Dina's first-ever week of transformation was one different experience. The thought of living the rest of her life with such a look made her spend sleepless nights. Every night, on her bed, she observed the smoke coming out of her hands, and in disgust, she hid them under the blanket. Whenever she walked past a mirror, she covered her eyes, looked down, or looked away. Going out was a challenge in itself, at the market, school, or just outside the house everyone stared at her. Some people feared her, some laughed at her, while others were disgusted by her. All in all, she felt like an outcast. Unaccepted by those around her. Only her father showed her love and acceptance, while the others showed hatred and repulsion towards her. Though these unpleasing moments were harsh, Dina couldn't care less. She was accustomed to pain and isolation. That was her lifestyle. Even when things got worse, she couldn't bother much, for to her, nothing was ever able to exceed the horrors of her mother's death. After a year, Dina had gotten used to her new form. However, she couldn't accept it. In her eyes, her reflection was a nightmare. She could never look at it, to the point that she broke every mirror she'd come across. In her room, shreds of glass were scattered around on the floor, the windows were closed, and the sunlight was never allowed inside. One night, on her transformation, her father decided to check up on her. As he entered her room, she was in bed, asleep. He quietly and carefully approached her. As he stood next to her little resting body; surrounded by smoke, he observed her with sympathy. Then, he covered her with a blanket, kissed her forehead, and slowly walked back to the door. He froze there for a moment then turned his head back. As he scanned the room, his eyes filled up with tears and his heart burnt up with pain.
"I have tried countlessly to make you happy." He cried.
"Forgive me, daughter, for I have failed you." He wiped his tears, closed the door, then went to his room.
Dina, as she lay in bed, had heard it all. She wasn't asleep but rather pretended to be so. She got up and sat facing the door with her pale face and red eye. Her right one however had seen better days. It was as solid as a rock, as black as a dark sky with no moon or stars, and as dry as a desert, never able to shed a tear.
"Oh, Father..." She sighed.
"Sometimes I think to myself 'If I had just never gone with Mother to the forest." She uttered as she squeezed her black stony eye.
"Now, I shall live like this..." She added more pressure on her eye.
"I hate this look..." She squeezed a little harder.
"I hate this eye..." Even harder.
"I...I hate this freaking EYE!" She fumed at herself.
"UGH! What's the point of having you?! You don't even work!" She shoved her fingers inside her eye willing to pull it out.
"You can't even look at yourself how do you expect me to look at you?!"
Sobbing and shaking, Dina was in a complete mess. Her sanity was running low, and her desire to pull her eye out of its socket grew bigger and bigger.
"UGH!" She screamed in despair.
"AGH!" She groaned in anger.
"AAAAH!!!" Aggressively, she kept pulling her eyeball with her fingers and furiously fought to get it out. Her father, when he heard her scream, sprinted to her room. He opened the door to find himself standing before a disastrous situation. The place was filled with smoke. He tried to get inside but couldn't.
"DINA! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" He shouted in worry, unable to get in, for the door was blocked by some invisible force.
"I HATE THIS EYE! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE... IT--" A force came out of her eye and pushed her hand away making her fall off her bed. After that, a huge dark being emerged with a loud monstrous growl that shook the walls. The parent and the daughter closed their ears, fearing their eardrums would explode. As the sound gradually faded away, they slowly brought their hands down. Surrounded by smoke, Dina raised her head to face a terrifying smoky figure, floating in front of her. Her eyes opened widely, staring at the beast before her.
"DINA?!" Called the father in worry as he stood by the door.
Inside, next to the bed, the beast gently growled as its spiral-circled lit eye stared at the girl.
"Who... What are you?" She whispered. The being answered with a deep soft growl, igniting a feeling inside Dina's heart. Though its dark appearance, its eye was shining bright, loosening Dina's chest and giving her a sense of safety. Its voice calmed and eased her heart, and its emergence cooled her feelings down. After a moment of relaxation, it evaporated in the air clearing out the place from all the smoke.
"DINA!" Screamed the father as he ran to her. He quickly sat on his knees and tightly hugged her.
"Dina! What happened?!" Dina was in shock from what she had witnessed, and could not speak a word.
"Dina! Speak to me! Dina!" He screamed but got no answer.
"Dina!" He shouted.
"Dina!" He insisted.
"DINA!" He screamed his lungs out as he shook Dina by the shoulders.
"UGH!" Cried she in pain from her father's aggressive behavior.
"Father, stop! Please let go!"
"Why?! What happened to you?! Tell m—" The beast emerged again with force throwing the father in the air.
"Argh!" He groaned as he hit the wall.
"Father!" She quickly stood up to go to him. Suddenly, the beast hung him on the wall with strings of smoke. The man yelled in fear with his arms tied together.
"NO!" Shouted Dina then turned to the monster.
"PUT HIM DOWN! PLEASE!" She begged as her heart filled up with fear. The beast loudly growled at her, expressing disapproval. He looked at the father, shaped a long pointy triangle with smoke, and aimed at his neck. At that moment, the daughter's eyes opened wide as they glanced at the sharp tool that was about to take away her father as well.