Since my birth I have been alone... Unwanted... I was orphaned at the age of six months, or so I've been told. My name? Ariya Sen Rin. This is the name I gave myself when I was eight. My adoptive parents had always called me Aki, for Autumn, because they found me on the last day of fall. My real name is unknown. Nothing in my life is a sure thing; my name, my age, my origin...

"Light? Can you translate the following sentence into English?" I remember my teacher asked.

I turned to watch Light. He had never really noticed me, not that anyone ever really did. I remember spending nights in my room staring into a mirror, wondering what was so bad about having medium length, choppy, black hair, pale skin, and gray eyes. I certainly was not fat, being very skinny and lean. But, I suppose I'm not something worth looking at, I'm not that pretty.

Light always got the right answer, he was so smart; I never got called on, and when I did, I could never get the right answer out. Everyone thought I was a stupid mute. I didn't even bother to try anymore. I just think about things: observations, thoughts, beliefs, and generally, just life.

I guess these truths could be truer than those in these school books, and that's why I wonder about these things.

As soon as the bell rang, I began to rush out of the room, Light was in just as big a rush.

"Hey, Light" I said.

Light didn't even look over at me. He rushed over to the common and picked up a notebook. This wasn't the way he had come in this morning. That wasn't his notebook. I was sure of it. Then again, why did it matter?

Since I walk home the same way as Light, I followed behind, but you couldn't say that I was actually following or stalking him or anything because I wasn't actually "following" him. I wanted him to notice me, to talk to me. Why wouldn't he talk to me? No, I didn't like him, but, other people would notice me if he noticed me. I was outcast.

Right now, I'm sure that none of this probably makes sense right now, but I know it will...

I didn't feel like going home, so I continued to walk around even after I had reached my street. I left my bag on the corner and shoved my hands into my black jacket's pockets.

Where would I go? I just wanted to be by myself, just to think. I walked up toward the police station and schools and then looped back towards my house.

When I opened the front door my adoptive mother appeared in the hall.

"Hi honey, how was your day at school?"

"Good..."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Nothing. I'm not hungry."

"Did you eat lunch today?" She asked frowning.

I gave a slight nod and walked upstairs to my room. It was dark with high shelves, a desk, and a bed. My shelves were piled with books, charms, candles..., and notebooks.

I took my jacket off, laying it down on my bed, and walked over to my mirror. I studied myself, as I often did. I stared at the reflection: tight denim skinny jeans, a green and black striped shirt, and old beat up converse. I pulled a sharpie from my pocket to write another word on my mirror.

"Stupid." I wrote. Other words on my mirror included: "ugly," "lonely," "bad," "disturbed," "mean," "lost," "hated," and "unwanted."

I turned away and flipped on the television. It was a news cast – some man holding teachers and children hostage had just collapsed. A heart attack?

What had the cover...

What was I thinking?

Yet I was still curious.

What had the cover of Light's notebook said? Notebook? Notes?

I thought long and hard, note sure why...

DEATH NOTE

What the hell?

Made no sense...

Unless...

No. I must have been fantasizing again. Damn loneliness. I would constantly make up stories to keep myself entertained.

"Huh..." I mumbled.

I kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed.

When I woke up I stumbled into the shower. I walked back to my room, and pulled on tight black skinny jeans, a black button up shirt, white tie and suspenders, and my beat up converse.

I ate a slice of toast as I walked down the street. I stopped and left a quarter of it for a flock of birds. Up ahead, I saw Light. I eventually caught up to him.

"Hi Light."

He looked over at me, "Hey."

"Er... What's up?"

"Not that much."

"Oh..."

Without trying I walked ahead of Light—it was strange because I walk, no TRUDGE, extremely slowly.

"You... okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, fine."

Clearly not, I thought, you never talk to me.

Once we got inside, I took my seat next to Light, who seemed very concerned about something.

* * *

Usually I think that the Kanto region of Tokyo is very boring, but recently a new serial killer has begun slaughtering criminals. This killer is trying to make a "new world," where there is no crime, and there are no criminals.

A perfect world...

Everyone has begun calling this murderer "Kira." Right now it's all anyone talks about, but I feel even lonelier than before. I feel insane. I know that this will sound crazy, but... What if Light was Kira? I don't know why this thought even crosses my mind.

Maybe it's because the killings started the day after Light found that notebook? But how would a notebook have anything to do with the killings? Probably because of its name...

I turned on my television, there was some cast from a detective who calls himself L; he was planning to find Kira. Lind L. Tailor, was L. He was going to find Kira and kill him. I threw open my window and climbed down the trellis, walking around my house would take too long. I wasn't sure why, but I was running towards Light's house. From the street I could hear his words vaguely.

"...Lind L. Tailor... when you cross Kira."

Was I right?

Shit.

I'm pretty sure I was.

What should I do? Damn it. I don't care, I have to go to the police, I have to go to L. But how will I find him?

Police station!

I continued running towards the police station. I prayed that the Kira broadcast would still be on.

I arrived... the broadcast was still on. I plugged my phone into the network box. I shocked myself, and then shook my hand.

"Damn!"

I was trying to hack the system, trace the source of the broadcast.

"Hurry up!" I grit my teeth.

"Hey you!" someone shouted.

I looked up from my crouched position nearly behind the station.

"What are you doing?"

"Damn it!" I mumbled.

"Come over here!"

I glanced at my phone.

"Get over here or I shoot!"

Sure, he held a gun, but he didn't cock it. What were my chances of getting past him? Clearing the fence behind me?

He can't see my face no matter what. I unplugged my phone, turned towards the police office, then turned jumping and pulling myself over the fence. I landed on my bare feet on the other side. My feet stung, but I didn't care. I looked at my phone... Lucky me. I had an address...

Was this L's address?

I intend to test this...

First, I had better go home, and get shoes.