Pandora

Pandora: Children of Fate

Prologue

                Every decision you make as consequences.  This, my dear readers, is a tale of a terrible consequence.

Chapter 1

                Pandora stared at the box in her hands, her eyes gleaming with want.  “Come on Pandora,” the dark figure goads her from the corner, “you know you want to open it.  You know you want to know what’s in it.”  And she did, oh how she wanted to know! 

                She takes her slim hand, running it across the embossed, golden lid sliding her finger around the opening-“No Pandora!” a voice shocks her, making her pull her hand away.  She looks up to a blinding white figure on her other side.  “You know you don’t want to.  You’re happy with the way things are.  There’s no need for change.”  It’s true.  Pandora is perfectly happy with the life she has; she has a lovely husband and a beautiful baby girl.  Why should she change the way things are going?

                “Oh, but my dear Pandora,” the dark presence says with sickly smooth voice, “your life isn’t complete.  You do not have the knowledge you covet so dearly.  If you open the box, maybe it will help you gain what you seek?”  Pandora agrees in her mind.  Her knowledge is limited to whatever her father wanted her to know, but how she yearns to know about everything and anything.  Too bad she didn’t know about what happened to the cat when it got too curious.  She rubs her hand over the small latch, unlatching the lid, but not opening it.

                “Pandora, there is no need for you to gain more knowledge,” the white presence tries to convince her, but her minds set.

                “There might not be a need to, but you want to, don’t you Pandora?  And why shouldn’t you want to?  You should know everything!” the dark presence says.  Pandora nods her head thoughtfully.

                “Pandora, think about what you’re doing.  Anything can be in the box,” the white presence says quickly, making her stop her hand from opening the box.  A sigh of relief flows from the white figure.

                “But you will gain knowledge Pandora, no matter what’s in the box.”

                That little phrase is what pushed her to do it.  It’s what pushed Pandora to open the box fully.  It’s what led her to unleash nightmares onto the Earth.  And it’s what led to her untimely death.

                I sit up quickly in bed, breathing rapidly, running a hand through my sweat slick hair.  I look at the clock, sighing when I realize I could have slept in for another half hour, but no, my stupid nightmare had to keep me up!  I slide out of my polka dot covers, and pad my way down the hall to the shower.  I shut the door and turn on the light, before slipping out of my clothes and into the shower.  I quickly shampoo my hair with green apple shampoo and conditioner, wincing as some of it gets into my eye.  I step out of the shower, slipping into the bright blue shorts and off the shoulder graphic tee that I had store in there last night.  I take my hand and wipe the condensation off the mirror to reveal my face.  I stare at my face, taking in my appearance.  My grey eyes look even bleaker than usual with the dark bags under them.  My black hair is wet and dripping still from my shower, but is already forming little curls.  I take the hair dryer from under that cabinet and quickly blow dry my hair, letting it keep the waves it naturally does.  I take my eye liner, and put a little on, but no other makeup.  I’m not a fan of makeup.  All it does is hide your face and clog your pores. 

                I grab my heart locket with a photo of my family in it before heading back into my room.  “You up Charlotte?” my mom yells up the stairs as I open my door.

                “I’ll be down in a few,” I shout down to her.  I close my door behind me.  I bend down to look under my bed before I finally find my lime green Converses.  I tie them quickly, grab a few random bracelets before skipping slamming my door shut and trample down the stairs, announcing my arrival. 

                “Good morning,” mom says, smiling at me. 

                “You have some flour on your face,” I tell her, and she brushes it away quickly, a small blush on her face. 

                “So, any plans for this summer?” she asks and I roll my eyes.

                “Just as much as last year- run every morning, come home, draw, play the flute, go to bed and repeat.”

                “Don’t you want to do something exciting?  I mean this is your last summer before you go off to college-the same one that you haven’t even applied too.”  I sigh, while slumping my shoulders.

                “Mom, you know I don’t want to go to college and I’d appreciate if you would stop nagging me about it.  I have enough money from that dirt bag for me to go to Ireland and get a job there.  And there’s nothing to do in the great town of Aberdeen with the population of 30,000 and our biggest attraction is a park with story book characters.  Then again, what else can you expect from a town in South Dakota,” I grumble under my breath.  She sighs, setting a plate of pancakes in front of me.

                “I don’t want you to go to Ireland.  Haven’t you heard of the disappearances and murders lately there?”

                “Mom, there’s murders everywhere.  You should just be happy that I don’t want to go New York to be a stripper.”  I point a fork with pancakes stuck on it at her.  “What you want is for me to go to school, become successful like you, and have wonderful kids like me.”  I leave out the part where she ended up with a scum of a husband that leaves her and his three year old child.  The only good that man did was donating his little fishes to make me and to give me a large sum of money- enough for me to move to Ireland without having to worry about a job right away. 

                “Yes, but why do you have to go to Ireland?  Why not England like a normal teenager?”

                “England is boring.  I mean, big whoop, they have a king and queen.  They’re not the only country, and Ireland, because that’s where your family is from, and I’ve always wanted to go there.  I don’t know, something just, draws me to that place.”  Mom pouts at me.

                “I can’t convince you to just stay here with me?”

                I shake my head, sliding the now empty plate away from me before jumping out of my chair.  “Nope, in fact, I booked flight tickets for the end of the week.”  Mom’s face falls and her grey eyes ignite.

                “End of the week!?  And you’re just informing me now!  You don’t even have a plan Charlie!  What, do you plan to just go there and find a place to stay at like this,” she says angrily, snapping her fingers to show what “this” means.  I roll my eyes while putting my dishes into the sink.

                “Of course not mom, give me more credit.  I booked a room at a small breakfast and inn and I have a meeting with a realtor on Sunday.  As for furniture, I was hoping you could fly some of my old stuff, or I could just buy some.  As for a job, I’m sure I can think of something but it’s not as if I’m low on cash.”  Mom’s loses its tension slightly, just slightly. 

                “But the end of the week, that’s too soon.”  I smile at my mom, while patting her arm.

                “I’m a big girl now mom, I can handle myself.  You made sure of that with all those mix martial arts classes you made me take.  Seriously, I’d like to see someone try and take down me,” I joke with her making her chuckle.  “Remember when I was twelve and took down that eighteen year old guy?  Oh gosh, I wish you would have taken a picture of his face.  Classic.”  She laughs again before her face grows darker.

                “Are you sure about this kiddo?  Are you sure you can handle this?  I’ve been to a few foreign countries, and let me tell you, it’s not always as fun as it seems.”  I smile at her while squeezing her arm.

                “I’ve never been surer in my life.”  I might not have said that if I knew what awaited me in good ole Ireland.