Dan, Arthur, and Stacey run straight to Mrs. Smiley’s. They find that the walls of the house are still standing, only its missing its roof. The new storm door is still intact with only a few dents. They go through the kitchen to the basement steps, finding that they’ve collapsed under the back porch. They start calling for Mrs. Smiley but get no reply. Arthur comes up with a plan based on a rescue he’d read about in the Arctic where an upended dogsled had been used. Stacey and Dan lower the kitchen table with the legs up as far down as it will go until it hits something solid. Dan uses it to get down to the basement and Arthur follows, although the table collapses under his weight so Stacey can’t make it down. She lowers her flashlight down for them using the strings of a mop.

Once Dan and Arthur are in the basement with the flashlight, they shine it around looking for Mrs. Smiley. Dan worries Mrs. Smiley either had a heart attack or has her hearing aid all the way down. They walk through the basement and don’t see her anywhere. Suddenly they hear a strange sound.