Hope

How long have I been here? It is impossible to keep track of time in this hollow, chasmic prison. I stand up and my feet stir up thin swirls of dust in the blackness. I stretch, feeling for the rough, circular walls, sloping down to surround me. The seal over the top of the tall jar traps me and the darkness inside.

Those cold, intangible shadows also inhabiting the clay jar draw away from me as I lean against the wall. I quickly grow colder as the walls sap body heat through the thin garment around me. The darting shapes in the darkness surrounding me cannot touch or harm me. I am a faint light in this ignored jar; they are just thin layers of shifting shadows, but that does not stop them from hissing and whining in my ears. Their words do not affect me, for neither the shadows nor the words were created from me.

“She’s prettier than you are... Why does he get the wealth that you deserve... They don’t need that land, it should have been yours anyways...” The thin words leaked from Jealousy’s dark, dry mouth.

“You are so much more worthy than him: you are more skilled, better looking, smarter, and more responsible... You deserve the respect he has...” Vanity hissed next to my left ear.

“They are coming... Coming... Coming...” Fear muttered, clutching its knees and rocking back and forth in the center of the jar. “Quick! Flee! No! The other way, you fool!” Fear finished screaming and giggling hysterically with a wild look in its eyes.

A large, gelatinous, amoebic blob at the other edge of the jar slithered over to rest before me. It opened sausage like lips, “They can take care of that, you don’t need to help... Why work harder? You wont gain anything more... Who wants to take care of such an awful chore? Save it for tomorrow, maybe someone else will do it then...” Laziness spat and dribbled.

Other shadows occupied the edges of the jar. Misery constantly wailed and clawed at the walls. Toils unceasingly muttered about everything that needed to be done and complaining about the chores it had done, while never really doing anything. Plague oozing around its bandages and dripping on the floor beneath it, Sickness seems pale for a black shape in the recesses of the jar.

I frowned at the evils. They were not created for me, but who were they created for? Was is the muffled voices we occasionally heard through the thick clay? The one voice seemed deep and rumbling, while the second and more frequent was higher pitched, sounding almost like a trilling bird. They always sounded so light and innocent without concerns, but they were also curious. I could hear the owner of the second voice often touch or circle the jar, while the first seemed to gently admonish her.  

The shuffle of soft footsteps could be heard approaching the jar now. They were too light to be the first voice, they must be the second voice. I heard a soft muttering as the being came closer to the jar. A gentle scuff sounded as they brushed up against the jar. My eyes darted to the now silent shadows around me. They looked upward with eagerness, giggling, sloppy grins spread across their dark faces revealing dagger-like teeth.

I looked upward, begging in my heart that the seal would not be broken. Do not give up your innocence just to satisfy your curiousity, I pleaded within myself, unable to open my lips from the dread that filled me.

A sharp crack sounds as the shadows begin to roll around laughing maniacally.

A second crack and the seal shatters.

Pure white light streams in, temporarily blinding me. I squint and see a pretty, round face looking with wide eyes into the jar. Fool, why did you give in? I collapsed into the dust. As the light streamed in, the shadows unfurled bat like wings and hurtled themselves from the jar. The face above showed only pure horror then let out a scream. A scream that only occurs when you have been kept pure and innocent for your entire existence, then seen absolute evil for the first time. She drew away as the evil flew out and clawed at her. The shadows tainted her mind and quickly drew away to contaminate the rest of the world, leaving her sobbing on the floor.

I climbed from the jar. Now that the shadows had fulfilled their purpose, it was time for me to fulfill mine. I walked my frail, miniature form over to the weeping lady. Cradling her head in my lap, I stroked her hair and whispered softly in her ear. She raised her head and her lower lip stiffened. A determination and light shone in her wet eyes as she looked at me.

“Thank you.” She said.

I nodded and began my continuous journey in the direction the shadows had fled.