Heaven Nor Hell
by D-chan
It skulks across the shambles that is the shinigami realm. Dust lazily swirls around Its hunched figure, made smaller by the leathery material stretched taut over the crooked bones that makes Its skeletal frame. Its sockets barely support the hard, clattering eyes. One swivels out of Its control with each move of the head; the other constantly staring straight forward, so It must turn Its creaking neck to look at something.
Difficult as it is, It blocks out the croaking laughter of the other shinigami. It is lost, and It refuses to speak up to ask for any favors.
Time passes differently in the realm of shinigami, so It did not know how long It wandered about. What passed could have been days, maybe even months. All It knew was that slowly, Its pathetic figure grew less stable; more frail. Pieces of leathery flesh began to peel so It left a trail indicating where It wandered each day.
It seemed to be of vast amusement to the others. Twice It turned to catch another shinigami rubbing Its fallen flesh between their fingers. The shinigami always laughed and shuffled off.
Sometimes It thought It saw the same shinigami numerous times. A flash of dark wings here, a glimpse of wide, mocking eyes there. No, scratch that—It knew It was being followed, and It resented and hated the shinigami for the wordless taunting.
It still possessed no Death Note. The shinigami king had forbidden it, claiming the lack of such power would do It a good lesson in humility. After all, It had done no favors for the shinigami king thus far; if anything, It had created difficulties.
Unbeknownst to It, It wandered the realm for fourteen years, growing weaker, never finding peace or solace or even refuge for anger. It never slept. It never spoke.
But the stalking shinigami finally approached.
This shinigami had a more human appearance than most. White flesh, like paper, with never-blinking soot-black eyes and a perpetual grin plastered to his taunting face. And when he made his appearance, he merely laughed.
It would have scowled, but It no longer had lips.
The shinigami's grin grew even wider, as though sensing Its anger. Though It was curled on the ground, dusted over because It hadn't moved from the fetal position in what felt like days, the shinigami lowered himself to his knees just so he could shove that leering expression into Its face.
"What did I tell you?" The shinigami bared razor-like teeth and quoted:
" 'Humans who use the Death Note go to neither heaven nor hell.' "