The man, whose name I see is Rick, turns around quickly and meets my eyes. In the darkness, the red contrasts with the surroundings with a sinister glow. Rick narrows his eyes at me and sways drunkenly.
"Who, Who are you?" He stutters nervously. I flash my teeth at him in a smile.
"What are you? And owl?" I laugh sarcastically, mimicking his shaking voice. I stare him in the eyes as I walk forward, throwing a knife towards him, hitting him in his knee. He collapses to the floor and goes to scream, but I cover his nose and mouth until he falls unconscious. All three men are on the floor, breathing, but unmoving other than the ragged rise and fall of their chests. I frown at them angrily, kicking the last man in the ribs as I move quickly towards Kara and the girl, who is out cold. After checking on her lifespan and determining that she's okay, I weigh my options.
"I'll be arrested for this, but watari will help me out. Anyway, we can't leave her here." I sigh, staring at the girl's gentle, rosy cheeked face, my head tilted to the side. I use my sleeve to remove the tears from her face, seeing Kara give me a look I reply,
"Shut up. She'd get cold else." She shrugs, smirking and turning away. Flicking her my middle finger I smile back and turn to the girl again. After another moments thought, I hook my arm under her legs and the other across her back, carrying her bridal style. As I start walking an image flashes to my mind. A girl reminiscent of this one hangs limply in the arms of a boy stained in blood and dirt. Tears stream down his face. He arrives at a house, one that looks familiar. And a familiar man gasps in shock as the crying boy walks on past him with the girl, not breathing, unmoving, a crimson flower spreading through her shirt and onto his already blood stained hand. I shake my head, back to reality Beyond. You have to get this girl to the police. So that's what I do. The police recognize the girl, and after telling them what happened truthfully, im arrested for the stabbings. (When I say truthfully, they didn't know I threw the knives. Hehe.) Later on that night whilst im in the small holding cell, the door opens with a creak and the girl walks in. She smiles at me gently.
"May I?" She smiles. I smile tiredly.
"But of course." She walks over delicately sitting beside me. She looks me in the eyes without fear as most people do. Suddenly, she wraps her arms around me, hugging me tight and whispering through tears.
"Thank you for this. You don't even know me. You didn't have to help." She pulls back with her hands on my shoulders. I shake my head.
"Yes I did. What sort of a person wouldn't help? I couldn't have let them hurt anyone like that with no good reason. Please don't worry about it." Her smile fades a little, but doesn't completely disappear. She appears to be thinking in great depth about something. I break her out of the trance.
"Im Beyond Birthday." She shakes my hand lightly, grinning again.
"I'm Elsie Keehl." After a pause she laughs a little before saying:
"Im told you come from Wammys house right?" I nod. She looks upwards, smiling.
"Nice to meet you, B."
Present
I let my arm hang limply over the side of my bed as I stare up at the swirled patterned ceiling above me. My mind wonders away from me- back to the lamp lit street. The cool feel of a knifes blade, then the warm cheek of the girl, alive because of me. My lip curves in a smile as I remember that. As much as Watari tries to convince me that I did wrong, I saved her.
My thoughts are interrupted suddenly by the faint sound of jagged breathing contrasting against the silence. Someone is crying in the hallway. I roll off the bed onto my feet, walking quietly to the door, pressing an ear to it to listen. By the way the person's feet shuffle along the floor slowly, not muffled by socks or shoes, tells me who this person is. As he approaches I open the door just enough to see into the hallway. L doesn't notice, holding his arms close to him by the elbows, his shoulders shaking as he disappears into another dimly lit corridor. Curiously I step out of the room and retrace L's steps back to where he had been, and find blood in the bathroom sink accompanied by a bandage covered with dried blood in the bin not-so-subtly buried under clean tissues. Kara leans against the wall watching me with an unreadable expression, typical of a Shinigami, as my eyes remain fixed on the diluted pink blood trickling away. As I stand there, transfixed, I begin to question whether saving that girl meant anything. Out loud, I voice my thoughts.
"It didn't change anything Kara. Im still a bad person. Aren't I? Im still just a crazy, unwanted creature meant for nothing but tormenting others." I turn to see her reaction. She simply shakes her head and stands up straight, turning around.
"Well Beyond. At least you can acknowledge it. At least you know that this is partly your doing," She faces me briefly with a pained expression, "Unfortunately, I see no remorse in your eyes. You don't care. And you know it." And as she leaves me alone, I realise that she's right, and I start to laugh…
A
"Im worried about you A, you can't go on like this." Watari pleads worriedly. I rest my cheek on the cold wooden desk, replying nonchalantly.
"Why not? Why does it even matter? Leave me alone." Watari sighs and leans back in his chair, crossing his arms.
"You're a danger to yourself. I can't, as the one charges with taking care of everyone here, allow you to stay this way. That would be irresponsible. You will see a Councillor and you will be required to report to the nurse every day to check that you haven't hurt yourself." I absently flick a small ball of paper across the desk and acknowledge what's been said only with a slight sigh. I stand and leave the room in the manner of a zombie with a slowed pace and my head slightly to the side. I can't find any motivation to lift it. Or to see a Councillor. They won't be able to help anyway. As I shuffle down the stairs, I see the door open with the whistling of strong wind following the two people who walk in. The door slams shut as Roger removes his coat. The other person follows his lead and hangs her coat up too. Roger turns to the girl and smiles lightly.
"You'll be fine once you get to know some people. Don't fret too much my dear. Come on now." The girl nods shyly and smiles back, stepping delicately into the house further. Roger sees me and his smile fades a little. Probably my sullied demeanor. But at the same time, I hear another set of footsteps come from the living room. We all turn to see who it is, and as he enters, B stops in his tracks, surprised. The girl smiles brightly at him.
"Hi again B!" B smiles back confused.
"E-Elsie? What are you doing here?" He stutters. She only laughs.
"I've got to live here from now on." By this point I've walked over to stand beside B.
"You know her?" I ask curiously. B nods.
"She's the girl I helped the other night." Elsie laughs again.
"Hi, Im Elsie keehl, nice to meet you!" She smiles, holding out her hand. I shake it gently and force myself to return the smile.
"Im Alejandro Jeevas, but everyone just calls me A." She nods and skips from foot to foot, her long auburn hair flowing down her back under a grey beanie.
"A and B? Should be easy to remember. I'll see you guys later." She calls excitedly as she follows Roger out of the room. B and I give each other a side glance. I break the silence.
"She's crazy isn't she?"
"Absolutely insane." B agrees. He adds "And that's saying something coming from me."