ABC in a story

A. At dawn the keeper opens the log. He writes the date. He checks the sky. He checks the lamp. The light is off because day has come. The rule says this is correct.

B. Below the tower, the sea move in lines. It does not rush. It does not stop. Boats pass at a safe space. The keeper counts them, not by name, but by number.

C. Clean glass gives clean light. The keeper wipes the lens in a slow turn. He starts at the top edge and goes around. He ends where he began. No spot is missed.

D. During the day the tower is quiet. Wind moves through the stair well. Dust settles. The keep note the sound and the dust. He does not note how he feels.

E. Each hour has a task. At nine, oil. At ten, bolts. At eleven, birds. The list is old and plain. It fits the tower.

F. From the door to the lamp is one hundred steps. The keeper climbs them and counts. If he loses count, he starts again. The count matters more than speed.

G. Gulls land on the rail. They leave marks. The keeper scrapes them off. He does not curse. The rule says to scrape and rinse.

H. He checks the hinge on the hatch. It opens. It closes. The sound is the same as yesterday. He writes "good" in the log.

I. In the store room are tins and coils and rags. Each has a place. The keeper puts one thing back before he takes the next. Order saves time later.

J. Just before noon he eats bread and cheese. He eats the same thing most days. The taste does not change. Hunger goes away. That is enough.

K. Keep the wick trimmed. Not too short. Not too long. The flame must be steady at night. He trims, then trims again to be sure.

L. Light is a tool here. It has a range and a color. The keeper checks both with marks on the wall. The marks were made long ago.

M. Midday brings heat to the stone. The tower holds it. The keeper opens a small window. Air moves. He closes the windowafter ten minutes.

N. No one visits on most days. When a boat comes close, it does not stop. The keeper lifts a hand. The boat moves on.

O. Oil level is read by a line on glass. The line must be here. It is here. The keeper writes the word "full."

P. Paint peels on the outer rail. The rule says to paint in dry weather. The sky is dry. The keeper paints one section and stops.

Q. Quiet is part of the job. The keeper does not play music. He does not sing. The tower keeps its own sound.

R. Records go back many years. The keeper reads one old page each day. The words are plain. The tasks repeat.

S. Storm plans are kept in a red book. He checks the book even when the sea is calm. A plan is not for now. It is for later.

T. Towards evening, the keeper climbs agan. He checks the lamp twice. He checks the mirror. He checks the turn gear.

U. Under the lens, dust can hide. He finds it with a cloth. He does not rush. Rushing makes new dust.

V. Valves open and close with a mark. Open is this way. Closed is that way. The keeper tests each one.

W. When the sun drops, the keeper lights the lamp. The flame takes shape. The light turns. The beam moves in a steady arc.

X. X marks are scratched on the floor to show the turn path. The keeper watches the beam cross each mark. It does not skip.

Y. Years pass in this way. The tower stays. The sea stays. The log grows thick. The words stay short.

Z. Zero faults are found tonight. The keeper writes the last line. He closes the book. The light turns. The story holds.