Dear Yuri
When I open my window during the day, I see the waves of the sea tumbling over each, as if trying to reach me. To tell me a story. I can feel their powerful roar building, climbing towards my window. They drown my voice. Silence the turbulence inside. It is easy to listen when they speak. Their overwhelming rumble is comforting. Their constant rhythm is soothing.
At night I close my eyes and listen to the stars. They wipe away my thoughts with compelling stories. Whisper myths about heroes and villains, sing songs about a king’s dreams and recite the princess’s ballad. Once they told me the tale of Pandora and hummed to me about hope. When the night fell silent and the stars had gone to sleep, I wondered, could we keep it trapped when all it wanted was to fly away?
I remember when the window used to be open. Now I try to look outside, but all I see is reflection. I find myself in a looking-glass. The waves are distorted by my features, the stars silent while awake. I look at the unspoken eyes in the window. The world outside is muted. We are alone with our thoughts. How do we know what happened to Pandora if there is no one to tell us her story? We imagine Hope escaped us in the end, trapping us inside the box instead. Its revenge is only well-deserved. Who is the hero here? Who is the villain? Is it all just a myth?