A faint painting echoed through the stairwell. Heels clicked on the concrete stairs and a figure in black loomed through the pale lighting.
"Just one more box. Just one last box and two more flights."
Zatrina burst through the door to her floor, hauling one, final cardboard box, barely duct-taped shut and labeled "CRYSTALS!"
Her heels clicked unevenly as she stumbled down the hallway to her door, fumbling with the keys and the knob and the pushing. It got stuck in the frame a bit, but a few shoves opened it. She stepped inside but fumbled on the large throw rug she'd already laid out and stumbled, careening to the floor and losing her grip on the box. The box burst and crystals scattered everywhere, large quartz crystals and small marbles. One large, dark crystal ball and a smaller white ball rolled across the carpet and right out the door, rumbling slowly down the hallway.
It took Zatrina a moment to collect herself, but as soon as she heard the rumbling and rolling, she leapt to her feet and scuttled right out the door after it, neglecting to grab her glasses from the floor.
Mostly blind, frazzled, with smell gems and crystals sticking out of her black shawl, Zatrina click-clacked her way down the hallway in hot pursuit of her balls.
"Just one more box. Just one last box and two more flights."
Zatrina burst through the door to her floor, hauling one, final cardboard box, barely duct-taped shut and labeled "CRYSTALS!"
Her heels clicked unevenly as she stumbled down the hallway to her door, fumbling with the keys and the knob and the pushing. It got stuck in the frame a bit, but a few shoves opened it. She stepped inside but fumbled on the large throw rug she'd already laid out and stumbled, careening to the floor and losing her grip on the box. The box burst and crystals scattered everywhere, large quartz crystals and small marbles. One large, dark crystal ball and a smaller white ball rolled across the carpet and right out the door, rumbling slowly down the hallway.
It took Zatrina a moment to collect herself, but as soon as she heard the rumbling and rolling, she leapt to her feet and scuttled right out the door after it, neglecting to grab her glasses from the floor.
Mostly blind, frazzled, with smell gems and crystals sticking out of her black shawl, Zatrina click-clacked her way down the hallway in hot pursuit of her balls.