When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimethius, Prometheus' brother. With her, Pandora had a box which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the box, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the box had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, and that was Hope.
("Pandora." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
[Accessed March 08, 2010].)
It was a hot day. The sun was blazing, baking the asphalt of the parking lot to shoe-melting temperatures. Everybody was sweating like mad, little globules of liquid dripping off of everyone’s noses. Everybody wore shorts and t-shirts except for one lone man. He walked across the lot, apparently just ignoring the heat.
The man strode up to the hotel, doors opening automatically as he approached. He stepped into the air-conditioned building, disappearing from the sight of a staring crowd full of bewildered people. Pants on a day like this? He must be insane.
The lobby of the hotel was long and thin. There was a black marble counter that stretched for twenty feet back from the door ending in a small space with four stainless steel elevators facing each other. One opened and a man in a flower-print shirt and khaki cargo shorts got out. He stepped up to the counter, and dropped his key onto the marble. Then he walked out the door, passing a man with long brown pants and a gray jacket on the way.
The man stepped up to the counter, resting a heavily-ringed hand on the cool surface. An attendant came up to him and with a smile asked,”Are you checking in?”
“No” the man answered in a voice that was as steel as the elevators, “I’m looking for someone staying here. Patricia Border,”
“One moment, please,” the attendant consulted a computer, “Oh yes. Ms. Border. Room 319. Do you need directions, sir?”
“No,” he replied, “I’ll find my way,”
“OK, then, have a nice day!”
Saying nothing, the man walked to the elevators and pressed a button. Two seconds later, the elevator dinged and he stepped in.
Not long afterwards, he stepped out of the steel box and into the heavily carpeted hallway of the third floor. His feet made muffled thumps as he walked across the floor.
The door to room 319 was beige in color, with golden numerals stating the number. The man took a deep breath, and knocked softly at the door. After a few seconds, the door opened and a woman stepped out.
“Damian! What are you doing here? I was going to be back in a couple days!”
“I guess I just couldn’t wait,” he said, and she flung her arms around him. Their lips met, and they kissed for a long time. When they finally separated, Damian pulled a small square box out of his pocket. She saw it and gasped.
“You know what this is?”he asked. Patricia took a moment to catch her breath, then said, “Yes, I know what that is. I need to think about this. Come in, I need a drink of water,”
Damian stepped into the room. It was spacious, with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and balcony. He followed her into the kitchen.
She was at the sink, filling a glass. “So,” he asked,”Do you have an answer?”
“Yes, I believe I do,” She turned, revealing that a green dagger with symbols on it was resting in her hands. She stabbed him in the chest, cutting through muscle and tendon. He fell, covered with blood.
“Do you think I’ve forgotten?” she yelled, her voice full of anger, “I knew you for who you really were the first time I met you as Damian! I’m not an idiot. I’ll never forget!”
On the ground, his body crumpled into a fine gray ash.
“See you in a thousand years, jackass,” she took the ring box and thrust it into the ash,”and keep your fucking box,”
She walked out, and behind her, resting in the ash, the box changed, elongating and swelling, turning to wood. And then both ash and box were gone.
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