Armed with the cryptic instructions, Eliza hurried home, her mind racing. She entered her living room, scanning its layout. The note specified the ‘north wall,’ which faced her neighbor’s yard. Measuring five feet inward from that wall, she laid out a tape measure across the hardwood floor.
She reached a spot beneath her worn-out rug. Heart pounding, Eliza tugged the rug aside. The floorboards here felt ever so slightly uneven. With trembling hands, she pried at the edges, searching for a seam or latch. At last, her fingernail caught on a small metal ring hidden in the wood.