"If you made... a sacrifice... would it mean more if nobody knew?"
"That depends."

Pandora's Box. Beautiful. Jewels. Golden leaves. Iron clasps. Old. Older than God. Strong. Stronger than will. Held shut forever. Fixed at the point. Stoic at the center of everything. Work of art. Built by cosmos. Sealed by raw power. Must hold gold. Must hold diamonds. Must hold a man's life. Must hold life.

Pandora's Key. Stunning. Glowing. Intricate. Perfect. Countless tumbler peaks. Countless tumbler valleys. Sole use. Sole purpose. Only way to open box. Only way to open box? Turn key. Lock clicks. Box opens. Contents added. Diamonds added. Box closes. Turn key. Lock clicks.

Show stranger key. Just for a minute. Stranger unfamiliar. Accidents. Turn key. Lock clicks. Box opens. Accidents? Tests? Forgiveness... Escape.

Contents spill. Diamonds. Black diamonds. Coal. Gold. Silver. Steel. Swords. Demons. Faceless spirits. Nameless blasphemies. Twin gods, Confusion and Confusion. Beastial Fear. Teeth. Claws. Sly Regret. Liquid. Raging Anger. Blind attacks. All seven sins wearing tanned skins of respective virtues. An imexplicable shovel. Hoary spiders. Screaming Furies. Singing Sirens. Lilith. Small gremlins. Silver goblets in their hands. Deadly snakes around their necks. Lecherous Angels. Two. One playing waltz on violin. One wearing a princess' crown. An old friend, Rebellion. Raging and brutal. An old enemy, Convention. Smiling knowingly. A goat. A fine mist of blood. A river of tears. Rocking chair. Old woman. Bible. Small boy. Soldier's clothes. Rocks. Cracked. Black clouds. Endless fog.

Box shatters. Fragmented. Key fuses. Peaks round. Valleys fill. Contents lost. Screaming. Laughing. Diamonds. Coal. Gold. Steel. Life. Anguish. All gone. Contents spread.

Box gone. Space empty. Identical key? Hope. Corpse. Slain. Impaled on key. Photograph nearby. Faded. Bloody. Smiling girl.