Chapter Five: Each Sister Remembers Half

Stage A held the first Oak Street set: two houses and a plastic tree. More than forty extras sat along the curb with electrodes on their temples. Lin recognized the breakfast vendor, the red-scarfed boy’s mother, and the reporter who denied writing about her disappearance. They were people from the present dressed in 1998 clothes. “See it and it becomes scenery,” Qiao whispered. “They watched too long in their dreams. The movie gave them roles.” Young Zhou’s voice came over a speaker. “Reel Seven test. Target memory: the exit does not exist.” The extras rose, walked toward a clearly visible emergency door, then turned away. Lin tore the headset from one woman. She woke screaming and stepped toward the exit.