Fifth chapter here! Before we get on to the fic, I thought you might be interested to hear something that happened to me the other day.
The morning after I posted Chapter 4, I got up and had a shower, as always. Nothing unusual about that. But when I got out of the shower, I noticed something strange.
There was blood on my hands.
No joke. And I had no cuts and there was no other source that it could have come from. It genuinely freaked me out.
In the end, I realised that I had nicked my leg shaving and just hadn't noticed, but it was still somewhat worrying at the time. I thought that maybe there was a real 'Her' out there haunting me, haha!
Anyway, on with the chapter. Oh, and there's a poll on my profile now about what you think is happening. I'm very intrigued to hear your opinions.
Light is hunched on his bed, trying to avoid the disgusting liquid that has pooled on the floor. He has removed his socks and trousers, scrubbing hard at the skin beneath to try and erase all traces of blood from his body, drawing his own blood in his fervour.
He jumps about six feet in the air when his mobile rings.
The fear does not settle when he realises that the phone is still in his trouser pocket, lying on the floor where he discarded them. He is torn between his terror of going near anything that has been tainted and his compulsion to never leave a ringing phone unanswered. Eventually, he leans over the edge of the bed, gingerly retrieving the phone with trembling hands.
When he looks at the screen, his paranoia lurches into overdrive. It is a withheld number.
If the creature could get to my laptop, how do I know she isn't in my phone?
The phone falls silent, and Light breathes a sigh of relief. But then it starts up again, more insistently, the glowing display flashing its annoyance at being ignored. Light flips it open before he even realises what he's doing.
"Hello?" he asks nervously. Shit, why can't I stop shaking?
"Light? Why did you not answer?" It's L.
"Oh, R-ryuzaki, I'm sorry. I just – I was listening to music," Light offers, cringing at his weak excuse.
There is a pause at the other end of the line. "Is everything alright?"
Resting his head on his hand, Light takes a deep breath, grounding himself. "Yes, I'm fine, Ryuzaki. What did you want?"
"I have just received some information pertaining to the case that I would like for you to come in and look at."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Can't it wait until morning?"
"Are you busy at the moment?"
"Well, not really, but-"
"Then I see no reason why you cannot come in. Watari will pick you up in ten minutes. Goodbye."
Light stares at the phone for a few seconds, his fear forgotten. L never ceases to amaze him with his callous attitude to others. Huffing incredulously, Light swings his legs off the bed and goes to stand up.
Only to have his feet come into contact with the congealing blood on the floor.
Shuddering, Light manages to keep in control. He will have to have a shower before he leaves. Perhaps two. Or six. In the family bathroom.
-x-
Light finally enters the Investigation HQ an hour later. Watari was not at all pleased when Light had eventually come out of the house, his hair still damp but immaculately composed. Light had not even checked his room before he left, deciding that it would be much better for his sanity if he just pretended nothing had happened.
L glances up when Light walks in.
"Ah, Light. You are later than I had anticipated. Were you caught in traffic?"
Watari grumbles something incoherent as he heads towards the observation room. Light pays little attention. "I just wanted to have a shower before I left. Now, what was it that you wanted to see me about?"
The detective balances a plate of cake on his knees, leaning forward to take a piece of paper from the desk. "You remember the documents I showed you the other day? The graves that were vandalised?"
Icy fingers trace down Light's spine. Yes, he remembers. "What about it?"
L eats a small forkful of cake, studying Light intently. "There have been some bodysnatchings that are believed to be related."
"Body…snatchings?"
"Yes. A small number of those deceased by Kira's hands in the past two days have been taken from morgues across Japan."
Light sits down on a chair, hard. He knows that it is dangerous to react to L's words, but logical thinking and base emotions are very different things. Fear crawls over his skin like insects, his heart thudding painfully. He wants to curl up in a ball, hide away where nothing can find him, stay in the light, away from the darkness because she lives in the darkness and she will find him…
He snaps out of it when he realises that L is staring at him, an odd expression on his face. The detective slowly eats another forkful of his cake, his eyes never leaving Light's. "Interesting," he murmurs.
"What is?"
"Your reaction. The information I just gave you was false, a fabrication to test a theory I have. One which you seem to have verified."
Light fumes with indignation. "Are you telling me that you brought me here to test some crackpot theory of yours?!"
"I object to that, Light. My theory is quite sound, as you have just proved."
"Mind enlightening me?" Light spits, his eyes narrow with malice. He does not appreciate being made a fool of, not one bit.
"You have been behaving very oddly of late. First, there was the issue with the photograph, where you appeared to 'see' something in it that neither I nor your father could. You then became very agitated when the power cut. And of course, that episode in the lift…"
"What about it?" Light challenges. He does not like where L is going with this.
"Light, when the power came back on you were cowering on the floor."
"So what's this theory of yours, Ryuzaki?" Light is aware that he is getting angry, too angry, that he should remain calm and deflect L's hypothesis with logic and a quick mind, but too much has happened to him over the past week, and he is beginning to fray at the edges.
"I recalled that you recently mentioned having a fear of ghosts. Since this strange behaviour originated from when you were shown the documents regarding sabotaged graves, a phenomenon that a phasmophobe such as yourself would associate with ghostly behaviour, I have concluded that you are worried that this 'ghost' is after you. I created this information about missing bodies to imply that the ghost was gathering an army, and you did indeed seem very frightened."
"That's just ridiculous, Ryuzaki. Even if I did think these events were caused by a ghost, why would it be after me? There's no reason for me to be scared."
"I believe there is, Light." The detective moves even closer, scrutinising Light with his gaze. "Guilt."
Light pulls back, scoffing. "Guilt? Are you serious?"
"Quite. The likelihood of you being Kira has increased significantly due to your behaviour of late."
"Look, maybe I'm just scared because ghosts freak me out, ok? I don't know how many more times I can tell you, but I am not Kira!"
Light regrets the words as soon as he utters them, because at that instant the power fails once more, the darkness rising to swallow him. The blackness surrounding him is almost tangible, and he is sure that she is waiting for him in there, the creature, her sharp claws gleaming in anticipation of tearing the flesh from his bones.
There is a clunk beside him as L puts his plate on the table, bringing Light back to reality. It's fine, he reassures himself. Nothing can happen if L is here.
"I must say," the detective speaks, his confident voice filling the black void, "that Watari really should do something about this electrical problem. It is somewhat annoy-"
L cuts short as the lights come back on. At first, Light is simply relieved that the dark has retreated, but this feeling quickly disappears when he looks over at L.
The detective is frozen, his eyes wide and mouth half-open. Light sees that L's hands are gripping tightly to the hems of his jeans as he stares unblinkingly at something on the table.
It is an apple. Dark red, so dark it is almost black, and shining in the artificial light.
L is fixated by it, unable to tear his gaze away. He reaches out a hand to take it, moving sluggishly, as though the air was resisting him. His arm is trembling, and Light cannot help but think that the detective is fighting against himself, trying to stop whatever force is compelling him to move.
L's fingers brush the apple and all signs of resistance stop. He picks the fruit up, holding it properly in his hand, this small act alone causing Light's breath to hitch. As L brings the apple to his mouth, Light knows that he should stop him, should wrench the accursed thing from his hand and throw it as far away as physically possible, but he cannot bring himself to even touch the detective for fear of what might happen. Light whimpers as L takes a bite from the apple, too-red juice running down his chin, juice that looks uncomfortably like blood.
Inside, there is not soft green apple, but dark crimson sinew and flesh.
L attacks the fruit, devouring strips of muscle with obvious pleasure. He takes one final bite, closing his eyes with satisfaction, then turns to Light. His chin and shirt are soaked with red, and he clutches the remains of the apple in his hand.
He smiles.
Light knows that smile. It may be L in front of him, L's face pulled into those features, but it is her watching him, her smiling malevolently as Light unconsciously shifts away.
Light knows the words before L even speaks them.
"Tastes like Justice."
Light gives a strangled cry and runs out, L's – no, her – deranged laughter chasing him all the way from the building. He runs, keeps running, going anywhere and nowhere, fleeing this unseen force. It has started to rain, and he slips over, landing painfully on the concrete. He breaks down on his hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
have to run have to hide stay in the light keep out of the dark have to go where she can't find me
Of course! Misa!
He scrabbles for his phone, shakily dialling Misa's number. Her house will be safe, she can't find him there, Rem always protects Misa so Light will be safe…
"Come on, come on, pick up!" Light whispers, his heart hammering louder than the dial tone.
"Hi, this is Misa-Misa! I'm at a shoot right now, so leave a message! And if this is Light, remember that your Misa-Misa loves you!"
Light throws his phone on the ground in disgust. He is cold, wet and terrified, and he has nowhere safe to go.
His phone rings and Light quickly answers it, not even looking at the caller ID.
"Misa?"
"I think not, Light."
It's L. But is it really L? Or is she still in control?
"Wh-what do you want?" Light asks, his voice rising with fear.
"I demand to know why you left in the middle of our discussion."
"Wait, what?"
"This is unacceptable, Light. I must say, this action has further heightened your Kira percentage."
"But I didn't…you don't remember?"
"I do not know what you are talking about. I was explaining my hypothesis to you and you escaped from the building when the power went down. I insist you come back to the headquarters immediately so that we can discuss this."
Light is torn. He does not want to set foot in that place, not whilst she might still be there, but neither does he want to give L any more reason to suspect him.
"Ryuzaki, please understand…" Light takes a deep breath. This is going to be a major blow to his pride, but he'd rather that than give the detective further evidence against him. "You were right about my phobia. It's not guilt, but I still can't help but think that there is something after me. And with the power cuts, well, that just exacerbated the whole situation. I had to get out. Please, I just want to go home and go to bed. I promise you we can continue any discussions tomorrow."
There is a pause as L considers this. "Very well. I shall allow it this time. But if you have not regained control of your fears by tomorrow, I will have to ask you to leave the task force."
Light sighs with relief. "Thank you, Ryuzaki. I appreciate it."
He freezes when the voice on the other end of the line begins laughing, a choking, unhinged laugh that does not sound like the detective at all.
"L?"
"Did you really expect him to believe that?" L's voice is twisted, a harshness to his words that send shivers of fear down Light's spine.
"What have you done to L?" Light demands with a confidence he does not feel.
"He's still here, Kira. Just not in charge right now."
"I keep telling you, I'm not Kira!"
"I am never wrong."
Light grits his teeth, desperately clinging to his failing strength. "I'm not afraid of you! You have no power over me, you hear? I don't think you can even hurt me. You don't have the strength, do you? That's it, isn't it? You can't actually do anything. So you use these cheap parlour tricks to try and scare me, because you're really just some ineffectual little spirit with a grudge."
The voice chuckles. "Oh, little Kira, I thought you'd learned this lesson in the lift…Do you wish for another demonstration?"
Light shudders unconsciously as he remembers those claws reaching for him, tearing through the metal like tissue paper…No, he does not want another demonstration.
"You are not the only one with the power to kill, my little Kira. I could kill this man if I so wished. But that would play into your hands, wouldn't it? No, someone else. Perhaps your sister? Do you think she would scream, Kira? Beg for you to save her as I sliced her flesh to ribbons?"
"You leave Sayu alone! She's an innocent!"
"But you are not, Kira. And I will come for you."
The phone goes dead in his hand.
I'm sorry to say that there will be about a week or so before I can put the next chapter up. I'll try to get it done ASAP for you.