Poppy stepped forward lightly, and a rotten board collapsed. She yelped as the ground fell out from underneath her, more from surprise than anything else.
When the dust settled, there was a big hole in the floor, and the sound of Poppy coughing came from inside it.
"Ach. I think so." She squinted up at him with a large smear of dust on her forehead. She appeared to be in the basement of the house.
"No, it's-" She was cut off by a fit of coughing before standing up. "It's fine. I can find a way up to you." She peered around, squinting in the gloom. "It sure is dark down here."
"I have my watch," she said, pressing a few buttons. Eventually, a dim glow emitted from her watch, and she squinted, cocking her head slightly before moving out of Francis' line of sight.
"I'll do my best," she replied, frowning as the darkness became deeper. She heard a scuttling in the corner and gasped, shining the light in that direction. A raccoon watched her wearily, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Stay, boy," she said quietly, looking for an exit.
Poppy found a door and tugged at it, frowning. "Francis, there's a door here. It's locked or stuck or something. Could you try to find the entrance from the other side?"
