Monday, July 22, 2013

Death Note: Chapter Zero. Chapter Fourteen: Shock.

3,509 words. I don't know why I like telling you that. I think it's me boasting. Anyways, I began to write this after I finished the original chapter thirteen. I hated this one two, but now I love it. I'm so happy to be out of this funk I was in. It really sucked.

Chapter Fourteen: Shock
Light Yagami sat in his room, thinking of Misa Amane and her Shinigami friend, Rem. He would have to find a way to kill Rem, but doing that would be difficult. He knew how to do it; all he had to do was put Misa's life in danger. But Rem said that she would kill him if Misa was ever put into any danger. He would have to find a way to put Misa's life in danger, but in a way that the Shinigami could still save her.
Light's door opened, and he turned around to see his sister. "Light, can you help with my homework?" Sayu asked. "I'm still having trouble with these quadratic equations."
"Sure, no problem," Light told her. He hated it when she just barged into his room. He could've sworn that he had locked the door. Sayu pulled a seat up next to Light, by his computer desk, and sat down. "So, what are you having problems with?"
As Light helped Sayu study, he was given an earful about how Taro was such a genius. "It's weird actually," Sayu told her brother. "Taro used to be even worse than me in this stuff, then he all of a sudden rose to the top of the class."
"Maybe he was trying to impress you?" Light asked.
"No, he's too dense to do that. He didn't even realize I liked him until I tricked him into going to the cafe with me!"
"Well, either way, it's better for you to be with someone who's smarter than the average person." Light pointed out a mistake Sayu made on the paper, and watched as Sayu corrected it. "Wasn't Taro supposed to come over today? You know, to be formally introduced to Mom and Dad?"
Sayu looked at the paper with hard eyes, and Light could see her trying to think. "Yeah, but he had to stay after class. The teacher wanted to talk to him about something."
"What about?" Light asked. "He didn't get in trouble, did he?"
"No, I don't think so." Sayu wrote on the piece of paper, which Light inspected; she had answered the question perfectly. "He WAS late, but the teacher didn't seem upset with him. I stayed behind for a while, to see if he would get out soon, but he never came out, so I just left."
"Why not call him and ask him to come over tonight," Light suggested. "I asked Misa to come over today, and I think it would be easier on you if we were there with you."
"Really, Light?" Sayu asked, looking at her brother. "It WOULD be easier than being alone, and Misa is really nice."
"So, is that a yes?"
"Definitely."
The two worked in silence, Light noticing that Sayu was getting much better with her work. She was not only answering the questions correctly, but she was doing so much quicker than usual.
"Listen, you've got the hang of this, so why don't you do the rest in your room."
"Yeah, sure," Sayu said. "Oh, when is Misa coming over?" She began picking up her books. When she had them all, she walked towards the door.
"I told her seven'o'clock," Light said. "So have Taro come over near then."
"An hour then," Sayu said, taking her cellphone out of her pocket and looking at it. "Thanks again, Light!"
"No problem." After watching his sister leave, Light put on his shoes.
"You going somewhere, Light?" Ryuk asked.
"I'm gonna go out for a walk. I need some fresh air," Light told him. Light walked to his closet and pulled out a coat. He put the coat on, walked out of his room, and went downstairs.
Light walked passed his mother, and as he neared the door, she spoke up. "Oh, Light, are you going out?"
"Yeah. I've been cooped up in the house for too long; I need some fresh air. Don't worry, I'll be home by seven."
"Alright. Just be careful." Light waved his mother good-bye, and walked out of the house.

Taro Kagami was walking home, thinking of his meeting with the pale, panda eyed detective; L. Taro wondered if what he had told him was true. Was Light Yagami, his girlfriends older, greatly respected, brother, Kira? He didn't know Light very well, but he knew that he was aspiring to be a great detective, like his father. Sayu often bragged about her brother's cracking of difficult cases the police couldn't solve, or even make any headway with. Could Light really be Kira?
"No, that's impossible," Taro said to himself. "I would've seen Ryuk by now. There's no reason I wouldn't be able to NOT see him. Then again, he could've flown away."
Taro kept walking. He didn't want to believe it, but maybe L was right. From what he heard about Light, he knew that the young man was dedicated to justice, and hated seeing people get off for murder. He recalled Sayu once telling him that Light often talked about how he hated how known criminal bosses were never prosecuted for their crimes, even though it was a known fact that these people were guilty of far worse than what they were accused of. Taro could understand his frustrations; he often wondered why these people were never simply arrested and tried.
Taro arrived home, noticing a car in front of his house. He entered his home and walked to the living room, finding his mother speaking to a man in a suit. He didn't recognize the man, but he looked cultured, like he was from a rich family. His mother noticed him, with a shocked expression on her face.
"Taro, you're home!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were going to your girlfriend's house!"
"Something came up," Taro said awkwardly. He wondered who the man was, and why he was there. "The teacher had me stay back for a while, so I told Sayu I'd go some other day." Taro gestured over to the man, silently asking who he was.
"Oh! Taro, this is Mr. Nakamura." His mother stood, as did the man. The man looked him over, as if assessing him, analyzing him. The man was old, and he wore small glasses that were kept up with a large nose. "He's here to see you."
"Me?" Taro asked. "What for?"
"It is nice to meet you Mr. Kagami," the old man said. "I was just telling your mother about our prestigious university, and the wonderful addition you would make to it."
Taro was confused. University? What would a 'prestigious university' want with him?
"I know we have never sent you any type of letters or emails, but we are a very exclusive university; we only accept the best and brightest of children."
"Best and brightest?" Taro repeated. "I'm not exactly the best and brightest." Taro knew he was recently getting the highest grades in class, maybe even in the school, but he wasn't a gifted kid. He wasn't a genius.
"You may not think so, but we believe you have immense potential. In fact, I believe you met one of our founders today. He was acting as your susbtitute teacher today?"
Taro eyes widened in shock. This man was an associate of L's? This was L's doing? "So you're with Mr. Ryu," Taro said. "And that other guy."
"Yes, I am. We run a school for gifted children; it's called Wammy's House. Mr. Ryu is the one who founded it, and the man with him was his greatest student."
"Wammy's House? I've never heard of it."
"It's an orphanage founded by the man you met today, Mr. Ryu. We teach the children we take in, molding them into the best minds of their generations."
"You said it was a school," Taro told him. "Which is it?"
"It is both. We take in as many children as we can, and try to find them homes. While they are with us, we educate them, so they may be prepared for the future. Of course, you should know that we are based in England. So, it goes without saying, that you'll have to come to England."
"Taro, please consider Mr. Nakamura's offer," Taro's mother pleaded. "He is offering a full scholarship, and has even set up grants for you! This is an amazing opportunity for you!"
Taro looked around the room, unable to think. Move to England? But he liked where he was! He still had things to do here! He had to catch Kira, right his wrongs! And what about Sayu? He couldn't leave her, could he? His thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Nakamura voice. "Of course, Mr. Kagami, we understand that this is a tough decision. Seeing as you are still in the middle of your school year, we will wait until the beginning of your next semester for your decision." The man bent down and picked a suitcase up off the floor. "Your mother has all the paperwork, including the grants and scholarship papers, so all you have to do is decide." Mr. Nakamura walked towards the door, Taro still in shock about what he was just told. "We do hope you accept our offer, Mr. Kagami." Taro heard the door open and shut.
"Taro?" He looked at his mother. "Are you alright, honey?" She seemed on the verge of tears.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Taro wondered why she was tearing up. "You look like you're gonna cry."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that, this is such an amazing opportunity for you. You could go places, you know?"
"Can I think about this?" Taro asked. "This is all kind of sudden."
"Of course. You go on up to your room. I'll call you when dinner's ready." Taro walked up the stairs, wondering about L. About this 'Wammy's House'. About leaving his home.
Taro went to his room and sat down on his bed. "L must think a lot of me if he wants me to go to this Wammy's House place," Taro muttered. "And Mom's right; this is an amazing opportunity for me." Taro fell back on the bed. He thought of the possibilities of going to this prestigious school would bring him. He thought of the money that he would receive; he could support his mother, help her with the bills. The insurance payout from his father's death would only last so long.
Taro looked at the clock; it was nearly seven'o'clock. He could feel his eyes drooping, tired from the eventful day he had. He hoped his mother would let him sleep.
Taro lurched upwards, feeling intense pain out of nowhere. He grabbed his chest, feeling as though someone was putting a knife through it. He looked at his mirror, and his eyes widened; he was having a heart attack! "Mom," Taro sputtered out weakly. "Mom." He stumbled towards his door, trying to open it, but was too weak to do so. Did Kira find him? Did The Second Kira? Taro fell to the floor, the burning pain in his chest getting worse with each passing second.
Taro collapsed to the floor, unable to breath or think. The sound of his cellphone ringing was the last thing he heard.

Misa Amane walked towards Light's house, looking at her watch, making sure she wasn't late. It was 6:47, so she was actually a little early. "Rem, are you sure that Death Eraser will work?" She looked at the female Shinigami, who was flying above her head. "I mean, what if it doesn't work?"
"It will work Misa, you do not have to worry. If you wish, I can go somewhere and test it on a random person."
"No, that's fine. As long as you're sure." Misa neared the Yagami household, and walked up to the door. She knocked on it, waiting for someone to answer.
"I'll get it!" Misa heard a little girl yell. The door opened, and Misa was face to face with Light's little sister, Sayu. "Oh, you're Light's girlfriend!"
"Um, yes, I am. I am .. Misa Amane." Misa bowed. "It's nice to meet you again."
"You too. Come in." Sayu opened the door the rest of the way, and gestured for Misa to come in. Misa walked in, taking her shoes off and leaving them at the door. "Light's not here right now, he went for a walk. But he should be home soon."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought he would be here."
"It's fine. It'll give us some time to get to know each other. You know, girl talk."
"Yeah, that sounds nice." Misa followed Sayu to the living room, sitting down on the couch.
"Mom!" Sayu yelled, cupping her hand next to her mouth, "Light's girlfriend is here!"
"She is?" her mother responded. Misa watched as Light's mother, Sachiko Yagami, walked into the living room. "Oh, hello again Misa! It's nice to see you again."
"It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Yagami. I know I'm a little early, but I didn't want to be late."
"It's not a problem. Now we can get to know each other even better."
"So, how long have you and my brother been seeing each other?" Sayu asked.
"Just a few weeks," Misa told her. "When I saw him, I knew we were destined to be together forever!"
"That's so romantic!" Sayu said. "You know, I have a boyfriend, too."
"He's quite a boy, too," Sachiko told her. "Sayu, why don't you tell her about him while I go make us some tea."
"Yeah, okay!" Sayu said happily. Misa could tell from her voice that she eager to boast about him. Sayu looked at Misa, who seemed to have stars in her eyes."He's the smartest kid in class, he's handsome and strong, and he's the kindest person you could ever meet! He's also extremely dense."
"Dense how?" Misa asked.
"Well, I had to trick him into a date; I made us stay late after school one day, and I told him that I wanted to treat him to some cake. We went to this cafe, and I asked the waitress to make a comment on how it looked like we on a date. She did, and he asked me if it was a date. I told him it was, if he wanted it to be. He said he would, and then when he turned to look at me, I kissed him!"
"You mean you've already kissed him?! Misa repeated. "Oh, that's so romantic! You're so lucky!"
"Yeah, he's great. He helps me with my homework and schoolwork all the time. He even tutors me when Light can't. I don't really know when I started to fall for him. I guess I always liked him."
"Yeah, it's the same with Light. Ever since I saw him, I've just been in love with him." Misa then realized that she didn't know the boy's name. "So, what's his name?"
"Oh, his name's-"
"I'm home!" someone yelled out, interrupting their conversation. It was Light. "Mom? Sayu?"
"LIGHT!" Misa yelled, jumping out of her seat and running to Light. She jumped on him, hugging him tightly. "You're here!"
"Welcome home, Light!" Sayu said, looking at the two teens. "Misa's here!"
"I can see that," Light said. "Mind getting off of me so I can walk?"
"Oh, sorry," Misa said, letting go of Light. He walked passed Misa and towards Sayu. "Sayu and I were just comparing boyfriends."
"Really? Well, I hope you had some good things to say about me." Light's mother came into the hall with a tray of tea, smiling at her son.
"Light, I was wondering when you'd be home," she said. "I just made tea. Why don't you take some, and you and Misa go to your room for some privacy."
"Yeah, that sounds good," Light thanked her. "Come on up, Misa." Light grabbed two cups of tea, and began his ascent up the stairs, when he stopped and looked at Sayu. "Sayu, didn't you say you wanted to call your boyfriend and ask him to come over?"
"OH, YEAH!" Misa watched with amusement as the teenage girl ran up the stairs, passing Light. "Thanks Light!"
Misa followed Light up the stairs, wondering what Sayu's boyfriend looked like. The two reached Light's room, but Misa stopped before entering. "Um, can I use your rest room Light?" she asked. "I just want to touch up my make-up."
"Sure. It's the second door on the left," Light told her, gesturing his head toward the rest room.
"Thank you." Misa walked to the bathroom, leaving Light to go into his room with the tea. Once inside, Misa ran the water to the sink, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Alright Rem, are you ready to do this?"
"Yes, I am." The skeletal Shinigami reached behind her back for her Death Note. "Do you want me to write the boy's name down now?"
"Yes, I do. When we leave, you can erase his name and bring him back, so he doesn't have to die. Right?"
"Yes. His body will certainly be fresh enough that it can be revived. You just have to make sure that you do not think of the boy's face while you write your entry, otherwise everything we will have done would have been pointless."
"Don't worry Rem, I can do it!" She watched in the mirror as Rem wrote down the name of the boy, Taro Kagami.
"Alright, it is done. Now you just have to do your part."
"Thank you, Rem." Misa shut off the water, and walked out of the bathroom, heading back to Light's room. She opened the door and found Light sipping his tea.
"Good, you're back." Light put his tea down, and held up Misa's, which she took. She drank the tea, enjoying the hotness of it. When she finished the tea, she put the cup down on the desk, and looked at Light. "Now then, I trust you remembered The Boy's name, like I asked you?"
"Yes, I did," Misa told him. "But, I wanted to tell you something. I'll only do this if you promise not to kill any other children."
"What?"
"I don't want innocent kids to die for no reason. And besides, I've been thinking about it, and I think that would be a bad idea anyway." Misa breathed deeply. "If a bunch of children die at around the same time, the L would definitely think something was up. But if one kid dies, in an accident, then he wouldn't look that hard. I mean, afterall, wouldn't L think one death is less suspicious than a bunch of them?"
Light squinted his eyes and put his hand to his chin. He seemed to be honestly thinking of Misa's proposal. "I think you may have a point," Light said. "I was thinking of killing the kids in order to send a message to L, but maybe that's the wrong idea." Light slouched in his chair, putting his elbows on his knees. "Not only that, but L is searching for The Boy as we speak. If we only kill The Boy, and L doesn't know it, then he will be wasting his time for looking for someone who can't be found. That'll distract him, keep some of his attention off of us." He looked at Misa. "That's actually a good idea, Misa."
Misa smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Light!"
Light opened up his desk drawer and pulled out one of the Death Notes. He handed it to Misa, who took it from him. "Now then, just write The Boy's name down, and kill him in accident."
"Alright. I already have one in mind. I figured I could make him go to the beach, and drown in the ocean. Make it so he won't be found."
"That's a good idea," Light comlimented. "Now, write it down."
Misa took a pen from her pocketbook and opened up the Death Note. She saw that it was hers, noticing the language of Shinigami on the cover. She went to a blank page, and began writing.
Taro Kagami. Accidental death. He destroys/deletes everything related to the Death Note that he has. He goes to the beach at 11:00 A.M., where he goes swimming. The tide pulls him deep into the ocean, and he drowns to death. His body is never found.
Misa made sure to not think of Taro Kagami's face when she wrote the entry, not once imagining his face. She breathed deeply, closed the book, and handed it back to Light.
"You did a good thing Misa," Light told her. "Now we're one step closer to the dawn of The New World." Light opened the book, and went to the page that Misa just wrote in. His eyes widened in shock, and Misa wondered what was wrong. He looked up from the book, back at Misa. "Taro Kagami?" Light asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I remember him from Ao-Yama. Why?"
Light laughed a dark, little laugh. "I know him. Taro Kagami is my sister's boyfriend."
Misa's eyes widened in shock.

And chapter fourteen is done. I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I did. The next chapter isn't written yet, but I promise that I will try to finish it within the next two weeks. Have a fun summer everyone!

2 comments:

  1. Nice cliffhanger. Now, when Taro doesn't show up, the family might try to find him, and if Rem revives him too soon, Light might be in a position to figure out that he's been tricked.

    Two things I want to bring up. First, I'm not sure about Misa's strategy of not thinking of Taro's face. Yes, I know you have to have the face in your mind when writing the name, but trying to NOT think of a face wouldn't work, unless you intentionally pictured a different face. Just my thought.

    Second, this thing about Taro being selected to go to Wammy's House came completely out of nowhere. Now, it's not necessarily a bad idea, but it is a bit different from traditional notions of Wammy's House (as far as we know, EVERYONE there is an orphan), and I need a bit of convincing on the basis on which Taro was selected to join (unless it's simply to protect him, or reward him for his help). So I'll be looking for that.

    A very well-done chapter as usual! Looking forward to the next one!

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    1. I figured Misa would have enough conviction to not think of Taro's face. As for the whole Wammy's House thing, just wait. Trust me.

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