Pandora
My hands shake violently no matter how much I try to stop them. It hurts so much. Black spots dance in front of my eyes and my mouth tastes of copper. Is this worth it? I suppose it no longer matters; I'm here now and it is too late to turn back.
The smell of rose perfume fills the room and I can hear footsteps echoing over the stone cobbles. I tense, the shivering growing more violent. She walks past, her foot brushing my hair and a part of me thinks she is going to stamp on my head. She doesn't say anything- she never does.
I can't see what she is doing. I can't see anything. My eyes were one of the first things to go. I can't talk either. I think she stitched my mouth. It hurt but at least she has warded off infection but only because she wanted me to stay alive for experiments purpose.
My days are dark and painful but I just have to remember why I signed up for this: to protect Noel. It helps to steel my nerves and to prevent me breaking completely. In the dark after she has left, I can see him running through green field, his long blond hair falling in front of his eyes. He's laughing, the dimples he is so self conscious in full view. I'm doing this for him and him alone.
I think there is an open window in here. I can feel a breeze on my face and there is a pigeon somewhere nearby. Pigeons used to annoy me but now I would do anything to see one's ugly face. She shut the window and the breeze cut off. I can hear her coming back towards me. Her hand lifts my chin towards her and for a moment, all I can think of is how soft her hands are. Her fingernails trace my throat and I wince as she catches an old wound.
' Shush.' She says softly. It's the first time she's spoken to me. Her voice is soft, almost motherly and her accent is Northern European. ' Don't move or it will hurt more.' She makes an incision behind my left ear and puts something in it. It's cold but no bigger than a grain of rice. Her hand strokes my hair as she seals it. She is always gentle with her experimentation, like I'm a puppy at the vets.
' You are all done now. Congratulations, Pandora.' Pandora? That is not my name. ' Your sight should return in a few minutes.' My sight? She took my eyes away, how will I be able to see? I sit in darkness, tense with anticipation. The cold object behind my ear hums and my eye-sockets start to tingle. I can see vague shapes, her face is right in front of mine. She has blonde hair, like Noel's. My vision isn't getting sharper. Everything is blurry like I need glasses but one thing is clear: her heart. It is glowing in an unnatural blue light, pulsing with every beat.
I reach out a hand, yanking on the rope that ties me to the chair. My fingers brush her chest but instead of stopping, they sink right into it. She goes ridged. I can't see the expression on her face but I know she is smiling. ' There we go Pandora, you are different now. Please, let go.' I withdraw my hand. It's still shaking and I can't keep it upright for more than a few seconds. ' You are going to be very weak for the next few days but soon you will be the most powerful person on this planet.' She stands up and walks out of the room, leaving me completely alone.
My mind is going at a million miles per hour. What has happened to me? I am even human? I can see the pigeon on the windowsill. It's a black blur but its heart is as clear as day. I concentrate on it, focusing on its steady beat. It starts to beat faster, becoming erratic. I focus harder. Suddenly, it explodes and the pigeon falls limp. No, I'm not human. Not anymore.
