One Great Short Story To Read Today: Gennarose Nethercott’s “sundown At The Eternal Staircase”

According to nan powers that beryllium (er, apparently according to Dan Wickett of nan Emerging Writers Network), May is Short Story Month. To celebrate, for nan third twelvemonth successful a row, nan Literary Hub unit will beryllium recommending a azygous short story, free* to publication online, each (work) time of nan month. Why not publication on pinch us? Today, we recommend:

GennaRose Nethercott, “Sundown astatine nan Eternal Staircase”

I emotion tracing successful my caput nan imaginary web of influences and connections betwixt writers whose activity I love—kind of for illustration looking astatine nan owed day gaffe of who checked retired a room book and recognizing not conscionable nan astir caller sanction but respective names anterior arsenic well. So it is pinch an writer for illustration GennaRose Nethercott. The first clip I publication her work, I felt nan aforesaid visceral thrill that I did nan first clip I publication Kelly Link aliases Ray Bradbury, but she isn’t conscionable doing pastiche: she’s pushing farther afield.

“Sundown astatine nan Eternal Staircase” takes a acquainted thought (a unusual staircase heading down, down, down) and makes it consciousness fresh, delivering commentary some punchy and playful connected what an infinite staircase would beryllium for illustration arsenic a tourer attraction arsenic good arsenic profoundly quality characteristic activity astir friendship, desire, and employment. It’s also, astatine its halfway and arsenic pinch everything GennaRose does, a damn delight to read.

The communicative begins:

Do not participate nan Eternal Staircase aft 8 PM.

No extracurricular nutrient aliases portion is permitted wrong nan Eternal Staircase.

Black-soled sneakers, high-heeled shoes, and flip-flops are prohibited wrong nan Eternal Staircase.

No dogs.
(Yes, we utilized to let dogs. Too galore dogs crap successful nan Eternal Staircase.)

If you consciousness lightheaded wrong nan Eternal Staircase, alert a unit personnel immediately. Eternal Staircase unit tin beryllium identified by their bluish polo shirts, bluish visors, and our charismatic “Watch Your Step” lapel pins.
(Do not prosecute pinch unit members without charismatic lapel pins. They are apt a Disgraced unit member. Disgraced unit members spent excessively overmuch clip successful nan Eternal Staircase and were asked to leave. They support returning anyway. We don’t cognize really to get free of them. They are not helpful.)

Absolutely NO RUNNING down into nan Eternal Staircase. Running successful nan Eternal Staircase is simply a criminal discourtesy and will beryllium punishable by law.

Do not stay successful nan Eternal Staircase for much than 3 consecutive hours.

Do not descend deeper than nan yellowish ribbons marked “Go Back!”

Welcome to nan Eternal Staircase, and remember— Watch Your Step!

Read it here.

*If you deed a paywall, we urge trying pinch a different/private/incognito browser (but listen, you didn’t perceive it from us).