Death Note: The Next Kira

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Candlelight Vigil

JANUARY 25, 2006

AROUND 5:30 PM 

TOKYO, JAPAN 

                                                                          MARIE 

I sat in the chair in the crowd with Khloe as I held a lit candle in one hand and Khloe's leash in the other. "Yesterday, at 8:31 AM," Chief Matsuda began. "Kanto Region American High School mysteriously collapsed leaving many teachers, staff members, and students hospitalized. Although it is a miracle that many people made it out in time before the building collapsed, this doesn't meant that everyone made it out okay." I lowered my head as I heard the sound of people sniffling and people softly sobbing. "Just because a majority of the people that were in the building were injured, that doesn't mean we could save everybody," Commander Aizawa added. I heard the sound of a woman crying and I turned to my left. I then saw an elderly woman wearing all black crying and being comforted by a younger woman who was right beside her. "It's okay," the younger woman told the elderly woman. 

I turned back and listened to what Commander Aizawa had to say. "We, unfortunately, found the bodies of 35-year-old Keiji Kenno, twenty-one-year-old Alan Dexter, twenty-four-year-old Eli Law, and the body of 43-year-old Yulina Ao," he continued. "In respect of the families, we will not be revealing how they died, but what we can say about them is that they didn't deserve to die like they did when the school collapsed. And to all the families that are hurting, we are very sorry for your loss and unfortunately have found more dead teachers and staff members in the building who did everything to protect the students of the school along with three male senior students who are now in the hospital after they successfully saved their girlfriends. Chief Matsuda and I know that we don't have the time to name everybody who was killed when the school came down, but as you can see is that we made a collage out of the people that have died. And as you all already know is that there are other people in the hospital that there are people that are being hospitalized in the school, the unfortunate thing is that we are unsure if they will make it out without any permanent injuries or if they will make it out alive at all." I heard the sound of people sniffling and crying after Commander Aizawa said that. 

 "Anyway," Chief Matsuda began. "Now please welcome the owner of the Japanese American Training School chain... Kaito Mikami." After Chief Matsuda said that, he and Commander Aizawa left the stage so that Mr. Mikami could come on the stage. Mr. Mikami turned his attention to the audience with a candle in his hand. "Sri Chinmoy said that death is not the end and that it could never be the end, but a road," he began. "He also quotes that life is the traveler and that the soul is the guide." Mr. Mikami paused for a moment. "And as we grieve and bid our farewells to our loved ones and friends," he continued. "We must also remember that it is also important to remember the ones that we've lost and the impact that they made in our lives." Mr. Mikami's eyes got teary after he said that. "Whether they'd be mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, grandmothers, grandfathers, friends, or just people who we barely even knew." 

Tears started to fall from Mr. Mikami's eyes. "I just can't seem to compose myself after what happened yesterday," he sobbed. "I just thought that there wouldn't be any fatalities and that everybody will make it out okay." He lowered his head as he continued crying. "Just to think about what kind of sacrifices these people made," Mr. Mikami continued. "Like my beloved friend, Kazuo Mizuki." He looked back up to the audience. "When one of my top students had a panic attack saying that she had a vision," Mr. Mikami began. "I offered to go back inside the building and search for anything that could have caused the building to collapse, but that's when Kazuo insisted that he'd go back in and look for what could have caused the building to collapse." He sniffled and tried his tears with his left hand. "But let me tell you something," Mr. Mikami continued.