This is my first so please keep that in mind and please Review!

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I was raised by my Grandmother who is 100% Japanese and very superstitious. She use to tell me stories about shinigami and other evil creatures but I never really believed her. How could I? They were just stories used to scare children and their was no proof that such a thing existed. Well... That was what I thought before I found the death note and met Shiki...

0_o

It takes an hour one way to get from my house to the private school I go to in New York City. I take the subway because my family can't afford a car. At 6 in the evening the subway is usually crowded. Today, however, this is not the case. I sit alone at the front of the car flipping through a magazine. The only other person in the subway is a business man sitting at the other end. He is clutching his suitcase close to his chest. I glanced at him when first getting on but thought nothing of him.

The subway stopped at the station near my house. I got up to get off and noticed the man doing the same. I walked off as quickly as I could trying to put as much distance between us as I could. I have no reason to believe he is following me... right?

Once I got out of the station I looked back to see him still behind me. It's just a coincidence. Our eyes meet for a second and I finally got a good look at his face. He wasn't that bad looking, with his short brown hair and bright blue eyes that were looking down at the side walk. He didn't appear to be very old. I turned the next corner not really knowing where I was going just that I wanted to get away. Why am I so scared?

He followed close behind me. "Hey!" He called after me. "I think you dropped this."

I turn and faced him. He held a black note book out in front of me. I scanned the cover. "It's not mine." He didn't say anything back. He just tossed it into my open arms and walked away. Not a word of explanation. What the- I look down at it. something's wrote on it..."Death note" I read aloud.

0_o

My name is Rose Araki and I'm seventeen. I've been living with my Grandmother, Uncle and his kids since my parents death when I was very young. "I'm home!" I called to my Grandmother.

"Rose-Chan! Welcome home" She said to me over her shoulder. She is old and slightly senile but I love her. She has always been there for me.

"Rose-Chan, Rose-Chan!" My young cousin called. His name is Takashin and he's twelve. He ran over to me and gave me a big hug the way he does everyday when I get home.

I laughed. "Nice to see you too, Taka-kun."

He looked up at me and smiled before letting go. I walked over to the counter and placed my things on it, forgetting for a moment about the death note and the strange man.

"What's this?" Taka-kun asked reaching out for the note book. I snatched it up before he could grab it.

"It's nothing." I said holding it tightly in my arms.

"Eh? Death note!?" My grandma said reading the front cover over my shoulder. "That thing is cursed! A shinigami will follow it soon! Get it out of here." She yelled, clearly scaring Taka-kun.

"Oh Granny. It's just some ones idea of a joke. Please don't get so worked up." I said trying to calm her down. I smiled my innocent smile and she nodded. "So where is Uncle Sai?" I asked changing the subject.

"Work," Taka-kun said from the living room, he had already moved on to watching TV.

"Speaking of work don't you-" She started to say but I cut her off.

"Oh! That's right!" I said running into the room granny and I shared. I threw my things down on the desk in the corner and changed from my jeans and T-shirt to a black skirt and a dress shirt with a tag that said 'Hello my name is Rose' I glanced at myself in the mirror quickly and tucked a stray stand of my brown hair behind my ear. On my way out the room I grabbed a jacket. "I'm off!" I called running to the front door.

"Be safe!" Granny and Taka-kun called after me from the living room.

I work at a fancy restaurant not far from where I live. The place is really well known for it's food and entertainment. My older cousin works there as well, on top of going to acting classes. He wants to make it big in Hollywood. I arrived there with no time to spare. I went around back to the door to the kitchen" I'm here" I called to anyone who would listen or could here me over the sizzling and the chatter.

"Rose!" The boy I have a crush on yelled as he ran over to greet me. His name is Stevan, along with working together we go to the same school but he's a senior.

"Hi Stevan." I smiled back and blushed a little, he's so cute.

"Quit goofing around and get to work you two." I heard my cousin say. He is one of the chefs here and the only reason I got hired for this job.

I nodded and started clearing tables and doing other various chores.

Everyone gets two ten minute breaks to either eat or got outside and smoke. I usually try to take mine when Stevan does. I noticed him going out so I finished up the dishes I was doing and followed him out. The air was cold and the only lights were one street light and the full moon. So romantic. I glanced over and saw Stevan leaning on a couple of crates a smoke in his hand. He was looking up at the moon. He must have heard me coming over because he glanced over at me. "Hey." He smiled and motioned for me to come over and join him. So I did.

We stood there for a while in silence. I should tell him how I feel... I told myself as I looked down at the ground. Oh but I'm sure he has a girlfriend...

"Umm." We both started at the same time.

"Oh, I'm sorry please go ahead." I said silently thanking god.

"Oh, are you sure?" He asked and I nodded. "Well there is something I've been wanting to tell you..."

Could It really be? I cleared my throat. "Y-yes?" Damn, I stilled ended up stuttering.

He smiled. "I think that your cousin, Kaito is really cool." He laughed giving me a thumbs up. I sighed. He is so dense.

At the end of the night, after everything was cleaned up, my cousin and I would always walk home together. We were about to head home for the night when Stevan called out to us. "Rose, Kaito!" He called flailing his arms around like an idiot. "Wait! I'll walk with you."

Kaito nodded, he's always so serious.

"Great," Stevan smiled. My stomach filled with butterflies and I found myself smiling along with him.

"So Stevan," Kaito spook up, breaking the silence, when we are almost home. "Are you still living with that older girl?" He asked and my heart sunk. Older girl?

"Yeah she is great." He smiled gazing up at the sky. Then he looked back at Kaito. "In more ways then one, if you know what I mean." He winked.

I felt sick. Why? Why can't he see... I quickened my pace so that I was ahead of both of them and didn't have to see him smile. And he didn't have to see me cry. I really liked Stevan He was easy to talk to and we always had a lot to talk about because we have a lot in common. He's a lot of fun to be around too. Even though I've always been shy around guys, he was different and I did my best to let him know that... but he stayed oblivious.

The next day at school I saw Stevan. He was slumped over his locker in a daze. I walked over to him. "Hey." I leaned down to look at his down ward face.

"Rose?" He said sounding startled. He never even looked at me though, guess he knows my voice.

"What's the matter?" I asked. He stood straight up and my head went from looking down to up.

He sighed and I knew something was wrong from the expression on his face. It wasn't the Stevan I was use to. "My woman kicked me out last night." He looked away from my eyes.

"That sucks." I said but was secretly celebrating.

"Yeah, now I've got no where to stay..." He whined. "My parents kicked me out when I was sixteen for doing drugs." He glanced back over at me to see if I was still listening. He noticed my disapproving look. "Oh but of course I don't do that stuff anymore." He laughed awkwardly.

I thought for a moment weighing my options, if he stayed with us things might get awkward. On the other hand he would be sleeping at another bimbos house tonight for sure. I made up my mind. "You could stay with us for a while...that is uh if you wanted." That sounded a lot less confident then I'd wanted... I could feel my face getting hotter as what I'd said sunk in for both of us. Would Uncle mind?

"Oh Rose!" He said finally. He practically jumped on me. "You're such a sweetie." He smiled then leaned down and pecked me on the cheek. I felt myself blushing even more. My heart thumped loudly, telling me to not get too carried away. too late...

"I'll meet you by my locker at the end of the day." He called over the first bell that was ringing.

The rest of the day was normal. Long boring classes as usual. When the end of the day finally came I waited for Stevan like he had told me. My heart was full of hope and excitement. But he never came... Stevan's a playboy, you should have known better. I sighed and headed to the subway. Tonight I have off so at least I don't have to see him.

When I got home I greeted my Grandmother and Taka-kun. Then I went to my room. It was then that I remembered the man from the other day and the strange note book. I picked it up off my desk and sat down on my bed.

"Death note." I read aloud. I flipped to the first page. "Instructions? What is this thing?"

"Fwa fwa ha ha." I heard a voice coming from the door way.

I turned and saw it. It was like something out of a Tim Burton film and was dressed like the Goth kid down the street. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out.

"I am Shiki and I'm a shinigami." He answered before the question was even asked.

"A sh-shinigami!" I shrieked. "How!?"

"Fwa haha, Humans are so amusing." He said ignoring my question and taking a step closer to me.

"Wh- why are you here?"

He pointed to the note book in my hands. "That is mine." He paused briefly. "Allow me to explain. What you are holding in your hands is a death note. We shinigami use them to kill humans." He smirked.

I must be dreaming.

He ignored my shocked look and continued "We do this because it is how we stay alive. When we kill a human with our death note their life spans are added to ours. It's like food for you humans I guess but we never grow old and we only die if we fail to kill a human before our lifespan runs out. I arranged for that human to meet you on the subway and give the book to you." He finished.

"Why? How?" Was all I could manage to say.

"How? That is the power of the death note. A power that is now yours, I'm curious to see how you use it." He said again gesturing to the note book.

"Huh? You mean I can actually kill with this thing?" I asked him finally starting to understand.

"Yes all you have to do is write their name on a page of the death note while picturing there face in there mind." He nodded.

"Wow... What a dream" I yawned. "I need to stop taking naps after school." I said tossing the death note aside and laying down. "Good night creepy monster guy..." I yawned again then snuggled up to one of my pillows.

"I told you my name is Shiki! And this is not a dream please try to be more serious." He scolded.

"Yeah whatever you say." I said picking up the death note, opening it up, and flipping through the pages. I heard the door squeak open.

"Rose-chan?" Taka-kun asked shyly standing in the door way and looking up at me.

"Nani?" I asked motioning him to open the door the rest of the way and come sit next to me.

He didn't move. "Uh, are you... ok?" He asked seeming slightly afraid.

"What do you mean?" I asked glancing quickly over at Shiki who was laughing then back at Taka-kun.

"Well you were talking to yourself and scaring Grandma..."

"Oh that! I was just...er..." Aw crap, I hadn't thought that they would hear me...

"A play." Shiki said.

"Oh yeah a play!" I nodded smiling like a goof. I really hope he buys it... Wait! Why didn't he hear Shiki? I looked over at Shiki and he grinned back at me.

"Oh...ok." Taka-kun finally said not sounding very convinced. He left my room and called out, "Granny, Rose-chan said she's not crazy." Gotta love this family.

I sighed and turned back to Shiki who was still smiling. "Convinced this isn't a dream yet?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Yeah I guess." I said quieter now so my family didn't hear. "Hold on! Why couldn't Taka-kun hear you too?"

"Only people who have touched the death note can see and hear me." Shiki explained. "Do you understand everything now?" I nodded. "Good! Then why don't you get started?" He said looking down at the death note in my arms. I looked down too.

I wouldn't even know who to-" I began but was cut off by my Grandmother yelling from the kitchen.

"Rose-chan! Someone is here to see you!"

I got up off my bed wondering who it could be.

Sorry for the lame ending. It'll get better. I really hope you liked it. Thanks, buh bye