The Dark Staircase

One sunny Saturday afternoon, I had let all of the other employees out of the door and locked it behind them. I felt safe on the second floor in the back office. We did not have cash in the office so we did not attract attention. I had walked back to the desk and suddenly , all of the lights and computer  snapped off which a loud thunk. I pulled my flashlight from my purse , feeling my way in the dark to the main desk. Every phone line in the office had no service. Cautiously, I slid my foot down the linoleum stairs.guided by wooden bannister  down the spiral staircase.



I listened for squeaking, for I had heard a rumor obout rats in the basement. Not cute little mouse type rats but mean catsized river rats.. I rounded the last coil of the stairwell as the thunderstorm sounded from above. I put my hand out ,feeling for the wall. It was then that I felt a cloth jacket under my hand and let out a loud shriek in the darkness, The owner stood before me in the dark... There had been a transformer blowout in downtown Nashville.