A single candle lit up the child's face, casting shadows over his eyes, around his high cheekbones, and on the sides of his nose and mouth. He stared blankly at the flickering flame, black eyes dark as night and just as unreadable. His hair stuck up at odd angles, seeming to defy gravity, a few strands hanging into his face.
The room around him was dark, shadows overlapping shadows behind the child. A blank monitor in front of him had long since shut itself off, even though the computer was still on. The candle was sitting in a small cupcake, the wax dripping onto the frosting. It seemed that the boy had no interest in eating it, despite his normal love for candy and sweets.
When at last the candle flickered and died, he blinked, slowly, shifting slightly in his seat. The clock in the back of the room struck the sixth hour in the evening. He didn't blink when the ringing sound began in his room. Instead he reached for the cupcake, swiping his finger across the icing and placing it in his mouth. He sucked on his finger for a few more moments before he released it with an audible pop.
The computer dinged, and his eyes turned towards it curiously. He reached for the mouse and moved it, blinking rapidly when it lit up. He looked over the screen, and when he saw, in the right hand corner, that there was a request for a video chat from the police, he sighed heavily. He hit accept and shifted in his seat once more, muttering under his breath, "Alone one more year, huh? When is someone other than Watari going to know when your birthday is?" he asked himself. There was no answer, as he didn't know.
The police began, "L, we've found more evidence concerning the serial murders…"
L sighed again.
Happy Birthday, L