[250]

As he walked out of the Hartsfield International Air Port, (Atlanta, GA), Albert took more than a passing interest from beneath his sunglass on a Kine that walked him by. This one walks with reflexive steps and strong balance, he noticed, something yet unusual among the Kines. He quickly marked down the man's features, then vanished into the crowds.

"Oak Drive" He ordered the taxi driver as he slipped into the car silently. "Wow, cousin! don't scare me like that next time, alright?" The black man protested as he suddenly noticed the new passenger in his car. "Anyway, Oak Drive" He turned on the timer as he drove.

"Yo, what you do man?" the black driver asked, quickly turned back "yo mind me smoking?"

Albert shook his head and shurgged... not that the smokes matters to his lung. The fact that he has to remind himself to breath became tiresome. Didn't bother to answer the question, Albert sat in the taxi quietly, watching the sights passing by. He tried to collect an image of the past

A strange nostolgia feeling clinged his heart as he watched the car passing the Circus styled buildings near Victoria Ln. All these buildings seemed so strangely familiar, yet they felt so distance at the same time. Trying hard to put some clues together, Albert cluncthed his fist tight.

"If the feelings I experience from these buildings are indeed reflections of my past" he thought "then I must have lived around this area before." Lowering the window down a little, he sniffed the cool air, wind blushed against his brown hair wildly. He watched his clock, still five or six hours before the dawn breaks.

"Yo, what do you do man?" The black driver asked again, trying to struck a conversation "You look like someone work in the government, am I right? oh com'on bro, tell me what you do man?" He continued talking as Albert lost in thought

Finally the taxi arrived Oak Drive. Slowly, Albert mentioned the driver to pull over. His eyes locked on the grey walled apartment building, green brick tops, grasses roughly fixed, low bushs around the sideways. Several pieces of paper flew about, untended. A small wind blew pass the road and clouds covered the night moon. Still, Albert's vision sees everything clearly. He almost saw himself driving up to the sideway, and parking his car near the only pinetree. Then he'd went to the trunck, and took out the grossories, with a content smile on his face, and walked up to the third floor and knocked on 316. And, he thought, continuously picturing himself, and he'd be welcomed by a wonderful young woman who bores a happy smile that seems to melt the coldest snow.

Sitting in the car for a long moment, Albert didn't even flinch. The black driver turned to examine the strange passenger, and asked curiously "yo, bro, this is the place? that's $35.00" He quickly turned off the timer that showed in truth $27.35, thinking that Albert had not noticed his little secret. Still in the trance of the past, Albert stepped out of the car. "HEY! yo! where is your money!" The black driver shutted up quickly as a one hundred dollar bill was handed to him by a ghastly hand. Sitting there for a long moment, his jaws hang open, he didn't even notice the fast and subtle hand movement! "When did he give me the money?" he stared at the unbelievable $100 bill lay in front of him and honestly wished that he should of asked for more. "this is crazy man, this is crazy!" he didn't touch the money, instead he looked out and called to the stranger "hey! you want chan..." the words stuck in his mouth as the stranger was nowhere to be found, as if he vanished into the darkness.

A shiver ran through his spine, the black driver grabbed the one hundred dollar bill and threw some unintelligible curses "■■■■ this @#$@$#" he drove the car away as fast as he could...

Standing in the shadow, Albert watched apartment in wonder. Memories seemed to be flooding back to him, all those pleasent, familiar moments. and her touchs, Albert closed his eyes and took a deep breath, even as an undead, that feeling still sent a surge of warmth through his vein.

Then something struck him. Something was amiss. He felt it, but he couldn't figure out what was missing. Something in his memories just don't piece together, no matter how perfect this whole picture makes sense to him, something just didn't seem right. "Maybe this seems too normal" Albert thought "too makes sense to make any sense."

He shook his head, part of him was relieved to retrive this past, while part of him was disappointed by the unexciting life he had. "This is not it" he muttered "this just seems too simple"

Sighing, he looked up. The room is lighted... 316...