I still remember the pain I felt that day, six years ago. It was a miracle that I survived, but then again, it wasn't. My life had been saved by my first friend in exchange for his. Since he sacrificed himself for me, his remaining life span was added to my own, forcing my survival. To anybody who doesn't know what or who my friend is, you wouldn't understand anything I've just explained. Henceforth, I will begin my story on my fifth birthday, the day I met Arimoto, the most terrifying being you'd ever lay eyes upon, if you could see him.
My Aunt Petunia had kicked me out of the house for supposedly breaking a vase. In truth, my bully of a cousin, Dudley, had pushed me into the prized antique, causing it to shatter, a few pieces of glass impaling into my skin. I was nearly numb to the pain by the time I reached my usual hideout. It was a large oak tree that made an overhang, perfect for shade and protection from rain. Nearby was a small spring and just past that continues the little forest, until it stops at the neighborhood park.
I was forbidden to go there. The Dursleys wished for me to steer clear of other children because I'm a freak, a bad-influence, a tyrant. They feared something about me, so like anything a human doesn't understand, they result to violence and force, to suppress or destroy the unknown, me in this case. I am abused. My bedroom is a cupboard, my bed a blanket on the floor, my pillow is a balled up shirt, and my clothes are Dudley's old hand-me-downs, which hang loosely on my small frame. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon abuse me while Dudley bullies me, so there's no time that I'm at peace, unless they throw me out of the house, like today.
The thing is, today's different. I can sense it. Maybe it's because I'm turning five, but I doubt it. Something is about to change, and it's for the good. That was when I saw the notebook. It was leathery and black. In white print "Mortem Note" was sprawled upon the cover. The strangest thing about it was that when I lifted it, I felt a surge of power run through me. I continued to study the book, realizing that "Mortem Note" is Death Note in Latin. Confused, I opened to the first page.
If you are to right the name of a human in this note, they shall die.
The note will not take effect if the name is spelled wrong or a nickname.
While writing the person's name, one must picture the face, so people sharing the same name are not affected.
Forty seconds after writing the name, the human will die of cardiac arrest.
If within those forty seconds, a cause of death is written, the user will be given six minutes added to the forty seconds to write details about the death.
The note will not run out of pages.
Once the Death Note enters the Human Realm, it becomes an object of the human world.
I turned the page to see many blank pages. As I closed the book and leaned against the oak tree, I looked up to see curious, red eyes staring at me. I took in the being's appearance. His head was a human skull with sharp pointed teeth. He had a mess of greasy, black hair attached to his skull. The creature dressed himself in a grey cloak and had long, boney fingers, which had torn flesh hanging from them. All in all, he was the most terrifying thing that I've ever encountered, but instead of having a panic attack or initiating the escape plan I had begun to plot, I held the Death Note to the creature as a peace treaty.
It released a raspy chuckle and reached for the book from my shaking hands, but instead of taking the book, like I had hoped for, his hand began to glow red. He placed his illuminated palm on my forehead. All I remember after that is a strange sensation filling my eyes. My vision tinted red and the creature removed his hand from my face.
"What do they call you, child? Your name is hidden from my eyes." He asked. My eyes returned to normal, and I felt as if I could trust the creature before me.
"It's impolite to ask somebody their name before giving your own." I pointed at him accusingly. He chuckled again, amused by my actions.
"I am Arimoto, a god of death. Humans refer to my kind as "Shinigami." Now, strange girl, what is your name?"
"I'm Kayla Lily Potter, Mister Arimoto. What did you do to my vision? When you removed your palm from my head, everything was tinted red, and when I willed everything to return to the way it had been. Do you care to explain why?"
"I gave you Shinigami eyes," he answered. "Since you are merely a child, I didn't take half of your remaining lifespan. The Shinigami eyes allow you to see the name and lifespan of each individual you look at."
I nodded in response. "Do you want your Death Note back? I don't need the ability to kill people." Arimoto shook his head. "Okay, could you hold it for me, then? My aunt and uncle would probably burn it if they saw it."
Arimoto took the book from my hands. "Why do you think they'd do that?"
I turned on my heel and began to walk "home". "If you stick around for a while, you'll find out."
Little did I know, my lifespan extended by a few weeks. When I arrived at the house, Arimoto was shocked by the way Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley treated me. If he couldn't pass through tangible objects, then he wouldn't have managed to fit in my cupboard. Weeks passed, and I had bonded with the unique Shinigami.
Sadly, the day came. When I woke to Petunia rapping on my door, I could tell something was wrong. I could hear wind chimes. I realized later that the wind wasn't blowing, and the only wind chimes I know of are on the front porch of Ms. Figgs' house, down the street. They were still loud in my ears and quite distracting. I gained a few more bruises to my massive collection and I was without food.
It was after dinner, when it happened. Vernon came home angry and drunk, so out of pure instinct, I hid away in my cupboard. Unfortunately, he threw the door off its hinges, and dragged me from the insect infested room. I reached for Arimoto, but I wasn't able to grab his hand. Then the beating began. I was cowering, on the living room floor. My head was lifted by my hair, and I was kneed in the stomach, then kicked repetitively in the same area. I heard a pop, and a wave of pain shot through my body, causing me to scream. In response, Vernon kicked my ribs to shut me up. He managed only to make me scream louder, as he broke another rib. He lifted me by my hair, and clutched my neck, cutting off my air supply. I scratched at his hands, and my vision faded. When I had just about given up hope, sirens were heard outside the house. Vernon dropped me, and ran from the room. I crawled my way to the cupboard, to seek Arimoto's aid, but instead of seeing him, I saw a pile of sand where he and the Death Note were before. I concluded that he had written Vernon's name in the notebook in order to save me. His lifespan was far greater than mine, so his being added to mine insured my survival. I smiled grimly and let the darkness consume me. The wind chimes had finally stopped.
The next thing I remember is waking up in a white room. There was a heartrate monitor to my left along with an IV to supply my body with needed nutrients. I was clothed in a clean hospital gown.
At first, I was confused as to why I was in the hospital, but all too quickly, the memories came back to me. Tears filled my eyes for the loss of my best friend. As I was crying, a nurse entered my room. When she saw me awake, she nearly dropped what she was holding.
"You're awake!" she gleefully exclaimed and ran from the room.
Confused, I watched the door close. How long was I out? My ribs are healed and my bruises are gone, so I've been in a coma for about two months. My thought process was interrupted when a doctor and a man with greying hair entered the room.
"How do you feel?" The doctor asked me.
"Aside from my hunger, I feel fine. How many weeks has it been?"
"Eleven weeks." He answered. "Do you remember what happened and who you are?"
"My drunken uncle came home from work and beat me into a coma. The last thing I remember is crawling into my cupboard in case he came back to the living room. I also remember hearing sirens."
The doctor nodded as the old man seemed to observe me. "And your name?"
"I'd rather rid myself of it due to the memories it'll bring, but I'm Kayla Lily Potter. Anyway, let's speak of more important matters. Where will I live from now on?" I unconsciously began to twiddle my thumbs.
"That's where I come in," the other man spoke. "I'm offering to pay your hospital bill and allow you to live at the orphanage I've founded."
"What's the catch?" I narrowed my eyes at the man and saw his eyes crinkle when he smiled. By this point in our conversation, the doctor had already left.
"You'll have to take a test in a month." He stared into my orbs. "If you don't pass, then I'll have to send you to a different orphanage."
"What type of test is it?" I curiously gazed at him.
"You'll just have to find out." He smiled, but I could tell that he was serious about the matter at hand.
"I'll accept the offer under one condition." I sat up and rested against the wall.
"What would that be?" His voice was genuinely curious, but he also had an all-knowing tone.
"When I pass, you'll have to completely erase my existence from the world and allow me a new name."
"Trust me, if you pass the test. You'll be able to do that yourself." We smiled at each other and he held his hand out for me to shake. "Do we have a deal?"
I nodded. "Yes, but I-I don't really want to deal with any physical contact or groups of people." I heaved a sigh. "I'm still a bit shaken and people have always terrified me."
The man smiled and returned his hand to his side. "I completely understand, Miss Kayla. I promise to take care of you."
"Thank you Mister…" I trailed off not knowing his name.
"Just call me, Watari." He answered.
"Thank you, Watari."
Needless to say, I left that afternoon with Watari. He took me to an orphanage for gifted children and gave me a room separate from other people. My classes were taken via computer, and my meals were brought to my room.
I managed to pass the test given to me. It consisted of solving an entirely blank puzzle and hacking into a computer without leaving a trace. I gave myself the name Raina.
I think of Arimoto's sacrifice every day, but he gave me another chance at life. His death gave me a new beginning. Today I'm an eleven-year-old girl with insomnia and an addiction to blue raspberry blow pops. I have Haphephobia and Philophobia, so I tend to hide away in my room. I have not a single friend and many enemies, but I'm still alive. Currently, that's all that matters.