Appetizer

Setting: At the psychologist / present

Pandora: At that moment, I had a terrible idea. I thought “If I let them jump here, I don’t need to worry about severing our bond”.

The Doctor remains silent.

Pandora: Sometimes I wonder if I really am the good person I have always thought I was. Sometimes… I carry such darkness deep within me.

Doctor: It’s quite normal to feel that way from time to time. You’re not special.

Pandora: When I finished the countdown…

Setting: Bridge above a river / 26th June 2022

Pandora, Marina and Chloe are ready to jump on Pandora’s “GO”.

Pandora: Three… two… one… GO!

As Pandora reaches “GO”, she jumps backwards and pulls both girls to the back. Pandora stays on her feet by herself while Marina and Chloe are grabbed by two police officers, much to their shock.

Marina: W-what’s going on??

Chloe: (Frowns and looks Pandora’s way) …Pandora…!!

In a fantasy, the pillar cracks significantly, the statue starts to lose balance. As it tries to fall down, Pandora touches it with her hand effortlessly, holding it in its place.

The police remove the headphones from their heads, Pandora takes them off by herself. Two women are seen coming their way. The girls’ mothers.

Marina’s mother: (Running towards Marina and crying out loud) Marina!!! Sweetheart!! (She embraces her and starts crying even more.) Why did you try to do this, my love? Why??? (She’s sobbing.)

Chloe’s mother comes calmly towards Chloe and looks at her in disgust. Chloe gives a surrendered look back.

Chloe: Yo.

Chloe’s mother immediately slaps her across the face with full force, making Chloe fall to the ground. Police officer tries to stop Chloe’s mother from doing anything else but she gives him a pissed off and yet cold look.

Chloe’s mother: Don’t you dare tell me how I should treat my daughter. Stand up, Chloe.

Chloe stands up and the police officer makes sure she doesn’t run away by keeping her close. Marina’s mother stops sobbing and watches the scene next to her.

Marina’s mother: Why, Marina? Tell me, why?? The illness you have is not confirmed to be terminal! You can fight! We can win this match together! Don’t throw away your life! And that jerk was not worthy of such a sweet girl like yourself!!

Marina: Mom, I… (She starts to shed silent tears as well.)

Pandora watches both interactions in silence.

Chloe’s mother: So your friend wanted to end her life because of her illness. Quite a story. But what about you? Did you want to just seek attention again? Huh?

Chloe: No.

Pandora: Of course, you did. Your life is incredible next to Marina’s. A weakling. A weakling is all you ever have been and all you ever will be.

Chloe: Pandora! You know too well how lonely I am! Why do you think I wanted a boyfriend so much? Because of my stupid mother who never cares about me and never gives me any attention! All she does is work, work, work. She barely talks to me, she doesn’t even know the name of my best friends!

Chloe’s mother: You should be grateful for all I’m doing for you, brat.

Chloe: I can’t take this anymore!

Pandora: Gonna try to jump again? Oh, poor little baby, nobody gives her any attention. (Another crack is done to the pillar in Pandora’s mind.)

Chloe: You are the only one of us who has a perfect life with no problems or worries! You have no idea how we feel!

Marina: How can you be so cruel, Pandora?!

Pandora: You just shut up, crybaby. Get your shit together and find a better doctor for your illness. Or are you just enjoying too much the fact that everybody pities you? (Another crack on the pillar appears, Pandora needs to hold the statue with both of her hands now.)

Marina’s mother: Hey!!

Pandora: You’re both useless. I knew you never had the guts to do this. You were squeezing my hands like little kids when I started counting.

Police officer: We’ve heard enough. All of you are coming with us. You young ladies are going to get treated in a therapy. Everything will be alright, we won’t ever let you take your lives. Ms. Pandora, thank you for notifying all of us about this in advance.

Chloe: I knew it.

Marina: You’ve become a really bad person!

Pandora: Nope, this is just me. Goodbye, attention seeking bitch and pathetic crybaby. (smiles)

In the fantasy, the pillar crumbles completely. Pandora lets go of the statue which falls down off of the platform.

Setting: At the psychologist / present

Pandora: After this incident, I never saw them again.

Doctor: Naturally.

Pandora: You’re really bad with names but… you must have realized by now.

The Doctor writes something into her notebook and remains silent.

Pandora: How are they doing?

Doctor: They’re recovering very nicely.

Pandora: I’m glad to hear that.

Doctor: If only I could say the same about you. But you are not making any progress.

Pandora: Aww, you’re worried about me~.

Doctor: Pandora-

Pandora: I’m amazed you always get my name correct.

Doctor: I have it written in front of me in my notebook.

Pandora: Ah.

Doctor: Pandora, what do you think happens after death?

Pandora: You get buried?

Doctor: No, I meant spiritually. What do you think happens to your soul?

Pandora: I’ve actually had this theory ever since I was young.

Doctor: Let’s hear it.

Pandora: When you experience the Déjà vu, you feel like the incident has already happened to you once in the past. So what if it actually did but in your previous life? And no, I am not talking about reincarnation per se. More like, I think the life is just repeating endlessly. That the moment you die, the time resets and you are born again as yourself.

Doctor: So you think that you are gonna be reborn as yourself and you will end up face to face with me on that chair again?

Pandora: It’s just a theory. And I am lucky to be able to get to know the truth behind death soon.

Doctor: That’s an interesting theory. I am sure I read a book about something similar from a famous psychologist. But I can’t recommend it to you…

Pandora: You forgot the name of the author…

Doctor: And what if nothing awaits you at the end of your road?

Pandora: Then so be it. I am ready to face any shape or form of the afterlife.

Doctor: Even hell?

Pandora: Hell, heaven, nothingness, reincarnation, being Pandora again. Anything.

Doctor: Do you believe in God?

Pandora: I used to, my parents were always religious. But not anymore.

Doctor: So you say he doesn’t exist?

Pandora: I am intelligent enough to claim a being like God cannot exist. And yet I am not arrogant enough to say that he doesn’t exist 100%.

Doctor: Let’s assume he does exist. If you met him, what would you ask him?

Pandora: ‘Why did you fuck up the world so much?’

Doctor: (Surprised look in her face) Oh. Sorry, your unladylike language threw me off. So what did you mean by that?

Pandora: Look at me. I had everything other people would just dream about. And yet I felt such overwhelming emptiness inside that I couldn’t even describe why I want to kill myself. Something is not right with the set up of the world.

Doctor: It sounds as if you were desperately crying for help. Many people have this condition and they’ve been helped. Please allow me to-

Pandora: Doctor. Stop. Psychology is a science based on the individual. You can’t compare my condition to anybody else and you know that. This was a cheap shot.

Doctor: Should have figured you wouldn’t fall for this. So, wanna continue your story?

Pandora: The following day, I continued to grow the seed inside of my dad.

Setting: Pandora’s high school, hallway / 27th June 2022

Pandora is walking along with her Father to her home teacher’s office. While she looks satisfied and keeps smiling, her dad notices the weird looks students give him. The murmur starts among the students.

Father: Pandora, are they this hostile towards all parents or is it just me?

Pandora: You’re a politician, maybe they want their taxes back~.

Father: Speaking of which, we didn’t want me to visit your school to not spark any rumors or favoritism. Everything you achieved was without my help. So why am I called here instead of your mother this time? And where did the teacher get my number?

Pandora: We’re here.

They stop in front of the door. Pandora knocks and enters.

Pandora: Good morning, Teacher! I brought my dad here~.

Teacher: (sitting at his desk) Excellent, thank you. You may go. The class is about to start.

Pandora walks out of the office and she closes the door behind herself. She then rushes to her classroom. Once Pandora enters and sits down at her desk, Alyssa who sits in front of her looks at her with a sad look.

Alyssa: How come you didn’t ride the train to school today…?

Pandora: My dad gave me a lift, he is here, talking to our homeroom teacher right now.

Pandora is being friendly. The smile on her face shows that she and Alyssa can still be friends even after Pandora ignored her for such a while. Alyssa didn’t understand why Pandora was being so warm again.

Alyssa: Pandora, why have you been avoiding me lately? Is it because of the envelopes? I swear, I never opened those envelopes, I didn't switch the content! Please believe me, I didn’t do anything wrong!!

Student Council President comes to the desk and joins the conversation in a polite manner, her mouth was shaped as a smile from ear to ear.

Student Council President: Alyssa, would you please tone down a little bit? You are disturbing the classmates and the class is about to start.

Alyssa: I-I’m sorry, President…

Student Council President: That’s okay, sweetie, just be sure to keep your voice down, okay? I hope you girls are alright, you have a beautiful friendship. It’d be shame if that incident tore you apart…

Pandora: (inner monologue) Your public image is almost perfect. This warm personality, the ability to make any situation calm down. Your usual charismatic self as opposed to the crazy lunatic I witnessed. Who are you, President? Which one is your real self?

Student Council President: Pandora, I hope the rumors won’t bother you too much. Your grades have dropped even lower lately, if there is anything I could help you with, please just ask.

Pandora: That’s right... The rumors have been getting worse ever since my idol career was destroyed. (inner monologue) People started to assume that everything else I spread about myself was true. And my Father is here to prove yet another rumor ‘true’.

Setting: At the psychologist / present

Pandora: I was well aware that the seed I planted in my Father wouldn’t be enough. But I played along with it regardless, even though it was but an appetizer. The process of severing my bonds with Chloe and Marina came into fruition even beyond destroying their pillar. Their circumstances inspired me to stage the greatest scheme ever in order to make my family bleed alive.

In the fantasy, Pandora reveals another statue but this time, her projection is not the current Pandora but rather a small child. Pandora from the past.

Doctor: I’m starting to feel uneasy.

Pandora: The visit of my grandpa was the perfect opportunity when we would finally be all together, so I could set this into motion. Or so I thought…

CHAPTER 10: END