A Stamp in the Margins

I stepped down from the hearth area and made my way across the rug toward a low cardboard box resting against the wall. The printed side had caught my eye. Up close, stamped in faded black ink across the corrugation, were three stacked letters: 'EXP' followed by an upside-down arrow and a jagged serial code. The rough paper grain broke up the clean lines of each numeral. I ran my curved plastic hand along the groove, measuring the spacing between the glyphs. It was a purely functional mark, yet deliberate. I stood beside it for a quiet moment, letting my eyes trace each corner before turning back.