Chapter One
"A...B...C..." Near scrolled through the list of possible letters that could fit into each square box. An intelligent fellow like Near spends his time doing Sudoku and crossword puzzles. "It couldn't be an F, because the second box is labeled a Q as confirmed by "QUEST" which goes across..." Near was a short, slim boy. He was incredibly brilliant; his brilliance has even outshined trained scientists in their 40's. His bright gray hair was unusual, yet naturally elegant. There was something about his personality that was unique. He was one of the only teenagers that could stay realistic and optimistic at the same time.
"Perhaps this would be quicker if Mello were hear," Near spoke to himself. "Ah! I have discovered the issue. The across word is not QUEST, it is NOSES. Metaphorically, noses can encourage you to discover." Near smiled and giggled at his own strange humor. Near had high self esteem and confidence, despite only having one friend. That was a contributing factor to his brilliance- Near had crazy problems, but he never let the problems seriously affect him.
"Hmm?" Near mumbled as he saw an object that appeared to fall out of the sky. His curiosity was immense; he could not resist but to stand up from the rusty, ragged bench and walk over to the object. He had an extremely slow pace, due to nervousness. Near had phenomenal senses; he knew when something was normal, and when something was abnormal. His slow, yet intense footsteps left tracks in the gentle snow. "It appears to be some sort of notebook," he spoke to himself.
The "notebook" read DEATH NOTE in white letters on the front. Immediately, Near was terrified. Not of the Death Note, but of the shinigami that appeared next to him. He was fairly small, and appeared to be a poorly sewn together stuffed animal. He had only one eye, and he seemed to be in great pain. "Near," the mysterious shinigami spoke, "I have been waiting to see you. The time has finally come." Near's facial expression set a new definition for confusion. "My apologies. I did not mean to disturb you be picking up this book-"
"Do not apologize. The decision is yours: you can keep it, or you can let go of it. You must be aware, though- it is a more complicated decision than that."
"It is just a notebook. Surely, there cannot be any significance to it whatsoever." For once, Near was incorrect.
"You are wrong, Near. The Death Note is the name of this notebook. By wielding this notebook, you are in control of so much. You can instantly kill somebody and decide how they die, too. Also by deciding to yield this notebook, I will be following you. If you decide to kill with it, you will not go to Heaven nor Hell. In addition, only those that touch the notebook can see or hear me- Gelus. All the rules are in the front cover."
Near was horrified. Gelus had just spit out so much information at him. He didn't know which to do- keep it, or let it go. There were pros and cons to both, but either way, it would change his life forever.
"Gelus," Near began. "I am prepared to embark on this journey with you."