"Teddy — I suppose Mummy and Daddy are real, aren't they?" Teddy said, "You ask such silly questions, David. Nobody knows what 'real' really means. L… - Brian Aldiss

Did the others here feel the disquiet he felt? Had they a reason for concealing that disquiet? And another question: Where was "here"?
He shut that one down sharply.
Deal with one thing at a time. Grope your way gently to the abyss. Categorize your knowledge.

No, but you see what I mean: you should be able to renew your youth in the generation that follows yours. In your thirties, your sons keep you nimble and laughing. In your forties, they keep you worried and attached to the world. In your fifties, you may have grandchildren to play with. You can live till your grandchildren come along to see your creaking smiles and your card tricks… They replenish you. If everyone's cut off from all that — who's to wonder if time goes wrong, or if poor old Charley gets some crazy idea about seeing gnomes?

The stone in my hand hides
A secret natural history:
Climates and times unknown,
A river unseen.