Death Note one shots and short stories

Hypothermia

I don't know how long I've been walking in the blinding snow. I just knew I needed to get out of there.

I had no idea what time it was. Was it day? Or was it night time? It's impossible to tell. The snow is falling so thick that the sky is completely blocked. It's dark, but it's been dark since I woke up this morning.

It all began just like any other day. I got up and checked the weather for the day. It was a school day, and I had expected a long day of classes at the local high school.

It was snowing heavily, and all of the schools in the area were closed due to the storm.

As was typical for closings and delays I woke my mother to let her know. Then I went back to bed, only to be forcibly woken just a couple of hours later.

My mother was enraged for no reason. It started off about screaming about skipping school, despite telling her that school was closed.

Then she started yelling about other things like how I was keeping her from doing what she had planned for the day. It was like she thought I was making it snow.

"Mother, it's storming really bad out there. Visibility is non-existent." I told her, opening the blinds to show her how heavily it was snowing. Then I showed her the Weather channel, where they were explaining the situation. We had a blizzard warning for the day.

She had calmed after that, though I hadn't known the calm would only be temporary.

I returned to my room and dressed in a couple of layers because it was so cold. An hour later my mother returned to the angered state she had been in earlier.

However, it was worse this time. She was not to be calmed. She was screaming I had ruined her day, and why couldn't I just go out somewhere, anywhere. Just away from the house.

I guess she had places she had planned to go while I was at school, and due to the weather she was stuck in the house. Driving into town would be impossible in this storm.

I ignored her yelling, used to her shouting about whatever upset her.

This was the worst thing I could do. When she didn't get a response to the verbal attacks, things turned physical.

My mother grabbed my hair and threw me to the floor where she proceeded to kick me over and over. I was in a great deal of pain by the time she wore herself out and went to her bedroom for a rest.

Not knowing how much time I had, I forced myself to my feet. I made my way to my bedroom. I grabbed my bookbag where I placed my most precious items and pulled on a couple more layers of clothing.

I had no idea where I would go, just that I needed to get out.

It was hard at first to walk. It was so cold, and my chest was hurting from the attack.

The pain had receded a bit. I knew that I must have been walking for at least a little while. I wasn't sure how long though. I had no way of keeping track of the time.

Normally I would use my cellphone to tell me the time, but I left my phone in my bedroom. I didn't want my mother to track me that way, should she choose to do so.

I was freezing, despite the thick layers I wore. I had already lost feeling in my feet, and was slowly losing feeling in my fingers.

I quickly stuck my gloved hands in my coat pockets in hope of keeping them somewhat warm.

I forced myself to keep going, knowing I couldn't go back. I would have a better chance to survive if I just stayed out here.

And isn't that a disturbing thought?

Eventually though, the storm began calming down. The temperature remained chilly, but at least I could kind of see where I was. I was in the middle of a city.

I looked around, trying to find some familiar landmark to tell me what city I was in. I didn't recognize the buildings or street names, though.

How long had I been walking? How far had I walked? Where was I?

I was suddenly startled when a car stopped near me. The driver was a kind looking older man. He had white hair and grey eyes. He was wearing a suit.

"You are looking lost Miss. Are you looking for something?"

While I knew not to talk to strangers, I really needed the help, and I felt like I could trust this elderly man.

"I am lost sir. I'm looking for a place to stay, as I had recently left my home."

He offered me a ride to the nearby orphanage, where I could at least stay until the weather cleared up some more.

I hesitantly got into the car, sitting beside a guy about my age. He had thick black hair and stormy grey eyes. He was crouched in his seat and was wearing jeans and a long white shirt under his black winter coat. Despite the cold air outside the car, he wasn't wearing his shoes. I noticed they were on the floor in front of him.

The dark-haired guy was staring at me, as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Did something happen to you at your home? Is that why you left?" He asked suddenly. I froze in surprise. Was it that obvious?

"How did you guess?" I asked.

"For starters, you were stumbling as you walked. That tells me your lack of coordination is due to being cold. You look exhausted which can also be due to hypothermia, but can also indicate you have been walking for a while. The snow on your clothing also shows you were out for a while. It stopped snowing a couple of hours ago. As previously mentioned, you looked lost. This could be due to confusion, another sign of hypothermia, or the fact that you are not from around here. The book bag you're wearing tells me this wasn't just a simple walk through the neighborhood. You planned to leave, though I can't say how much planning you had unless I saw what you packed. Also, it is too cold to just take a leisurely walk. It's a lot safer to be indoors with this weather. That tells me you likely had to leave home in a hurry, that it was unsafe for you to remain at home." He replied.

By the time he finished, we had already been stopping in front of a gothic looking iron gate. It sat in front of a large building. I thought it was most likely an orphanage based on the few kids out in the expansive front yard. They were building snowmen and tossing snowballs at each other.

The kids all stopped playing when their car pulled up. All the kids watched as the older man and the teen got out of the car. These two seemed to garner respect from the orphaned children here.

"Miss. I would like to welcome you to Wammy's orphanage. Please follow me inside. We can go to my office to continue talking and give you a chance to warm up and rest." I nodded quietly and followed the two men through the building, until we ended up in a large office. The two males introduced themselves as Mr. Wammy and Ryuzaki. I introduced myself before telling them about my situation.

I explained what had happened at home, and my sudden decision to leave before things got worse.

I took off a few layers until I was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. I showed them the red bruises on my arms. I had explained how I normally get up at 6 in the morning to prepare for school, but it was closed due to the weather. I told my mother before going back to bed until about 8:30 when my mother forced me out of bed. It was probably close to 10:30 or 11 that morning that I left the house.

I explained I just walked in a random direction. I didn't have a planned destination. I just needed to get as far from my mother as possible before she attacked me again.

By the time I was finished speaking, I was definitely exhausted. Mr. Wammy gave me a room to clean up and get some rest, while Ryuzaki wandered off, probably to his own room.

Within hours, I had found out that my mother had been arrested, and I was to stay here until I was old enough to live on my own.

Three months after I moved to the orphanage; I learned Ryuzaki was actually L, the world's greatest detective.

I could never have imagined how lucky I was to end up on that street that cold snowy day...