Morose Marvin

Morose Marvin

He ventured around the corner and found the janitor's closet. Mop, bucket and soap... he gathered cleaning supplies and dragged them back to the room where he cleaned the spattered drippings from the floor.

Marvin finished quickly and then fled the room. He put his supplies away in the closet, where he leaned against the wall and breathed hard. He wanted to cry.

But the wall creaked, and rotated in slightly. A burst of cold air blew through a crack, chilling him. Marvin startled and turned around. The wall contained a secret door! He pushed it more, and it slowly gave way, creaking loudly as it rotated inward, revealing a staircase receding down into darkness.

Marvin stared. As his eyes adjusted, he could see dim light climbing the spiral stairs from far below. He looked behind him and listened. The hall was empty; no one was around.

Marvin ventured down the worn stone steps, at first slowly feeling his way until the light was bright enough to see where he was going.

He stepped out into a broad gallery with columns supporting arches in the ceiling, lit by a few naked electric bulbs hanging unadorned from above. Numerous tunnels led from the sides of the room off into inky gloom. A single tunnel was dimly lit. He entered it.

He followed the tunnel a short distance and stepped out into a large room at the top of a long balcony leading to a staircase, which he followed down. The room's ceiling, arches carved in stone, rose high above his head.