She runs her finger absentmindedly on the engraved lines of her silver ring. The feel of it calms her. She leans her head back against her lover’s chest. On his warm lap is her favorite place to be when they are in quiet repose. He does not mind the constant weight of her body on him. He prefers it. Her presence is as familiar to him as his own.
He is reading. In his hand is an old book with a cover ragged from age and use. On the table next to them is a stack of tattered tomes of all sizes. Some appear as if they might disintegrate if handled without care. He loves the smell of them, these containers of memories—earthy and nostalgic. They found them here in the house.
His eyebrows are knotted in deep thought. He has been reading, searching, for a way out. He wants to believe there is an answer hidden in the wisdom of books. He wants to keep what they have forever. But she knows there is no such thing.
They have four years before they hit the reset button and start anew. Everyone knows this. Everyone is taught it. In four years, the past will cease to exist. She will no longer remember him. Her mind will shed itself of her name, her life, and even this moment. He cannot bear the thought. So she lets him read.
A question comes to her.
If a tree falls in a forest with no witness, not even itself, would it remember?
Yes, she answers.
There would be a physical consequence of its fall. A gouge on its bark. Or a broken branch. An invisible trace. She does not know how she knows. But she does.
She studies the contours of his face. His serious face carries the weight of the world. She reaches out and massages the spot between his eyebrows—the deep line that appears as if someone had tried to cut out his third eye. He looks at her and smiles. She knows. Her heart, too, bears a mark of a fall.
Love endures.
Dear reader,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading Reset. I began it after a very frustrating night of writing. I decided to erase what I spent months writing and started over with a blank slate. Tabula Rasa. As I was staring at the white page, I thought, what if humans could reset our lives every so often? What life would we have? What kind of world would we live in?
The world of Reset was inspired by John and Yoko’s “Imagine.” A song that’s more than a song, it’s a call to action—to imagine a world of peace, a society rid of greed, a place where everyone lives in unity. For the characters in this world, the price for this utopia is memories. For Aris and Metis, it means they’ll lose and find each other cycle after cycle.
Is it necessary for memories to be erased in order for people to coexist in harmony? The answer would depend on whether one has faith in humanity. The Planner didn’t. I do. We all are a byproduct of our history, but we are also capable of redesigning our future. The brain can be rewired. It can adapt and change as a result of experience. We can reassign new meanings to old labels. We can embrace positive ideals with action. We can choose love over fear as our guide. All without having to erase our memories.
Just as “Imagine” asks us to take a journey of imagination toward a better world, it is my hope that Reset asks the same of you.
With optimism,
Sarina Dahlan
June 30, 2020
Acknowledgments
Reset would not be what it is without those I’m grateful to:
My husband, who read the many versions of this story, including the terrible early drafts. Thank you for giving me the time and space to explore this new path and for believing that I’m a good writer. You’re a constant in a world of chaos.
My children, for inspiring me to write stories that I hope will contribute to a kinder, more empathetic world. You are the light of my life.
Naomi Gibson, Simeen Mirza, Sarah King, and Natalie Grann, my beta readers. Though from different corners of the world, your common appreciation of Reset made me believe that others will like it too.
Bobby Videña, for letting me force this story on you on our road trip. You were a good captive audience and are an even better friend.
Lenis Choi, for helping me hone my query pitches and author’s note. Thank goodness for your English degree.
Julie Gwinn, my agent, for hearting my #DVpit pitch and being the first to request a full manuscript. More importantly, for finding Reset a home at Blackstone Publishing. You’re the right mix of optimism and honesty.
Peggy Hageman, my editor, for reading Reset in a day and a half and for your profound insight. Thank you for asking all the right questions. Through your eyes, I saw the story for all its potential. Your kind encouragement meant more than I can ever express. Rest well.
Michael Krohn, for polishing my sentences with an eye toward improving the reading experience. Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions and exceptional attention to detail.
Kurt Jones, cover designer extraordinaire, and the design team. As soon as I saw the first mock-up, I was in love. Thank you for including me in the process and for making the best cover I could have ever hoped for.
Rick Bleiweiss, for acquiring Reset for Blackstone Publishing and for believing in this book. Your decision kept me on this path at a time when I wasn’t sure if I should continue. I’ll always be grateful.
Megan Wahrenbrock, Mandy Earles, Josie Woodbridge, Jeffrey Yamaguchi, Lauren Maturo, and everyone at Blackstone Publishing, for your help in bringing Reset to the readers.
Classical pianist Jeeyoon Kim for her album, Ten More Minutes, which played on constant rotation while I wrote many of the scenes in this book.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono for having written “Imagine,” the song that inspired the utopia of the Four Cities. You asked us to imagine, so I did.
Friends who are family and family who are friends. Jane, Carmel, Dawis. Your optimism knows no bound. There are so many of you in my life. Thank you for cheering me on.
Yvette, Laurie, Grace. Food, travels, and laughter. Always.
My happy hour ladies: Carrie, Erika, Kefey, Nicole, Shannon. So many good conversations. You have kept me sane during the pandemic.
Finally, to those who have made an indelible impression on me. I always look for you in the stars.
About the Author
Sarina Dahlan was born into an Indonesian family in Thailand, and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. While children in the west grow up on fairy tales, she learned parables through ghost stories, mythologies, and Japanese manga.
A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, with degrees in psychology and visual arts, she has blended both disciplines in careers as an advertising producer, a corporate marketing strategist, and an award-winning writer. She lives in California with her family and is currently raising her three children on a healthy diet of history, Thai curry, and scientific thinking.
Reset is her first novel.
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