Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or its characters. I do however own my OC's
Chapter One
The Life Note
The horrid sound of an alarm clock throwing up could be heard, then a crash against the wall. It continued its ear massacre only now on the other side of the room. Thin dark tresses of hair stuck out from underneath a lump of thick blankets. A loud growl of frustration was heard from the drowsy girl as she reluctantly stumbled out of bed in search of her clock. She found the off switch difficult to find with no corrective lens on at the moment. She fumbled with the metal piece of time like it was some foreign insect about to spew poison gas everywhere until it was disabled.
The silence after her sigh was almost deafening as she finally reached for her glasses by her nightstand. She retrieved her slippers before tending to her needs in the bathroom and heading down the hall. The Japanese news broadcasting was heard before she even entered her kitchen.
A groan escaped her lips as she saw a boy with a mess of brown hair staring intently too close to a T.V on the living room floor. Their black and white husky's sharp blue eyes followed his every movement. He was nibbling on some very, very burnt toast. Her nose wrinkled at the site of his crumbs falling onto her carpet. The dog made sure the carpet was kept clean as it waited patiently for the next morsel of food to drop into fair game zone.
"Caim, I applaud your morning awareness but please eat at the table." The girl told him as she set a plate down, "and turn that off…" she mumbled in irritation. She poured him a glass of juice as well.
He reluctantly did as told and quietly slid in the seat at the kitchen table. The dog followed suit, but had better plans and sat in front of an empty food bowl. Caim dropped the remaining pieces of toast on the plate and decided the drink tasted much better. She joined him with a fresh cup of life awakening coffee and some softer bread for his breakfast.
She played with his hair, brushing it out of his face. A smile graced her features as he gave an adorable pout. "We might have to cut that soon. How are the ladies going to see that pretty face of yours?" He shoved her hand away shyly. The small curve of his lips was quickly hidden behind the tuck of his head and shadow of bangs.
A whine called her to attention. The woman smirked at her faithful companion before venturing over to the food bin. She held the scooper awkwardly in front of her face. With a hunched back, she drug a leg behind her telling her dog "yes masta." It earned her some snickers from the usual silent Caim. The dog spun around in circles until she poured it in his bowl.
"Blade, I still don't know if it's you who is trained, or me."
After the usual quiet of the morning, the ebony haired girl finally made it to work. She was on lunch break in her navy blue scrubs and her nametag read Ray Ryuu; even though her name was actually spelled Rei. She honestly didn't care either way. It came out the same from everyone's mouths. It was a common mistake since the Japanese name was also an American name as well. Although if anyone knew better they would read the characters in Rei stood for green. As cliché as it sounds, Rei's eyes were the color of the brightest jade. A plastic spoon hung in her mouth as Rei held up a Vogue magazine she grabbed from the lobby. Everyone passed through the breakroom to grab food and wander out to continue their duties in the clinic.
Rei watched people carefully from the corner of her eye. She made sure no one was coming up behind her as she feigns innocence. A very placid expression was stamped on her face as she pretended to read and admire pictures. In her hands, hiding snuggly inside the magazine was a simple black notebook.
This little object of curiosity has slowly starting to draw her in. Her mind was reeling. The same criminals from the news this morning were bleeding onto the paper like ink spilled over Japanese characters. It was in handwriting, so neat and precise. It was amazing how quick it was scribbled into the pages. Rei had it for only a week and there were already almost 20 names written. They had something to do with death, because before these names were descriptions much much worse. There was hand written notes on how a person should die all through the notebook. There was no other explanation to that. The only thing she could not come to terms with was how the names were appearing without her even picking up a pen. She hadn't even written in Japanese since she was in junior high.
Talkative Samantha decided to walk in and interrupt Rei's disturbed thoughts. "Oh Rei, I never see you in here for lunch!" She exclaimed with a giggle and gave a wide smile that let Rei know she wasn't leaving anytime soon.
As the blonde took a turn for the community fridge, Rei quickly closed the magazine from Sam's curious eye. Their job required their hair pulled up and Samantha's blonde highlight of a perfect bun was a large contrast in comparison with Rei's messy loose style. The only thing close to stylish about Rei's ebony strands were her uneven bangs framing her face that might be considered edgy. Without her black rimmed glasses though, the dark hair magnified the brightness of her green eyes.
"Is your little brother doing well?" She asked while strolling up to her with a poka-dot lunch box she retrieved. "You need to bring him up here again. He is just so cute!"
Rei slid the magazine underneath her elbow and used her hand as a cheek rest as if she planned to use it as a tool to prop her arm on. She continued to eat her yogurt with the other hand. "Mhmm." She nodded with a mouthful of plastic. She swallowed and licked the utensil ridiculously clean before taking it into the cup and swirling it around thoughtfully. Have to get every last berry!
Sam was picking at her lettuce of all things. "So is he still not talking?"
A little peeved the woman brought up a subject about her brother so casually as if it were gossip, Rei completely stopped playing with the snack and took up glaring at it instead. She really needed to leave. "Caim happens to be just fine."
Maybe the girl got the hint or maybe she didn't like the way Rei was looking at her. Either way she left far before her food was finished. Rei was just thankful for the damn privacy. She knew it was a bad idea to bring the foreign book to work but she didn't have a safe place for it in her home yet. She also wouldn't have been able to stop thinking about it, truthfully.
Rei retrieved the paper shield and sipped on her flavored water. She eyed the names carefully. They were not appearing anymore but they were permanently etched into the book like some sort of colt sacrifices. A broadcast must have been playing at the time in Japan. Or maybe the time didn't even matter? Her lip curled as she uncharacteristically sneered. Rei's insides churned and her stomach was in knots.
These people…they were victims of Kira.
This isn't logical. Her mind spun around in circles as if trying to solve a riddle. If this is Kira then where are the heart attacks?
There were plenty of detailed descriptions of deaths. Murders, accidents, even suicides were written out in fine print. Even as Rei read through everything she found nothing of heart attacks. She nibbled on her bottom lip in thought when she set her drink down. Almost all of these entries were just names.
Unless…Rei snapped the book shut. The worn leather cover was rough and so very real under her fingertips. …unless that's all he needs. At the top of the book, written in a white font she's never seen before, were the words: Life Note.
In the midst of her musings, her alarm went off on her watch signaling the end of her break. Rei jumped in surprise and quickly closed the magazine over the notebook. Rei shoved it in her bag ruthlessly and locked her belongings in her locker before returning to her shift. She would deal with this later in the safety of her home. Right now, patients needed her in this busy urgent care.
Ice cold water pelted on fair skin. Rei sat on the tub of her shower with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head rested on her knees. Her long black locks that were always left in a mess all day were now cascading down her back past her elbows down to cling along the contours of her petite waist. Her emerald irises were transparent in her deep thoughts as she stared at her wriggling toes that splashed the small puddles of water.
The chill of the shower didn't even faze her. Rei wasn't sure how long she was in there but she needed to collect her thoughts. Taking a long ass time in the bathroom sometimes helped. The only sound was the spray of water and the noises her feet made in their childish actions. Rei snapped her eyes shut with brows crossed in frustration as she sighed.
A decision had to be made. Rei was not sure if this would be the literal death of her or actually help people. All she wanted to do with a burning intensity was to stop Kira. He has already done so much to her family. His god complex was maddening and was corrupting the world. He didn't care who he killed, he just wanted to get what he wanted like a little ignorant child. Whoever stood in his way would be destroyed in the process. Various names written down in Kira's penmanship were innocent.
If I do this I could be destroyed. The only thing she worried about was Caim. She had someone to care for him, but he couldn't even cope with the death of their parents, let only if something happened to her. We are all we have.
Rei finished her shower and stepped out dripping wet without a towel. Of course the much needed fabric was across the room. She almost fell from the water she tracked around the tile floor. She wrung out her hair before drying her head of hair like you would a wet dog. She walked out completely bare to the world as she worked on the long ebony tangles. Rei tossed it in the hamper and slipped on nothing more than boy cut shorts and a night shirt with her mid-calf slippers. She continued her normal routine before bed while brushing her teeth and hair. Rei was stalling.
Rei slipped on her glasses. Shaky hands opened the dresser drawer to retrieve the black notebook that has been the cause of all her problems and consuming her thoughts all week. It was also the one thing that might be able to stop Kira.
Rei took her seat in the computer chair and flipped on her computer before grabbing a sketchpad. She began with her internet search on all of Kira's victims she could find. The tacking of keys could be heard in the quiet of the room as green eyes scanned and memorized each face she came across. Rei pulled out a pen to her liking from her sugar skull mug. While continuing her search on the keys in one hand, the other doodled and noted in the sketchpad.
Living in Washington state made it difficult to keep up with another country's pressing issues, but she had a few family members in Japan that kept her updated on the events and happenings. Not to mention Rei and her little brother were visiting at the time of that famous broadcast. They witnessed on the streets of Tokyo when L declared war on Kira. Nothing has changed with the Kira killings. L, the world's greatest detective, was on the case. Then suddenly after a massacre of heart attacks there was a quiet in the air for Japan.
Supposedly L was still alive. Rei was doubtful. After the savage killings there was no progress. Kira was celebrating. He had rejoiced in the death of his rival. Rei was sure of it now more than ever, actually. Her proof was this very book. It was something that could turn the tables for childish Kira.
Rei found L Lawliet. Her eyes were then drawn to the miniature origami crane on her desk. It happened to be closest to the framed picture of Caim and her signifying its importance and deep worth. Rei's eyes saddened at the site before contorting it into an impassive mask. I'm the only one who can stop him.
Rummaging and digging up the past was irrational and a waste of time. What Rei needed to focus on was the obvious clues that were laid out in front of her now.
It was not in the normal hand writing. Something off the wall must have happened because the last penmanship of Kira was a tiny name scribbled in what could only be blood on the right corner of the paper. Random victims followed that in a different handwriting but still in Japanese. Then, once L Lawliet andQuillish Wammy were written in a messy jumble of characters, the previous handwriting returned. Not the neat and perfectly executed brushes of a pen as before-but another previous user.
That has to be his name.
It was a mystery as to why they would need to keep L's death a secret. Unless Kira had something to do with that suspicious act as well. That would mean he is working with the police! And that meant that Kira was free roaming unleashed…probably dancing around with the police right now.
Rei opened the book before she had an aneurism from thinking so hard. This thing had rules, more of a how to use instruction guide. There were pages of them. Rei had been studying them all week as she kept track of all the names that continued to appear.
The gist of it basically stated that this was connected to another book. Rei questioned if there was a possibility for multiple notebooks, but there was never any solid evidence in the specifications of the 'how-to'. This other notebook was quite the opposite from the one Rei had ownership. Hers was even named Life Note of all things. This book is definitely a counter measure for the other book. It even states writing down a name, with the same face in mind of course, within .6 seconds after seeing the name appear would cancel out the other user's attempt.
At the moment, all Rei needed right now was to worry about the first page of rules.
The human whose name is written in this note shall awaken from the dead.
This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name that has only been written in the notebook. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.
If the place of life is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen.
If the place of life is not specified, the person shall simply awaken where they originally died with amnesia.
After writing the place of life, details of the awakening should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
And on the third page just for Kira…
If the time of awakening is written within 40 seconds after writing the place of life, the time of awakening can be manipulated, and the time can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name.
That was only the first page. They should go ahead and say "how to make a zombie". The thought passed her mind in annoyance. Rei was now rolling the pen through her slender fingers. A leg was drawn up to her chest with her other swinging back and forth unconsciously. Rei never could touch the ground. Her hand was drumming a melody that didn't exist as she glared at the rules. Rei looked like she was studying for an exam. She tapped the pen to her lips.
If I'm going to put my life on the line, Rei thought as she flipped through pages and brought her pen down, I'm going to make this one fucking hell of a ride for you Kira.
Authors Note:
Hello all, I would just like to announce how relieved I am to finally post this. I had this 4ish chapters down until a broken computer left me with nothing but a discouraging blank page. Luckily, I had some tid bits saved on a flash drive. I just want to recommend to fellow writers to back up your work! This shit happens.
Other than that I want to add that this is only my FF copy and it will be edited due to sexual scenes. I'm posting an unedited copy on Archive Of Our Own account. When it is up, I will put the link on my page.
SO where did she get the book? What is she planning? Where the flip is L? Stick around to find out! :D
Side Note: Anyone get the Drakengard reference? I love that game c: