Ultimately, the narrow passageway opened into a large cavern. Margie had closed her eyes, the sight of the demonic shadows on the walls too much for her to bear and the thought of her impending ordeal too overwhelming to consider. She felt her frame being lowered and felt it lock into a hole in the floor. The shaman stood in front of her while the men placed torches into sconces on the walls. Two of the men were carrying a large basket of food and they laid it down on the floor. The old man held his hands over her and uttered an incantation. Margie cried and made effort to beg and plead for mercy, but could form no words. The image of the shaman drifted and swayed in front of her and the flickering light of the torches made his face seem to assume a different shape every second. Finally, h
