Tunneling Behind the Paperbacks

Waking up wedged between paperbacks isn't terrible, but it narrows your options. I spotted a narrow gap behind the row where the dust jackets pulled away from the wall. Squeezing my shoulders through, I found a whole hidden corridor running the length of the shelf. There was a stray brass paperclip half-buried under a tumble of loose staples. Perfect tiny pry-bar. I hooked it onto my belt and kept sliding along the baseboard, treating the dark tunnel like my personal express route across the room.