“Woo-hoo!” Shelly yelled. “Let’s do this.”
Ivy knelt in her jeans, brushing away dirt with her gloved hands. The surface beneath looked rough. “Help me clear it.”
They worked steadily, widening the hole, searching for the edges to figure out what this was. Ivy’s shoulders ached, but she didn’t stop. Whatever was down here, she needed to know.
They all did.
They worked together, scraping away soil until a large metal plate emerged. On one side was a recessed handle.
“It looks like a hatch,” Poppy said, leaning back on her knees.
Ivy’s heart hammered against her ribs. She gripped the handle and pulled. The hatch resisted, sealed under decades of rust and settled earth.
Poppy drew a crowbar from the tool bag she’d brought. “Let’s try some leverage.”
Shelly let out another enthusiastic cry. “Our niece thinks of everything.”
After they took turns loosening the cover, it gave way with a final grinding sound. Together, they lifted the hatch, revealing a pit partially illuminated by sunlight that descended into darkness.
Poppy switched on a flashlight. She swung a beam oflight over the metal ladder rungs bolted to the side of the vertical shaft.
Cooler air rushed up from the opening, carrying the smell of age and damp earth.
Shelly peered over the edge, then immediately stepped back. “Oh, no. No way. I’m not going down there. What if there are snakes?”
“They’d probably be long dead,” Poppy said.
“I wonder what this was for.” Ivy squinted into the void. The beam caught metal rungs descending into shadow. She couldn’t see the bottom.
They all peered down the shaft.
“One of us should check it out,” Ivy said.
Poppy nodded. “I can light your way.”
Ivy sat back on her heels. “So I guess I’m the one.”
Shelly and Poppy looked at each other, grinning sheepishly.
“Aunt Ivy, you’re the bravest one, but I’ll be right behind you. I can’t let you go alone.” Poppy attached the flashlight with a lanyard around her neck so she wouldn’t lose it. “I have another light with a head mount if you want it.”
Ivy slipped the device over her head and tightened. “I feel like a miner.”
“Gold miner, I hope.” Shelly crossed her arms. “I’ll stay up here and be the lookout.”
Ivy summoned her courage. “We need to see what’s down there.”
Shelly shook her head. “Maybe you need to see. I’m happy with mystery and speculation. Just bring back treasure.”
Ivy shot her a glance. “As if I’d have anyplace to run off with it. One way in, one way out.”
“Shelly can watch for anyone wondering why there’s a giant hole in the library lot.” Poppy switched to the high beam, sending it sweeping down the shaft. “If someone shows up, tell them we’re investigating the water supply.”
“Is that what this is?” Shelly asked.
Poppy shrugged. “I have no idea, but who would know any better?”
“All right, here goes.” Ivy drew a deep breath and swung her legs over the edge, finding the first rung with her foot. She tested the strength. The metal seemed solid beneath her weight, which was encouraging. She tested the next rung, then the next, descending slowly while Poppy aimed the flashlight from above.
