Recent Developments

Misaki cracked her left eye open, allowing some sunlight to seep into her eyes. As strong as the rays of light seemed, it was just the drowsiness that made it seem so bright. Slowly, she wiped the sleep out of her eyes. The source of light was merely the sun outside reflecting on the dumpster outside.

Right as she opened her eyes, she knew something was wrong. There was an eerie chill in the air. She had had these strange hunches, ever since she was a little girl. Her mother would always joke that she would become a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. Her mother…

A feeling of dread set in, and Misaki's eyes widened. She spun around; her hunch was correct. Her box- it had been flipped upside-down. This was bad. Really bad.

Misaki, hands shaking, lifted the box, setting it down gently at her side. On the ground, her money was scattered, forming swifts on green and blue. The colors calmed her somehow. Then, a pang shook through her head like a wrecking ball. Where was the pendant?

Someone had been in here. Someone looking for the pendant. Misaki felt flames ignite in her eyes. Whoever did this… would pay.

Her mother had given Misaki the pendant on her 9th birthday. She could remember it like it was yesterday. After everyone singing happy birthday, the buzz of excitement in the room had grown. Unwrapping present after present, smiling and thanking all of her friends.

Then her mother walked up, holding something metallic in her hands, which glinted under the warm glow of the lights. The emerald had been so beautiful, sparkling, as if it had an entire world encased beneath its shell. She remembered staring in awe, then quickly smiling and putting it on.

But looking up, her mother had a distressed look on her face. This was normal; Misaki's father had just died a couple months ago. But the expression on her face was saying something different. As if it was trying to hide something. But then her mother smiled, and Misaki had gone back to opening presents.

That was the last time she saw her mother smile.

A quick shuffle outside, quiet, but still very audible. She froze. The room had no visible access to the outside, besides the door, which was being blocked by the dumpster. Thoughts raced through her head. Should she check outside? No, that would be a foolish act on her part. She would be totally cornered, leaving her vulnerable to whoever was outside.

Of course, it could have just been a stray cat or something. With a long shuddering breath, she made up her mind, and took a step towards the door. One. Two. Three. The sudden exposure to light left her momentarily blinded. She strained her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever had caused that noise.

To her frustration, the alley was empty. Panicking, she spun on her heel, nearly tripping in the process. With a jolt, she noticed a leg disappearing down the corner. The person must have noticed she was on to him.

"Shoot," she mumbled. She was getting desperate.

Out of ideas, she bolted down the gravel, turning the sharp corner- only to bump in to a crowd of people. What was going on? Pushing through the crowd, she found herself pressing against a window. The building was some sort of television store. On display, a TV was on, on the Sakura news channel. Apparently, they were known for their lies, only looking for publicity. But things seemed different here.

A young woman, with black hair tied up in a tight bun, was announcing some type of breaking news. A murder. She looked at the chyron running across the bottom of the screen. Breaking news. Criminals dropping dead. Cause is still not clarified, but police believe they were all heart attacks.

Heart attacks? Misaki felt her heart thumping in her ears. Had the curse followed her? She slowly took a step back, then broke into a run. She had to get out of here. She knew, death tended to follow her wherever she went.

A week after her 9th birthday, Misaki's mother mysteriously died of a heart attack. Life had taken on a darker shade. She refused to speak to anyone. She only ate when absolutely necessary. She knew that these were no accidents. Then, a month later, my dad's best friend, Yanato, also died of a heart attack.

She couldn't see how the police couldn't link these events together. It was so obvious. She had even come to them once, despite her will to stay silent. But they just ignored her. She was just a little girl, after all. That was when Misaki began resenting the police.

Misaki's footsteps echoed off the walls of the nearby buildings. She had been living here for such a long time, and yet, she didn't recognize her surroundings at all. She had given up on the pendant. She just had to leave now. And then, a heavy grunting sound behind her.

"I am Riku. Its been a while, huh Misa."

Misaki slowly turned around. There, standing in front of her, was a towering shadow. With a face. The creature's face was a pale white, a crooked grin seemed to be permanently cut into it's face. It's eyes were a dark red, the pupils so small they were almost invisible.

A scream found its way up her throat, but she quickly forced it back down. Who... What are you?

Simple. I'm a Shinigami. I've been watching over you for quite a while now.

Thanks so much for reading chapter 2! I'm trying to add a chapter at least 3 times a week, but sorry if I don't! Mello out :3