Pandora

(Photo by Thomas Hodge)

"I am Pandora and everybody knows me because of my box which, as you can see, is in fact a large jar. As the myth goes, I am the first woman on Earth and my box was a God's gift which I should never have opened but as you all know...I did.
But I was spared despite my evil deed. You know why?
 Because they knew I was going to open the bloody thing, as it never had a lock and because they wanted me to keep it forever, negotiate it, keep people away from it, keep it sealed.
 Now, you want to open my box again and use it to your liking. We both know what that will bring, don't we now....but we still know you are never going to quit until you do.
You want my box so badly, your spine quivers. You think you can possess it, own it.
Who am I to refuse you? I am too tired to negotiate. I offered you myself in return and you choose to ignore me, reject me.. So...
So here it is... my precious love. The box, which like I said, is in fact a large jar.
My advice: Pandora is enough for you, turn away from it, for once it's opened, it will claim and consume you."

Having finished her long, needless monologue, Pandora sat on top of the wooden box, folded her white legs and looked at me coldly.
"Pandora.." I said quietly and walked towards the jar. "I don't want you, never did, never will. In fact, there hasn't been a man in recorded history that ever wanted you more than your box. Why would I be any different?" I asked picking up the jar which turned out to be very light.
"Is this empty?" I asked and shook it. "It seems empty.." I muttered and shook it again.

Pandora's eyes fell to the floor, her skin rejection-pale, disdain-white.
"Open it." she muttered.

My fingers curled around the lid and I lifted it up. The jar was empty.
I pressed my face inside to get a closer look, it was big, bigger than I thought at first, like a rabbit hole it was, an earthy cave.
"Hello!" I shouted and walked deeper inside. It was cold and dark and empty. She had cheated me the horny bitch, there was nothing in the jar after all.
"FUCK YOU PANDORA!!!! " I shouted and my voice hit me from all directions, it shook the walls, they started to crumble around me, a large boulder hit me on my back, I ran outside.
It was a familiar street, I was back home.

"There he is! Get him!"
I turned around.
"What are you doing here? What do you want? I told you never to come here again."
"Why did you kill them? Why did you do it?"
"Killed who?"
The living room smelt of piss and vomit. I looked at the ceiling. My mother, my father, my sister and me all hanged from the ceiling, blindfolded and naked.  A large cleaver was still locked in my father's thigh. I looked at my broken body, blood was dripping out of my mouth..so young I looked, so strong.
"No!" I said, " I didn't do this.."
"You killed your own mother..you did.."
"No, I love my mother, I could never kill her.."
"You killed me, and you loved me too."
"What? No, it is the other way around and you know it."
Her jaw fell to her feet and golden beetles walked out of her throat.
"Take one" her eyes said, "For good luck."
"Don't you want to fuck now? I am all infested with your love..rejection-pale, disdain-white." she said and came towards me.
"Stay fucking away!" I shouted and went for dad's cleaver. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.
I hacked her body to pieces. The beetles, scared, scattered everywhere, some even climbed on top of me, they smelt of her. Young, and mad, and covered with butter.

"I need to get to work, I will be late." I mutter and wipe my hands on my shirt.
 I look at my family hanging from the ceiling. I should get them down, but I will be soo late, tooo late. I don't have time for things like that, I have too many obligations, too many things to do, no time no time...

"Where do you think you're going young man?"
"To work, I need to get to work."
"Now, now, calm down, you can't go to work every single day. I thought I told you that... You can't go to work as often as you please. You need to wait for my permission, you need written permit my sweet love."
"They are going to fire me. I need to get there."
The woman pulled a large needle out of her pocket..
"When I shove this into your sick eye-socket, you'll sing a different song."
I raised the cleaver and hacked her face in half. She didn't budge.
"You're fired!" her mouth shouted. "You have no work, no money and no time."

"I am young!" I shouted, "I can get a new job and make more money, I am young and time is ALL I have you fucking bitch! NOONE CAN FIRE ME!!!! I AM INVINCIBLE, ETERNAL, PERFECT!"

"Can you sing? Got a good voice?" the dead woman says. "You know I'd sing to YOUR mic any time, precious.." the tongue escapes the mouth and touches my naked skin right above the belt.

The cleaver has a life of its own, I turn her to mince, a pile as high a freshly dug grave.
"Here boy..." I say to a little dog, as white as snow, it smells the heap and licks his nose.
"Eat up, it's fresh!"
My hands leave a read streak on its fur as I caress it. So weak, so vulnerable, I can make it love me and then hack it clean...but this needs time and I need to get to work...

I turn my back to it and lie on the grass. The sun is shining on my face and my eyes close. The air is light and full of smells. Flowers and tears, flowers and rain..
"I can find another job, I can get another house, a new lover, I have time."

Bang! Bang!

My eyes open to darkness.
"What the fuck!"  I say and sit up only to hit my head against the box.
"LET ME OUT!!! Jesus, you are burying me alive...I AM ALIVE!"
I hit the box with my fists, I can't see the sun from the cracks any more ..I hear the thud of the soil hitting the lid. I hate this box, it's so small, it smells of rot and decay.
So many bones around me, skulls and skin...death, disease, despair...

"Time's up, my love."  Pandora said.
"Oh no no no your time is up, you are old and weak, look at you, all wrinkled and needy.  I am young and eternal, remember?"
"Are you?" she said and placed a large floor mirror in front of my chair.

I was in a wheelchair, older than earth, frailer than snow.
"No!" I said, "It can't be...I want to leave the box, I choose you! I choose you, instead!"

"You made your choice, now now..." she says and wipes my tears. "It's time to die my young bird." she said and caresses my bare skull. "Goodbye!"

She steps into the mirror. I see her sitting on the wooden box, folding her white legs. She gently places the lid  back into place.