The Staircase

"Tessa!" Mom called, "go down to the basement and get my Thai cookbook from the bookshelf."
I hated going down there, it was cold, dark and musty. I sighed to myself and started towards the basement. As I walked down the stairs, I tried turning the light on but all it did was flicker a few times, so I pulled out my cellphone and used a flashlight app. I was pulling books out and I finally found the Thai cookbook but another book fell out as I went to grab it out. I heard clicks and gears grinding, slowly, the bookshelf went into the floor and disappeared, only to reveal a black and white staircase, spiraling down a narrow opening, leading into darkness. I forgot about the cookbook and descended down the staircase. It seemed to go on forever until I saw an iron door about three feet tall. There was an old bronze circle full of different symbols and gears, I pressed a gear as the silver door creaked open to reveal a dim lighted room with a silver hourglass.