THE BASEMENT WINDOW

My home, while growing up, had a basement with a ground-level window that would open into two sections large enough for anyone to pass through. I was nearly twelve years old the first time I used it to sneak out during the night. Motivated primarily by a need for control of my life and surroundings, I would creep past the bedrooms, down all the stairs, passing through doorways, each step having been rehearsed to know where I crept would not make a sound. Once in the basement, it was easy to crank the window open, remove the screen, and step into my eerie, hyper-vigilant world of thought-provoking ambiance.