Two ever-lights provide dim illumination, splashing an anemic glow over wood battered from the countless boots pounding it day in and day out. I don’t realize I’m studying each step until one near the top catches my eye. A sliver of darkness appears between the top and the body of the step, where the wood has warped and separated. What really makes my breathing quicken, however, is the tiny A carved into the corner near the wall. So faint and innocuous that no one would notice unless they knew what to look for. I do, though.
