Feels like parking brake engaged

My 2008 Prius has been sitting for about 25 days while I've been out of town. I just tried to drive it, but it feels like the parking brake is engaged even though I've pushed it off (and the lights are showing it is off).

A bit more detail: Car has been parked on a relatively steep incline (maybe 35 degrees) for about 25 days (this is its normal parking spot). Parking brake was engaged during this time. Weather is mild to warm (it's Hawaii). When I try to back up it feels like there is something behind the one of the rear tires, and the car almost starts to lift up a bit. (But there's nothing there that I can see.) I might have been able to push the gas a bit more, but was afraid of damaging something. When I put the car in drive and take my foot off the brake it rolls slightly (and very slowly forward), but not nearly what it should (I'm afraid to push the gas at all because there is a wall very close to the front of my car).

Any advice? Seems like maybe the brake is stuck or something of the sort...

 

I've tried. There's a lot of resistance and it feels like the car is lifting up. How hard should I push against this?

 

Well, I got the car to "move" but the rear driver's side tire isn't actually spinning. I drove it back and forth in the driveway hoping it might loosen a bit, but nothing. Just skidding along the concrete. Which I'm sure isn't great for the tire. Talked to service guy who said this happens sometimes when the brake is engaged while car is wet (and since my wipers came on when I started the car I'm guessing that it was raining last time I drove). I don't think it's going to loosen enough to be drivable.

 

That's the solution to everything, isn't it? Or, as my dad used to say (which was rather apt in this situation), "when in doubt, gun it."

I managed to turn the car around so that it's now facing the other way, up the hill. Gonna let it sit overnight and maybe having gravity pushing it the the reverse direction will loosen something. I've tried engaging/disengaging the brake with no results, but I may go out a few times tonight and mess with it. Will revisit tomorrow...

 

Just thought I'd post to say thanks and to provide an update.

As I stated above, I managed to turn the car around (just skidding the locked wheel). I left it parked overnight with gravity pushing on it the opposite way from how it had sat for the 25 days. The next morning it still was stuck. I tried to engage and disengage the brake a few times, and tried driving back and forth, but with no improvement.

So the car continued to sit for at least another 24 hours (between the holiday and the fact that I'm battling the flu I just couldn't deal with it). This morning I called local auto repair who said that they might be able to send some one to look at it, but to call back in about an hour when the rest of their staff was in (they are pretty small and said they didn't even have room at the shop for it to be towed in). So I decided to go out and check it again. I put in neutral and it rolled slightly back (but no more than normal), and then put it in drive and got the same resistance that I'd been getting.

And then, suddenly, it released! Much rejoicing. I drove it around the neighbourhood and there seemed to be a few extra noises, so I was a bit cautious, but they seemed to go away and I think were just the normal, been sitting for a month, noises.

Drove today to run errands and things seem fine. Still a bit afraid to set the parking brake, and will definitely not leave it sitting with the brake engaged for that long again, but things seem good.

So, just wanted to say thanks for the advice and (mostly) the assurance that pushing hard on the gas was okay. Not really sure how much it was helped by letting the car sit for so long with the pressure going the other way, or if it was just time and multiple attempts at getting it unfrozen by giving it some gas.