Jessika Downes-Gössl

I tucked her into my skirt and took her with me away from my grandparents' house. Now Keiko stands up from her floor and goes over to the back shelves of her bedroom. From next to a stack of books, she picks up The Cherry Blossom Girl. Her dishcloth is falling off her, and the pink flowers that were once her hair have all fallen out and come to rest at her feet.

But she still looks like, at any moment, she might get up and dance. Keiko gives her to Mem-Ai. That's it. That's what it was like for me to be a child, she says. Mem-Ai opens a door in the front of its chest. It puts the doll carefully inside. Its senses register a trace of almond tofu still clinging to her twiggy limbs.

But she still looks like, at any moment, she might get up and dance. Keiko gives her to Mem-Ai. That's it. That's what it was like for me to be a child, she says. Mem-Ai opens a door in the front of its chest. It puts the doll carefully inside. Its senses register a trace of almond tofu still clinging to her twiggy limbs.

But she still looks like, at any moment, she might get up and dance. Keiko gives her to Mem-Ai. That's it. That's what it was like for me to be a child, she says. Mem-Ai opens a door in the front of its chest. It puts the doll carefully inside. Its senses register a trace of almond tofu still clinging to her twiggy limbs.

The smell distracts the robot, and it completely forgets that Keiko is still there. Keiko waits patiently for MemRE to do or say something else. She doesn't know how this is supposed to go, but she imagined becoming an adult would be more organized than this. She wonders if MemRE is a new MemBot, and maybe is just as confused as she is.

The smell distracts the robot, and it completely forgets that Keiko is still there. Keiko waits patiently for MemRE to do or say something else. She doesn't know how this is supposed to go, but she imagined becoming an adult would be more organized than this. She wonders if MemRE is a new MemBot, and maybe is just as confused as she is.

The smell distracts the robot, and it completely forgets that Keiko is still there. Keiko waits patiently for MemRE to do or say something else. She doesn't know how this is supposed to go, but she imagined becoming an adult would be more organized than this. She wonders if MemRE is a new MemBot, and maybe is just as confused as she is.

She feels a sudden warmth of friendship towards the little robot. It is a very similar feeling to what she once felt for her little cherry blossom girl. But she no longer remembers that now. The memory has been given away. MemRE leaves Wisteria Avenue with Keiko's childhood memory in its chest. It wonders, not for the first time, why the people of this town willingly give up their memories.

She feels a sudden warmth of friendship towards the little robot. It is a very similar feeling to what she once felt for her little cherry blossom girl. But she no longer remembers that now. The memory has been given away. MemRE leaves Wisteria Avenue with Keiko's childhood memory in its chest. It wonders, not for the first time, why the people of this town willingly give up their memories.

She feels a sudden warmth of friendship towards the little robot. It is a very similar feeling to what she once felt for her little cherry blossom girl. But she no longer remembers that now. The memory has been given away. MemRE leaves Wisteria Avenue with Keiko's childhood memory in its chest. It wonders, not for the first time, why the people of this town willingly give up their memories.

If it could have the kind of memories that they had, it wouldn't give them up for the world. Much time passes, who can say how long? The only thing that is certain is that the minutes become hours, the hours become days, and the days become years. This town has always moved at its own pace. A second can move treacle slow, but a week can seem like it passed in the blink of an eye.

If it could have the kind of memories that they had, it wouldn't give them up for the world. Much time passes, who can say how long? The only thing that is certain is that the minutes become hours, the hours become days, and the days become years. This town has always moved at its own pace. A second can move treacle slow, but a week can seem like it passed in the blink of an eye.

If it could have the kind of memories that they had, it wouldn't give them up for the world. Much time passes, who can say how long? The only thing that is certain is that the minutes become hours, the hours become days, and the days become years. This town has always moved at its own pace. A second can move treacle slow, but a week can seem like it passed in the blink of an eye.

Although they have clocks, they do not let them dictate their lives. There is nothing wrong with taking your time. In the Membot warehouse on the edge of the little town, MemRE stirs after a long hibernation. It powers its functions back on and checks that everything is in working order. looks around. All of its fellow Membots are in hibernation mode around it.

Although they have clocks, they do not let them dictate their lives. There is nothing wrong with taking your time. In the Membot warehouse on the edge of the little town, MemRE stirs after a long hibernation. It powers its functions back on and checks that everything is in working order. looks around. All of its fellow Membots are in hibernation mode around it.

Although they have clocks, they do not let them dictate their lives. There is nothing wrong with taking your time. In the Membot warehouse on the edge of the little town, MemRE stirs after a long hibernation. It powers its functions back on and checks that everything is in working order. looks around. All of its fellow Membots are in hibernation mode around it.

They are tucked away in their charging points, where they go every morning when their services are complete. But, by the light of the moon streaming through the arched warehouse windows, MemRE can tell that it is late into the night. Much later than the MemBots are programmed to wake up. How strange. Usually, MemRE is the only one who is late.

They are tucked away in their charging points, where they go every morning when their services are complete. But, by the light of the moon streaming through the arched warehouse windows, MemRE can tell that it is late into the night. Much later than the MemBots are programmed to wake up. How strange. Usually, MemRE is the only one who is late.

They are tucked away in their charging points, where they go every morning when their services are complete. But, by the light of the moon streaming through the arched warehouse windows, MemRE can tell that it is late into the night. Much later than the MemBots are programmed to wake up. How strange. Usually, MemRE is the only one who is late.

MemRE rolls over to MemAA in the port next door and tries to nudge the older robot awake. MemAA does not react. MEM-RE looks closer and sees that MEM-AA's charging light is red, despite the fact that it is clearly still plugged in. MEM-RE goes back to its own port, picks up its plug, and takes it back to MEM-AA. While it waits, it looks at all the memorabilia that it has hung up around its port.