Chapter 16: BreakthroughI awoke with a start, realized I was on my patio and, remembering what the situation was, hastily got to my feet. The neighboring houses were all dark, the only illumination being my own patio light.
When I stood at the top of stairs leading to Grendel’s chamber, I could hear the shrieks of Grendel’s pickaxe blows filtering up from far below. Thankfully, they were muted here; there would be no neighbors calling the cops. It struck me that the blows were coming at a much slower pace.
Once in the upper chamber, I lit the lantern and put in my earplugs before heading down the tunnel. As I approached the lower chamber, I thought I could smell wood burning. When I reached it, I saw Grendel standing before the glowing barrier, with the pickaxe, and there was smoke risin
