For Pandora, it was a way to pick up a few hundred bucks every fall. Go into the haunted house, get hogtied and gagged, and then left seemingly in the path of a spinning buzzsaw for folks to shriek at. The room would be dark, then once the folks were inside, the lights would come on, the saw would power up and move closer, and she'd scream. Then after 45 seconds or so, the lights would be cut off, and the lights in the next room would come on, guiding the guests. The screams would continue, of course, until that group was out, and the set was reset for the next group, coming in five minutes...

For Pandora, it was a way to pick up a few hundred bucks every fall. Go into the haunted house, get hogtied and gagged, and then left seemingly in the path of a spinning buzzsaw for folks to shriek at. The room would be dark, then once the folks were inside, the lights would come on, the saw would power up and move closer, and she'd scream. Then after 45 seconds or so, the lights would be cut off, and the lights in the next room would come on, guiding the guests. The screams would continue, of course, until that group was out, and the set was reset for the next group, coming in five minutes later.

Such was the business. There were worse ways to earn $50 an hour.

But tonight was different. It wasn't fall, it was spring time, and Pandora was told she'd only have to perform the scene once, and she'd get her usual nightly fee. But it was different this time. Tonight the set wasn't dressed for Halloween, it was just the table and the saw. The ropes and gags were the same and she was tied into the same position as always. But she also noticed there was a small arrangement of chairs to one side where she could be observed. She was on the table, hogtied, gagged and ready, and an audience shuffled in. They were seated, and soon the scene began.

But this time the scene was different. The saw moved closer as usual, and spun up as usual, but it wasn't going to be 45 seconds of screaming. It was moving a little slower than usual. Pandora wasn't worried, it was the first time the props had been used in six months, so they might be a little slow. She played her part and screamed into the gag, trying to make it look real.

But soon there was another difference, and that was that the blade didn't stop and the lights didn't go out like usual, it kept moving closer, and closer! Was this really happening? Pandora's screams of acting soon became more and more real. The blade got much closer than normal to her. Five inches, four, three, two....

Finally the lights went out! No one could see. Pandora kept screaming like usual, but were her screams of real fear, or just her acting?