365 Days (Part 2) | ✓

258. Out of the Box

258. Out of the Box: Imagine finding a box. Write about opening it and what's inside.

The lure was in doing something wrong. It was in the curiosity of what would happen. It was in the daring of the forbidden act. It dwelt in Pandora's eyes and her heart. It pestered her thoughts. Most importantly, though, it made her fingers itch.

She moved them, just slightly, but it did nothing to ease their naughty urges. She slowly extended her hands toward the box, her breath bubbled up in her throat, and she lifted the lid.

There was no lock. Silly gods.

Pandora didn't know what was inside. She had been commanded that she was not to open the box given to Prometheus by the gods, and it was this express direction that had originally called her notice to disobeying it. The lure was what she referred to it as, as she reclined upon her silken bed and contemplated how she could open the box without consequences. It tugged at her, pulling her thoughts and energies ever on to this act of direct rebellion.

She tried to fight it, but there was a perverse pleasure in imagining doing wrong. She was therefore convinced that the satisfaction would increase tenfold if the act she debated doing was actually accomplished.

So Pandora opened the box. She meant to open it just a slit, so she could peek inside, but what was locked inside this container was eager to escape.

Something akin to a strong gust of wind slammed against Pandora, streaming out of that opened crack with a whinnying whistle. There was something contained in that onslaught. Pandora felt, in quick, dizzying succession, strong emotions. They seemed to saturate her skin, and seep into her veins.

She felt wrath, arching its back within her, and screaming out its rage.

She felt gluttony, feeling soaked with excess and yet grabbing frantically for more.

She felt greed, needing to take all that she could for the sake of having it near.

She felt envy, a monster grabbing her until she throttled with fury over someone having something better.

She felt sloth, a heaviness weighing down her limbs and will to be productive.

She felt pride, tossing her head and sniffing in her convinced superiority.

She felt lust, a heat racing into her core and abandoning reason for temporary pleasure.

What have I done? Pandora wondered, and she slammed the lid shut. Even as she did, a massive shudder went through her, for she knew that something about the world wasn't quite right anymore. It had been sullied.

*

A/N: The stories of the Greeks are interesting to me, but I don't think I did this piece justice. I hope you can forgive my tired Friday brain! Stay safe out there, guys.