It's so disgusting, the way people cheer on murder. Each one of those murderers were once human, and now they proudly yell that they hate humans and that those humans have minds the size of maggots. Ugh, they're all such disgusting monsters; I can't believe I agreed to become one of them.

When I became a shinigami, it didn't mean you where evil – it meant that you sent souls to the place they are meant to go. People try to drag you into their world of evil; I've been told so many times, "Joey, let's go see the next hanging! Maybe they'll do something to some hot chick! It'll be fun!" Sometimes I wish I could go back and just change the way things turned out. I wish I could go back and never become a shinigami in the first place.

(2 years ago)

Now what?! I'm broke, and now I'm jobless. How the hell am I suppose to pay this month's rent!? I'm getting kicked out this month for sure, and it's all because of those stupid gang members! If they hadn't marched in the restaurant when I was working, wanting to pick a fight, nothing would've happened! Why did I get fired anyway, I was just defending myself!

This is the worst day of my life! You know what, I'm going for a walk, and then I'm going to Yugi's place and then I'll come back home and start looking for another job. I can't just sit here and whine all day; I'm having fun.

Stupid boss, stupid punks, they ruined my day! Now I can't stop thinking about the fact that I'm going to be homeless at the end of the month, and that I lost such a good job – the hours were great and so was the pay! The worst thing of all is that I don't know where the hell I am! I've been walking around for about two hours and I don't even know if I'm still in Domino! Why can't this all be a dream? I'll wake up and my life is back to normal.

I look around and I see tree swings and benches just across the street. I can finally sit down somewhere! I quickly run across the street, checking both ways first, of course (the last thing I needed was to get run over). I find a black bench next to a streetlight and sit down. I'll need directions to get back home, but this place is a ghost town. I shiver; even the word "ghost" gives me goose bumps, especially out here. It's so dark, and the sky is cloudy. Perfect ghost weather.

I need to find someone and ask for some directions. I think I see a fast food place, and it's only a bit away. I'll just rest here for a minute, and once I don't feel as tired I'll go.I felt my eyes slowly close, and even though I knew I should try to stay awake, I thought to myself,

What can be worse than what will already happen?

It did get worse and in the end I never did get home. Well, at least not alive.

"Joey, are you still awake?"

I quickly sat up at the sound of Yugi's voice.

"Yugi, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," he said.

I laugh. Yugi looks absolutely ridiculous wearing a pair of shorts that are so big he has to hold them up and a shirt that looks like a dress on him. We really need to get him some clothes; mine are way too big for him!

"You don't have to laugh at me, I know I look weird!" said Yugi.

"We'll see what we can do about the clothes in the morning," I tell him, trying to control my laughter. "So, what did you need, anyway? You must've come in my room for something."

"I just wanted to know where the bathroom was."

"It's room next to this one."

"Oh, thanks… Um, Joey, why are you still up?"

"Can't sleep."

"You should try; it's been a long day."

"I'll try, but I doubt I'll sleep at all tonight."

"Joey, I have to ask you something important."

I have a feeling he's going to ask me about what's going on around here, based on the seriousness in his face and tone. But I'm reallynot ready to answer a question like that right now…

"Yugi, can you just ask me in the morning?"

"You know something, don't you."

Figures he'd notice. "I know a lot," I say honestly, ducking my head a little so that I didn't have to look at him. "But I can't say anything right know."

"Joey, I'm your friend! You can trust me! I just want to know what's going on, I want to know what we're up against. I want know what exactly those evil bird things are!"

I stare at him, unblinking. He has a point, about being friends, and he has a right to know what's happening to him, but… Could he handle the answer? If he knew I was an evil creature, would he still treat me as a friend? Or as an enemy?