,<<if visited("Daughter") is 0>>[[The woman|Daughter]]<<else>>Your daughter<</if>> <<if visited("Daughter") >= 1 and visited("Bedroom") >= 1 and visited("History Teacher") >= 1>>[[leads->1]]<<else>>leads<</if>> <<if visited("History Teacher") is 0>>[[you->History Teacher]]<<else>>you<</if>> to your <<if visited("Bedroom") is 0>>[[room|Bedroom]]<<else>>bedroom<</if>>.
The woman leads you to your room.
<<timed 8s>><<goto "Faint">><</timed>>In the centre of the garden is a massive tree.
<<linkappend "You look down." t8n>>
It is so strong that its roots are cracking the concrete pavement.
<<linkappend "You look up." t8n>>
This tree stretches up into the sky.
You can't remember the last time you saw this tree. You can remember how it felt to climb one.
You remember reading about how trees form a new layer of cells every year, forming a new ring in its bark.
This tree could have hundreds of rings, stretching into the time when your ancestors first landed here, when your country could see the future, when you could weave stories from dust, when you could dream of any civilisation's history, when no one could refute your theories, even when you believed that history was impossible. But you once believed that anything was possible.
<<linkappend "This tree was alive then." t8n>>
This tree is alive now, and you are just another forgetful human thinking about trees. This tree will not remember you.
<<linkappend "But this tree must have so many rings." t8n>>
So, so many rings.
<</linkappend>>
<</linkappend>>
<</linkappend>>
<</linkappend>>She is your <<return "daughter">>. When she is not caring for you, she is studying to be a nurse.You are a history professor, specialising in the political history of Singapore.
Or at least, <<return "you">> were.You see your bookshelf, stuffed with dusty books and folders.
It must be your <<return "bedroom">>.<<if visited("Daughter") is 0>>[[The woman|Daughter]]<<else>>Your daughter<</if>> <<if visited("Daughter") >= 1 and visited("Bedroom") >= 1 and visited("History Teacher") >= 1>>[[leads->2]]<<else>>leads<</if>> <<if visited("History Teacher") is 0>>[[you->History Teacher]]<<else>>you<</if>> to your <<if visited("Bedroom") is 0>>[[room|Bedroom]]<<else>>bedroom<</if>> [[again->Again]].Your daughter sits by the side of your bed.
Her lips are curling, but your mind can't grasp around her words. They are all strings of sounds.
It is all a @@.blur;[[blur->Blur]]@@.<<timed 2s>><<goto "Outside">><</timed>><span class='fadeIn'>The <<if visited("Looks Like") is 0>>[[woman->Looks Like]]<<else>>nurse<</if>> leads you [[outside->Ending]].</span>You tell her that you have already taken a nap, and you know where your <<if visited("Bedroom") is 0>>[[room|Bedroom]]<<else>>bedroom<</if>> is.
She tells you that you have not taken a nap today. And how you keep walking into the wrong rooms, asking if she has rearranged the house again.
You tell her that she should stop renovating the house every year.
But she claims that she hasn't renovated the place for a [[decade->3]].Over the decade, she explains, she has hired so many caretakers—one after [[another->New Caretaker]].[[The woman|Who Is The Woman]] [[leads->Confusion 2]] [[you|Who Are You]] to your [[room->What Room]].You can't <<return "remember">> who she is.[[The woman|Who Is The Woman]] [[leads->Confusion 3]] [[you|Who Are You]] to your [[room->What Room]] [[again->Again]].You can't <<return "remember">> who you were.You can't <<return "remember">> the room you are being led to.[[The woman|Who Is The Woman]] leads [[you|Who Are You]] to your [[room->What Room]]. By now, you are used to being [[led->To the Home]].You explain to the new caretaker that you specialised in the political history of Singapore.
"No, you didn't," your daughter retorts. "You gave lectures on Greek history, and you even said that Singapore had no history."
Did you say that?
"She's joking. Greek history is all Greek to me." You try to joke with the caretaker, but she gives you an awkward smile.
Your daughter sighs and points to your [[bookshelf->Bookshelf]].She looks like your daughter.
But she can't be your daughter, right? Your daughter isn't a [[nurse yet->Outside]].You can't remember your <<linkappend "name." t8n>>
You can't remember your <<linkappend "name." t8n>>
You can't remember your <<linkappend "name." t8n>>
You can't remember your <<linkappend "name." t8n>>
You can't remember your <<linkappend "name." t8n>>
You find your name—next to a book on the role of metals in ancient Greek [[rituals->The Ritual]].
<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>The caretaker leads you to your [[room->Medicine]].It smells like hand sanitiser.
This can't be your house. You look behind you, but all you see is a bright hallway packed with strangers. Nurses? You want to return home. You want to be [[led->Confusion 1]] to a different place.You swear that you have <<return "done this before">>.The caretaker gives you your [[medicine->Bed]].The caretaker helps you out of [[bed->Another Room]].The caretaker leads you to [[another room->Hospital]].<div style='font-size: 150%;'>''The Woman [[Leads->0]] You to Your Room''</div>
by Plasmak