My duffel bag slammed its weight into my back when I grabbed hold of the rope. Ow. It was much heavier than what I was used to. I shimmied down into nothingness. The rope made this so much easier. I'd thought the distance to below was a literal stone's throw, but apparently this place did strange things to my perceptions, in more ways than one.

Soon - sooner than I thought they would - my feet touched ground. A black void surrounded me, impenetrable even with ...