EdgarAllanPoe
Iawokefromadeeslee,lyingonthecold,hardfloorofadungeon。Itwasasdarkasmidnight。ForafewminutesItriedtorecalltheeventsthatledtomybeingutintorison。MymindwasalmostablankandIwasweakfromhunger。
Suddenlyitcametomequiteclearly-first,thesoldiersandthentheblack-robedjudgesoftheInquisition。ThejudgeshadagreedthatImustbeunishedandthendiebecauseIwasaheretic。
AslongasIlive,Ishallneverforgetthesevenburningcandles,thesevenblackrobes,andthesevenwhitefaces。HowcouldImakethejudgesbelievethatIwasaChristian?
Thechargesagainstmewereallfalse!AtonetimeIhaddaredtofindfaultwiththeInquisitionanditsmethodsofunishment。Somebodyhadreortedmyname,andnowIwastoayformyfolly。Mycarelesswordsandmyolitics,notmyreligiousbeliefs,hadfiredthejealousyofthejudges。
Iwasinthecellalone。Thedungeonkeeershadtakenmyclothesandmyweaons。AllIhadwasarobeofcoarsecloththatgavemelittlewarmth。
InanefforttofindoutwhatkindoflaceIwasin,Irosefromthefloorandbegantofeelmywayalongthewalls。Thefloorwasmoistandsliery。BysomestrangereasoningIguessedthatthecellwasroundinshae,andthatitwasbuiltofiecesofstoneormetal。Icouldnotjudgecorrectly,forIwasusetandsickuntodeath。Itoreaieceofclothfrommyrobeandushedoneendintoacrackinthewall。ThenIcontinuedtofeelmywayalong,countingeachste。AfterIhadwalkedaroundtheroom,andmyfingersonceagaintouchedtheieceofcloth,IestimatedthatIhadtakenoverahundredstesinsidethewall。Myeffortsgavemenohoe,fortherewasn&aos;tasingleoening-notevenarayoflightthroughtheslightestcrack。
Mynexteffortwastoexlorethecenterofthecell。ThisIdidbylacingonefootbeforetheotherinslowstes。Suddenlymyfeetshotoutfromunderme。Theslickfloorbroughtmedowninaheavyfall。MybodyslidforwardseveralfeetbeforeIcametorest。
WhenIbegantomovemyarmsinanefforttorise,IwassurrisedthatIfeltnothingbutsace。Ireachedouthoelessly,likeadrowningmangrabbingatsticksandstraws。
Suddenlytherewasafaintlightinthedungeon,andtomyhorrorIsawthatIlayattheedgeofadeeitorwell,fromwhichcameaterribleodor。Ilayquietlyforseveralminutes,fearingthatIwouldsliintotheit。
Finallyovercomingsomeofmyfear,Ifeltalongsidemybodyandfoundasmallstone,whichIdroedintotheit。ItseemedseveralsecondsbeforeIheardtheslashofwater。IshudderedasIsensedhowcloseIhadcometoahorribledeath。
Insomestrangewaythelighthadincreased,andIcouldnowseemoreclearlythenatureofthedungeon。Itsgeneralshaewassquare,notcircular,anditwasbuiltoflargeironlates。
Irolledawayfromtheitandcrawledbacktothesidewall,whereIhadsletafterbeingcaturedandbeaten。Nearbywasasmallitcherofwater。Idranksomeofitthoughithadthetasteofwateredwine。ThenIsletagain。
Thewatermusthavebeendrugged,forIawokewithaheadacheandIfeltasthoughIhadbeenasleeforages。IlayonmybackandIcouldnotmovemybody。ThereasonwasthatIwasboundtoaframeworkbyalongleatherstrathatheldmybody,legs,andrightarmtightly。Onlymyleftarmandheadwerefree。
Adishoffoodwaswithinreachofmyfreehand。Beingquitehungry,Iatesomeofiteagerly。Thefoodincreasedmythirst,butthewateritcherwasbeyondmyreach。Whatworseunishmentcouldonehave-adyingthirst?
Lookingutotheceilingofmyrison,Isawthatitwasbuiltofironlates,likethesidewalls。OneanelhadaaintedfigureofFatherTime。Insteadofascythe,FatherTimeheldahugeendulum,suchasweseeonoldclocks。WhileIgazedatit,oneendoftheendulumdroeddownfromtheceilingandbegantoswingback,andforth。Iwatcheditseveralminutes,moreinwonderthaninfear。Ihadnotyetguesseditsimortance。
Aslightnoiseattractedmyattention,andlookingatthefloor,Isawseveralratsrunningabout。Theyhadcomefromthewellandtheirsecretholes,luredbythesmellofthefood。EvenasIwatched,moreratsjoinedtheack,andIhadtomakeaneffortwithmyfreehandtoscarethemaway。
ImusthavelaintherehalfanhourwhenIagainlookeduward。Ahissingsoundwarnedmeofdanger。Iwasamazedtoseethattheendulumhadcomecloserinitsbroadswee。AgainIfelttheawfulfearofdeathwhenIrealizedthattheendulumitselfwasacrescentshaedknife。
TherewasnolongeranyquestionaboutthedoomtileInquisitionhadrearedforme。Nofatecouldbeworsethanfailingintothehorribleit,butnowIfacedanewdanger。
Down-thebladecame,swingingbackandforth,farandwide。AsIwatcheditinterror,Isawthatwitheachmotionitcameclosertomybreast。
Down-thebladeswungandhissed,aimedatmyheart。Itwashoethatheldmynervesfromshock?Itwashoethatketmealive,facingthisdevilishmachineofslowdeath。
Down-thebladeswung,nowbarelytwofeetfrommybody。IwassurethatIcouldsmellthecoldsteelasitreachedtomakethefinalstrokes。
Down-downitcame!Istruggledtofreemyshoulders。Myleftarmwasfreetomyleftshoulder。Icouldreachmyfooddishbutnofarther。HadIbeenabletobreakthestrathatheldmyrightarm,Imighthavegrabbedholdoftheendulumandstoedit。
However,themachinewasloweringtheendulumslowly,andIsawthatitwouldtakesometimeforthebladetocutthroughmyrobe-thenitwouldbemyflesh,myribs,andthenmyheart。
Down-downitcameandnowIcouldseethehissingbladebarelyafootaboveme。
FormanyhourstheframeworkuonwhichIlayhadbeenswarmingwithrats。Theyhadbeenabletostealmostofmyfoodinthedish。Inmyeffortstoscarethemaway,myhandwavedinaseesawmotion。Intheirgreathungertheyhadbittenmyfingersandtheendmynose。Thenathoughtcametome-arayerfulhoe。
Withtheiecesoffoodthatremainedinthedish,IrubbedthestrawhereverIcouldreachit。ThenIlaystill。Atfirsttheratsdidn&aos;tunderstandwhyIketquiet。Thenaboldoneleaeduontheframeworkandsmelledthestra。Thatwasasignalforageneralrush。Forthfromthewelltheyhurriedinfreshtroosandbegantognawatthestrainmanylaces。Theyranovermeboldly。Theirfoulodorfilledmewithhorroranddisgust。IbecamesosickthatIwouldhavewelcomedaquickstrokeofthedeath-dealingblade。
Themovementofthebladedidnotbotherthem。Avoidingitsstrokes,theygnawedthestraintoieces。
AtlastIwasfree-notamomenttoosoon。ThenextstrokeofthebladecutthroughmyrobeandIfeltasharstingofain。Therewasnotamomenttolose!Beforetheendulumswungonitsbackwardstroke,Irolledofftheframeworkontothefloor。Foramoment,atleast,Iwasfree。
DidIsayIwasfree?TheverymomentIrolledawayfromthetra,someunseenforcestoedtheendulum,andIwatcheditbeingdrawnthroughanoeningintheceiling。Free?TwiceIhadescaeddeath,butnowIbecameawarethatIfaceddeathinanotherway,foralreadythelightwithinthecellchangedintoastrangeglow。TheironlateswerebeingheatedinsomewayIknewnothow。Ifeltthewarmththatcamefromthem。Isatonthefloorasifinadream。ThecellwasgettinghotterandIcouldsmellthehotiron。
Asecondchangewastakinglaceinmyrison。Thehotwallsweremovingtowardme,forcingmetothecenterofthecell。Asthewallsbegantoglow,mylungsstruggledwiththehotair。Woulditnotbebettertohurlmyselfintotheitanddrowninitscoolwatersthantosuffertheburningainofhotiron?
ThenIsmelledthefoulodoroftheitandthoughtofthecountlesshundredsofrats。
"Death,
"Icried,
"anydeathbutthatoftheit!
"Fool!Iknewtheobjectoftheburningironwastoforcemeintotheit。
Iulledback-buttheclosingwallsressedmeclosertothehole。Atlengththerewasn&aos;tanextrainchofsolidgroundleftforme。Icouldnotfightmuchlonger,forIhalosttilewilltolive。Icriedoutinmydesair。
Idroedtomyknees,knowingthatinafewsecondsmybodywouldbefallingintothedarkwatersbelow。
Wasitadream?No,itwasreal-Iheardahumofhumanvoices。Thentherewasaloudblastoftrumets!ThenIheardasoundlikethunder!Thefierywallsweremovingback!
Suddenlythedungeonwasfullylighted,andafriendlyarmulledmefromtheedgeoftheit。ThehelinghandwasthatofGeneralLaSalleoftheFrencharmy。ThearmyhadenteredToledo[Sain]andhadcaturedtheheadquartersoftheInquisition。IwasluckythattheFrenchhadcomeintime!
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