Gothic Arches and the Corridor Lanterns

Gothic Arches and the Corridor Lanterns

I was back in my childhood bedroom, but it had these massive, gothic stone arches instead of normal drywall, and the ceiling vanished into complete blackness. My manager from my retail job was sitting on the edge of my old mattress, methodically signing paperwork by candlelight. He told me I was late for inventory, but every time I opened my closet to find my uniform, it just led into a long, damp corridor lined with heavy wrought-iron lanterns that were flickering out one by one. The air smelled like wet soil and old metal. I kept rummaging through dusty hangers, panicking because I couldn't find my name tag, and he just kept murmuring that if the last candle went out before I clocked in, the doors would lock permanently. My feet felt leaden, stuck to the cold stone floor, and I woke up right as the final wick started smoking.