By Ben Greenman
from forthcoming collection, as yet untitled
The extraordinary possibilities present in the attic carry with them the prospect of wonderful things for many of the parties concerned, especially visitors, and if some surge of hope is avoided it will be miraculous. But there is at least one major difficulty in realizing its promise. The stairway that leads to the attic from the second floor pulls down, and anyone wishing to ascend up there is dependent upon it. Weeks ago, the cord granting access to the stairwell was described as “frayed to the point of breaking,” and “in a desperate state not seen for months.” Since then, it has broken. There is no way to pull down the stairs and thus no way to get to the attic. The Hays, when they visited yesterday, were greatly interested in climbing up there. Instead, they stood on the second floor and thought about the first floor. The company responsible for repairing stairwells of this type has published a recall, but phones go unanswered. It is sheer bad luck that has fallen upon the house and the people concerned.
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