Fort Casey, Washington
May 2026
When was the last time you were suffocated by silence?
Fort Casey has a place tucked away under a hill,
where there’s a doorway that doesn’t seem like it should be open.
It starts with a long, narrow cement passage that goes deep into the hillside.
As you advance deeper, you can feel the weight of silence growing around you.
As you advance deeper, you can feel the weight of silence growing around you.
The silence steals your breath, punctuated by whispers of the receding world behind you.
The heaviness of it robs you of your common sense.
It begs the question, “what lies ahead?”
At the end of the hallway
you’re met with two narrow passages that branch off to either side, curving out of sight.
Between them is a circular room.
you’re met with two narrow passages that branch off to either side, curving out of sight.
Between them is a circular room.
The guns you looked through on your way to this room are marked with dates; 1903, 1905.
They make you wonder what other old, heavy things are hidden here.
You stop to listen, but it’s hard to stand still in a place like this.
The silence makes you feel like your head has been stuffed with cotton.
You try not to appear rushed as you turn your back on the circular room.
The hallway is filled with the shuffling of your footsteps.
The hallway is filled with the shuffling of your footsteps.
I think it’s best to leave now.
There can’t be any good to come from a place like this.
It feels like retreating,
but the silence taught you something.