Mello stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. How dare that ignorant old man suggest that he work with Near. They were rivals, and that's how he planned for it to stay. If he was bringing down Kira, he would do it himself.

He went to his closet and grabbed his jacket pulling over his shoulders. Then he took his bag from the floor and shoved various clothing inside. Mello stomped on the floor as he grabbed some of his belongings off the table he and Matt shared. He paused for a minute, Matt. Would he come with him? Mello shook his head, he had to keep moving. Every second he stood there was another Near was getting ahead of him.

As he pushed various objects into his bag, a pen rolled underneath his bed. Mello sighed and bent down to reach it, but he couldn't quite grab it. He got down on his stomach and reached into the depths of his bed. He groped around blindly for a moment then felt his fingertips reach the edge of something, a hole.

"What the hell?" Mello wondered as he felt around the edge of the gaping hole. Suddenly he felt a hand grab him. He jerked backward but the grip on his wrist remained firm. Mello felt his heartbeat quicken. he panicked and he desperately tried to tug his arm from the cool, clammy grip, the small fingers vice-like on his wrist.

Mello pulled harder, feeling himself being drawn slowly underneath the bed. Mello felt a sweat break out over his body. He scrabbled desperately for a lifeline,for something to hold onto. He grabbed the edge of the bed, the dresser, the floorboards, Mello's breath came in short pants as he felt his arm being drawn in, then his head, his body. Through out the whole time, he never thought to call out for help. It wasn't until he felt himself holding on by one foot he'd hooked around the bedpost, till he decided to call.

"Help!" Mello's voice rang in his own ears and from the hole he heard a small voice.

"Help? Why would I give you help?" Mello felt his foot slip from it's hook on the post as he felt his arm being yanked harder. He growled in anger at the singsong voice that followed. "You need to earn it first."

Mello's foot slipped off and he his stomach slide over the cold floor. For a moment, it felt like he was floating on top of the air, but the illusion was shattered as he felt his stomach fall into his mouth as he fell down.

His mind raced as he fell. He was falling, He was going to die. the average human free falls at a speed of around 114 miles per hour, from 40,000 feet it takes three and a half minutes to fall.

"Where are you?" The childlike voice seemed to wrap around Mello before being sucked upwards.

He was falling. How long had he been falling? He was going to die. Damn it. How did that hole get under his bed? He was going to crash into something.

"I'm waiting." It fell out of the darkness like the first sprinklings of snow. Falling coldly on Mello's ears.

Waiting for what? He was going to be a spat on the floor, crushed to a pulp. He needed some chocolate. How in the hell was he still fa-

Mello felt the wind knocked out of him as he felt the tunnel around him tighten. His stretched arms brushed against cold rocky walls and he knew the bottom of the hole was approaching. He strained his eyes in the blackness, and he saw a faint light coming closer.

"Play with me."

He watched for another moment, the light raced towards him burning brighter and brighter. Mello closed his eyes.

Mello woke up to find himself lying on the ground. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his hand over his face. His head felt like it was smashed with a hammer, and the brains drained out with a straw. Mello opened his eyes to see the eyes of a boy staring into his.

"Woah!" Mello leaned backwards, away from the wide eyes of the young boy."Who the hell are you?"

"I'm L" Mello moved back and looked the boy over. Large jacket, baggy jeans, ruffled hair, the face of an insomniac, and deep black eyes. That was what L looked like? No way in hell.

"L, What sort of name is that?" Mello stood up and looked down at L.

"Mine." Mello frowned and snatched the candle from the boy's grip.

"Okay then, what are you doing here?" He held up the candle and looked around the room. It was a rocky tunnel shaft that lead up farther that he could see. He wasn't getting out the same way he got in. He looked down at L to see he was reaching towards the candle, his small face illuminated in the glow of the candlelight. "You can have it back when you tell me."

"I'm looking for my parents." Mello handed the candle back and watched as the boy crouched back down, staring intently into the light. "Will you help me?"

Mello sighed."Sure kid. Where's the exit."

"There." L pointed a small hand in the direction of a ornate wooden door, carved in pictures of leaves and plants. In the middle was a crudely carved smiley face, covering the picture of a child's face.

Mello walked towards the door and opened it cautiously. "Hello?" Mello called down the tunnel. "Anyone there?" His voice echoed back hollowly and Mello jerked back in surprise when he saw L walk calmly into the dark tunnel.

"What the hell are you doing? It could be dangerous!" Mello walked after slowly, not wanting to leave the warm light of the candle.

"This is the way I have to go." L walked back and took Mello's hand. Together, they walked into the darkness.

Mello shivered,and held the child's hand tighter when he felt breath whisper on the back of his neck,

"Husha, husha, we all fall down."

Author's Note?- So...how was it? I thought it was okay.

I dedicate this chapter to Ivory Goddess of Ebony Heart.