Chapter 5 - Breaking the Lock
Realizing her parents were trying to silence her and cover up whatever lay beneath the floor, Lily twisted violently out of Sarah’s grasp. Ignoring her mother’s screams to stop, Lily dove back toward the hatch, snatched the heavy mallet from the ground, and slammed it directly into the rusted padlock bracket with a furious shriek.
Crack! The rotten wood surrounding the iron latch splintered apart under the heavy blow. With a sharp metallic snap, the lock gave way, rendering the heavy wooden doors completely free to open.
