KATHERINE

Sweat poured down my body, my teeth chattering uncontrollably inside my mouth. It felt like the seconds were stretching into hours.

I could hear the rattling of the pulleys as they passed through the wheels, the screech of metal against stone, and the wood trembling.

It only lasted a moment, yet to me, it felt like an eternity.

When I finally reached the end of my descent, the dumbwaiter—or whatever this box was—came to a stop.

I stayed still, silent, listening only to my own ragged b