Her decision was made. Jayde wrapped her hands around the wooden pole and tried to heave it up. It didn’t budge, but she didn’t know if that was because it was too heavy or because it was attached to the ground. A quick survey of the pit floor revealed that the spike was connected to something under the dirt.
Jayde grabbed ahold of the pole again and twisted it counter-clockwise. She grunted from the exertion and pushed as hard as she could. Just as her strength was about to fail, the pole twisted an inch. Spurred by the small victory, Jayde twisted the pole again. This time, it was easier and it turned a full circle. She continued twisting the pole around and around until it came loose, then she squatted low and used her legs to heft the pole up.
The weight and height of the thing almos
