Ricky woke to the sound of his brother, Clint, trying to clear rubble from the stairs. All night long the sound of chains dragging across the floor filled the basement. They had found a battery-powered lantern to light the room, but it was getting dim.

The basement always had a musty smell, but the reek of decay now hung in the air.

“Get away from there,” said Ricky. “Something could collapse on you.”

“I’m just trying to get out of here,” said Clint.