The beginning of a beautiful relationship - Part III

He made it fifty feet down the next hallway when he heard voices nearby. Skeetr ducked into the nearest room whose door was open. The room was empty except for one very small table in the middle of the room which had a pile of poppy flowers on it. The voices grew stronger and Skeetr new that people were coming his way. Not having any time to look for a better hiding place, Skeetr ducked behind the open door. Tightly closing his eyes and holding his breath, Skeetr prayed silently. The man and woman walked into Skeetr's room and went over to the small table with the flowers. They collected the bundle of flowers and closed the door.  

Still holding his breath, Skeetr squinted one eye open and could see that they had closed the door - on their way out. "Whew", was the only thought that he could manage. Skeetr repeated a thought that had been running through his head for the last day and a half, "If I ever get out of this place, I'm quitting the messenger business and going to work on a farm".  

He had to wait for a while to be sure the coast would be clear, then he slowly opened the creaky door just enough to look out. With only his small head protruding from the room, he looked up and down the hallway. He crept from the room and slinked further down the hallway to his left. Moving slowly at first, then picking up the pace as he went. He could hear noises in the rooms nearby and someone could come out into the hallway at any moment.  

The hallway ended at a vertical shaft going through the ceiling. Skeetr could not see the top of the shaft, it was either too dark or too far. Skeetr did not know that he was right on both counts. Assuming he was deep down in a dungeon, Skeetr figured that 'up' was the most likely way out. He had hoped for stairs, but maybe this was safer. Stairs, after all, left you exposed for quite a while. Adjusting his pack so it would not interfere with his climbing, Skeetr started to climb up the shaft.