Pandora’s Box – A Prelude

The next chapter of Overturned will be coming soon, but I just saw this awesome Page & Line Writing Challenge from Teresa’s Blog and it got my creative juices flowing, so here it is. You can check out the prompt here. The challenge is this:

For this challenge, grab the book you’re reading or a random book off your shelf and turn to page 182 (or location if you’re using an ebook). Scroll down to line 16 and write a story using that line somewhere in it. Be sure to share the original line along with the book and author. Have fun!

So, I just grabbed the book The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma (awesome book by the way – part of a fantastic series) written by Trenton Lee Stewart

Anyway, the line is:

up again suddenly, her eyes wide. “But, hey, didn’t I -“

Enjoy!

---

Samantha let out a yawn as she reached into her handbag while approaching the door to her flat. Oh, it’s been such a long day! I can’t wait to hit the sack…

Her fingers latched around something. Ah! Here it is!

She pulled it out.

Why am I after my phone again? No…it…was my keys! Duh!

Shaking her head at herself reproachfully, Samantha put her phone back in her handbag and after fishing around some more, and pulling out bits of odds and ends – such as a ticket to a show she wanted to see months ago she actually found in there in a corner – but eventually, she finally found the keys to her apartment.

She reached for the handle…

…and suddenly found herself waking up, arm extended with the keys, about to unlock her apartment door. Oh, geez! I’m so tired from all that work day and night this week that I’m falling asleep on my feet! Muttering angrily at her stupidity, Samantha inserted the key into the lock and was about to turn it, when the door swung open into her bedroom and the maid that cleaned up in Samantha’s row of flats appeared in the doorway, looking down as she brushed something off of her sleeves.

The maid happened to glance up. “Oh!” she gasped in surprise and embarrassment as she almost ran into Samantha. The maid let out a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were there.”

Samantha smiled, to tired to get into chit chat. “That’s,” and she stopped to yawn, “alright,” and she then stepped aside to let the maid through. “Have a nice day!”

The maid nodded at her gratefully and then exited the bedroom. “You, too!” she called back with a cheery wave.

Samantha entered her bedroom. She’s such a good girl, she thought, thinking of the maid. She’s so proficient with her tidying. I couldn’t do all –

Wait.

She looked around. This wasn’t her room. I mean, it was her flat, but it was like someone had come in and stripped it of everything that was in there and replaced it with a completely different set of things – things that she would never get or be a part of.

She looked down at the carpet. This…

It suddenly hit her. She looked up and then down and then again suddenly, her eyes wide. “But, hey, didn’t I -”

WHACK!!!

The floor rose up to meet her.

Her vision blurred.

Everything swirled around her.

Two people stood over her. They were blurry, grainy images, but she managed to make one out.

The maid.

The two figures spoke to each other, but she couldn’t hear what was said as she began flitting in and out of consciousness.

A shadow fell across her face. Or maybe it’s my mind playing tricks? “Sorry about this,” a voice said. Despite struggling to stay awake, a chill ran down her spine as she recognized the voice. No…no…I…I got away…They couldn’t find me…

The person held something up, and twirled it around in their hand. There was a glint of something; reflected light.

“But you blew it all.”

Something slammed into her stomach.

She screamed, but no sound came out. Wha…?

As something kept slamming into her stomach, raking her body with pain, everything just faded away….

---

This is part of a story that I am going to write as soon as I have finished Overturned (which shouldn’t be a long story). A very dear friend of mine by the name of John suggested this story to me to write and another blogger by the name of Mystery guy helped me flesh out the ideas more. A big thank you to both of you – you both are great guys and I appreciate both of you!

So, be prepared for a blast!!

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