-forgetting-
hope;
--
{for all of those who have, for one moment, considered giving up hope}
--
Hope watches as Zeus lifts the ceramic lid to the black-and-white jar, fury plastered across his dark face. Big, marble columns stand strong against the blur of lighting and electricity that seems to pour out of the ceiling. His eyes are lined with hatred, his calloused hands brushing lightly against the varnished surface of the clay. With an exasperated sigh, Zeus seals the lid tightly onto the jar.
"They will pay for this," he promises grimly as he ties the leather strap the the pithos, his eyes as murderous as the dark sky. "They will pay for this!"
His cry seems to echo across the almost-empty throne room, bouncing off the painted walls and the intricately carved statues. Zeus laughs, a satisfied smirk forming across his face as he lifts the jar off the table and stares into Hope's eyes.
"They will pay," he whispers menacingly, starring into the jar with deep, threatening eyes.
And with that, the world goes dark and silent, an endless swirl of black and grey and darkdarkdark blue against the cool surface of the ceramic jar. And, as she is shut away from the world, Hope can't help but wonder if she's done something wrong.
--
"They'll try to trick you, they'll offer you gifts. Don't trust them, any of them."
--
Hope does not like the cold.
It reminds her of evil and scary things she does not want to think about. The cold envelops her, circles around her menacingly, whispering in her ear, and Hope is scared. Cold, for her, is too cold, to different from warmth and love and home, to different from all the things she symbolizes. Evil is cold. Hate is cold. Solitude is cold.
The ceramic jar is cold, too. Its glazed surface filters the warmth, absorbs it, leaving nothing but cold and evil thoughts for Hope. So she flutters around, trying to warm the cool clay with her warmth. And, as she keeps fluttering, Hope wonders if she'll ever feel warmth again.
--
"You mustn't open this, whatever you do."
--
Hope can only see outside the jar when someone is thinking about opening it.
The first time she sees Pandora's eyes, Hope knows that Pandora wants to open it, wants to know what lies inside the jar. She can feel the way her eyes seemed reserved, almost calculating, her dark eyes piercing through the darkness. It's almost as though Pandora can see Hope, can feel Hope, the way her eyes seem to stare right through the poor spirit. And, for a moment, Hope is excited, anxiously awaiting the day she can be liberated from her ceramic prison.
But then she remembers Zeus's satisfied smirk, and she's not so sure anymore.
--
"They will fall for it. Don't worry."
--
Hope watches fearfully as Pandora unties the leather strap, letting it fall to the ground.
She knows what is coming, and she can feel the spirits around her - illness, war, death - start to awaken around her. They know it, too.
Pandora's soft fingers graze over the surface of the lid as she unclasps it, lifting it up just a little. Hope knows that all Pandora wants to do is steel a glance inside the jar, but it is already too late. The spirits imprisoned within it take off towards the exit and break free into the world. Only Hope hesitates. She remembers Zeus's laugh.
But she hesitates a second too long, and it's too late. Pandora has shut the lid, locking Hope up again. She can hear Pandora's cries, her fear.
As her world grows dark, Hope wonders if she'll ever see light again.
--
"What have you done? What have you done?!"
--
Hope sits, waiting.
She has been sitting in the dark, cold jar for over two thousand years without seeing, or hearing, anything. She has given up trying to keep the jar warm - she just doesn't have the strength to continue. The darkness seems to cover her, seems to envelop her, and Hope doesn't bother opening her eyes anymore. There's nothing left to see.
Sometimes, Hope regrets not flying free with the other spirits. She misses the world, the beautiful sky and the warm sun. But she manages to convince herself that this is where she belongs, this is where she is needed.
And yet, Hope cannot help but wonder whether or not she's been forgotten.
--
"Give up Hope, and I will know that you are surrendering."
--
Light breaks through the darkness for the first time in two millennia.
Hope opens her eyes slowly, carefully, as she takes in the world outside her jar. The room is paved with concrete and bronze, glittering crystal lights hanging from the ceiling. Weird, colorful furniture is amassed around the small room, and a collection of wounded children and teenagers are covering the carpeted floor. Hope blinks, twice, as she slowly rises from her deep slumber into a world so different from what she was used to.
A boy is holding the jar this time, but he is not alone. Beside him, a girl with blonde hair, bruises covering her face, is watching him fearfully. His eyes, as deep and as turbulent as the sea, are examining the pithos.Hope knows the look.
With a controlled anxiety, Hope begins to flutter again, trying to warn the boy with the sea-green eyes. She remembers, for the first time in a long time, Zeus's laugh, his smirk. And as much as Hope longs to be free, she knows that she is serving a better purpose here, so she flutters and dances, trying to remind the boy of everything he has to hope for. She wills herself to be strong.
And, slowly, the look goes away, melts away from his face, replaced by a fierce determination. He gives away the jar to Hestia, goddess of the hearth. And, as her world fades to black for the last time, Hope knows she won't be forgotten again.
La Fin
Mmm...Not one of my best, but I suppose it will have to do :) Hopefully you'll review?