Light

                                    

                                          
The moment I wake up the next morning, my eyes are glued shut with dried sweat. I turn onto my ribs to look at Misa. Her hair is disheveled, her breaths tiny and quick. The suns's radiant light scatters around the tent, and I hear the distant shuffling of hikers.
                          
Struggling, I uncover myself from the sleeping bag and take a few steps out the tent. I scruff my hair on the acrid tree, taking a deep back bend to stretch out my spine. 
                          
Ugh.
                          
As I observe the environment around me, my mind recollects last night's incident: I had brutally attacked Ryuzaki. 
                          
Ryuzaki?
                          
I scan the ground for my ex co-partner, but all I see is rocky terrain. 
                          
"Ryusaki?" I call louder, my hands cupping my mouth. The only reply is the sneezing of a nearby camper. I hurriedly go back in the tent and tap Misa's shoulder. Her eyes flutter open and look at me with wonder.
                          
"Misa, dear, have you seen Ryuzaki by any chance?" It was a dumb question to ask since she was sleeping, but any information would help. 
                          
She covers her eyes with her forearm, saying, "Shouldn't he be outside? Since you didn't give him a tent or anything like that?"
                          
Her snarkiness pisses me off, but she's not wrong.
                          
"Mind helping me?" I reply.
                          
Misa closes her eyes, groans, and answers, "He probably went to go pee or something; don't worry about it."
                          
And at that, I leave her be. She wouldn't be any help either way. 
                          
I emerge from our shelter, mindlessly walking up and down the trail. I call for the missing boy. I even "knock" obnoxiously on some of the campers' tents, only to get a curt shake of the head or the bird flipped off for waking them so early in the morning. 
                          
After wandering around for fifteen minutes, I think about what to do next. I notice a piece of parchment sticking out of one of the crevices of the acrid tree. My heart quickens as I pluck it out; I hope it's not what I think it is.
                          
No...
                          
It is.
                          
Dear Light,
                          
After tonight's incident, I can't bear to work alongside you. You've always treated me like a sickly animal whether it be many years ago, or today. You've tried to kill me countless of times with intention or without, physically or mentally. Don't bother finding me because I'm already gone. Don't even think about writing my name in the Death Note: I don't want to know if you read this or not.
                          
- Ryuzaki

                          
The letter is damp from my sweaty hands. I slump my body against the trunk of tree and let his truthful words weigh down on me.