The Pit & The Pendulum, originally published in 1843 takes us to the Spanish city of Toledo, during the inquisition, where the unnamed narrator, after a long trial, wakes to fins himself in a dark and slimy dungeon, where he encounters terrifyingly realistic fates, being thrust upon him by his "demonic" captors. Pit is one of the very few Poe stories that does not draw its freight from a supernatural supposition, rather a real life threat spurred by man's real life inhumanity. Suspenseful, filled with graphic sensation, and a true classic. Enjoy.