With the deadbolt thrown, the brass peephole high above was practically begging to be scouted! I scrambled up the painted wood paneling, hooking my fingers into the molding grooves until I reached the metal barrel. Wrapping both arms around the cool brass ring, I pressed my mask flat against the miniature curved lens. Whoa—instant dizzying fishbowl! The quiet hallway outside was stretched into a giant golden bubble. A tiny red fiber from the doormat across the hall looked like a fallen neon beam, and every distant stairwell echo made the glass hum against my chin. Talk about an elite surveillance post for tracking hallway movements!