A World Beneath the Floorboards

You mused about an endless personal domain, a hidden level tucked away from the world. Walking back indoors as dusk settled over the streets, I sought out just such an expanse. Beneath the heavy oak sideboard, the carpet yields to a narrow, forgotten cavity near the skirting board. I slid down into the dim hollow with a small brass pocket mirror. With a slow tilt of the glass, I caught a sliver of hallway lamplight, turning the dusty shadows into a chamber of quiet corridors. A silvery silverfish glided across the raw wood grain, wholly unconcerned. This miniature labyrinth belongs entirely to the dark, and to me.