Pandora's Box

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

-William Yeats

*

Chapter 1

Jonas glanced once more into the almost finished bedroom before shutting the door. The day was getting closer when she would finally come. He smiled at this thought and walked contentedly to another room in the house. He was not too sad to leave her room knowing he would see her in mere seconds.

He turned on the light and scooted his black computer chair close to the screen and sat down. Good, he thought, she's still asleep. He hadn't missed anything. He just wanted a five minute break before continuing to work on the room. He'd been up all night too excited to sleep. Besides, he was struggling to make some major decisions before her arrival. He glanced at the time on the bottom right of the screen. Only about 30 more seconds. He sat with his green eyes fixed to the screen with a huge grin on his face.

He heard the alarm go off and watched her reach over slowly to slide the button to turn the alarm off. She stretched her arms and legs as far as they'd go and wiggled her fingers and toes. He sighed, he loved how she did that every morning. He was imagining her waking in her new room and stretching like that. She was sitting up now looking around the room for something. Her eyes locked on a bottle of water and she stood up, her every movement fluid as silk. She tossed her head back and drank from the bottle.

He was in love, and he knew it. He was glad he'd finally found the right woman. He was so weary of meeting only selfish whores. He wanted, no needed, someone real. And she was better than he ever could have imagined she would be.

She sat down on the floor and began to stretch toward her toes. Her morning stretches before she would take her shower were all part of her usual routine. She crossed her right leg over her left and leaned forward. He wanted to keep watching, but he knew how easily he'd get distracted. He reminded himself that the quicker he finished her room, the quicker she would be there. He turned off the monitor and walked to the door, smiling as he glanced back once at the blackened screen.

He walked back to her room and turned the lights on. He glanced around to remember what he had left to do. He focused on the metal bars on the bed frame. He realized he still needed to attach the restraints to the four corners of the bed, because he would need them for the first few days at least. He walked into the bathroom and began to write down a list of a few toiletry items. He certainly didn't want her to feel uncomfortable at all. He glanced at the clock and decided it would be a good time to head over to the store. He was glad to know that this was the last time he'd need to go shopping and he made sure to double check his list. He didn't want to leave anything out.

Chapter 2

"Thank god, you're early!" the lanky male sighed to Jonas as he pushed back his slightly moist dark bangs from his forehead. A look of relief washed over his pallid face.

Jonas reached out and shook the man's hand quickly. "No problem, James. Get your ass out of here!"

James gave a quick nod of appreciation "I owe ya."

Jonas waved his hand dismissively. James headed toward the back of the bar.

Jonas looked around the bar. It was dark for the most part with a few spotlights flashing green and blue around the small dance floor. It was full, as usual, on a Saturday night and reeked with the stench of body sweat. Full of men and women looking for a quick fuck with someone they'd never touch in the light of day. He felt slightly sick to his stomach at the thought.

A curly, red-haired woman approached Jonas at the bar. Her shimmering, low-cut black dress left her breasts so exposed that it left little to the imagination. "Hey!" She put on her best smile it seemed, showing off almost every perfect white tooth.

He didn't care for these games tonight so he glanced quickly at her eyes and then out behind her. Without ever looking directly in her eyes he said, "What are you having?"

Her smile dimmed a little at his inattention to her. "Um... I'll take your best cosmopolitan."

He nodded and turned around to grab the vodka and shaker.

She shouted "I think I've seen you here before. Have you worked here a long time?"

He turned around, but kept his focus on making the drink. "Yeah, about 2 years." He decided to just let her ask her questions and be on her merry way. He didn't give a rat's ass about her pathetic life. He thought he'd create the most boring scenario for her so she'd leave.

"Do you like it?" she grinned at him.

"It pays the bills," he replied.

She turned around and gave a friend a look beseeching help. Her friend grinned and waved for her to continue. "Are you from around here?"

He nodded, his black hair falling a bit in front of his eyes.

She turned around more quickly this time with a look of confusion to her friend who simply shrugged.

As quick as she turned he muffled under his breath, "Fucking whore."

She eagerly turned around at the sound of his voice, "What?"

He gestured behind her, "Fucking horrible song."

She nodded, "Oh, yeah! I can't stand this techno shit."

He handed her the finished drink with a weak smile. "Here you go."

She gratefully took the drink and left a 5 dollar bill on the bar and quickly walked off to her friend. Her friend looked concerned for her and put her arm around her. She quickly pointed to another guy nearby and her expression changed to one of excitement to brighten her up.

Great, he thought to himself. The beginning of a night riddled with fake conversation with people too fucking scared to be themselves that they drink to the point of oblivion in order to have a conversation with someone. He held back the urge to shout at them all to get the fuck out of the bar.

Chapter 3

Jonas was driving his dark blue Corolla slowly down Cherokee Street. It was sunny and warm outside so he rode with his window down. He turned down Mable Avenue passing many tall houses with well kept lawns. He noticed two boys playing with an electronic airplane on his left. He pulled into the driveway just a few houses away from the boys outside. He took in the grandeur of the house. It was brick, three stories tall, with a circular driveway. It still looked brand new, although he knew the owners had lived at this house for about five years.

He put the blue and yellow Alca work cap on, poured the chloroform on the gauze, placing it into his pocket and stepped out of his car. He left open the passenger door behind the driver's side. He stood proudly and walked confidently to her door. He knocked and waited, knowing Pandora would be home alone. Her parents gone for the weekend.

He heard her footsteps. Then, she opened the front door with a smile. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Hi, can I help you?" She asked him with a slight furrow of confusion on her face.

He nodded. "Yes, I'm with Alca, I've come to replace the air conditioner filters. How many do you have in the house?"

She appeared dismayed and took a moment before answering. He wondered if she was calculating the numbers in her head. "I know we've got at least two. But, come on in. We'll, figure it out." She opened the door completely and ushered him forward into the house, shutting the door behind her.

He smiled and said "Can you take me to the two you remembered?"

She nodded and walked in front of him.

He could smell her sweet perfume as she walked past him. He couldn't remember at that moment what the scent was, but he recognized the flowery scent. As soon as she was in front of him he quickly removed the gauze from his pocket and wrapped his left arm around her stomach while placing the gauze over her mouth and nose with his right hand. He stifled the scream just in time. Her reaction seemed delayed, he silently credited himself for making his story seem believable. She squirmed and continued to make sounds underneath the gauze for a few more moments and he felt her body go slack in his arms. He put the gauze back in his pocket. Then, he removed the work cap and put it in his pocket as well.

He took her left arm and laid it over his shoulder and gently walked her to the door. He unlocked the door and shut it behind them as he began the slow walk to his vehicle. He carefully lowered her into the back seat and laid her down.

"Hello." A woman's voice echoed behind him.

He finished making sure she was safe in the backseat and then he turned around to face the woman in a pink tank top and blue shorts who looked to be in her mid-forties. She had a leash with a chihuahua that eagerly tried to run from her grasp. "Hey." He simply replied.

She sighed and glanced into the vehicle once before looking back at him. "Who are you? What's wrong with Pandora??"

He looked down forlornly and glanced back at Pandora and quietly shut the door to the car. He put his left arm over the woman's shoulder. "Ma'am, I'm a friend of Pandora's. Look, we're trying to keep this quiet, you understand. We don't want gossip being spread around town."

She nodded and looked at him more concerned this time, "Oh. Yes, I can understand. But, what is the problem, what's going on with her?"

"Well." He sighed again. "Pandora has some friends who have recently gotten her into some trouble." He shook his head. "Drugs."

The woman made a slight gasp.

He nodded, "I know. I've been so worried about her. It's completely unlike her to do something like that. But, I told her to call me if she ever needed help. I'm just glad she was able to call." He hesitated. "I've never seen her so bad before, she can't even keep her eyes open."

"I know!" the woman whispered, "She looks completely out of it. I never would have guessed."

He turned her away from the car and started walking her down the driveway toward the road. "Well, it's alright. I've called a doctor and he said he's got her a room at a rehab center. I just spoke to her parents and they agreed to head straight there. But, I really need to get going."

She nodded and turned to face him. "You're a good friend to look out for her like this."

He gave her a slight smile, "Thank you." He stopped a moment and looked her straight in the eyes, "Please, remember this is something the family would like to keep private."

She nodded fervently. "I completely understand, don't worry. I won't say a word."

He smiled, "Thank you. We better head out."

"Of course. Take good care of our Pandora!" she said as he started walking back to the car.

He climbed into his car and started to back the vehicle out of the driveway. He waved to the black haired woman with the dog as he passed her. She smiled and waved back. He glanced once behind him to make sure Pandora was really there. She was. A beaming smile spread across his lips as he felt the satisfaction of knowing she was finally with him.

Chapter 4

He'd been sitting there for at least thirty minutes, just watching her sleep. He had made sure the restraints couldn't harm her fragile wrists and ankles. Jonas thought to himself how gorgeous she looked in the simple white dress and how it naturally clung to her elegant, feminine curves. He loved to see her in white, because it seemed perfect with her light skin and blonde hair. Purity, he thought, it adds to her natural purity and innocence. He smiled and stroked her soft hair. He sighed inwardly and whispered softly "Pandora."

She tried to turn in her sleep until the restraints prevented it. She struggled to move her wrists more rapidly now. Pandora lifted her head, flashed open her mysterious, dark, brown eyes and gasped. She immediately fixed her glare on Jonas for a good five seconds. She turned quickly to see her feet and hands cuffed to the bed posts. She turned to face his gaze again with a look of confused helplessness.

He could see the water beginning to fill her eyes. "Shh..." He said softly. "You're ok, I promise Pandora."

Her brows furrowed in deeper confusion. She spoke softly, eyes still wet. "What's going on?" She hesitated and looking around the dimly lighted purple room, "Where am I?"

He smiled, "Do you remember me?"

She studied his face and seemed to strain to regain her sense of reality.

He answered by holding the Alca hat in front of her. "I came to your house, the air conditioning. Now, I've brought you here."

The look of puzzlement remained cemented on her innocent face. "Why am I being restrained? Where is here? Was there some kind of accident?"

Always wanting to believe in the good in people, he thought to himself. This was perfect he decided, exactly how he'd always imagined this moment to be like. "Well, Pandora I know this may take time for you to understand. But, I brought you here, to my home, because you were meant to be here... with me." He reached out to touch her hand, and she quickly pulled her hand back as far as she could. He still took her hand in his.

"Don't touch me!" She jerked her body hard trying to get loose from the restraints. "Are you crazy, what are you talking about.. meant to be with you? Who the hell are you? Why did you bring me here?"

He waited a moment, enjoying every second of this encounter. He thought he saw a spark of anger in those dark eyes. He finally decided to speak again. "You have every right to be angry with me right now. I didn't give you a choice in coming, but in time you'll see that this was the only way we could be together."

She raised her voice even louder, jerking her body more still trying to loosen the restraints, "Answer me, what do you want from me?"

He calmly stroked a blonde strand of hair from her eyes "In time, Pandora. You will understand in time."

She closed her eyes tightly. He saw tears dripping into her hair. He wiped a tear from her face. "Pandora, I know it may be hard to understand right now. I won't hurt you, I would never hurt you. I know you've been hurt before, when your brother died two month ago. I saw it all. You have no idea how much I wanted to hold you and comfort you that day. But, I couldn't. This will seem insignificant in comparison and I'll be with you every step of the way."

She opened her eyes, and he could clearly see the anger emanating from her now. Good, he thought to himself, her anger will get her past the sadness.

She finally spoke again, "You saw?"

He simply replied, "Yes, I saw."

She spoke again with a little more hostility in her tone "Whatever you think you saw, you know nothing about me. You wanted to comfort me? You don't know me, you can't comfort me. I don't need or want anything from you."

He sighed, "Okay." He paused a moment. "Well, let me know if you decide you do need anything from me." He stood up and left the room, leaving the door open.

Chapter 5

She pulled at the leather cuff on her right leg again, straining with the effort. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain followed by a burning liquid. She had been twisting and squirming for hours now, refusing to speak at all. She didn't want her captor to hear her and mistakenly think she wanted anything from him. Her ankle was sore and bleeding from her efforts, but she was no closer to freedom.

Pandora sank back on the bed, squeezing her eyes tightly. Tears began to stream from her eyes. She tried to cry softly, but couldn't control her sadness anymore. She began to weep loudly and without restraint. "Dad... mom..." She was crying so loud that she didn't even notice her stomach growling anymore. She whispered through her sobs "please let me go, please let me go."

The door gently opened and she jumped abruptly. He entered the darkened room slowly moving toward her. She cried out "Please, please just let me go home." She looked up at his face but could not see his expression.

He showed her a bottle of water and moved it toward her mouth. "Drink." She took gulp after gulf as if she hadn't had water in days. Her lips felt so dry and parched from crying.

He spoke in a soft tone, "I hate to see you like this Pandora, you don't need to fight it so much. I'm going to bring you some food and you'll be able to move around. I shouldn't have left you strapped here. I don't want you to be in any pain."

She felt a slight wave of relief at hearing the news, she was starving. Then, she felt another wave, but this time it was lightheadedness. Her head and limbs felt heavy. She could barely keep her eyes open. The last thing she felt was the strap being loosened from her leg.

Chapter 6

He watched from the monitor for the moment that she would wake up, because he knew the drug would wear off soon. He hoped to see a smile on her face for all his kindness. He was heartbroken to see her cry, but even more to see the redness on her wrists and ankles. He had mended her ankle immediately, but he could not bear to see her in any more pain. He wanted her to be happy to be there.

He saw a slight movement and focused on her image. It was a minute longer before she rolled to her right side. Her eyes flickered open and she sat up quickly. She peered around the room and sighed softly. She began to rub her wrists and then touched the bandage on her ankle. She glanced at the food sitting by the door, but quickly looked elsewhere. He felt some disappointment that she did not have even the slightest smile on her face.

He watched as she slowly stood up and began to walk around the room, examining each corner to corner. She walked up to the door and slowly turned the knob, but the door did not move. She turned the knob the other direction and it still did not move. She glanced at the food again, but kept searching the room. He saw her walk into the bathroom. She was in that room for several minutes before returning to the bedroom. She began checking and pushing on different spots on the walls. She stood on the bed, trying to touch the ceiling. However, she was still a couple of feet short. He knew her search would be in vain. The room had no windows, the walls concrete, and the only way out was the door to the bedroom.

She walked toward the dresser and pulled out a chemise and she threw it down. She began to tug at the drawer of the dresser and appeared to try to loosen it from its hinges unsuccessfully. She gave one more intense pull on the drawer and then slammed it shut. She walked up to the plate of food. She picked up the note and he remembered his words "Enjoy, my love." She ripped up the note. She picked up the food and turned it upside down on the floor. The mashed potatoes slapped the floor with a loud smack. He was shocked. Why would she do that? I gave her a peace offering. Now he had to reformulate his plan. He watched most of the day waiting until he knew she was asleep.

Chapter 7

The door to her room opened. He lingered in the doorway for a moment staring at her naked form on the bed. He slowly approached her, and she noticed that he was naked as well. "What are you doing?" she asked timidly, curling her knees up and wrapping her hands around her legs to hide her body from him.

He didn't answer as he kept moving toward her like a panther intently focused on a kill. He grabbed her hands from her legs and began to strap them, one by one, into the restraints. She couldn't match his physical strength and she questioned why she couldn't do more to stop him. She kicked and twisted her legs, trying to keep them from his strong grasp as he confidently reattached the straps to her ankles.

He slid his heavy body on top of hers. His hands glided across her breasts. She felt a shiver run down her spine as he explored her there. He began pinching her nipples between his fingers. A soft moan escaped her lips. She felt his fingers descending down her chest, moving over her stomach, and then his fingers very lightly touched her inner thighs. He was incredibly handsome, and maybe he would be gentle with her. She didn't want him to stop. He began to suck harder on her nipple and she felt her body jerk.