As above, so below.

Echoes in the Hallway

I took the stairs from my 3rd floor hotel room down to the ground floor.

I exited the stairway to meet a long hallway. It’s carpeted with soft red velvet fabric. The lobby was around the corner at the other end of the hallway. I started walking down the hallway.

As I did, I heard loud footsteps in floor above.

Huh that’s a loud person walking above.

I kept walking but I noticed something odd. The footsteps on the 2nd floor above matched my steps. Like we were mirroring each other.

I stopped walking. And the footsteps above stopped as well.

I took 5 more steps and stopped. The footsteps above did the same.

Wow that’s a super weird.

At end of the hallway is another door to the stairwell.

Right by the hotel lobby.

I kept my eyes on the door & my ears open to the steps above.

20 feet away from the 1st floor stairwell door.

My palms sweat and my steps quicken.

Do I really think someone’s above me that just happens to walk at the same pace as me? Or am I going crazier?

I’m 5 feet from the 1st floor stairwell door. The footsteps above disappear.

Ah I’m just imagining stuff.

Click.

The 2nd floor stairwell door swings open. Loud footsteps echo down the stairwell like someone jumping down the steps.

I round the corner like an experienced F1 driver and speed walk through the lobby.

The metal unlatching of the 1st floor stairwell door echoes in the lobby.

I turn to see who’s behind me.

It’s an energetic 8-year-old kid.

Whew.

My muscles relax.

I guess a crazy imagination is a side effect for fiction writing.

I walk to my car and drive into the desert.