What followed of the evening was perceived by Oscar as a series of flashes.
This is Oscar running in the Via Ortolani flat, alone in the silence of the block. Oscar understanding the meaning of white heat, waves of feverish heat radiating and burning tissues. Oscar working like a crazed ant. Oscar seeing himself in a movie, the protagonist of a series of flashes.
This is Oscar turning up the heating. Oscar undressing. Oscar emptying his pockets. Oscar shoving everything in the oilskins’ pockets. Oscar hearing a cartilage buzzing in his ears like a bug trying to get out. Oscar curved on the water-closet making clothes strips disappear. Oscar wiping the interior of the oilskins. Oscar far away in the great chaos of nothing.
This is Oscar cloth-washing the floor, thousands of little drops fallen as he undressed. Oscar rinsing the cloth. Oscar going on on inertia. Oscar starting again. Oscar making the cloth disappear in the water-closet.
This is Oscar crouched on the bottom of the shower. Oscar vaguely remembering moments of loathing, water running and skin force-brushed (water is hitting the skin in tiny violent drops). This is Oscar calculating the odds of corroding and vanishing forever.
This is Oscar stretching in his bed, a pain in the back symmetrical radiating from his spine. This is Oscar waiting for it to dissipate in the sheets. As long as he keeps still all’s gonna be alright. | 
