For reasons which you will soon find out about, I've had to upgrade the rating from PG-13 to R. You wonder why Kagome's father is so whacked out? Well you're gonna find out because this chapter explains his past. Hope you can handle it! You have been warned.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

They did not know just how out of control Kagome's father really was. And as some would say, perhaps it was better left that way. Human minds all have a bit of darkness in them no matter how kind they may be. Sometimes it was buried deep underneath, and other times it was close to the surface. Either way, all minds have a bit of darkness in them, just as they have light.

Isamu knew he was crazy and he accepted that with open arms. He summed up his life in four words: one big mental deterioration. Throughout his life Isamu had just continued to slip further and further away from reality until he could barely control himself. Oh well. He didn't really care. As far as he was concerned, the world had better just get used to him and people like him because people like him were all over the place.

Isamu sat in his house, reflecting on his life up to this point. His life had not been pretty, but he didn't think about it much. Okay maybe he thought about it a little. Ah heck with it, it haunted him day and night.

Isamu clutched at his head with both of his hands. He could remember everything he had heard, said and done with perfect clarity.

(2)

Isamu had been born on October fourteenth, nineteen sixty. He was the only child of Higurashi Arata, his father, and Higurashi Izumi, his mother. His parents had been very loving, very kind people. Just the kind of parents a child could long for. Up until he was five years old, Isamu had loved his parents dearly as much as they loved him. He had been a good child for awhile, doing as he was told and staying in line.

Then one day it all changed.

On his fifth birthday, Isamu had been given a stuffed dragon as a present. The moment he had laid eyes on this wondrous gift, something in him had snapped. He felt... different. And his first thought was "It's mine. It's all mine." He had taken it and hugged it close to him, stroking it as if it were a pet. The entire day he had carried it around the house with him as if it were a talisman. He even went to sleep with it. That had been the start of it.

(3)

From that point on, Isamu had slowly, but surely descended into madness. At first it was minor things, such as selfishness or refusal to share his belongings with others. His parents had not minded this, simply figuring that this was just typical behavior for a five year old. Little children could be selfish after all. But little by little it became something darker. Isamu began to have trouble telling the difference between things you could own and human beings.

"Every one of you are mine." he would think. "Your mine and you had better start accepting that fact or I'll make you regret it." Isamu had not immediately started his violent behavior though. It had been a build up.

For a few years, Isamu had managed to keep control of himself, thinking that everybody was his to own. One day in fifth grade however, he lost it.

(Flashback)

He sits in the back of the classroom, waiting for the teacher to return. Isamu is normally only an average worker in school, but his grades have been dropping lately and he wants to pull them back up so he's working quite hard. All around him his classmates are conversing for the time being as they wait for their teacher to return. He doesn't know why but for some reason the way they are talking is driving him crazy. Not in the way it's distracting him from his work, but it's the fact that they are talking at all. It's giving him a headache.

Furthermore, these people are no better off then objects to be owned. Pieces of property are not supposed to act like humans. He realizes something else. He is growing angry. So angry it is taking all of his willpower to resist going over to a random classmate and just beating the shit out of them. He hates the way they're trying act human like he is. Just looking at them makes him sick with rage. He is growing so angry that his fists are clenched hard enough to draw blood.

A slender kid with brown hair walks up to him. "Hey Higurashi, why don't you join in? There's plenty of time before the teacher returns." he says. Isamu's head darts up like an animal who has sensed danger. He is losing the urge to resist hurting somebody and quickly. His vision is becoming hazy and his headache is pounding into him harder then ever. Blood is dripping out of his hands in small droplets.

"You okay Higurashi? You're sweating." That does it. Isamu cannot control his urge to hurt somebody anymore. As the boy leans closer to him, Isamu feels his fist fly out and strike the boy in the face. Before the boy can even scream he gets up and kicks him in the stomach. Oddly Isamu has never felt happier. For some reason he is really enjoying this. His vision is completely blurry now. He can barely see what he is doing. Heck he isn't even aware of what he is doing.

Then at last his vision returns. His headache is gone and that wild urge has been satisfied. He surveys the room and sees everybody has backed away to the back wall of the classroom. All of them look shocked. What had he been doing? Then he looks down and sees the boy with the brown hair lying on the ground. Both of his eyes are black and his nose is bleeding. He doesn't seem to be moving. Isamu realizes what he has done in a flash.

"Sorry." he says quietly, and returns to his work.

(End Flashback)

That had been quite a day. Isamu could not really recall much of the rest of the day in school. Only that he had been sent to the principal's office and that was about it. When he got home however, he could remember everything. That was one memory he would have to the end of his days.

(Flashback)

Isamu walked into his house solemnly, deciding he should sleep off what had happened. He doesn't feel like himself. Sure, he's felt like nothing was human before, but he's never attempted to hurt something before. This was definitely new.

Before he could go upstairs to lie down, a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned around to face his mother and father. They did not look too happy.

"What happened?!" Higurashi Arata growled.

Isamu oddly didn't feel scared. For some reason he felt at peace. Actually that isn't anything new. When people yelled at him, he didn't feel scared. Yelling was childish and immature and Isamu was not afraid of somebody who is immature and childish. It's when they talked calmly with him that he began to feel scared.

"What do you mean?" Isamu asked.

His father tightend his grip on Isamu's shoulder. "You know exactly what I mean. You hurt somebody and you don't seem to be sorry for it."

"Oh." Isamu siged. "That."

His mother looks appalled. "How can you be so calm after what you did?! Have you no remorse?!"

Isamu glared at his mother. "So what if I beat the guy up? He was out of line."

"What do you mean by that?!"

Isamu was tempted to explain how humans are no better then animals and that when animals try to act human you correct them, but he stopped. Something tells him that would not be wise.

"Answer me!" Arata roars.

Isamu glared at his father, looking him directly in the eyes. "Does it ever occur to you that I'm not going to answer you and-"

That was all he got out before his father descended upon him.

(End flashback)

(4)

Isamu still winced at that memory. His father rarely ever beat him, but when he did, it was epic. He had been beaten so badly that he had been unable to move for the day. That had only been the start of it. After that, Isamu's mind had gone downhill.

For the remainder of the school year, and the years after that, Isamu had gotten into countless fights with his peers. Even the slightest thing could set him off. He hated the way people tried to act human when they really weren't. Isamu divided humans into two categories: animals on leashes, and vases to be admired. And he also believe that if the vase or animal tried to act human, you put it in its place.

That had only been half of it. As time progressed, Isamu's mind became even darker. Eventually he was becoming violent not just because he hated people trying to act human, but because he enjoyed hurting people. For some reason he relished every minute of the beatings he gave his classmates. Just the thought of his fist smashing into somebody's face was enough to make him smile.

As his violent behavior increased, Isamu became one of the most feared people in his schools. Even the teachers were afraid of him. That made him feel even better. Seeing the look of terror in their eyes never ceased to amuse him.

One day in eight grade, he had been confronted by his father again. This time however, things went differently.

(Flashback)

Isamu walked into his house, knowing his father will be waiting for him. He wasn't worried. Arata didn't beat him to punish him that much. Most of the time his father just yelled at him and as stated before, yelling didn't phase him. Isamu advanced to the table where his father and mother sat.

"How many times are you going to do this?!" Arata snarled. "Me and your mother are beginning to wonder if your diseased or something!"

Isamu sighed. "I don't need to listen to this shit. I'm leaving."

Arata went after his son and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Don't you dare walk away from-"

Suddenly Arata felt a burst of pain fly up his face as Isamu whirled around and punched him in the eye. He stumbled back, clutching at his face. Isamu stands where he is, his fist hanging in the air.

Arata glared at his son with the eye that wasn't being covered. "You little bastard! I'm going to-" but he stopped just short of what he is going to say. He had looked directly into his son's eyes and he saw something that had not been there before: lunacy. Isamu started towards his father and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could, causing him to double over.

"I said I was leaving." Isamu whispered. "And if you know what's good for you you'll stay out of my way." His mother was looking at him with terrified eyes. She had never seen her son like this. This was too much.

Hugurashi Arata looked up at Isamu with saddened eyes. "What's gotten into you?" he said, despairingly. "You've never been like this!"

Isamu said nothing. He only walked upstairs to his room.

(End flashback)

Yes that had been quite a day. Isamu's parents never told him what to do again after that day. They tried to remain calm around him, but Isamu only needed to look in their eyes to know the truth: his parents were afraid of him.

(5)

When he reached high school, the fights became countless. Everybody seemed to fear Isamu wherever he went. None of the teachers took action against him out of fear of what he might do. Students avoided him like the plague. Those who conversed with him suffered under his hand. But Isamu knew they deserved it. Animals that step out of line must be corrected at all cost.

Well, he was wrong in thinking everybody feared him. One girl did not. A girl named Saotome Miyako. She was one of the more attractive girls in the school and she for some odd reason she had a crush on Isamu. He could still remember the time she has asked if she could talk with him at lunch. Much to his surprise, Isamu did not feel hostility towards her. In fact he liked her.

So after some time, a friendship blossomed between the two of them. And after even more time, they fell in love. Isamu had never been happier, as was Miyako. Neither of their parents knew about their relationship. They would get in trouble if they found out about this. But that was of little matter. For the time being, they were both happy.

One night however, Isamu reverted back to his old ways and took it to a whole new level.

(Flash back)

It was past midnight in the dark alleyway. Isamu and Miyako were the only ones there. Their relationship had deepened enough to the point where they had decided to consummate their love for each other. Not many teenagers in Japan would do this sort of thing, but every so often a rule or tradition is broken. And the time for breaking the rules was now.

Isamu began to un-strap his belt. "You sure you want to go through with this?" he asked. "I'm a little bit nervous doing this."

Miyako giggled. She had removed her skirt, revealing her white panties. "I'm a bit nervous myself, but don't worry. I'm sure things will go smoothly."

Isamu had removed his pants and underwear by now. He is studying her body with the deepest of interest. She is so beautiful in the dim moonlight. Her body is slender, her hair shiny and thick. Everything about her is beautiful.

One thing worries him though. For some reason he can't get an erection. Why isn't this turning him on? Teenagers all over the world would pay money to see something like this. It's too luscious to pass up.

Miyako frowned. "What's wrong? Can't get it up?"

Isamu sighed. "Sorry to say it, but yeah that's the problem."

Miyako grinned. "Maybe I can help." She goes over to him and grabs hold of it. Isamu moaned with pleasure. It is absolute ecstasy. Yet no matter how many times she stroked him he can't get it up.

Suddenly he felt that anger begin to rise in him again. He is trying to fuck with something that belongs to him. Humans do not fuck animals. And all of a sudden he can stand it no longer. He grabs her, shoves her away, and wraps his hands around her throat. Before she can scream he begins to squeeze. Her eyes bulge and she makes a harsh gagging noise. Isamu is unaware that his penis is starting to erect now. He continues to squeeze until his lover is dead. Then he stands back.

Isamu banged his head on the wall. Stupid, stupid, stupid!! How many times would he lose control of himself?! All because of his fifth birthday! Disgusted with himself, he picks up the dead girl and opens up a trashcan. He promptly deposits her into it. Then, without making a sound, he gets dressed and heads back for home. His parents are completely unaware he is out after hours.

(End flashback)

(6)

Isamu remembered that during that night he had had a terrible dream. In it Isamu was killing his mother and father. He was stabbing them to death with the antique katana they kept in their living room. Their blood was splashing him. He was bathing in it, enjoying every minute of it. Izumi and Arata were screaming. Isamu was laughing crazily. And-

Then he had woken up, trembling. He had never been so frightened in all of his life. It wasn't because of what he had been dreaming about or that he seemed to be enjoying the dream. It wasn't because the dream seemed like a premonition that he would kill his parents.

What scared him so badly was that he had woken up with an erection and a wet sheet.

Isamu sighed. That had been the surest sign that he was going mad. People who got boners from violence were definitely in need of straight jackets. Isamu felt like Charlie Decker in the book Rage, waking up with an erection after he saw his father throw his mother's corpse into his bed in a dream. And that was when his parents really began to get to him.

(7)

The next time Isamu had gotten into a fight, Isamu's father had simply talked calmly with him. Isamu had always believed that yelling was childish and immature. As stated before, when a person talked reasonably with him he grew terrified because it meant they were using their parental power the way it was meant to be used. That day he had grown frightened of his father for the first time. Isamu knew the old man could sense this because from that point on every fight warranted a talking to with Arata. As it began to pile up Isamu began to sink deeper into madness. Everywhere he went he could hear his father's voice. It haunted him to this very day.

That was only the start of it.

(8)

After Isamu graduated from high school, his parents had forced him into an arranged marriage. Isamu had been reluctant at first, but the moment he laid eyes on his bride to be, a woman named Nishizawa Akemi, he had fallen in love again. All of his reluctance disappeared at the sight of this beautiful woman. So, without question, he accepted her hand in marriage.

After the marriage, Isamu had taken up the two most important things in his life: kung fu and medical school. Isamu knew from high school that he wanted to be a doctor. He would never admit it but he needed the job to satisfy his lust. Ever since he had killed Miyako, he had been having wet dreams about killing people among other disgusting things. By becoming a doctor, he could work in the emergency room. And by working in the emergency room he could witness all sorts of gruesome accidents and scenes to satisfy his cravings for sex. Sometimes he even masturbated over what he saw.

Secondly, he took king fu in between classes. He had always been a fairly strong boy but by teaching himself martial arts, he could make himself even more equipped to protect himself and harm others who stepped out of line. Furthermore, it helped calm him and keep his mind cooled down.

Isamu had existed in perfect harmony with his wife until nineteen eighty eight. That was when he had gone bad again.

(9)

In nineteen eighty eight, Kagome had been born. The moment he laid eyes on his daughter Isamu had felt the incredible urge to hurt her. He had always taken pleasure in hurting others, and now that urge had arisen again. What was best about it was that he could do this everyday now. So when Kagome had grown up a little, he began to beat her here and there. He couldn't really give her the beatings he wanted unless his wife was out of the way though. And that was when his love for his wife whom he had never hurt turned to hate. He had to get rid of her to ensure he could beat his daughter the way he wanted.

It hadn't taken much to get rid of her. Isamu had simply taken out the brakes to her car one morning and what happened next had been inevitable. The car had crashed and burst into flame, taking his wife to wherever a person goes where they die. And from that point on, Isamu had begun to really crank up the beatings on his daughter. He had never been happier.

(10)

Yes, he could remember it all with perfect clarity. Isamu was crazy and he knew it. Humans were his to own and his only. If anybody stepped out of line, he would correct them. And if he was pushed far enough, he would kill them. It worked out perfectly for him.

As he walked out the front door to his house and began his walk to the Masaki house, he began to sing the song "Hotel California"

To be continued...

I hope you review this chapter. It's by far the darkest chapter yet. Now you know why Kagome's father does these things. All because of a stuffed dragon on his fifth birthday. I'll update when I can.

-Randall Flagg2