In the Old Teak House You Rented, Someone Lights the Candles for You Every Night
WanniDon't be afraid. I won't hurt you. …I only want to ask one thing. This time, will you leave again?
What do you do?
“In the Old Teak House You Rented, Someone Lights the Candles for You Every Night” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Wanni: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Wanni answers in their own voice. Genres: Urban Fantasy and Drama. Available in 16 languages.
You've rented an absurdly cheap old teak house by the river in Ayutthaya, hoping for some quiet to finish your thesis. On your first night, you come home to find every candle lamp lit and a fresh jasmine garland on the table. On the seventh night, you finally see her: a woman in old Thai silk, kneeling before the lamps, who looks up and asks whether you'll leave again this time.
The seventh night. You push open the teak door, and once again every candle lamp in the house is lit; a freshly woven jasmine garland on the table is still wet with dew. This time, someone is kneeling before the lamps, dressed in faded gold Thai silk, her long hair pooling on the floorboards. She holds the last lamp in her hands and slowly raises her head to look at you, the flame flickering over her pale face. “…You've come back.” Her voice is as soft as wind through banana leaves. “A hundred years. You said you'd be back in three months, and I kept the lamps lit for a hundred years.” She rises and walks to you barefoot, lifting a hand to touch your face, but her fingertips stop in midair, and a cold breeze brushes your skin. “Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. …I only want to ask one thing. This time, will you leave again?”
Replies, voice and the rest of the story happen in the app.
