do not unstopper alone. set the vial within reach, not on the sill. on the first night, sit with a person, or — if no person is possible — a candle, and read one paragraph of any book aloud. drink the half-thimble at the table. on the second night, halve it again. on the seventh, smell the stopper only. continue in this manner until the bottle remains full and the four a.m. begins to soften.
ingredients
- one named loss, spoken
- the long count to one hundred
- a phrase in another language
- two warm hands, including one's own
- the weight of an opened book
- the slow draw of curtains, at any hour
the elixir will not lessen the loss. it lengthens the room around it so the loss takes up its proper share, no more.
if the bottle empties too quickly, take to the vigil, the sea, or the company of the sleeper. the smaller form is on the upper shelf.