A Way Out (finale)

"Keep knocking," I tell her. "I'm going to try a couple things."
She does as I say and I crawl towards the sound.
When I reach the right place,
I feel for any seams that might betray a hidden door,
hoping I can just press it in and have it click open.
"Come on. Come on. Give me something."

"Please hurry."

"Oh! I got something! Let me see if it works."
The knocking stops as I gently press within the seams I found and hear a promising click. Nothing happens.
I try it again and push harder. Click. Creeaak.
The door to the crawl space opens stiffly.
"Hello?" 
"Help. I'm still stuck. Grab my hand."
I reach blindly into the crawl space for a tiny hand.
After a brief moment I feel something cold and clammy and grab hold.
As I pull hard, I feel a second small hand seize mine.
I need both my hands to keep my grip and I try pulling from her wrists.
"What are you stuck in?"
"I don't know."
I army crawl into the crawl space to see if I can figure out what has her trapped and ease her out.
In mere seconds I realize why she's stuck.
There are voices of fear filling my mind telling me that it is dangerous to leave,
that it will be worse "out there" than it is here.
She wants out, but she and I, even now, don't believe it's safe to leave.
I try to ignore the new fears or push them out of my head,
but they fill my being with dread.
While reeling in the midst of this internal chaos,
one small sliver of my conscious mind hooks my arms under the arms of the girl and pulls yet again.
Somewhere deep within that small sliver of consciousness, a prayer suddenly blossoms into my frenzied mind, calming it.
It springs unbidden, out through my voice,

"Let me see myself as I am in light.
Let me know myself as I am in light.
Let me see myself as I am in love.
Let me know myself as I am in love."

The prayer appears to be calling in the light of the universe.
Oddly, as the light streams in, the crawl space and the damp, smelly tunnels cease to exist. We're surrounded by light on all sides and is so intense, we close our eyes.
When we dare to open them again,
we are standing before a massive blue-green lake
with an almighty mountain as its backdrop.
After the journey through the darkness,
I am eager to wade into the water to cleanse my mind, body, and soul.
Still holding my inner child's hand, I ask if she wants to join me.
Wide-eyed, she nods yes and we slowly walk into the chilly water,
our skin tingling, both with cold and delight.