I call these "one word short stories". It's a great wrtiting exercise for when you feel out of practice. Here is your one word: STAIRCASE. Go anywhere with this, as long as it includes a staircase.

Where Does it End?

I’ve been climbing this staircase for 17 years.

“Keep going! Continue on! The door to happiness is right up there! A couple more stories!” They yell as I falter and pause, so I smile and keep climbing.

But that was 15 stories ago, where’s the damn door?