Pandoras box

What had happened? I was just in my apartment room, then somehow found myself here. “Where is here” I wonder as I look around. Its dark but I can tell I’m surrounded by stone walls in a circular formation. 4 Greek pillars on also surround me. In the middle of this room a bright circle that I’m standing on. There doesn’t seem to be an exit. My body itches, I look at it to realize my clothing has been replaced by what looks like torn, worn out rags that cover my body.

“Ahem…I said welcome to the world of rebirth” a well mannered, calm girl’s voice calls out from above. As I look up, a fairy size girl floats down. I take a step back startled. As she floats down more I’m able to see her better. “She is in 2d!” I think, gasping. She is young but her glasses and kind smile make her face seem almost grandmaish. Her face and glasses are high definition, but the rest of her body, including her brown pigtails are more akin to a some what low pixel sprite character found in old video games. She has tow “U” for legs that show below her dress. Her hands are placed on her 2d laptop sprite floating in front of her.

She floats down in front of me, just above my head, around 6 feet away. She adjusts her glasses and starts moving her hands on her laptop. A feint typing sound can be heard. “I am Pandora, I’ve been assigned to be your adviser in this game” she says sweetly and overly calm. I respond to her “Game?, excuse me how do I…”. Leave, is what I wanted to ask, almost in panic. But thinking it over, I don't want to go back, I can’t go back. I got to go forward where ever that is.

I stand there with my head down and my arms to my side, then finally, raise my head and with a firm voice say “Please tell me more about this game”. Pandora adjusts her glasses with her fingerless upside down “U” hand, as she gives a kind smirk, “Very well” she says, calmly typing on her sprite laptop.

“This is a world of adventure, set in medieval times. You have the freedom to do what ever you want. But why ruin the fun, young one, its better to learn the game along the way” she says enthusiastically . “Isn’t she suppose to be younger than me?” I think to myself.

“How do I start” I ask. She turns to her little laptop screen, and starts pretending to type with her small fingerless hands. The sound of calm typing is somehow audible. “First, Lets take care of your Character and class. Players classes are assigned based on their personality. Your assigned class is…Oh! A channeler! Thats a powerful, rare class” she says calmly excited. “Would you like to change class?” she asks. “No!” I tell her, hearing its a powerful rare class hooked me on it, even if I don’t know what the class does.

“As a starting weapon, what would you like, theres a small sword, a spear, a small hammer, a bow”? she inquired. I’ve always been good at computer games, maybe thats why I liked them so much. Especially in RPG games where I was proud of my skill, I always set the difficulty to max. I enjoy the challenge. Leveling up, grinding, managing my character and team, getting new loot. Today was no different, I wanted a challenge, maybe deep down I want to suffer, maybe its what I think I desserve.

I look at her defiantly “A sharp stick or a rock…just give me a sharp stick or a rock!” I say with a determined voice. Pandora turns to her computer screen “ah, yes, a sharp stick and a rock” she says softly “a…sharp stick and a rock?!?! What are you dumb!?” suddenly the kind grandmaish personality of Pandora turns into one of a young brat girl having a tantrum. “What are you going to do with a rock, throw it at an enemy?” she yells at me. Her frustrated face staring at me, waiting for an answer. I am taken aback, yet two seconds latter her facial expression fades into a calm, serene one. She turns her head to her laptop screen and calmly starts typing “ah, yes those weapons are in our database, I will load them to your character” she says, seeming to pause, then hit her enter button with such calm satisfaction. “Than—thank you” I struggle to say, still on a defensive stance from her personality switch. “Your welcome” she responds with a kind smile and a new glasses adjustment.

“All is set” Pandora says, looking at her laptop screen. “Here are your starting stats, Player name: Axel, Level: 1, Attack: 5, Defense: 2, Hit Points: 20, Speed: 2, Class: Channeler, starting weapons…”. Her voice tone changes to a slow apathetic tone as she continues talking “starting weapons…a sharp stick and a rock”. The stats seem similar, like many games I’ve played before. “Excuse me, Pandora, is there any way you could display my stats instead of telling me them?” I ask. “I”m afraid thats not allowed, my dear” she responds, slowly nodding her head side to side with closed eyes. “How will I know when my Hit points are low?” I ask. With a mischievous grin that reveals one small pointy canine teeth she replies “oh, you’ll know alright, you’ll know”. “I wonder what will happen if my hit points reach zero, I’ll just respawn, right?” I think to myself becoming unsure of the whole thing.

“If you have any further questions feel free to ask, I will be accompanying you on your journey” says Pandora as she starts to float up. Hearing she’s coming with me gives me a sense of relief “she’ll keep me safe, wont she?” I wonder. “Now hold still, dear, while I activate the transportation circle’s sequence to the starting area” she says as she concentrates her eyes on her laptop screen, typing away. “Once the the transportation sequence activates We’ll be teleported to the starting area, but before that you’ll see the game’s intro vision” she says, looking at me, already finished typing. “Intro visions? Must be a sort of like an RPG game’s intro video, where the main story gets set up” I conclude.

Bright white rays of light start to appear around the perimeter of the circle beneath my feet. Then the whole circle turns an oozes white light that start to shoot rays up. I put open my hands in front of me, trying to feel the light, it feels thick, gentle. The light intensifies, starts envelops my body, the last of the of the visible room disappears, everything fades to white.

I’m going to the starting area of a new world, a new start for me. I’m scared yet excited. I don’t know what will happen if I’m defeated. I was bitterly defeated in my world, I wont let that happen in this new world. I wont make the same mistakes again!