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He clawed at the dirt, tugging roots aside and making an indentation in the wall.

Paige glanced up at him before she let her head fall back to her hand. “Give it up, Dewey. We’re as good as dead.”

Dewey continued his frantic clawing. Dirt rained down on Paige as he shifted more dirt from the wall to the passage. He stopped after a moment.

“What is it?” Paige asked.

“Turn off the flashlight.”

“Why?”

“Just turn it off.”

Paige flicked off the light, plunging the chamber into darkness. As the bright flashlight beam died, another light replaced it. A tiny pinprick of daylight pierced through the blackness.

“Look,” Dewey shouted. “Outside!”

He excitedly resumed his clawing, making the opening larger with each swipe.

“Keep going!”

“I can smell the air. Whew, it’s still hot.”

“I don’t care how hot it is,” Paige said. “I just want to get out of here.”

“One escape route coming right up,” Dewey said with a giddy chuckle.

He clawed more dirt away before he dove into the hole, pushing his way through the small opening and into the fresh air.

He popped his head back into the hole. “Give me the backpack.”

Paige shoved it forward toward him, inching up toward the opening.

Dewey reached inside and grabbed it, then he snaked it through the hole and poked his head in again. “Come on!”

Paige crawled toward the small opening and stuck her head through.

“It’s not big enough,” she groaned as she shrugged to move her shoulders through the hole.

“Go back and stick your arms out first. I’ll pull you out.”

“I can’t fit!”

“Yes, you can. Give me your hand,” Dewey insisted.

Paige retreated into the dark passage and stuck her hand toward the light. A scaly paw grasped it.

“Now the other!”

She reached with the other hand and grabbed onto his paw.

“Push with your feet,” Dewey called.

Paige struggled to push herself forward, fighting to find traction on the stone below her with little ability to bend her legs.

Dewey tugged at her arms. Her shoulder joints strained as he pulled, and she smacked into the dirt wall.

“Push, Paige!” he groaned, his face turning purple with effort.