5
We tiptoed down the quiet corridor in a huddled group. Most of the doors to the offices were shut, but a few open doorways allowed me a glimpse into a time long past. The marbles floors had once been covered in large rugs, but now only the outline of their existence remained. The walls, too, had held portraits, and at the back of the offices were more boarded up windows. All the rooms had adjoining closets with simple doors.
Those glory days were now only silhouettes on the walls and floor. Dust and cobwebs covered everything. Silence reigned supreme.
We reached the end of the hall where the staircase led downstairs. The stairs were blocked up by stone blocks. Judith tapped the back of one finger against the stone and furrowed her brow. “These are real stone.”
“Not like the
