"Every moment would be like the one that is imminent"

They are in a big, abandoned, derelict, dark damp room with what look like the remains of a chemistry set floating in the puddle in the middle, as if the Zone resulted from an ill-conceived experiment that went horribly wrong. Off to the right, through a large hole in the wall, is a light source that they all look towards. For a long while no one speaks. The air is full of the chirpy cheep cheep of bird song. It's the opposite of those places where the sedge has withered from the lake and no birds sing. The birds are whistling and chirruping like mad. Stalker tells Writer and Professor – tells us – that we are now at the very threshold of the Room. This is the most important moment in your life, he says. Your innermost wish will be made true here. And we believe him. This is the purpose of the journey, to make us the believe the literal truth of what Stalker says at this point. Ideally, one would live one's whole life as though at this threshold; every moment would be like the one that is imminent.

– from Zona by Geoff Dyer (2012)