THE TWO ROOMS

She woke again at 3:17 a.m.—the hour the house held still.

Outside, the late-night humidity pressed against the windows, softening the streetlights along her taman. A dog barked once, then silence returned. Above her, the ceiling fan whirred unevenly. The squeak had grown louder these past weeks. She needed to get it fixed. She reminded herself to call the electrician.

The room was dim, warm, familiar. Then her awareness shifted—quietly, without drama.

The edges of her bedroom softened, as though sleep hadn’t fully released its grip. She hovered in that in-between state where dreams still had weight. Something began to form in front of her—not suddenly, but gradually, like a memory nudging its way back.

The first room emerged.

Warm. Familiar. A rattan armchair like her mother’s. The faint scent of pandan. Shutters half-closed against the morning light. A room built from everything she already knew and understood. It asked nothing of her.

Then the second room appeared.

Cooler. Open. Undefined. A space with no history attached to it—only possibilities she hadn’t dared to reach for. She couldn’t see its edges clearly, but she felt the pull of what it might hold.

Tonight, both rooms stayed even when she was fully awake.

She sat up, feet touching the cool tile floor. The fan squeaked overhead, steady and irritating—almost like a reminder that she’d been putting off more than just a repair.

Two rooms. One life. Stay where everything was safe and known…or step toward the part of herself she kept postponing.

She reached for the unfamiliar door in her mind. It opened easily.

Fear followed, but it didn’t stop her. Not this time.

She stepped inside.

And when she heard her neighbour sliding open his gate for another workday—metal against metal in the quiet of dawn—only one room remained.

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Glossary with Pronunciation

Taman (TAH-mahn) — A residential neighbourhood or housing area.

Pandan (PAHN-dahn) — A fragrant tropical leaf commonly used in Malaysian cooking.

Rattan (RAH-tahn) — A type of material made from palm stems, often used for furniture.