If she doesn’t run into anyone.
If she’s not already too late.
If her claustrophobia doesn’t get the best of her.
Taylor gathers the bottom of her cape in one of her hands and starts down the wooden stairs.There’s an exit, she tells herself.An entrance and an exit.She wants to dampen her awareness of the surrounding space.Entrance and exit. Entrance and exit.She begins to stride across the room, toward the far door.Entrance and—
What is that noise? There’s a continuous tapping sound.
She stops. The beating noise is coming frombehind. She turns and seesanotherdoor, tucked beneath the stairs she climbed down. A door, that, from her orientation, seems to lead to a sublevel of the Knox.
Of course. A connecting basement, well, connects. She guesses that this leads to the underground section of the Knox, the area with the room that recently underwent renovation. Maybe it’s dumb luck she got locked in here.
The noise steadily continues like a parade drummer keeping time.
With trembling fingers, Taylor slips her mask back on. She forces her legs to take her over to the door. Then she grasps the handle and turns.
The Knox
Someone has made a grave error, leaving one of the cellar doors unlocked.
Agraveerror, indeed.
The Knox Society Handbook of Practice and Procedures
v. 1817.1030(d)(2)(ii)(C)
Section 8.
The Sacrifice
Purpose. This section serves to define and describe the procedure known as “the Sacrifice.”
Scope and Application: The Sacrifice occurs during the Bowels scroll portion of Initiation Night ceremonies as described in section 6.6.
Definition: The Sacrifice, informally known as the Secret of Importance, consists of a personal confession offered by a Non-Legacy Prospective Member that represents one’s deepest, darkest secret.
Each Non-Legacy Prospective Member shall individually offer the Sacrifice in presence of Current Members.[*1]
Each Non-Legacy Prospective Member shall then await the Decision;
Current Knox Members shall privately discuss whether the Sacrifice reflects a sufficient allegiance to the Knox, and Prospective Member(s) will be subsequently classified into one of three categories:
If allegiance is deemed not sufficient, Prospective Member(s) will be promptly excused from the premises.
