Deciphering River Stones in the Stairwell

Deciphering River Stones in the Stairwell

I was looking for my apartment keys in the pocket of an old winter coat I haven't worn in years, but instead of keys, I kept pulling out smooth, flat river stones carved with tiny symbols. I was standing in the stairwell of my grandma's old apartment building, but somehow I knew my current job's office was supposed to be on the third floor. An old coworker from my first retail job walked down past me and whispered that I shouldn't knock on any doors until the shadows lined up with the carpet pattern, as if it was obvious common sense. I looked down, and the hallway runner had this intricate geometric pattern that seemed to be subtly shifting when I wasn't looking directly at it. I wasn't scared, just felt this heavy, quiet pressure to decipher the stones before the maintenance guy came around the corner. I woke up right as I realized the three stones in my palm were warming up like they were alive.