"Hello." Came a voice beside him.
He looked down and at the little boy standing next to him. His heart clenched. He should have known this would be the next person he'd meet, but he hadn't expected this.
A stood next to him, his short hair still stringy with sweat, his face was blue tinged, his lower lip had bloody teeth marks in them and his eyes bugged grotesquely. His pants were soiled and his hand had blood crusted on them where his finger nails had cut into the palms. Around his neck was a rope, bruising could be seen at the edges. He felt sick... A had a knowing look in his eyes.
"Why are...?" He couldn't finish, fearing the answer.
"Why am I like this?" A gave him a sad look. This is how you expected me to look. This is the appearance you gave me because you haven't let go a your guilt. You forgave B for his part in my death. Now, now you need to forgive yourself."
"How!? I knew you weren't emotionally capable of handling my job, that the pressure on you was too great, but I did nothing."
"You didn't know how L. You treated me like you'd been treated when you were a child. Watari meant well, so did you, but without prior knowledge you didn't know how to connect with another person, let alone someone as emotional as I was. That's why this is my heaven." He said, waving his arms out around the playground. "A place of childish happiness for all the abandoned or abused children throughout time. They can be what they are here. Grown-ups that loved children, and wanted to protect them have become the parents."
"What do I do?"
Without answering, A lifted one of L's hands to the rope around his neck. "Untie it. Heal me."
Not quite understanding what to do, L carefully loosened and lifted the rope from the boys neck. Not knowing what else to do, he took off his shirt wet it with a water bottle he found nearby, and began wiping first at the bloody grooves in the boys palms, he was shocked as they vanished under his washing, then to his neck, he watched the bruising and chafing fade, the to his face over the eyes, gently pushing them back in. Finally he took the remaining water and poured it over A's head. The boy was clean at last.
A smiled at him gently, took a deep breath and hugged him. L hugged back and allowed the boy to cry. Once that was done A grabbed his hand. Come play and L did.
They played for hours, L forgot all his adult inhibitions for awhile and played just as hard as the rest of the children, for a while he was a child, as he'd never been in life. Until at last, night came.
"It's time to go now." Said A
L nodded. "Thank you."
A smiled. "Thank-you. Now, you have one more person to meet." After saying so, A turned and ran to a waiting pair of adults, that must have been his parents, and waving one last time, turned and faded away.
"It's time for you to go now.