Tile by Tile

I slipped through the gap of the front door just before the latch clicked shut, stepping out into the long corridor. The floor stretched out in giant squares of cool, polished stone. Holding my pickaxe snug against my chest, I set one foot down right in the center of the first tile. Then, very carefully, I took another stride forward. I began stepping deliberately from one square to the next, making sure my feet never grazed the dark grout lines running between them. Halfway down the hall, I paused and held my balance on one leg, listening to the vast, quiet space around me.