Smell is the sense most closely linked to memory. I remember reading that somewhere. What I don't understand is how a smell could remind you of someone else's memory.

That's what the new perfume shop advertised: smell-able memories. They called them recreational fragrance. I had trouble believing anything like that could work, but I was too curious to write it off.

Now I was standing in line outside, waiting with all the other curious people in town. The shop was packed, but everyone leaving looked like they'd just had the time of their lives.

Finally I made it to the front of the line, and a friendly sales associate welcomed me in. "Good afternoon sir, have you tried one of our fragrances before?" They asked me, leading me to a wall lined with little glass bottles, each one labelled with a different name in a unique font.

"No." I said, keeping close so they could hear me through the crowded shop. "I just learned this place exists."

"Then you've got to start with a novel sample. Have you ever climbed a mountain?" The associate asked, scanning the wall for something.

I was a little confused. "No, no mountains. What do you mean by a 'novel sample'?"

"An experience you've never had before that you can try as a sample. Novel experiences are very popular, but people also like fragrances for memories. I always suggest new customers start with a novel one, just to clear any doubts." They explained, without pausing their investigation. "Ah, here it is."

I followed them to the end of the wall where there was another line of people waiting to try samples.

"I'm going to leave you here, there will be someone to help you when you get to the front of the line." They handed me a small glass vial with a little drawing of someone standing at the top of a mountain in the background of the label. 'Summit' read the text, in a bold font.

At the end of the line another associate helped prepare a smelling sample from a single drop of the fragrance. I held it to my nose and took a deep breath.

It smelled exactly like the top of the mountain, it took me right back to the moment. I could vividly remember cresting the peak, looking down on the landscape below, feeling the snow sting my face. The …