The Lost Blade

1. Pandora's Jar

Where am I? I ask that question over and over in my head even though I have the same dream every night. I am in a brick room with no entrance and no exit. With an open roof displaying the blinking stars above.

The weirdest part of my dream was the blazing fire surrounding me. The thing was... I wasn't afraid. I felt like the fire was within me. As if the fire was the little spark of hope in this room. Like the hope in Pandora's jar, the only thing keeping me alive.

As for who I am, my name is Cole Shard. I am an average 15 year old. Nothing special about me... except for the fact that I live in a foster home and that I was told that my parents were fugitives. If I ever see them, I'll be sure to give them a "#1 PARENTS" coffee mug... to their face.

Back to the dream. Did I mention that there was only one thing that changed in my dream every night. At the end of each dream, I hear a hiss coming from the far left corner. And every night, a small portion of the flames are extinguished. The thought of the flames dying with a quick hiss frightens me. It's as if Pandora's only chance of hope is fading, being replaced with a cold sensation that sends a chill up my spine. I can tell that the cold tingle is very powerful, because every dreams ends with it conquering my soul and making me fall into eternal darkness...

Then I woke up to the smell of a sock hanging over my nose...