Up into the Darkness

Riccardo's place is a narrow building, a walkup, where each floor has only a single apartment. He is the sixth floor.

The antechamber after the buzzed door is well lighted, leading into the narrow stairwell which has four risers with four right turns between each landing in front of an apartment door... The stairs are black stone and there seems to be no lighting after the lobby area... so as you climb higher and higher, it becomes darker and darker.

I hoisted my 30 lb roller and my backpack, resting in front of each apartment door. When I reached three, Riccardo and the gatto came looking for me. Thankfully he took over the heavy lifting and helped me up to the bright apartment.

There I met Sheila, Nicola, and Riccardo's friend Pino.