ANOTHER SIDE, ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Twenty Seven

Picnic

Steven and Luke went to Maplewood Park at the same time that day. Steven had, of course, brought the Death Note with him in the seam of his backpack where he'd put the bag of chips and soda in. Luke didn't bring any food because he was never asked to. When they walked down the road and went through the gate, they saw the familiar park laid out before them.

There was a path going down by some benches and a green hillside where it connected with a bridge. Beyond the bridge was a forest and in the center of the forest was a clearing with a playground for toddlers. Steven could spot a mother and two kids running around in it. The path continued into a denser part of the forest where it emerged back on the other side of all the green hills.

On top of the one of the hills, Steven could see them. A group of ten or so people hanging around by a huge blanket in the grass

"I don't see Ryoku." Zando said from behind Steven.

Steven smiled. Jennie was laughing. He could hear that laugh from all the way across the park and it was nice to hear. Last time he'd seen her was at the school where she'd been scared and sad. How could he ever suspect her as Kira?

Careful said the little voice in his head, you can't trust anyone…

Steven ignored this voice and walked toward the group, waving to them happily as they arrived.

Steven recognized Sarah Schmidt amongst the group. Everyone else, however, Steven had never seen before. There was a black boy who was talking to two others boys about football. There were three girls sitting next to Jennie talking to her about how one of them just got a job at the mall. Jennie looked up when he approached them.

"Ah! Steve!" She said, "Guys, this is Steve. Steve, guys."

"This is Luke." Steven said, gesturing to Luke at his side, who posed when introduced.

"I know him." Jennie said. "Hi Luke."

"Sup, sup." Luke said and Steven got the distinct impression that he didn't want to be there again.

Damn him, Steven thought, smiling and shrugging his backpack off to take out the food.

For the first five minutes or so, it was a little awkward. Luke didn't say a word but Steven got to know some of Jennie's friends a little better. The girls were very giddy and laughed at just about anything. The guys, Steven saw with a flicker of annoyance, all seemed to be trying to flirt with Jennie and Jennie alone. Lucky for him, Luke was there to make them look like idiots. Whenever one of them said anything remotely stupid, Luke would retaliate with a witty comment and make them look foolish while Steven and Jennie scoffed into their hands.

"I've got to take a piss." Luke muttered, standing up after what felt like an hour of sitting there. "I'll be back."

Steven smirked and looked down at the blanket. It really was huge. He figured Jennie's mom or someone else must've made it. There were very strange designs threaded into it.

"You've got some interesting friends, Steve." Jennie smiled.

"He's the only one." Steven said.

He looked around and saw that most of the food had already been eaten and he was surprised at how little he, himself had eaten. He hadn't exactly been very hungry. He was only there so he could talk to Jennie. Her friends were all talking to each other. The boys had taken out a football and were running up and down the hill tossing it back and forth.

"So…" Steven began, thinking quickly of something random to talk about. "Before the whole Hazen thing happened, how many others were originally supposed to come?"

"Umm, around thirty." Jennie said thoughtfully.

Steven stared at her with raised eyebrows and she laughed.

"Did a lot of people not want to come because they were too depressed?" He asked.

"Yeah, I told them they were lame, though. Don't worry." Jennie said.

"That's good. Maybe more people will show up now because they don't want to be lame." Steven smirked.

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" Jennie asked curiously.

"No, I am. This is nice."

"What is?"

Steven flushed. "Being here with…" He would've finished the sentence but Luke returned at this precise moment and took a seat. There was something odd about Luke's expression and he seemed to be spacing out and looking at the forest. Steven savagely almost wanted to tell Luke to go take a piss again so that he could finish what he was saying but it was too late.

Steven looked down at the intricate blanket again, thinking furiously as Jennie turned to one of her friends. Had she guessed what he was going to say? Maybe she was too embarrassed to keep talking to him too. Damn it all, why couldn't Luke have just pissed for another minute?

"What were you going to say?" Zando asked curiously.

Steven frowned and ignored him, trying to think of something else to say to Jennie. Maybe he could ask her for a talk somewhere more private.

And then he saw something that made his heart stop. Something had just flown out from the trees. It landed right behind them. Long hair. A strange mask. Bellowing, torn robes. And wide, devil-like eyes. Steven stared at it in horror but this was nothing compared to Zando's expression.

"Ryoku!!" The Shinigami shouted, standing up.

The hunter was faster than Steven could've imagined. In a flash, Zando was pinned on the ground with Ryoku on top of him, both blades resting against the underside of Zando's neck.

"Steven! Help me!" Zando yelped.

"Shut up." Ryoku breathed in Zando's ear.

Steven felt a numb sort of dead feeling in the pit of his stomach. What the hell was going on? He looked around and saw that everyone else was minding their own business. Luke was picking at the grass around his feet; Jennie was talking to her friends. None of them had any clue that there was a Death God being held prisoner by another next to them. Except for Steve. But there was nothing Steven could do. He couldn't say anything or do anything or everyone would know. And what was there that he could do, anyway?

He glared at Ryoku, his fists trembling. How had this happened? Had the hunter been waiting this whole time? Zando trembled, staring at the blades apprehensively. Why didn't he just fly off with Zando captured right now?

"You're expected." Ryoku said suddenly, looking at Steven. "Go down the path into the forest."

Steven wanted to ask why. He had a thousand questions running through his mind. He had to fight the impulse not to try and swing a punch at the Hunter's masked face, knowing that it would be a fruitless effort. Instead, he stood up, muttering "I got to take a piss." to Luke.

He walked off down the path, not looking back. Would Zando be okay? Would they still be there when he returned? Would he return at all? And why was he going into the forest, obeying Ryoku like he was some sort of dog? It was a strange feeling. But he had no other choice. "He was expected" is what the hunter had said. Expected from whom?

And then the fleeting realization ran through him. It had to be the person who killed everyone at Hazen. The one behind his misery. The one who had tarnished Kira's name. Was he about to finally find out who it was?

But why now!? God damn it! He was sitting there with Jennie not even a minute ago about to tell her how he felt and now he was going into the forest alone without his Death Note and with Zando in custody of the Hunter's blades. A feeling of dread was in the pit of his stomach.

He arrived in an empty clearing. There were dense trees and bushes all around. Nobody on the outside would be able to see, or even hear, what was going on inside of the clearing. He came to a stop and for a brief second, considered running back. But what good would that do?

And then he saw it. A few leaves rustled and Steven saw a figure emerge from the bushes on the other side of the path. He felt a plummeting feeling of horror and realization flow through him as he looked up at her face.

Author's Note: Short Chapter, I know. I'll make up for it with the next, and final chapter in this story. I hope you enjoy. And I must apologize for the cliff-hanger. Let me know what you think