Death Note one shots and short stories

Stranger

(L's pov)

I will never drive without Watari again.

I'm in a new country, on my own for the first time.

Watari arrived a few days ago. He's setting things up for my arrival, which might not even happen.

I have no idea where I am. This town is strange. Only houses, all lined up in a row with perfectly cut grass and identical gardens. Clean streets, nice cars, and well groomed people.

Way too perfect....except for one thing.

I noticed her as I turned the corner. A young woman standing by the curb. She was the first woman I've seen here that did not have her hair up in some elegant do. She had two suitcases beside her and tear tracks on her cheeks as she glared at her phone.

I pulled up and rolled down the window. She looked up and merely tilted her head at me in confusion.

"Excuse me, Miss. I was just passing through and saw that you look rather upset. Is there anything I could do to help? Perhaps a lift to the airport or train station?" I asked, and the girl took a deep breath before looking at me, nodding her head.

I got out to help her with her luggage, and she got into the car. She introduced herself as (First Name) and I introduced myself as Ryuzaki.

"I'm sure you've probably noticed that there are only houses around here? No schools, or stores or anything?"

"Yeah, that's rather strange for such a populated town. Where is everything?"

"Well, this town is actually a lot larger than it looks. This is just the residential district. Just one of three. Everyone lives here. The next district is the business district; that's where the schools, stores and workplaces are. The car end of town has the historical district. That's where all the old buildings, the ones that's been standing since around the founding of the town."

"Do the people who live here realize how strange that sounds? I understand keeping your work life and personal life separate, but this is ridiculous."

"I know, but most people prefer to think of this town as a utopia. It began when my parents were just teens. Their parents had been deciding on what to do with some of the older buildings. Some wanted to remodel them and use them, others wanted to keep them as they were, fix them up a bit, but then turn them into historical monuments so we don't forget our early years."

"They ended up with the second option?" I asked.

"Yes. My parents and their friends didn't like the old buildings. Thought they made the town look bad. They were so obsessed with everything looking beautiful and perfect. The residential district with identical sized houses and perfect lawns and nice cars is what they wanted. When my parents and their friends grew up, they decided to change the town. They wanted their homes away from the older buildings and to keep everything separate. What you see is the result of their work."

"That explains the town itself, but not the people I've seen. To be honest you're the only person who hadn't looked down on me if the brief time I've been driving though this town."

"Well, my grandparents' generation felt that if we wanted to bring tourists to the town, the best way to do so is to show our history. My parents and their friends felt that bringing in tourists was more achievable by showing how perfect life is here. Every detail of life. Not just the homes and the cars and the lawns, but how the people themselves look and act. Beautiful lawns, clean homes, well behaved children, no crime."