IXAS WE ENTERED THE HALLWAY, it was much like the alley we had left. No trash, just dust. Only a light overhead of us. Rob looked to one side, I looked to the other. No real difference. They both went off in gloom.
“Wait,” I said. I held up my key and rotated it slightly, keeping the same end up as I’d used in the elevator-closet. As I aligned a certain edge, the hall down that way lit up. Rotating it 90 degrees lit up the other way, while the first hall way went dark again.
But there was still no difference. They were both long and featureless other than the markings.
Rob went forward to start reading the markings on the hallway we lit up last. I trailed him and read the other side.
“Burma Shave ads.” Rob said.
“I don’t get it,” I replied.
“Back when I was researching advertising, t
