Pandora's Box

Warren blinked slowly, once twice and again as he slowly took in what I just said. His gaze flitted over me, brows raising and his face creasing into major confusion.

“You’ve been dead and you suddenly were brought back to life...by who? How? Why?”

“I don’t know who, except the possibility of the one who has a strong enough power or influence to do it.” I glanced skyward and Warren cursed.

“Bloody hell. Now it’s starting to make sense. The way you act, your mannerism, basic English which is greatly improving, if I may say. The way you look at everything.” Warren shook his head, complete shock and wonder on his face as he stared at the little coffee table between us. “You are literally unaccustomed to this world. For what, a few weeks, a month? And you managed to get from one place to another, while being attacked and hunted obviously. Needless to say, I’m fucking impressed and very concerned now.”

“Do I even want to know why you were brought back? And why you’ve been chased and attacked by two different beings already?”

“I don’t know exactly why I am back. It’s not like Zeus left me a note or anything in mind to do. I just woke up in my tomb and had to slowly become accustomed to this new world. Not to mention, learning a new language and the fact this is a completely different land.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“All I can assume it has something to do with the box, but it’s safe. Hidden. That’s what I was told.”

“And who told you this exactly?”

“The Priest. From the church I had lain with all this time.”

“Do you mean the Brooklyn Pearl Church on the outskirts of the town?”

“I don’t know, they never told me the name of it. Just where we were basically. So yeah, somewhere in Brooklyn-”

“The Priest, Father Marios.”

My heart jumped and I almost jumped from my seat, a growing excitement and relief leaping forwards.

Oh God, finally something!

“Yes! Yes, that’s it! Do you know them?!” Warren’s lips pinched tightly as he nodded a wary look on his face.

“Yeah, I do. They are a decent bunch of mortals. They’re considerate enough to leave me be whenever I’m in town, as long as I don’t cause them problems. What happened? Start from the beginning?”

Despite my reservations, I ended up telling Warren all that happened the last few days, from being woken up at night by Daphne, to being told I was being summoned by the Fates and I needed to leave in a rush, an imminent threat approaching that they needed me out and then arriving to meeting Warren.

Warren listened patiently and silently, elbows rested on his knees and he calmly faced me, brows pinching as he thought quietly to himself once I finished.

“Okay,” He finally muttered, eyes glancing at the fire, lost in thought. “Okay. Alright.” He stood up suddenly make me flinch back but he frowned down at me. “Where do you want to go first? The Church? Or try and find the Fates again?”

“What?” I stammered in shock and he sighed.

“I’ll take you. I’ve got the day off again, just in case. So, I can take you back to Long Island and hopefully the Fates are somehow still there. Or I can take you to the Church and see what Marios and the others have to say.”

“Personally, whatever is going on at the Church, they are more than capable of handling stuff if something is happening. Plus, it’s near public areas. Not too mention there is Daphne.” My eyes widened and Warren nodded. “I’m guessing you’ve met her. I have too. Trust me, she’s more than capable of handling anything. If they were desperate to get you out for your safety and to see the Fates, I’d say listen to them and let them do what they need.”

“So, you’ll take me back there?” I slowly stood up. “To see the Fates?”

“Yeah, may as well. If they aren’t there, I’ll take you to the church because I’m bloody curious and think someone letting you off on your own is stupid and dangerous.” I glared at him and he shrugged. “You’re like a baby bird in this scenario.”

“I don’t like you.”

“Ditto, princess.” He nodded back the way I came from. “I suggest you go turn in before you collapse. I’m not lugging you around, you might just kick me where it hurts instead of missing.” I smirked slightly at him and he took the dirty dishes disappearing into the kitchen.

“Maybe don’t rough handle me, ass.” I mutter, wincing slightly at the ache in my thigh.

“I got the feeling you liked it.” I flinched at his sudden appearance as he stood outside the kitchen door, looking down at me with that smirk - that I wanted nothing more than to smack off. He strolled towards me, that infuriating smirk never leaving his face as he towered over me. My legs pushed on the back of sofa when he suddenly leaned in, leaving me bewildered until his face was a mere inch from mine, I could feel his warm breath fluttering over my face, the heat and simmering power from within his body made my nerves flutter and all I could breathe was heated air.

He shifted, his arm moving around and I tensed, keeping my eyes on his which never drifted from mine, mischief twinkling in those dark, infuriating eyes.

“I do not,” I breathed, barely breaking any force in my words but I forced the glare to be as harsh as I could make it. He straightened suddenly, his smirk widening further as he held up the TV controller and pressing the red button, he turned the TV off.

“Okay, princess.” He stepped away. “I suggest you go to bed and sleep. We’ll be leaving early and you need to rest.” He glared at me despite the still wide smirk. “I think trying to skewer me took all your energy out.”

“Okay.” I grumble and he nodded towards the stairs.

“Same room you woke up in. Go, now. I’m wary around you myself.” He muttered.

I found myself in the car once again next to War - Warren - early in the morning after shoving some food and drink down and following him out the door. Wearing my clothes with my coat over it did little to dispel the cold permeating from inside the car.

But sometime later in the car a lovely warmth started to settle around me and I could find myself relaxing and leaning further in my seat with a heavy sigh.

Warren remained silent and maybe a little tense from what I could tell, listening to the radio where people spoke and laughed and some music played.

“The music is so very...different.”

Warren’s reply was a raised brow as he waited for me to continue.

“It’s different from each other. And just so hard to follow along and the tunes are...”

“A little bit too much.”

“Yes. I guess things change a lot.” I murmur, glancing out the window.

“You have no idea.” I glanced back at the dark tone in his voice and he looks at me from the corner of his eyes at my gaze. “What?” He frowns.

“How long have you been here, in New York?”

“I moved here at least ten years ago.”

“Have you been a professor all this time?” He shook his head, smiling slightly.

“No.” I open my mouth to reply but he cuts me off with a chuckle. “I’ve been a teacher for a lot longer.” I stared at him, trying to read him but his expression closed off too quickly and noticing my unmoving gaze he snapped.

“What?”

“N-Nothing, just that, well how did you, I mean when did you decide to do teaching? I mean teaching, that’s pretty huge. Very different from what I’d expect of you.”

“Do you expect me to kill and slaughter anything that moves for the rest of eternity?”

Flushing, I glanced down at my hands on my knees, shaking my head.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Came his tense reply, cutting me off sharply. “And since you do not know me at all, I’d suggest you keep your expectations and opinions to yourself.” He glared out the window, leaning back in his seat while appearing calm. “Afterall, who are you to talk when everyone seems to have their own opinion of you? The opinion of a naïve little girl.” With that, he leaned in and turned the volume up of the radio, officially shutting off any conversation and leaving the drive in a tense and uncomfortable silence. I was abruptly stunned as I just sat in my seat staring out the passenger window, unable to see the outside world as my mind spun heavily.

Naive. Stupid. Foolish. Little girl.

I tried to ignore the hurt in me as I faced away from him but it was a persistent pest inside me and my chest ached.

I already knew I was foolish and stupid. Doesn’t hurt any less.

I kept my face turned away, looking out the window and must’ve fallen asleep because the car started to shake and bounce slightly and I woke up with a start. Looking out the window blearily, I saw the familiar old houses and empty spaces between.

“We are here already?”

“Yep. You slept pretty deeply there, like a bloody rock alright.” Warren muttered and I scowled at him. “This it here?” He eventually pulled up to it. My heart stammered and I shakily nodded, fingers shaking as I gripped the car handle. “Alright let’s-”

“Wait!” I quickly spun around to face him and even though I felt a flicker of anger as I looked at him, I grabbed his arm before he could get out. “I’m not sure if I made it clear but I ran out of here because there is something in there!” He raised a brow at me as he unclicked his seatbelt freeing himself.

“Did you see it?”

“No. It was upstairs in the attic. I saw a bunch of items and lots of red... string or so I thought.”

“What else could it be?” Warren sighed and I sighed.

“It sounds crazy but...webs. The colour red.”

Warren stared at me oddly then with a sigh left the car, closing the door with a bang and I quickly followed. I could hear him muttering quietly to himself. He calmly walked to the front of the house, knocking on the door he tried except it swung with each knock. He slipped inside without hesitation while I groaned quietly.

Was he trying to get himself killed?

“God, that stinks.” He coughed behind his hand as he covered his nose and mouth, eyes narrowed and watery. I followed suit, sneezing quietly blowing some dust around the mantle place.

Nothing had changed from the last time I’d been here. Dust, dirtied unspeakable stains coating most surfaces. The stench was just as bad, maybe even more ripe than last time.

“Is it just me, or does something really smell rotten? Like unnaturally rotten beneath the stench going on.”

“Everything stinks.” I mutter.

“You said something in the attic, right?”

Spinning around at his question to find he was gone, I quickly hurried around the corner to find Warren standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up into the attic.

“Um yeah. That’s it.” At my confirmation, he quickly moved up the steps while I hissed after him. “What are you doing? You’re gonna get yourself killed!” He didn’t bother answering or slowing down but peeked his head through the door and inside. I took a couple steps below him, waiting to see if he would continue to climb up but he kept the upper half of his body through the attic door looking.

“I know I am repeating myself, but I’d suggest you be careful. I don’t really want any harm coming to you at the moment.” War scoffed, glancing down at me.

“That is so touching,” He patted his chest where his heart was, a mocking smile on his face. “I’ve never felt so emotional.” He shook his head climbing up and going inside while I remained below watching him disappear.

“At least be careful. There are lines that appeared-”

“Ouch! Fuck!” I almost climbed up the stairs but a shimmer caught the corner of my eye. Slowly turning my head, I watched the light through the broken windows vibrate in mid-air, travelling down the corridor and around the corner into a darkened hall.

The twang was soundless and yet it was like a bell ringing inside an empty cave for all to hear. I could hear Warren moving around upstairs and the clicking of something on the other side of the corner creeping closer.

“Uh, Warren,” My breathing fastened, my fingers shaking over the ladder steps when suddenly the red line suddenly disappeared and much like strings were being pulled. “Warren!” I yelped when the attic stairs lifted suddenly, my grip wrenched off the steps and landing back on the floor as the stairs clicked in place above.

“Hey!” I heard Warren’s muffled shouts through the ceiling. Standing up, I stared at the partially open door on the other end of the corridor. The clicking of something grew closer and closer as my heart thundered in time with the manical steps drawing closer. Backing up slowly, I looked around for any weapon but found nothing.

While looking for any weapon I realized the clicking sound had stopped and it was quiet, except for the attic door rattling as Warren tried to push it down.

“Warren, I’m-”

The door slammed off its hingers as something huge, black and white barrelled through and sprinted straight for me with a piercing shriek and jaws parted hollowly. Screaming, I turned down the side barely missing its slicing legs aimed for me, hearing it crashing into the wall I was against. I heard the clicking of its feet as it scuttled after me.

“PANDORA!”

I could Warren yelling over the screaming spider chasing me as I ran down a narrow hallway. I almost slipped as I turned the corner too fast, hearing it screech after me. I could hear distant banging and shouting. I turned down another corridor, trying to focus on not wondering how much bigger this house was. I could hear it screaming a shrill breathy cry after me as it scuttled frantically after me while I desperately turned any corner to evade it.

Only to catch a dead-end.

No, no, no! Christ!

I skidded to a stop, breathing hard, heart thundering I looked around me and without thinking as I listened it grow closer, I ducked in front of a dusty, dirtied old drawer next to the corner, my knees close to my chest keeping myself ready as I listened to it run past followed by a loud thud and shriek.

“Whheeerrrreeee,”

My blood chilled as a voice rasped and sent my blood curdling inside me. I clapped my hand over my mouth in any way to hide my breathing.

“Arrreee yoooouuuuu?”

The voice was raspy, wheezy and sent a coldblooded chill down my spine and it was growing closer. Peeking around the corner, I could see its shadow moving as it drew closer. The clicking of its eight legs growing louder.

Warren, where are you?

“WHERE ARE YOU?”

It suddenly screamed and suddenly ran forwards, appearing at the other end and barely hiding my squeal and from jumping in fright, I pulled back into hiding, sweat starting to build as I struggled to control my breathing.

“I caaannnn smeeelll yooouuu,” It’s voice wheezing sung out and it took everything in me not to peek out the corner. Distant loud thumps coming from above had my worry growing.

“You aaarreee full of adrenaline...your blood will taste delightful...”

I pulled my jacket apart looking for anything in the pockets or in my bag but there was absolutely nothing and I wanted to curse out for not having anything.

Absolutely useless.

“Yoooouuuuu maade a mess of my lovely works,”

My blood froze and my heart came to a stuttering stop as the raspy growl breathed a cool brush of rancid air in my face. My hands shook as I slowly turned my head coming face to face with-

Its pincers snapped at me.

A distant crash made it look away, its pincers just barely avoiding my cheek. I leaped forward while it was momentarily distracted, ducked under its body, rolling to my feet and around the large, bulbous backside, while it screamed in fury and barely made to turn around in the narrow hall. Something hard swiped the back of my legs, forcing my legs to buckle and to tumble hard on my stomach. I roll over quickly on my back, facing the oncoming predator who managed to back out quickly and scurry up to me.

“Yoooouuu smeeelll lovely,” It hisses and I tremble at the horror before me. The lower half of its body was a giant spider that towered over me; black, grotesquely bloated and black hairs over its pointed, sharp long legs. Its upper body was of a human woman from the waist up.

I tried to back away and crawl away but her arms, sickly white snagged my coat and held me down as she loomed over. Long black hair spilled down her shoulders and curtained around us, her eyes - all eight of them stared down at me and her red lips parted to reveal a hollow blackness as her fangs uncurled, saliva dripping onto my shirt.

“Yooooouuuu aarreee late!” It wheezed, its grin splitting its face almost in half.

“No! No, no! Let me go!” I struggled against her arms, kicking my legs up but it remained unbothered, her head lowering further towards my throat while I squirmed and struggled against it.

“No, no my little fly...yooouu tassttee tooo lovely-”

“I suggest you listen and let go now.”

The deep voice spoke calmly and normally but the spider froze above me, its mouth inches from my neck and I could just see her eyes widening further and a flicker of unease passing through its eyes.

“I smeeeelll more delicious lovelies...” She raised her head and I tilted my head upwards and saw Warren standing before us both, something long and sharp in hand as he kept it lightly pressed against the spider’s forehead.

“No lovelies for you anymore if you decide to make the wrong move.” The spider jittered above me and stepped back hesitantly but its mouth parted in a hollow and hungry smile. I quickly sat up, scurrying back against Warren’s legs and felt Warren reach down and grab under my shoulder and just about haul me up when-

“LOOK-” I yelped as it lunged forward but I didn’t manage to finish my sentence when with a sickening thunk, gurgling and an empty rasp, Warren calmly stood with his arm half bent, the knife imbedded in the spider’s throat at the hilt. While the spider twitched upright, mouth gaped like a fish, Warren, with a calmness that defied the situation, wrenched the knife out of its throat, releasing a stream of darkened blood that coated his arm. The spider immediately dropped just where my legs had lain, its chin knocking against the hardwood floor as its bloated body bounced slightly. Its mouth continued to gasp soundlessly for air, pincers twitching like it was beckoning me closer, the eyes never leaving me. The bulbous body twitched violently as blood poured out fast like a gushing stream over the dusty, wooden floor from her throat and over my pants in a steaming flush.

I wasn’t aware I was shaking until Warren pulled me up from under my shoulder and it I found myself hard to look away from the sight.

“You alright?”

“Y-Yes.” I stammered, taking a step back as though I feared it would get up and come after me with those glassy eyes and hollow mouth beckoning me in. “It’s a spider...I remember I hate spiders.” Warren chuckles lightly.

“You and me both. Jorogumo. Not something you want to come across. Ever.” I glanced back at Warren and noticed the clean thin cuts on his cheeks and on his arm like a large paper cut. Noticing my eyes on the cut on his arm, he pulled away from me. “Just from those red lines. They are fucking sharp.” He turned away from the hall and I quickly followed him, refusing to be alone with the dead spider any longer.

“Um, what did you call it? Jorogumu?” Warren turned down the hall back into the living room where I fell to a sudden stop at the sight.

“Jorogumo.” Warren muttered, stepping around the other giant spider woman that lay flat on its back, black blood oozing from its chest and abdomen. I also noticed the large hole in the ceiling above from where it fell through. “A spider demon, originating from Japan. They are typically female, and seduce their male prey so they can lay eggs within them. Pretty harsh way to go.” Warren looked up at me. “Did it bite you?” I shake my head, and he nods.

“Good. Their bites are venomous and would kill you within minutes.”

“Are you...” I couldn’t take my eyes off the tear on his shirt where his shoulder was and the bloodied red show going on.

“Yeah, but I’m immortal, so I’ll be fine at least.”

“Are you sure-”

“If there are two, most likely there will be one more somewhere.” I immediately scampered away from the open corridor I remained standing in, preferring to stand closer to Warren, my nerves shot. He obviously noticed but didn’t say anything. He didn’t smirk his amusement. He stared in the direction where the spider that had chased me had come from, the door just hanging off its hinges, it was dark and quiet, for now. You’d have to go past the door to see if anything lurked within either side. Keeping his knife in hand, War moved towards the door and smoothly stepped through, knife out as he glanced either direction and above before he gestured for me to follow him.

I hesitated, still unsure of War in the first place. But I didn’t have a choice and taking a shaky breath, I followed him into the hallway. it was dark and the smell, if it was possible grew more rancid and my stomach curdled horribly.

“Keep your shirt over your nose and mouth.” Warren muttered from in front. “The constant smell is probably not healthy. Doesn’t even smell like a body.”

More like a hundred bodies left here.

Warren came to the end of the hallway which was a partially open door that he pushed open. It let out a creak, its hinges rusted and distorted from old use and obvious continuous assault on the door. It revealed a staircase that led down into complete pitch-black staircase. No light, no flicker, no nothing.

My skin crawled as I hesitated slightly behind War who stared down the staircase with narrowed eyes and with a heavy sigh, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and flicking something on its screen until light burst forth from the back of the phone. The bright light pierced through the darkness but it didn’t cut through enough because no end was seen.

War turned to me and before I could say anything he placed the knife in my hand and gave me sharp nod.

“Just in case.”

“You trust me?” I queried and he turned to me partially and he held up another knife he had hidden in his other pocket. I gulped as he flicked it around his fingers.

“Do you want me to rough handle you again?” I flushed hotly, stammering but he smirked and continued walking down the staircase, the light on his phone leading us down a never-ending staircase. “The Moirai see anything the others see, so keep yourself ready.”

And that’s what it was. Never-ending.

“Um, Warren, I don’t know much about staircases and such but isn’t this leading too far down?” Warren shrugged.

“If the Fates are in here and judging from the lines above-” He gestured above our heads and looking up, I couldn’t see anything at first until War reached up and just barely followed a thin, red line, inches from the top of his head. He raised his torch to the ceiling and it was like the strings of a harp, hundreds, maybe even thousands of red lines hung above our heads. “It would seem we are on the right track. You can see the spiders on it.”

I could. I didn’t like that.

The spiders were tiny, like ants but they moved along the red lines like an ant colony at work and I dreaded to think of them landing on me and crawling through my clothes, my hair-

“Brrr, nope!” I shuddered in revulsion, running my hands over my clothes as I felt prickling sensations over me at the thought. War was continuing down the staircase and I hurried after, trying to be careful of my footing.

“Um, Warren,”

“Yeah, I can hear it too.”

My nerves were on edge as I kept close to Warren, keeping a tight grip on my knife as we must be getting closer to the bottom. The sounds were weird, I couldn’t quite place it. It sounded like a moaning screaming and the dripping and rushing of water and the stench was pure. Like rotting meat thrown in boiling water and the steam from it was a loud rancid hiss in our faces.

Our feet touched the bottom and I found slight relief but it was still dark, unable to see anything without Warren’s phone lighting up part of the room we were in. Or more like a cavern. The walls glistened and water dripped from the spikes above us. I could see the tiny red lines all above the ceiling as we ventured further in and there was some light growing ahead until we entered a huge, cavern room, the light was coming from the fire against the wall and the huge pan sitting above it even though nothing was in the pan. Large giant spikes stuck from the ground and ceiling all around, providing little view between but rushing water could be heard around, a small heavy stream of hot water as the temperature in here was leaking sweat from Warren and I.

On three sides of the room were three large spindles, red string twined inside and leading away to some of the large spikes around the room. A large mound was placed next to each spindle that I couldn’t see clearly until Warren cursed, his eyes watering as he covered his mouth and nose, gagging slightly.

“Jesus fucking Christ! Is that what I think it is,”

“What is-”

“Don’t!” He snapped, holding a hand to stop me from coming closer. “Don’t come closer!” He had the torch in his other hand that faced one of the mounds and I saw enough. This was the horrid cause for the smell and I hunched over gagging, my stomach curdling as I stumbled back away. I could see tiny bits of movement in the mounds and the dark trails leading up several of the spikes, a moving, non-stop working colony of spiders, digging for flesh, fresh or rotten from the deceased.

“Pandora,” Warren muttered, standing from his crouched position as he glanced at me. “You might need to call out- GET DOWN!” I hit my knees on the ground, a dull throb coming from my knees as we both ducked as a loud twang echoed overhead where our heads had been, bringing a faint echo and the crack from the stones. Another twang and suddenly Warren was yanked off his feet with a shout, his knife clattering on the floor as he was dragged aside.

I rolled out the way as he was thrown in my direction, his body hitting one of the large, spike formations with a loud grunt and heavy dull thump. I got to my feet, just barely missing the lines above us which moved away, my still recovering leg throbbing really bad. Grabbing War’s phone, something black rushed for me out of nowhere. With a yelp, I threw his phone up the light shining in the creature’s face who screamed hysterically, disappearing in rush of black smoke and mist somewhere in the cavern.

“War!” I yelled and War shouted back, grunting as he struggled against something that held him trapped against stone. I stumbled towards him until a force flew at me, making me stumble into the wall. A flash of silver had me ducking aside as the dagger cut along stone but flashed back at me once again. I barely avoided every strike and cut my way. Barely able to raise the phone I still managed to hold in my hand in their face.

“I am Pandora-” I yelped, as the knife cut against my arm. “If you are the Moirai, I beg you to stop please! I am not here as your-” A rush at my side had me thrown aside. There was a furious shout and a blood-curdling shriek. I barely managed to sit before something hauled me up by my throat, the hands gripping mercilessly until the toes of my sneakers were barely grazing the stone ground. I clawed and tried to throw my elbow down on their arm which had little effect.

“You are late.”

“We don’t take kindly to latecomers.”

“You will feed the fates forever.”

The disembodied voices echoed inside my head and around the cavern, making my head and vision swim as my eyes rolled up in my head, my breath slowly cutting off as the hand tightened around my throat.

Fates, Moirai, think woman! Think what to do-

“I... don’t...” I barely gasped, my vision starting to shows black spots. “Fucking...care about your, late policies, you stupid hags...” And despite not being able to see them, I reached forward, hand outstretched blindly into the dark and started clawing at anything on its face, searching and-

“AARRRGGHHH!” The scream almost made my head split open, as I pulled something round and slimy away. A rush of air suddenly invaded my throat as the grip on my neck released and I was dropped back on my feet as I stumbled back, coughing and gasping for air.

“Pandora! Where are you?”

“GIVE IT BACK!” Several voices screamed at once but I gripped the wall holding me up and before anything could come for me, I grabbed War’s phone and held the giant eyeball in my hand over the sharp point of the rock formation.

“Stay back!” I shouted into the dark, unable to see anyone now except Warren who stumbled towards me, looking a little bruised and cut up but his eyes glowered ruthlessly until he noted what I was doing. “You summoned me here and now I’m here! So, you better tell me why or I burst this eye and you all go blind!” I panted furiously and War tensed when something flashed on the edge of the phones light, wispy like a ghost from black mist.

“I’ll give it back if you help me. That’s all I want.”

There was no sound for minutes but I had a feeling they were communicating somehow between themselves. I could see smoky figures flashing at the edge of War and I, as if waiting a chance for the light to fade and pounce.

“I am Pandora! You wanted me dammit, I’m not leaving until I come away with what needed to be said dammit! There are people in trouble that I know.” Quiet whispers hiss around and War spins slightly, and a ghostly figure hisses as it backs away from War’s knife.

“We have been waiting patiently and we aren’t pleased with waiting for you.”

The voice was all three spoken at once in perfect sync and less powerful but had an edge that caused my skin to prickle as if hundreds of tiny spiders and ants were crawling all over me.

“I ran into trouble. Obviously, you know,” War throws me a look but my frustration and anger and fear from the past few days were starting to gain on me.

“Why do you think you are here? Why help you?”

I lowered the eyeball closer to the sharp point, so the stone was just poking it. They hissed furiously and War tensed, weapon at the ready in case they strike, despite the light between us.

“Encasement of evil,”

“Zeus’s favourite creation-”

“No! Collection!”

“Could be Zeus’s downfall.”

My hand hesitated over the spike as the words rung through my head. His collection? Favourite collection?

“Your box.” War hisses, startling me. War glares at me. “Word must be getting around that Pandora’s Box is around. It’s now hunting season for you.”

That box cannot fall into anyone’s hands but my own. But the box-

“The box is safe, hidden.” I whisper and War grimaces.

“For now. If the Father Marios and Daphne sent you away then someone found out where you’ve been laid. They might think the Box is with you still.” The blood immediately drained from my face but a scream cut me off.

“GIVE IT BACK!”

I flinched in pain from the scream, my hand shaking over the spike, while I glanced at Warren. He kept his eyes on the darkness and glanced at the direction of the staircase before flicking his eyes on me from the corner of his eyes and just barely nodded.

Taking a deep breath, I moved the eyes away from the spike and in the darkness, I could just see brief smoky outlines of three figures, floating about before us.

“I’m sorry for threatening you. We will leave you now.” I held out the eye in offer, palm open as the gross, slimy organ sat upon my hand. Nothing happened. No one reached forward, even as my hand moved away from the light.

Splat

I jumped slightly as something thin and silver, a long needle, impaled through the eyeball with a sickening squelch that had my stomach lurch my breakfast almost. A white knot tied at the needle loop, the rest of the white string disappearing into the dark and a hand clasped my own.

War jumped by my side suddenly but the hand clasping mine, the flesh grey and green, the skin peeling and rotten and spidery-veins running over its wrist and palms as the eyeball stuck on the needle still was held up and the tip was jabbed into the fleshy part of my index finger.

I squirmed, the sting of the needle and the bead of blood, the sweat and the ever-present rancid scent of dead, rotten flesh starting to make me nauseous and faint. But the hand tightened on mine, the bead of blood stuck to the tip of the needle that slipped down through the eyeball and onto the white string which slowly stained it red, making my stomach roll.

“Your fate is in your hands now, Pandora.”

“Your fate lies in your past.”

“No surprises there.”

“Begone!” They hissed at once, disappearing into the dark as I backed away nervously, feeling Warren grabbing my upper arm as he pulled me away harshly, both of us hurrying towards the stairs, panting heavily, my skin prickling as though something was still crawling under my clothes. Warren shoved me first through the doorway and up the stairs both of us taking two at a time as a familiar shriek followed us.

“Hurry!” Warren snapped, and I struggled to basically run up the stairs, my legs burning and throbbing, every part of me aching as something clattered up the stairs behind us.

Hurry, hurry, oh God where is the bloody end!?

Panicking slightly until I saw the top of the doorway and we both leaped up the last few steps.

“Mmmmmyyyy looovveeelliiieeeeess kiiiilll mmmy sissstterss!”

Warren ran down the hallway, dragging me behind as we sprinted through the hallway, throwing ourselves through the door without and through the living room. I flinched when there was a loud bang and crash as something scrambled after us. Warren threw open the front door and we leaped out, running to the car. I practically dived inside once he opened the doors and the car purred as he turned it on, the door slamming shut just as he started driving down the road past the house. He turned the car around at the end of the street, driving past again and I watched the broken door pulled shut with a soundless slam.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I don’t know how long we sat in the car as Warren drove down the quiet roads but I was starting to realize I was quite cold as I felt the cars heater warming my own shaky hands.

“Are you okay?”

I flinched at the voice, hearing a normal voice and seeing light yet all I could see and smell was dead, rancid flesh and darkness and piercing voices in my head.

“I will be.” I licked my dry cracked lips, shaking my head. Realizing he had stopped the car and was watching me warily, I turned to him quickly. “How fast can you get us to the church?”

They were in trouble and if War was still capable, he’d be able to save them. I couldn’t leave them suffering and try and help anyway I could.

I stared at Warren whose gaze met my own head on. Could he see the desperation, the determination that I would not let him step away from this for now? He didn’t tell me that I couldn’t possibly do anything or that I’d be in the way at least, though I felt it deep down. His eyes darkened, a flicker of something that sent a familiar chill down the back of my neck. He turned back to the front, and took a deep breath as he started the car down the roads.

“I can get us there under an hour.”