The girl looked at the gun things for a long moment, then she reached into the metal box and pulled one of them out. She took some metal things out of a box and put them in the gun-thing. The dog turned his head to one side and tried to understand what the girl was doing. He could tell the girl was still sad because he could smell the tears on her face, but her hands did not shake and her gaze did not falter.
The girl shut the gun-thing with a snap and went back out into the big room. Then she went into the kitchen where the dog could hear the dead-thing behind the door banging and scraping, trying to get out. The girl pointed the gun-thing at the door, but she did not shoot. Instead she lowered it again, and knocked against the wood with her knuckles. The wood sounded thick and sturdy. The dog barked, because he did not like the dead-thing behind the door, and he wanted the girl to shoot it. But the girl turned around and opened another door that led down a flight of stairs into a dark place that smelled of damp and mold and soap. She fumbled with a switch by the door, but no light came on in the dark place.
Then the girl went to the cabinets in the kitchen and found a plastic tube that made a weak beam of light come out in front of it. Holding the light tube in one hand, and the gun-thing in the other, the girl went down the steps into the dark place. The dog could tell the girl was afraid, but the dog was not afraid because he did not smell any dead-things down in the dark place. The dog followed the girl down the old wooden steps, and in the dim beam of the light tube he saw that the dark place was filled with shelves and old metal things, and all kinds of interesting smells that flitted by the dog's nose and then went away again. The dog wagged his tail and went over to a corner where he thought he smelled a rat, but the girl hissed at him to come with her, so the dog left the rat hole, and followed close behind the girl. The girl went to a place where there was a white cord strung between two of the rafters. After looking around first with the light tube, the girl put the gun down and reached up with her hand to the rope. After a few minutes she had the rope untied from the rafters. Then she wrapped the rope into a coil, put it on her shoulder, and picked up the gun-thing. She headed back up the stairs and out of the darkness. The dog wanted to stay behind and find that rat, but he followed her up the stairs instead because he did not like to be in the dark.
The girl went to the heavy door and began coiling the rope around the door knob. Then she took what was left of the rope and backed across the room. She held the gun-thing pointed at the door with the rope twined between her fingers. Then, after a long pause, she pulled back on the rope, and the doorknob started to turn.
The girl shut the gun-thing with a snap and went back out into the big room. Then she went into the kitchen where the dog could hear the dead-thing behind the door banging and scraping, trying to get out. The girl pointed the gun-thing at the door, but she did not shoot. Instead she lowered it again, and knocked against the wood with her knuckles. The wood sounded thick and sturdy. The dog barked, because he did not like the dead-thing behind the door, and he wanted the girl to shoot it. But the girl turned around and opened another door that led down a flight of stairs into a dark place that smelled of damp and mold and soap. She fumbled with a switch by the door, but no light came on in the dark place.
Then the girl went to the cabinets in the kitchen and found a plastic tube that made a weak beam of light come out in front of it. Holding the light tube in one hand, and the gun-thing in the other, the girl went down the steps into the dark place. The dog could tell the girl was afraid, but the dog was not afraid because he did not smell any dead-things down in the dark place. The dog followed the girl down the old wooden steps, and in the dim beam of the light tube he saw that the dark place was filled with shelves and old metal things, and all kinds of interesting smells that flitted by the dog's nose and then went away again. The dog wagged his tail and went over to a corner where he thought he smelled a rat, but the girl hissed at him to come with her, so the dog left the rat hole, and followed close behind the girl. The girl went to a place where there was a white cord strung between two of the rafters. After looking around first with the light tube, the girl put the gun down and reached up with her hand to the rope. After a few minutes she had the rope untied from the rafters. Then she wrapped the rope into a coil, put it on her shoulder, and picked up the gun-thing. She headed back up the stairs and out of the darkness. The dog wanted to stay behind and find that rat, but he followed her up the stairs instead because he did not like to be in the dark.
The girl went to the heavy door and began coiling the rope around the door knob. Then she took what was left of the rope and backed across the room. She held the gun-thing pointed at the door with the rope twined between her fingers. Then, after a long pause, she pulled back on the rope, and the doorknob started to turn.
