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Task at hand, Senna

I find an ornate silver box on the top shelf of the arn Inside is a box of lighters, a key, and a small silver knife I want to question the contents of the box Stare at them, touch them—but I need to move fast I use the knife to cut a strip of material from the bottom of a shirt, then I loop it and tie it into a knot with, I flinch

I pocket the knife and fuhters My hand hovers above the box Eight pink Zippos If I didn’t already have chills, I’d get them now I blow it off I can’t blow it off I can and I have to, because I’hter It’s a coincidence I laugh Can anything tied to a kidnapping be coincidence? I’ll think later Right now I need to get waret the wheel on the Zippo to spin It leaves indentations on my thumb The wood is hard to catch Da to feed the flaht not need later

I a What can I use for kindling? My eyes search the space until I see a white box in the corner of the armoire with a red medical cross on the top A first-aid kit I run to it and flip the lid Bandages, aspirin, needles—God I finally find single use packages of alcohol prep wipes I grab a handful and run back to the fireplace I rip the first one open and hold the lighter to its tip It catches and flares I tuck the burning pad against the log and rip open another package, repeating the process I pray to whoever is in charge of fire and blow gently

The wood catches I pull the thick co in front of the h I am so cold I want to dive into the fire and let it burn this cold off of me I stay like that, a lu

Then I move

Chapter Two

There is a trapdoor under the rug with a heavy, metal handle It is locked I yank on it for five ood hand until ain I stare at it for a et the key froa about the key? I don’t knohat to do I pace around the trapdoor in h It is an abnore key, old fashioned and bronze The keyhole in the trapdoor looks large enough to fit it I get another chill and this ti to exaertips to wrist There is a questionaround the character in an ornate design I drop the key It clanks heavily against the floor not far from where I threw up I back up until ainst the wall

“What Is This?” There is no one to answer, of course, unless they’re waiting just below that trap door to tell ers automatically close around the knife in ood about that I have a penchant for sharp knives and I sure as hell kno to carve skin If I have a key, they have a key I can wait here for theo down I prefer the second option; it feels like it affords me a little more power

I walk quickly, sidestepping the vomit and snatch up the key Before I can think about what I ae it into the keyhole

Metal against metal and then … click

I use ood hand to heave it open It’s damn heavy I’m careful not to make noise when I set it down I peer into the darkness There is a ladder At the botto and a hallway I cannot see past a few feet I ao down I place the knife between s as I climb

One … two … three … four … five … six My feet hit the rug The floor is cold The cold shoots up ht to look for shoes?

I hold th, ready to stab anyone who juo for the eye socket, and if I can’t reach that—the balls Just one sharp jab, and when they’re bent over, I’ll run Now that there is a plan, I take a look around There is a skylight above h it and hit the wood floor I step through the around for a hidden attacker

I am at the end of a corridor: wood floors, alls, wood ceiling There are three doors: two on the left side, one on the right All of them are closed There is a wall directly behind me, as well as the ladder I just cli I decide that’s where I’ll go first If someone jumps out of one of those doors, I’ll be past the in the back of my brain that it won’t be that easy I walk onThe knife is clutched in h it seems small compared to the situation

I ae, open kitchen down the stairs and to the left To the right is a living roo is eerily quiet I creep down the stairs, my back to the wall If I can oes to the endless snow I saw out thein the round rooht away There will be soht to take shoes? I ah three feet of snoith nothing on my feet The front door is directly at the bottolance up to the top floor tome, and then dive for it It is locked A keypad sits next to the door It opens electronically I aain If someone attacked h to defend myself I could break aThe kitchen is in front of ular Shiny, stainless steel appliances They look brand new

God, where ath of the kitchen, its continuity broken only by the fridge In the corner there is a heavy circular table with two curved benches on either side I walk to the drawers and pull them open until I find the one with the knives I pluck out the largest one, testing its weight inmy baby knife on the counter I think twice and slip it in my pocket instead

Now that I have a weapon, a real weapon, I head for the living room Books line one wall; on the other is the fireplace A sofa and a loveseat are arranged around the coffee table There is no way out I look for so to break a ith The coffee table is too heavy for me to lift—especially with a sprained wrist When I look more closely I see that it is bolted to the floor There are no chairs I go back to the kitchen, open every cabinet and drawer,discovered There is nothing large enough or heavy enough to break aWith a sinking feeling, I realize I’o back upstairs This could be a trap There could be soive me a key to the roo ga as I climb back up the stairs I haven’t cried in years, but I feel as close to tears as I’ve ever come One foot in front of the other, Senna, and if someone jumps out at you, you use your knife and cut them in half I am between the doors I choose the one to my left, put ged, cold, terrified breaths

It opens

“Oh my God”

I slap hter I don’t lower my knife, I keep it up and ready I step onto the carpet,like they need to hold onto so er than an adult king Two of its posters are life-sized carousel horses, their poles disappearing into the wooden bea There is a fireplace totrouble breathing First the lighters, then the key, then … this