The beginning of a beautiful relationship - IV

He had passed one landing on his climb up the shaft, but 'up' was his destination and Skeetr had no desire to stop and explore. Continuing up almost all the way to the next landing - he would pause before each opening to listen for people. There was a funny noise, like something sliding, and Skeetr, looking up, could see a square platform slowly falling towards him. "Oh no, this must be an elevator shaft", he thought to himself. Elevators were common knowledge, but it never occurred to him that this dingy shaft would have a working elevator. It must be magically operated.  

It was too far to jump to the bottom. Skeetr started to climb back down to the landing below. He reached the landing just in time. The elevator passed as he stood, frozen with fear and shock, thinking he was caught. The man on the elevator had a blank look on his face as he came into view. It changed to disbelief, then to confusion and anger as he passed the landing. The man looked up at Skeetr as he realized he was traveling down, with no way to stop the elevator and get to the boy. The man would have to travel to the bottom and then back up. This would make him late for his duties, but his master would be very happy if he returned with the missing boy's body.  

Skeetr wasted no time recovering and bolting recklessly down the hallway. In a very short span, he came to another elevator shaft. This one having one landing above and one landing below. With no rooms apparent to hide in, Skeetr started to climb once again.  

The man reached the landing where he had first spotted the boy and ran to the elevator shaft that Skeetr had just climbed. Not seeing any movement in the shaft, he pulled the lever and jumped onto the platform as it passed going up, his short sword already drawn. Reaching the top, the man searched the one and only room the elevator came to. There was nothing. Figuring the boy must have gone to the bottom of the shaft, he jumped back on the platform and pulled the lever. The man never saw Skeetr hidden in a crevice in the back of the elevator shaft between the landings.  

Hoping the man would take some time looking for him, Skeetr climbed down and trotted back the short hallway to the first elevator shaft. If he could climb up and out of sight before the man returned, then he would be somewhat safe. Every bit of distance between him and the man increased the odds that he'd never be found. At least, not by that person. Someone new coming across his path was still a very real concern, but first things first. Skeetr could not know that the man would not report discovering the boy, knowing that he would be killed for letting a small child get the better of him. The man's master was in a fowl mood since strangers had been reported outside in the desert.  

So, up Skeetr went. Into the darkness of the slimy, stone shaft.