Thursday, June 21, 2007

Pandora's Folly

“Open my box,” a gravelly voice whispered as a decorative box on the mantle started glowing.

Pandora sighed. “You know I can’t.”

“Turn my key and set me free,” said the spirit in the box. Pandora ignored it and went back to her reading.

“I’m bored! Let me out!”

“You’ve caused enough trouble for all eternity.”

“Please, I promise I’ll behave,” the spirit pleaded.

“I’ve heard that before! Like when you killed so many with the Black Plague and the San Francisco earthquake, or when you infected the world with AIDS. Never again!”

“If you let me out I will allow you to have one day’s freedom from watching over me,” the spirit tempted. “And I promise that Zeus will never know you set me free.”

Pandora, who had been gifted with curiosity and weakness when she was created, looked at the glowing box again, considering the offer. It was so tempting—a day of not having to sit in that room would be so nice. But Zeus had told her if she opened the box ever again she would join the evil spirit that was trapped there.

“No, I can’t,” Pandora resolved. She tried to go back to her reading but her mind was filled with thoughts of what she could do on her ‘day off’.

“You swear Zeus will never know?”

The spirit smiled deviously. “I swear it.”

Pandora raced across the room and turned the key. The box glowed brighter with each turn. Suddenly a flash of lightning shot into the room. Pandora screamed as she was transported across the dimensions into the box.

“Curiosity killed the cat, and ended my loneliness,” the spirit chuckled as Pandora appeared next to it in the box.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Feeding the Sharks

Bubba carefully wrapped his boss’ body parts in newspaper like he’d seen the fishermen do down at the wharf. He was going to put them in the aquarium freezer and use them to feed the sharks. Maybe the piranha keepers would want some too. They always seemed to be looking for protein for the little flesh eaters.

He hadn’t planned on killing his boss; he just wanted to teach him a lesson. No one said anything bad about his momma and got away with it. He knew they were going to tell him he needed to go to anger management classes again.

He looked down at the hand he was wrapping and saw the help wanted ads. "THUGS: Morally unhindered individuals wanted. Apply in person at Pauly's Deli, bring work samples."

Hmm … maybe instead of the classes I just need a second job,” Bubba thought as he finished his work. When he was done he set his boss’ hand and left leg to the side and put the rest of the body in the freezer then locked the door.

Before he left, he tossed the leg into the shark tank and watched the feeding frenzy. He patted the hand in the bag and headed downtown to the deli for an interview.

After work, he had a big Reuben sandwich for dinner and his first assignment: kill a mafia snitch and dispose of the body.

The sharks would definitely be eating well in the future.