Chapter 15: The Stranger in the Stairwell

A surreal evening in an empty pilgrim's hostel.

My host escorts me through the pilgrim’s section of her home like a friendly realtor.

A set off wing of her Hansel and Gretel cottage holds eight pilgrims, sometimes more, she explains with crisp pride. The pilgrim’s area is composed of a stand-alone shower, a full kitchen, a long wooden table, and a reading area with armchairs to one side. An old uprig…