Elsie

When I wake, I check that L is still asleep, before quietly slipping out of the room. I lock the bathroom door behind me and splash my face with cold water. Staring at my thin image in the mirror, the mascara streaks running down my face from all the silent crying. It seems everyone is suffering from horrific nightmares of late. My most recent one pictured L, lying dead in front of the orphanage, after I watched him jump from the roof. That's what woke me. This has been going on for weeks.

I sit myself on the edge of the bath, and cry more tired tears. I stay there for almost 20 minutes. Just crying. Before I make my way back to bed, after washing away any trace of the tears. The sky outside has only just began to shine with faint, orange sunlight. I lay awake, arms wrapped tightly around myself.

I lay awake for about half an hour before I feel arms wrap around me from behind. I flip over slowly to look into Ls eyes.

"Morning!" I smile brightly. L smiles lightly back and kisses my nose.

"And to you." He replies. I think we both know at that moment that the other is putting up a happy front to mask the ever present feeling of doom, but neither of us care to mention it.

We both slide out of bed and get dressed, even though we know we're unlikely to leave the house today. We sit opposite each other on the bed, with Near sitting next to me. L is working on some murder case, whilst Near and I sit and talk. About what's going on in his head mostly, as he too refuses to see a therapist, even though he blatantly needs one.

"Mello appears in my dreams a lot…and he's usually the one to wake me up if the dream is a nightmare, and he's the one who's terrorising me in others. I think he's still trying to establish dominance in a way. By manipulating my dreams. He's evil." Near shrugs his shoulders.

I consider what he's said for a moment.

"I don't believe Mello is evil. He's on your side, he just has a different approach to you." Near looks at me out of the corner of his eye.

"He nearly killed Matt…"

"He didn't mean to. Why would he?" I reply. Near shakes his head, and twirls his white hair around his fingers.

"He's as bad as Beyond, in my opinion." He sighs, tucking some hair behind his ear, and resorting to stare at the rather creepy puppet resting on his knee. I look at him, confused.

"How is he as bad is Beyond?"

Near looks at me, and in a monotone reminiscent of Ls.

"Because he wants to kill. Because he enjoys it."

Near

Elsie and L sit together on the laptop, discussing a case, so I wonder over to the window and sit on the window seat, watching the woods. Just thinking back over my life, and I realise that not one moment of it has been positive. From the moment I was born, Ive been considered evil. And it turns out part of me is.

Part of what L said the other night burns into my mind. " Im tired of sitting there whilst Near cries, or breaks down after a nightmare and not being able to help." Im part of the reason L tried to kill himself. Because of my stupid nightmares and messed up head, the world nearly lost its best detective, and I nearly lost another brother. Elsie nearly lost her soul mate, her life. And what about Matt? Because of my evil side, Matt, an innocent, gentle human being, could have been killed.

I glance over to L and Elsie, who must have started talking about something other than the case, because they are now entwined together in a hug. I look back over to the window, and realise that my face is dripping with tears. I swipe them away, resting my forehead to the glass. I zone out a little, memories flooding back that I shouldn't remember. Being held underwater by strong hands, screaming. Being wrapped up in my brother's arms, in a closet, minutes before a body lay dead on the floor by my doing.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I notice movement, moving towards the woods. I quickly perk up and stand, shouting a name as I realise what's going on. L and Elsie quickly stand and come to see what's wrong.

"What? What's wrong Near?" Elsie asks, looking out the window. L does the same, before swearing loudly and bolting out of the bedroom door.

Sylas is there. Half dragging, half carrying a struggling Matt, into the woods.