is not as staticy this time.

"Cara Adams?" The woman from before said.

"Yes."

"It's Dr. Westward."

"I know."

"Alright. I'm sorry, but Mr. Adams just passed away."

I am silent. My heart races.

"I'm so sorry…"

I begin to bawl into the phone, and the doctor gives me comforting words that I don't know what to make of.

She lets me go on like this for a while before she says, "I've arranged that a man will come pick you up to take you to an orphanage."

I stop crying for a moment. "Or…phanage?

"Yes. It is not that far from here, about a two-hour ride. He should be there in an hour."

"…"

"I need to go again now. You should start packing. Goodbye, Cara Adams."

"Goodbye," I say into the phone, my voice hoarse.

I throw the phone in a random direction, and it makes a bang as it hits something.

I cry and cry as I pack my things into a backpack.

The doorbell rings and I take a deep breath.

I walk slowly to the door. Unlock it. Turn the knob. Pull it open…

"Are you my new caretaker…?" I ask quietly.

"Yes." There is a warm, comforting smile in his voice. "I am Quillish Wammy, and you may call me Watari."

I pull my bag up onto my shoulder. "Okay." I say.

"Excuse me, but do you have a walking cane?"

"Oh, yes." I hate it when people say 'walking cane'. It sounds like I'm a grandma.

I slide my feet across the floor until I hit my cane and pick it up.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes…"

"Would you like to take my arm?"

I nod, and reach out in front of me, then hold on to his arm.

He leads me to a car, which I can tell is very big. I manage to buckle myself in.

As we drive away, I can't help but sob.

I could feel him staring at me sobbing through the mirror.

Eventually my sobs become nothing more than a small shaking in my chest.

I close my eyes, even though I don't have to to feel darkness, and fall asleep again.

Hours later I am awaken by the man -Watari- and step out of the car sleepily.

I take my cane out of the car and face the direction of my new home.

I can feel it is a large, large mansion. It's shadow looms over me, and I feel suffocated by it.

But there is something else I can feel.

I can feel warmth, and happiness.