She climbed out from the hallowed basement with an unsteady footing and feet that dug and planted into the soft loam, pushing against chilled roots and fighting through mist that fell as a waterfall to fill her new space. She rose up bit by bit until eventually her eyes were level with the ground floor and fingers were scrabbling into the dirt to find a hold. All the muscles of her back and shoulders burned as she exerted herself, her abdomen a clenching pit as she dragged herself upwards over the lip of the floor. Once there -