The Other Side of Me

Prequel: Insanity

In the beginning... Life was just perfect. I was the average child. My parents taught me, loved me, scolded me, and did everything that any other average parent would do. Yet.. we weren't the average family.

We were Ghouls. A cursed family that had to hide in the shadows. What humans called us: Disgusting, heartless creatures who ate human flesh and killed for the pleasure of it. The definition of a Ghoul. To me, those are just lies, opinions. We weren't anything like that.

Mother and Father taught me how to be human. They trusted me enough to go to human schools. They trusted me enough to go to the park and play with human children. They trusted me enough to go out and about, without losing control and turning into a Ghoul. 

Life was perfect, well, almost. We seemed like humans, but we weren't. We were safe until... that day.

Kotone's Point of View (Age 8)

Mother and I were coming back home from shopping. I was skipping happily along the dirt road, while Mother was looking around anxiously, staring at people in white trench coats who were going door to door. "Mom, let's hurry! I want to try on my new dress!" I whined, tugging her along. She looked down at me and smiled. "Alright sweetie, I'm sorry, lets hurry and show your Father," she said. I nodded and pulled her along.

When we got home, I took my bag away from Mother and ran up the stairs. "Whoa Kiddo, what's the rush?" he chuckled as I ran past him. " I got a new dress I want you to see! I'll be downstairs in a second!" I exclaimed, going into my room and shutting the door. I threw of the current clothes I was wearing and put my dress on with care. I looked at myself in the mirror, the white dress was beautiful. I know it costed my mother a lot. "You, Kotone Ametsuchi, will swear you will not get even a wrinkle on this dress, not even a drop of your favorite coffee!" I giggled, as I pointed to myself in mirror. I turned and left my room going down the stairs silently. I heard the hushed voices of my parents.

"Isao, we have to leave! The CCG are going around, I bet they're looking for us, we have to run!" Mother hissed. " And look even more suspicious? Hell no, we'll do like we've always done. Act like innocent humans" he said, crossing his arms. "But Isao-!" Mother started. "Misaki, think. We can't afford it, we don't have enough time, and we can't do this to Kotone, she'll never forgive us," Father said. "Forgive them?" I thought. "I still don't have a good feeling about this.." Mother sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table with him. "If something bad does happen, just remember what we are, I mean, we're ghouls for crying out loud! We've been killing for such a long time now, it's nothing new to us," Father huffed, rolling his eyes. I decided to just go down and forget about what they were talking about. It doesn't seem really important anyway. "Mom! Dad! How do I look?" I asked, skipping down the rest of the stairs. Father looked at me and put on a proud smile. "Kotone, you look all grown up! It looks wonderful on you," he said. My eyes sparkled with joy, I simply loved making my parents happy. "Kotone, come here," Mother beckoned. I walked up to her. She kissed my forehead and swept my hair behind my ear. "I want you to always smile, no matter what happens," she mumbled, pulling me into a hug. "Oh honey, stop that," Father huffed. " I was just telling her!" Mother pouted. There was a sharp knock on the door. Mother looked at Father with a serious expression. Father sighed and got up, "I'll get it" he mumbled. 

Father opened up the door and put a smile on his face. "Hello, can I help you?" Father asked politely. I leaned over a bit so I could see who was at the door. It was two men in white trench coats. "Yes, actually.." A man said, stepping into our house without permission. "Kotone, hide in your room and lock the door," Mother ordered sternly. "Mom..?" I asked, confused by this sudden change in the atmospere. "You can help us by paying with your lives..," the other man said, holding out his suitcase. Father growled and his Kakugan activated. "Kotone!" Mother shouted, her Kakugan activating as well. "Demon Ghoul and Angel Ghoul," The men said together. Their suitcases turned into weapons that smelled like ghouls. I ran up the stairs quickly and locked the door like Mother said. I sat down next to my door. I heard glass breaking and the sound of snarling. Everything was happening so suddenly...! I covered my ears to drown out the noise, the smell of blood was in the air. Even through my ears, I heard a heart wrenching scream. "Misaki!!" I heard Father cry. More crashing and banging, the smell of blood was heavier, it was putrid. There was a loud roar, and then all was silent. 

I stood up and listened. There was a faint mumbling and the sound of footsteps. I got up and opened the door, I peered down the staircase and saw my mother in a pool of blood, her upper torso was sliced clean from the other half. I hitched a breath, tears started to form in my eyes. "Mom!!" I wailed, running down the stairs and ignoring the two men who were looking around in our kitchen. "What..? A child?" One said. I saw Father's dead body not so far away from her. "No! Not you Dad! Not you too!" I begged. He had many deep cuts along his body. There was blood. So much blood. How could this happen? They were alive just a few minutes ago and.. and now they're.. gone. "Let's just finish it, it's for the best," the other man said, coming closer.

A little voice whispered in my head.

Let me out. Let me free.

All I could do was sit there and stare at my parents. As the warmth of their blood stained my white dress.

Come on, Kotone. I know it hurts. I know we're in pain.

I got up and turn to the men, looking at the ground with my hair infront of my face.

But we need to do what Mother wanted us to do Kotone, don't you remember? 

I slowly lifted my head, chuckling. My Kakugan activated, and my eleven Bikaku emerged from my body. I crouched down like a wolf, ready to attack. I wasn't in control, something was taking over my body. It was like a surge of power had awakened within me, but... this power wasn't me. It was something--someone else.

Smile.

I snapped my head up and made a crazed smile, a smile that could've split my cheeks apart. Before the men could react, I lept at them and stabbed my Kagune through their bodies, I could feel the organs crush and ooze. I made a swift kick to one of their necks, it flew off and hit my wall, spraying blood everywhere. I jumped on the other one's chest, I gouged my fingers into his eye and he screamed in agony, my thumb went up his nose and I ripped his head apart from his body. I jumped back off his body, and the headless corpse fell to the ground. 

I blinked and I seemed to have control again. I looked at the corpses and held my face in my bloody hands. I had stained my dress even more. I walked over the bodies and went to my table, where a file was at. I picked it up and opened it.

Angel Ghoul

A 3 tailed Bikaku ghoul. Very beautiful, seduces her prey and kills in the shadows. Eats both humans, and ghouls. Weakness- striking her when shes open.

Amount Killed: 1137 humans, 466 ghouls.

Demon Ghoul

1 tail Bikaku. Very strong, very dangerous. Takes his prey and kills at moments notice. Eats both humans and ghouls. Weakness- hurting his companion Angel Ghoul. 

Amount Killed: 893 humans, 2459 ghouls.

I shook my head in disbelief. "They lied.." I mumbled. I looked at them. "They lied but.. I forgive them," I said, walking out of my house, into the night. "I'll just get stronger... I'll just get better.. because no one is perfect.. not even I," I thought.

Most importantly, you totally stained your dress.

I shed a single tear. What was this monster inside of me? Why is it so.. evil? 

The voice giggled.

The Beast Ghoul has awakened.