Chereads / Red in Black / Chapter 3 - Trauma is awake.

Chapter 3 - Trauma is awake.

"Father!" She called in terror.

"Dina! What happened?" The father slowly approached his daughter.

"I don't know, Father. I woke up and found myself like... This..." She turned towards the mirror and closely observed herself.

"W...why?" The man's joy gradually disappeared while his eyes were fixed on Dina's new form. 

"It's not supposed to be like this, Father. Tell me?" 

"I--I don't know... It's unusual for this to happen." The two were confused, so the father decided to visit his mother who lived outside the village, for he hoped she'd have answers. When they arrived, the grandmother looked at her grandchild with grief. Her expression could tell the seriousness of the issue. 

"Mother, please! Tell us what the problem is!" The father was in pure worry for his daughter's sake. 

The old lady looked closely into the child's eyes observing her well. Not a second had she looked away. Suddenly, she gasped in terror.

"Dear, God!"

"What is it, mother?"

"Son, I'm afraid Dina will have to live with this form till the end of her days."

"WHAT?!" He shouted.

"Grandmother?" 

"Oh, dear Dina. I'm sorry you had to go through that horrible incident." She cried as she gently placed her hand on Dina's cheek.

"What? What does the incident have to do with this?" Asked the father.

"Beware of a girl's mental state." She whispered.

"What..."

"Why do you think our village has this strict rule, son?"

"I don't know, Mother."

Sat the old woman holding her grandchild's hand tightly, then pulled her gently to sit next to her. The child kissed her grandma's hand with a loving warm heart but expressed it with a cold pale face. 

"Oh, you poor one." She cried in pity.

"Mother?" Quietly called the son starving for an explanation. The mother then looked at him and explained.

"The transformations may be pretty for the eye to be pleased, but the hidden truth lies behind the girl's mental state. A girl's joy may bring out an angelic being, but her sorrows would hunt her heart and change her form into a hideous ugly beast, led by hatred and anger. A murderous dark and terrifying machine, unpleasing to the eye, who'd then be ready to turn an innocent soul into a targeted prey. For that, beware of a girl's mental state. Beware of the villagers' mental state. Make the village as joyful as possible. Eliminate any source of anxiety. And last but not least, never awaken Trauma." She reminded

"Trauma?" His voice went quiet.

"Trauma is a monster triggered by sorrows. It feeds on sorrows. The incident has awakened it, and now it shall live deep down inside Dina's heart." 

"But what does that have to do with Dina's transformation form?" 

"The form is a representative of the girl's well-being. The healthier the girl is the prettier her form will be. The unhealthier the girl is, the uglier her form will be. 

And since Dina is emotionally and mentally damaged, so will her form be. But what I'm mostly worried about, my son, is..."

"What, Mother!? What is it?"

The old woman remained silent. Her thoughts were fighting against each other making her unable to think clearly.

"I--it's nothing, son. Just make sure that she's away from any sources of anxiety or anything that'll trigger her anger." 

"Wh--"

"Just do as I say! We need to be careful of… Trauma. It is not a monster you'd want to mess around with..." 

The father fell on his knees and cried in despair at the shocking truth. The new form was supposed to bring happiness to the family, but all it had brought was Trauma. Dina, on the other hand, couldn't bother less. Her heart was already accustomed to agony. Her emotions were damaged enough that she couldn't express anything, for pain and sorrows were meals, daily offered to her. Soon, the hopeless father and his dark cloudy daughter returned home with the saddening news, knowing that ahead, lay a terrible storm with heavy rain and dark freezing nights.