Pandora's Box

Facing Yourself

Take a deep breath.

Open the door.

Voices call out "Welcome!" "Welcome Back!" "We missed you!" "Where have you been?"

You smile and suddenly you're surrounded.

Overwhelmed, you stagger back.

Arrogant laughter wells up and drowns all other sounds.

Everyone goes quiet and a path opens up.

You look up and sigh. "Ah, Ego."

"Well, well, well. Look who has graced us with their presence." He crosses his arms as he leans against a pillar.

You sigh again, softer, tired. "I didn't come here to deal with you."

He pushes away from the pillar and stalks towards you.

"Me? You didn't come here to deal with me?" He throws his head back and roars with laughter. "My dear child, are you really that naïve?"

He walks around you in a circle.

The look on his face almost cruel.

You turn your head away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes.

He stops in front of you and with one leather gloved hand, lifts your chin until you're looking in his eyes.

In a softer voice, almost gentle, "How can you say that? I am a part of you." He throws his hands out, looks at the others gathered around, "We are ALL a part of you!"

He looks back at you and places his hand along your cheek.

Softer still, "Above all others, I am you and you are me."

You feel tears in your eyes and you turn and walk away.

He calls out after you, mocking laughter in his voice. "You can't run away from me, I am with you wherever you go. I affect everything you do. Every conversation you have. Every decision you make. It's all about me."

You race to the garden doors and fling them open, desperate for an escape from his cruel, yet true words.

You freeze. The garden!

The garden is your journey through life, from the day you were born through today.

The future is still unknown, still unpaved.

But in all the times you've visited here, you've never walked through the garden. Not once.

Parts of your path are bathed in light, but parts are covered in shadows.

You stare at the shadows as an overwhelming fear covers you like a cloak.

You feel a presence behind you and you stiffen.

A voice soft with compassion, gentle in its pain, whispers in your ear, " I'm sorry. I know you don't like me." A long pause. "I don't like me either." Another long pause. "I wasn't always this way. Anger and Fear were not always my constant companions. But we are not allowed in the garden and so I don't know what caused me to change."

Pain comes up and wraps her arms around Ego.

Sadness lays her hand on his shoulder.

As one, they speak, "We don't know what happened. We can't fix this. Only you can do that."

You shake your head as the tears fall down your face.

Ego bows his head, his shoulders slump as he sobs quietly.

Hope speaks from the shadows, where she has hidden, watching.

"You are the only one that can fix this. You have to face your past. You have to come to terms with it. If you can't, then there is no hope for us." She waves her hand encompassing everyone in the room.

"We are all supposed to be equals. Joy and Sadness. Anger and Happiness. Love and Hate. Melancholy and Contentment. Fear and Courage." She smiled. "Hope and Despair. And all the others. We should be working together. But right now, we are fighting each other. If you can't fix this... " she shakes her head.

Anger and Pain speak up, "We are winning. Can you not see how the room is darker since the last time you visited? Can you not see how Love's colors have gotten dimmer? Hope's? Joy's?"

Anger points towards Ego. "He is the balance. He directs the orchestra that lets us dance. If Ego isn't balanced...none of us are."

Ego looks up at you, his eyes pleading.

Determination takes ahold of Fear's hand and pulls him back. Then everyone starts to back away and leaves you alone with your Ego.

You look around at all their faces. And turn and walk into the garden.