The Locked Barge

I was on the deck of an old river barge.

The barge was stuck in a canal lock that was only slightly larger than the barge itself. There was less than an inch of room between the sides of the barge and the canal lock walls. I could easily touch the cement walls from the deck of the boat, but no matter how hard I tried I could not see over the walls. I had a feeling something important was on the other side.

Giving up on seeing over the wall, I decided to explore the inside of the barge instead. It was like a wealthy person's home inside, with many rooms, furnished with old, dusty furniture that was also fancy and expensive in its heyday. The walls were decorated with antique fine mahogany. Some rooms were larger with dining areas for entertaining guests, although none of the guests were present.

As I continued to explore more of the boat, I encounter an old crone. She forbade me from exploring certain rooms by blocking the doors, confining me to only the main rooms of the barge.

I felt trapped, stuck, bored, and alone.