As she worked carefully and with precision, the opening slowly increased in size, with the large slope of unmoved rocks remaining stable.

For now.

Encouraged, she worked until the opening grew to the point where she could pass her body through it.

But she didn’t.

It was dangerous.

Sam knew that the entire rocky mass could shift, tumble over her like a waterfall, crush and bury her.

A current of air—fresh air—flowed through the opening.

Sam wanted to crawl inside and somehow climb her way to the surface.

But she didn’t.

I’ve got to think this through, anticipate the risks, the danger.

She got down on the rocks, flat on her stomach and began testing those nearest to her, giving them a firm but gentle shake to check stability. She continued testing them as she moved her head, then her upper body, into the chamber. The air was fresher here, damp but sweeter, and she drank it in. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the diffused light; her breathing echoed in the chamber as she assessed matters.

The rocks pretty much filled the chamber in a sloping fashion to the top of a circular shaft, rising 30 feet to the surface—big enough for a small car. The top appeared to be a weave of wooden beams and sheets of wood.

Maybe this is an air or escape shaft of an old, abandoned mining operation. Well, now it’s my answered prayer. Now it’s my escape from my living grave.

Sam knew she had to scale the treacherous rock slide on her stomach, then somehow contend with the interlacing of wood at the top. But she had to think ahead, to making it to the surface. She didn’t know what she would find, where she was, how she would survive.

Using every ounce of caution, she retreated to her living area. She gathered small apples, carrot sticks, granola bars, and a bottle of water, stuffing them into the big pockets of her hoodie. Tightening the string of her hood, she then set out climbing the slope gently to the archway. She took her time, moving with every ounce of attentiveness she could summon, to pass through the opening.

Contending with the small bulge of supplies in her pocket, she inched forward on her stomach, wary that a slight shift could trigger an avalanche of such force that it could easily entomb her. Slowly and with great care, she eased her entire body into the chamber. She held her breath as she began ascending the sloping rock pile. With her calloused hands, she strained to feel the secureness of each rock, sensing its texture and temperature, believing each one she touched was a step to retaking her life.