Pandora's Dream

I sit on the cool floor, calm…waiting. I taste the silent seconds, rolling them around in my mouth. I sit silently, eyes closed, listening to the sound of nothing. I am not lonely, only alone with myself, begging myself to stay still and not open my eyes. I don’t know why, but I know that I must not move.

What is out there? I wonder. Just a peek, just a little peek. What could possibly happen? I know that now that the thought has leaked into my brain, I won’t be able to get it out of my head, less it drives me blind. I crack open an eyelid. A gust of wind strong enough to knock the wind out of me hits me like a train. I am not thrown back though. Instead, the wind pushes me forward, towards the blackness. Then the whispering begins.

The whispers slither into my ears and through my open mind, possessing and caressing me. They urge me forward, whispering all the way. I can’t understand what’s being said, but the whispers are soft and soothing. I feel as though I am in a dream, floating on the breath of whispers. Something touches me, pulling me out of my dream. I whip my head to the side and look around me. I can’t tell what is there at first, but I see movement. Finally I realize what they are. Bodies. Creatures. Slowly reaching out to grab me. Whispering. They are barely moving, as though they are chained down by some imaginary force. I’m scared- terrified. I want to go back, back to the silence, to the safety. I squeeze my eyes shut. Cool, clammy hands run down my legs and arms and grab my hands and ankles. They force me to move forward, even though all I’m trying to do is turn around. Then, all at once, they freeze, holding me in place. The whispers stop. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I was alone. I slowly open my eyes. There is something in front of me.

It is a box. A small box, almost like a jar. Colors swirl all around it, glowing. Reds, blues, purples, and yellows move all along the box, even past the edges of it. I stare at it for what seems like hours. Suddenly, the whispers start again. The creatures start pulsating, along with the glow of the box, along with the beat of my heart. I feel my hands being released and gently pushed forward, towards the box. I take control of my hands and move them up more, closer and closer to the box. The whispers get louder. I put my hands on the lid. I feel it move underneath me, as though it’s alive. The creatures are pulsating faster, whispering to me, touching me all over. I’m terrified again, but temptation has gotten the best of me. I open the lid. 

~Amy