Style Essay

Hemingway’s Box
It was early and no one had been created for a long time because in the heavens there was much fighting. In the day all was quiet, but at night the gods came together and they liked to sit late because they hardly talked anymore and now at night it was calm and they felt it was time. The lower gods knew that the highest of the gods was a little pensive that day, and while he was a kind king, they knew that if he thought too much he would come up with awful ideas, so they feared the meeting about to take place.
"You must create a woman from clay," the highest of gods said.
"Why?"
"She will be our revenge."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing."
"How can you mean nothing?"
"She will be beautiful."
They sat together in the heavens that were full of tension and jealousy and they looked at one another where they could see the world in each other's eyes where all the humans were fighting, so flawed and ugly. The gods looked at one another and frowned. Their king had left the room and they were alone.
"I guess we should get a move on," one lower god said.
"What does it matter when we start? We have all of forever."
"We'd better do it soon. He'll be angry if we wait much longer. Out of clay he said?"
They looked down below to the earth where the darkness seemed to rustle as if it were anticipating something. The most beautiful goddess in the room stood up."What will I do?"The gods all turned to her. "You can be the model," one said."You'll have to be fast," the goddess said. The gods looked at her. She sighed and sat down."We'll be fast" said a young god to his partner. "We'll do it tomorrow. I never want to do things at night. Why'd he pick tonight to tell us this?"
The king came back in and sat down with the other, and pulled one god aside. "We're going to make her tonight," he said to the crafty god. This god motioned to the goddess. "Come sit" he said. She sat next to him and he began to scoop up earth from beneath him and created a woman like the one before him. "Now the winds can come" he said. The king took the orm in his arms. The winds came and blew breath into her at that moment.
"She's alive now" he said
"She is our creation."
"Will she be evil?"
"She shouldn't be. Just mislead."
"How will it be done?"
"We'll each give her a gift."
"That will make her mislead?"
"It will make her desirable."
"What's the point?"
"Destroying those who betrayed us."
"Will we send her to earth?"
"We will. She will marry the brother of our enemy. Let's show her to everyone so they can all give her their gifts."
“How will they do that?”
“We’ll hold a party. Go invite everyone in the heavens.”
“I’ll do it now.”
“Get going then.”
“I said I was.”
“I wasn’t sure. You were taking a long time.”
“I wasn’t. I was just about to leave. Then you stopped me. But now I am going. And I’ll tell everyone.”
The girl stirred for the first time. The king looked at her, still without any emotion. “Let’s go” he said, speaking with a dull tone as if he were the one who had no emotion. “We have a party to take you to. It’s time to leave.”“Errr…” she mumbled. “Go.” The king stood her up, and pushed her to the gathering hall. By that time, most of the gods had already gotten word of the party, and were gathered in the hall.
“Why did you bring us here?” the gods all began to ask. They were sitting in front of a table piled with food.
“It’s been so long.”
“We have made a woman.”
“What is so special about that?”
“More to me than you I suppose.”
“They are all the same.”
“You don’t understand. She will be the downfall of our enemies.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t,” agreed the king. He did not wish to hurt his citizens, but his plan was forming faster than they could understand.
“And you? You have no fear this plan will fail?”
“Are you trying to belittle your king?”
“No, only to point out its flaws.”
“No,” the king said. “Now give this girl what you will.”
“She will have beauty, grace and will always be desired”
“What will she lack?”
“Nothing. She will be cunning and bold. But she will be foolish, mischievous and idle.”
“She has everything we have”
“No. She will never live forever, and her life will be hard.”
“Come on. Send her to earth.”
“I am one of those who cannot send someone without a parting gift,” one of the gods said. “Here, take this box. But never open it, no matter how curious you may be.”
With that, they sent her off, watching and waiting for what would soon happen on earth.