Chapter 2: Daniel Waters

January 27th 2023

The back seat of the car was uncomfortable for Daniel. It was a small blue car, a Skoda to be exact, 1994 Felicia.

Not built for comfort or size in Daniel's opinion. His long adult legs could barely fit with his dad behind the wheel. His old man always had the seat as far back as possible in order to drive comfortably. Like father, like son he was a lanky man, if not a little shorter than Daniel.

Eva, his sister of eight, sat next to him happily humming a tune. She would often leave sweets or toys wedged in the seats once she was done playing or eating, or both in some cases. Making it an unwelcome surprise whenever Daniel would sit down.

The passenger seat, the one with all the leg room, was taken by his mom who was a lot shorter than Daniel and her husband. Daniel would have preferred the extra leg room, but his mom suffered travel sickness and needed the comfort of a wider view. He didn't mind, not too much. As long as his mom was smiling, he was fine with a little leg cramp.

Long car drives on a Friday night were a struggle to find a comfortable position. Daniel would often shift his body to one side, with his legs bending towards the middle of the seats and his head gazing out of the window while his back faced his sister.

It wasn't the best position but it had its merits. He could ignore his sister's inconsistent tune and enjoy the night view.

After about five minutes of near empty roads, Boston was finally leaving his sights as the many street lights illuminated the nearby fields and made way to the small towns and villages of the countryside.

His father was taking the family to a gathering out at a semi- remote location. A farm stead located east on the A16.

It wasn't anything sketchy. It was just the regular weekly meeting between friends, family and a bunch of people Daniel could barely remember.

He has been going there since the tender age of seven. Back when it first started with his parents and a few like-minded individuals.

Daniel didn't understand much about what was going on at first. Nothing was explained to him since he was too young to know any better.

Now knowing what it entails. Daniel finds the experience slightly uncomfortable, if not annoying to spend every Friday night at a barn when he could be in bed asleep or playing video games.

"Hope you're still awake Daniel?" his dad suddenly remarked quietly as Daniel shifted slightly in response.

"What's up dad" he asked groggily.

"We're almost there, just making sure you're still with us son"

Thay had left home at around ten in the evening. Daniel knew by now the drive always took around thirty minutes to arrive at their destination.

Another hour and a half until midnight, he couldn't understand how Eva was still awake and peppy as ever.

Peeling his forehead from the car window with a yawn, Daniel peeked into the distance and watched as his dad turned the car onto a short dirt road.

He could feel the vehicle bump up and down, shuffling him out of his comfortable position as his dad tried his best to avoid potholes.

"Careful sweety!" his mom warned.

"The big one is coming up!"

Sharply turning the car to avoid a massive dip in the road, Daniel quickly braced himself so that he didn't accidently get thrown into his sister. Poor Eva though banged her head against the window with a thump and tiny wet tears began to form in her eyes.

"Shit. Dad! You hurt Eva. There, there you little shit. Dry those tears, you are a big girl aren't you" Daniel said as he rubbed his sister's cheeks with his sleeve.

Daniel dotted on his little sister like an overprotective parent despite the fourteen-year age difference.

Since both of his parents worked during the weekdays, Daniel was the responsible adult that got Eva fed, dressed and even took her to school. Seeing her beaming smile and rosy cheeks as she leaves his hand and waves goodbye for the day warmed his heart. But it was the hugs and stories at the end of the school day he enjoyed the most.

Patting her head gently as the last tear dried up, Daniel picked up a tiny doll that Eva loved dearly from the floor.

"You're such a good girl Eva, Molly thinks so too" he smiled as handed the doll into Eva's tiny hands.

"Hold onto her tightly now, and the pain will wash away"

Eva held onto the bright yellow doll close to her cheeks as she embraced the fluffiness of the fabric.

It was a simple little thing. A doll of a fluffy yellow monster Daniel won in an arcade cabinet when they went to Skegness for a day.

Eva watched and waited as Daniel spent more than five pounds on a two pence machine, trying to get the doll to roll over.

It was worth every penny.

"Thank you, Daniel" his dad said as the car began to slow.

"Once we've stopped, could you help Eva into her garments. She seems to prefer you doing it"

Eyes of hopeful blue peeked behind the small doll as Eva hugged it close to her face. Praying that it would be Daniel this week that helped her get ready.

Smiling, Daniel replied "yeah, I suppose. But this little one had better stop wriggling when I put it on" he joked as he poked her cheeks gently.


The car stopped on a large open concrete floor in front of a massive barn that used to hold heaps of grain. It stood by a small decaying farm house with a collapsed roof and nests of crows cawing inside.

There were quite a few other cars tonight, all lined up neatly facing the barn. Around twenty cars in total forming two rows, a few more than last week but less than the week before.

Not everybody could come on a regular basis due to their morning lives. Nobody could blame them though; most worked a busy nine to five job and a few had night shifts to attend to. It was just good to see a regular large attendance every Friday night.

Stepping out the car slowly, Daniel had to worm his tall body out from his seat. It wasn't a simple task as dad's seat was still wedged far back, trapping his feet. Daniel almost tripped as he got his last foot out from the car.

"There's a decent number tonight" Daniel remarked as the family gathered around the boot of the car.

"I should hope so" dad replied with a smile as he popped open the boot.

"Father Curtis is back from London this week. That man is so much better at delivering the sermon than Father Beckett. His drivel voice shows no inspiration or interest"

Inside the boot lay four sets of greyish black robes. Mom and dad took theirs as Daniel grabbed Eva's tiny robe first.

"Lift up your arms. No squirming now" Daniel grinned as he wriggled the robe over her head and past her clothes.

Eva laughed as she purposefully moved around, making it harder for Daniel to straighten the garment. He didn't mind too much; Eva was just having fun while she can still enjoy these events.

Touching the soft fabric of her robes, Daniel thought about when he stopped liking to come here. He was probably thirteen at the time, he wasn't sure but he was definitely a teenager then.

Spending a school Friday night at the barn was a nightmare on the brain, especially after a long day of history and math. Trying to stay awake as the Father spoke from the good book was a challenge, he had heard the same droll week after week, year after year. He received a hard spanking from his dad one year because he fell asleep and snored during the opening sermon.

Maybe that was when he started to dislike coming here.

As soon as the family was robed and ready, they gathered outside the barn entrance along with everybody else who had driven there.

Through the open hoods that partially covered their faces, Daniel could see a few people he could recognise.

Mrs Moss was with her husband, the old and cranky Mr Moss. Adam Baker was alone this week; his wife and son was nowhere to be seen. Mr Peterson was talking to someone new; Daniel had never seen that person before but they must be well trusted to be here.

However, the person that caught his eye the most, with her noticeable red hair flowing out of her hood was Kayla Jones.

A beautiful red head from next door. Eyes of emerald and a smile that peaked with freckled cheeks. She was Daniel's first crush and a girl that he admired from afar.

Sadly, her abusive father was here as well. Oddly taller than Daniel despite the obvious weight of gravity pulling down on the man. Mr Jones was a fat drunkard that Daniel could hear shouting verbale abuses from his bedroom window every day.

From the earliest memories of primary school, Daniel saw the happy smile of Kayla as she laughed and played with her friends. Trying her best not to show mysterious bruises on her body, the aches and pains from her muscles or even the dried blood from behind her ear. It appeared that only Daniel knew that she was suffering on the inside.

"Normal accidents of an overactive child" it was described as when Mr Jones had been questioned by social services. That was a long time ago.

Daniel couldn't see it very well, but tonight Kayla seemed to have a cracked and slightly swollen lip. He had hoped it was the trick of the light deceiving him but… it wasn't the first time she had supposedly walked into a door.

He was about to wave at her, hoping to grab her attention. But when Daniel raised his arm, a loud creaking sound of the barn doors opening alerted everyone, stopping his motion almost immediately.

Silence had fallen through the crowd as they waited patiently for the door to fully open.

Stepping out from the dark entrance stood an old frail man robed in the same garments as everybody else, with only one slight difference.

Emblazed on the chest of the robe was a large black "K" with an interesting font, highlighted by a white borderline.

The man wore a simple but grandfatherly face. He greeted the gathering with a warm wrinkly smile with closed eyes.

"Good evening, everyone. May Kira be with you," blessed Father Curtis.

The crowd responded in unison "And may he be with us always"

In single file, each member walked into the barn and shook Father's hand.

Daniel's dad made for certain that he and his family were one of the first to be greeted. By rushing to the door with long strides, only Mr Hardy and Mr Stewart's family got through the door first before them, as they were slightly closer to the door than he was. Dad didn't seem to mind though, Daniel was very certain that he would still get what he wanted.

When it came time for his family to enter, Eva clung to the back of Daniel's robe. She was still afraid of the dimly lit room inside, fearing that monsters lurked in the beams above.

He couldn't blame her. The room was decorated by old Christmas lights that hung loosely on the walls. The light casted weird and stretched out shadows along the walls and floor. They often looked like grotesque monsters ready to eat unsuspecting children.

And then came the noises. Cawing of the crows that nested next door, they always find a way inside the barn and perch themselves above them all. Watching and judging with their tiny black eyes.

"Eva. There's nothing to be afraid of. There is nothing that can hurt you in here" Daniel reassured her as he patted her head.

Her little head bobbed with her hood as she lightened her grip a little, she didn't let go but it was a start.

Soon it was Daniel's and Eva's turn to greet Father Curtis after his mom and dad. The old man smiled with his yellow crooked teeth and crinkled face and took Daniel's hand into his own.

"May Kira's righteous sword keep you safe. And to you too little one. May Kira protect you and your brother from the evils in this world"

The old man's hands were cold to the touch and leathery. Daniel never liked how the man felt or how he could practically taste the man's breath every time he breathed. He just simply nodded and quickly took his hand away from Father Curtis before replying "May Kira protect you too".

Walking away from the Father, Daniel felt a little embarrassed and tense. He found his thoughts thinking of the old man as disgusting and creepy, he hated talking to the man and touching his creepy bony hands.

Rather impolite of him he had to admit but, there had always been something weird about the old man. Truly, Daniel thought all old people to be creepy or weird. Mr and Mrs Moss liked to be part time nudists apparently. The sudden thought of those wrinkled prunes walking around was enough to snap Daniel out of his weird train of thought and move on through the barn.

Walking with his sister in tow, Daniel moved past rows of folding chairs that lined up neatly in batches of seven.

There were ten rows of chairs in total, Daniel had counted then often in times of boredom. Despite being able to fit seventy people in the barn, Daniel has never seen more than half filled in the many years he has been coming here.

But the most important spot in the whole barn was the front row. The seven seats his dad hoped they would fill, just to be close enough to the wooden plinth and Father's words.

And just like he wished for, dad found his family in the front row alongside Mr Stewart's son and wife. Mr Hardy who had entered before them apparently liked sitting alone in the back row, furthest away from the plinth. Daniel assumed it was because the man would be the first to leave and go home. He couldn't blame the man. If Daniel had his own car, he would have done the same thing.

It took roughly ten minutes for everyone to greet Father Curtis and be seated. The old man was watched with anticipation by his flock as the man walked steadily to his plinth.

A single bright light bulb dangled from a wooden beam, illuminating the spot were Father Curtis stood, his hands firmly gripped to the plinth.

With a small cough to clear his throat, Father Curtis spoke clearly and firmly, full of vigour and life.

"Sinners. The world is plague by this filth once again. Ever since our Lords departure, they forget themselves and they forget the past. Kira descended upon our world in his holy radiance to smote the criminal and the unjust. Just from one look from his glorious gaze, Kira could see the infection that rotted the human soul and removed it with his healing hand"

Before Kira appeared in 2003, Father Curtis was not a pious man. Daniel had heard gossip from the other followers that Curtis; first name Charles, hated the idea of God. It was rumoured that Charles found fault in believing in an imaginary being that sat in the sky, deaf to his followers and their plights.

He mocked those who held faith, he scorned others for using it to fill their pockets with greed. It was not until the word of Kira reached England did Charles Curtis start to believe in an almighty.

After all, Kira could supposedly kill a man without being there. He had seen the videos and news articles to believe in that power. It was not until he understood why he was doing it did Charles start turning to the light.

Kira held the power to kill anybody in the entire world, and yet he used it for justice. Criminals, murderers and rapists were dying by the dozens and the rest fled underground in fear of a power they could not understand.

Like many in the congregation, Charles followed and smiled at every news article that said another died by heart attack.

The signature that Kira marked those who had wronged the world. "Attack the heart and cleanse the soul" he started to say. By then Charles started to believe in God, and his name was Kira.

"Once enough filth had left the mortal coil. Kira departed us with a world of the worthy, ready to learn from his lesson. But my dear loyal few, the hearts of man though easily attacked, cannot be broken by fear alone. Pray with me my people, pray that Kira may return to us and end our suffering at the wicked hands of defilers. May Kira be with you"

"And may he be with us always"

Carefully pulling on his right sleeve, Daniel peeked at the watch that lay hidden underneath.

12:32, for peaks sake. Get on with it already!

Back in the day of Kira, his followers stood at the tens of millions from all across the world. Speech and worship over his power and just killings were day to day topics that was spoken openly. But ever since he departed, the world started to move on.

Governments made it illegal to worship Kira. Openly praising or believing in his ideals were met with harsh punishments and massive fines. The world wanted to forget that Kira existed for the most part.

It was only in schools and documentaries that Kira was openly mentioned. And always viewed in the worst light. To teach future generations that Kira was a false God and a mortal man that faced true punishment.

Thusly, the church of Kira operated in complete secrecy, less they too will be hunted down and locked away for believing in a God.

Their members worshipped Kira by night and worked as model citizens by day. A sacrifice of a night's good sleep for a God. Daniel hated that part especially.

"Now my holy children, the night has reached its darkest. It is time to open ourselves up to our Lord and pray that he might light the way to those we find unworthy" Father Curtis grinned his teethy yellow stains as he waved his arms openly.

"Pick up the holy books from underneath your chairs. Help your Lord, right the sinners' names so that Kira may know them now"

Dad was one of the first to keenly reach beneath his chair and pick up a thick black book. His mom soon followed and even Eva grabbed hers after she got off the chair to find it.

Daniel watched his dad run his hand over the hard leather cover in awe. The "Book of Kira" embedded the front in large yellow letters.

His dad quickly grabbed the side of the book and flung it open eagerly. A wooden 2b pencil sat inside tied to a red velvet book mark. The pages inside were mostly full of names already written on both sides. Names given by follower's weeks past, people they believed deserved to die and most likely still lived to this day.

The practice of writing names in a holy book started a few years back, 2018 or 2019 to be exact. Father Curtis had been overseas at the time, visiting another church of Kira in Japan, passing on the good word and faith to his Japanese brothers.

It was from the Japanese that Father Curtis learned the idea of writing criminal names in the book. Curtis explained they started it as a form of therapeutic respite. "Write all the bad in the world in one book and pray to Kira that he would end their suffering" Curtis explained.

Father Curtis's followers caught on very quickly to the power of names and took great pleasure in writing them. Though not all were criminal.

Daniel wasn't a particular follower of this practice, he had written a few names when it started but after a while when clearly nothing happened, Daniel just stopped altogether. He preferred to keep his head down if he was sitting in the back, or pick up the book and pretend to write something in it if he was at the front.

Today, he was too tired to care. Too much of a long Friday of doing nothing at home and being full of boredom. The only form of joy he got out of the day was when he took Eva to school, and that didn't last long.

For now, he was more interested in what everybody else was writing.

Leaning slightly over to his dad, Daniel sneakily peaked inside his dad's book as he busily wrote inside, unaware he was being watched by his son.

Lawrence Evans, Ashly Hunter, Alfred Dawson… Daniel had no idea who those people were or why his dad wrote their names in. leaning a bit further over, Daniel tried to see what his mom wrote in her Book of Kira, but her writing was small and unreadable.

Looking over to his left, Eva was writing quite frantically in her book. The scratches of her pencil were becoming loud and very noticeable. Daniel became extremely curious to see who's names a little eight-year-old would write.

Alexia Lowe, Sadie Black, Amy Young…. These are all her friends' names?

Daniel felt shocked to see his sister write so many familiar names in the book. He has met most of them and has saw Eva play happily with each and every one of them. He made drinks and snacks for them when they visited their house. Does she even understand the meaning of writing their names? The desire to want them dead and gone from this world.

A feeling of shock and disappointment washed over Daniel as he watched a mischievous and devilish smile open on Eva's small innocent face.

She was happy to write those names, not only her but mom and dad displayed the same disgusting smile as they fervidly scratched names into the good book.

How long have they looked like that? Daniel wondered as the sounds of pencil scratches grew more rapid and annoying.

"What's wrong Daniel?"

Startled by his firm voice, Daniel turned his head upwards towards the plinth and Father Curtis's beaming yellow smile.

The teethy grin and closed eyes seemed to stare into Daniel's soul as he asked "Do you not have any names to write down? Is the world so full of justice and void of sinners that no man may deserve death?"

"No, no" Daniel stammered, feeling like he got caught doing something wrong.

"I, I was just trying to think of a few names to write down, that was all"

Farther Curtis continued to smile and watch Daniel as he felt like he was forced to reach down and grab his holy book.

As he searched with his hand, Daniel felt not the normal hard leather he was used to. Pulling out from underneath his chair was a black book and a thick wooden pencil that rested on top of it.

The book felt and looked thinner than the regular holy books, softer to the touch. The pencil was weirdly mishappen and a thick dark brown in colour, very different from the school styled 2b pencils.

Examining the front cover, the strangest difference between his book and everybody else's was shown in a large strange white font.

"Death Note"

Daniel had never heard of this kind of book before, he didn't know if it was meant to be under his seat. He thought perhaps that Father Curtis had replaced an old "Book of Kira" with this new one. Maybe he wanted to change the name and wondered if anybody would notice.

Opening the thin book cover, Daniel saw clean white pages with thin blue lines like a regular notebook. Clean and unwritten, ready for new names of the unjust.

But something caught his eye. On the inside of the black cover were a set of white writing.

"Death Note. How to use it"

This book has rules? Daniel thought oddly. The Book of Kira never needed rules to use it. Just simply write names and you're done.

Underneath the title listed five rules that Daniel read with interest.

"The human whose name is written in this note shall die"

The book started off simple enough, it was just what the "Book of Kira" required so far. However, continuing to read, the book started to get a bit more complicated with its extra steps.

"This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected"

An interesting addition, some people would instinctively think of the person who they were writing. Daniel figured it just added to the experience of therapy if you thought about the person you wanted to die.

"If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen"

That was just wishful thinking on Father Curtis's part. No book held power over death, and why add a form of cause, especially at a short time interval. His followers would bark disappointment at the false power of the book.

"If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack"

Falling back to the power of Kira on the fourth rule. Make the followers believe in something familiar.

"After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds"

Father Curtis is awfully interested in methods of killing with this Death Note. It was disturbing to read the idea of manipulating a person's demise.

Peeking from the top of the book, Daniel could still see Father Curtis watching and waiting for Daniel to write a name.

Creepy old bastard Daniel thought in annoyance.

Picking up the thick pencil that rolled onto his lap, Daniel held it tightly between his fingers and let the graphite touch the white paper.

The pencil stayed there as no name came to Daniel's mind. He simply didn't believe he knew anybody that deserved to die.

But Father Curtis wouldn't stop staring, not until he could see movement from Daniel's hand.

Perhaps, just maybe I would write his name. I mean it won't do any harm to him. And the next person to use this "Death Note" wouldn't know it was me who wrote his name. Would they?

Scratching on the paper, Daniel glanced towards Father Curtis's approving smile as he wrote.

Placing the pencil down, Daniel covered the name with his hand out a small amount of shame before closing it roughly.

Clapping his hands thrice, Father Curtis grabbed everybody's attention.

"Time is up my dear friends. Place your holy books beneath your chairs and sit and pray with me for a moment"

Mom and dad seemed pleased as they hid their books away, they smiled lovingly to each other like they had accomplished something great.

Eva got back off her chair and tucked her book away too. That devilish twisted smile was gone from her innocent face, to Daniel's relief.

Holding the strange Death Note in his fingers, Daniel observed its cover once more and was distracted by something strange.

From above them, in the beams of the barn, amongst the odd cawing of a crow was another voice. Daniel could hear it clearly but was confused as to why it seemed that nobody else could hear it.

It was a cackle, a harsh laughter that grew louder in the metal barn.

"Herngh!"

A loud gasp of air echoed off the walls as Daniel turned to face its source in confusion.

Clasping his chest tightly, hunching over the plinth with one arm stretched out reaching for help from his followers was Father Curtis.

The old man's face twisted in anguish as he gasps again for air before he slumped over the plinth with his arms swaying lifelessly.

Silence soon followed shortly by a scream. Daniel couldn't tell who screamed but terror quickly filled the barn with chatter and clammer.

Sheepishly standing up from his chair, dad walked over to Father Curtis and tried to find a pulse in the old man's wrinkly neck.

Horror or shock, his face turned white as he announced to the congregate "he's dead… died of a heart attack"

As soon as those words left his mouth, a smile cracked from his lips "he died from a heart attack" he repeated, like he needed to hear those words again.

Daniel watched in sheer surprise as his dad started to laugh and cheer over Father Curtis's corpse.

Hugging a scared and frightened Eva, Daniel listened as his dad started to proclaim "he's dead! Died of a heart attack. Kira has returned to us!"


Authors Corner:

So, the story is set England. I was told that writing what you know would make the task easier. I've never set foot in Japan so I couldn't continue Death Note over there.

But don't worry, there are a lot of interesting things that you can use in England for a Death Note story. Lack of speed cameras in most country sides for one, hell, even a few main roads don't possess a camera.

However, there is something I like about England as a setting. Old buildings; seriously there are tons of dilapidated houses in or around towns and villages. Best yet are farm locations; farm houses taken over by weeds, unused barns, ancient windmills, random wildlife, the list goes on.

Now let's talk about Daniel. He is twenty-two and still living with his parents; a common occurrence for most young adults these days.

I chose his age very carefully. We've read the school/collage boy finds Death Note story before. I wanted to try at a young adult trying to find his place in the world. It's a shit world, so let's see how he handles it.

Briefly onto his family; his sister Eva has changed a few times while planning out my story. She first started off as a slightly younger sibling doing a lot better than her older brother. She was going to university and owned a car.

But to me that was too much noise and unnecessary extra fluff for the character. So, I needed to tone it down and created a bit more of a sibling bond. Thusly she became eight years old.

Her large age gap compared to her brother may seem strange to some (he's 22 and she's 8) however it is normal for quite a few families. I would imagine that the mom had Daniel when she was twenty; young parenthood happens often. Fourteen years later when Daniel is fourteen of course, the mom would be thirty-four when Eva was born. A less common but normal time to have a child. Eight years later and the mother is now forty-two.

And at last, let's talk about the cult; Church of Kira. In the manga and anime, there has always been worshippers of Kira. To me it was a very interesting part of the story to watch a strange kind of fear warp people into worshipping a mass murderer. It wasn't fear that affected everyone but I would like to think it helped.

I wanted to use that aspect of the story and bring it front and centre. The problem I had, is that I can't find an official name for the religion. I at first thought it was called "Kira's Kingdom", but that was a tv program.

So, I went with something simple for the religion, "Church of Kira", straight to the point.

Anyway, chapter 3 continues Daniel's story and I will hopefully see you there.

May Kira be with you.