Aaron J Hudson
ENG102
Prof. Rimmer November 1 st , 2006
2000 and What?
Wow, what was in that drink I had? Whatever it was, I need another; I feel
GREAT! Wait! Where am I? I don’t even remember when I fell asleep. What’s that ringing noise? I think...this is the same town I live in. It looks familiar but there is strangeness about it that I can’t place. Let me go home, shake it off, maybe I’m just having a massive hangover. I’ll sleep it off some more and everything will be okay in the morning!
I know I am going the right way to my apartment but I don’t remember all these buildings and …the skyline looks different! Where are the North and South towers? Why does everything look so out of place? Wait a minute, there wasn’t any construction by The Garden yesterday? What’s going on? And what’s that annoying ringing noise that refuses to stop pounding in my head? Huh, mopeds have been out of circulation for years. Why are they all over the city now? Did I step into the twilight zone or something? Why are they protesting against George
Bush? He’s only the Vice President. Shouldn’t they be going after Ronald
Reagan? And what are they protesting about? A war with Iraq? When did this happen? Okay, I’m lost. I need to sit, drink a cup of coffee, and read the paper before I continue to my apartment. I’ll go to the coffee shop in Penn Station, grab

a cup of joe, buy a paper and wait for the A train to take me uptown. What happened to the Twin Towers?
This ringing is giving me such a headache, maybe I should take some aspirin. How did they put a Starbucks in Penn Station so quickly? I was just here last week. I have definitely stepped into another world. At least the same paper stand is here. Wow, did inflation happen overnight without me realizing? I swear I paid a dime for The New York Times last week and now it’s $1.50. This is
New York, stranger things have happened here. What’s up with all the security here? The Army and National Guard patrolling Penn with M16A2 Service Rifles is not a memory at all to me. Are we at war? Maybe the paper can shed some light on this situation.
I don’t understand this paper anymore. It’s talking about Y2K as if it has already passed…it’s only 1986. And we lost how many Marines in Iraq today?
What is the date of this paper? 2006?!? It’s only 1986! What is going on here?
Have I warped to another time zone? Excuse me sir, “Can you tell me today’s date?” It can’t be! I was just here last week; it was my cousin’s birthday,
November 1 st , 1986. Now I’m being told I just blinked out twenty years of my life? Where’s a mirror? I need a bathroom. Where’s the bathroom? It’ll have a mirror! Move out of my way, excuse me, move it! OH MY GOD! Look at me! I look……OLD! Older anyway! Where did all this facial hair come from? This was not there last night. Last week. Or was it? What the hell is going on here? How did this happen. And what the hell is that ringing?
“What happened to the towers?” Someone tell me, please! No, I’m not crazy! You all are crazy! No officer, I am fine. No sir, I have not been drinking!

Wait, I did have a drink last night. But that was last night, wasn’t it? No officer, no need for assistance, I am leaving now. Where to? I am going to my apartment uptown by Central Park West. ID? No problem, here it is. Officer, this is my ID!
Do you hear that ringing noise? Never mind, can I have my ID back so I can go home! I am fine officer, why are you wearing a gas mask around your thigh?
What is all the security for anyway? What was the paper talking about an explosion at the World Trade Center? That happened three years ago in 83. Or was it 23 years ago? And what is this Ground Zero I keep hearing about? No officer, I will not go with you! I just want to go home!
A metro card? What happened to the token slots? I don’t have a metro card! This ringing is driving me insane! I can’t get it out of my head! What’s this machine? It looks like I can by a metro card here. But where are the buttons to push? How do I buy one? And how do I pay it? Touch screen? Hmm? Okay, let’s try this. New metro card. Wow, the buttons are under the screen. How much do I want to put on it? Put on what? Oh ok, thank you, sir! $2.00 for one ride, are they crazy? It was $.50 last week! Or maybe not! What’s a debit card?
Does this thing take credit cards? Oh, ok, it does! Huh, this metro card looks like a flimsy credit card. And this is how I get on the subway now? What planet is this? Where do I stick it? The turnstile? At least that looks somewhat familiar!
Minus the lack of a token slot. So, that’s how you get through the turnstile.
Imagine that, the subways are the same. Still grimy and filthy! Can’t forget about the occasional homeless asking for change. Guess this will never change, no matter what time zone I’m in. Okay, Joey, breathe! This has been a crazy day so far. Hopefully my apartment still exists. It better, I paid it off last

year, I own it! Finally…my stop. So far, so good! I can’t get over all these futuristic cars I see. I’m used to seeing little Ford Escorts, now all I see are
Mercedes Benz’s and BMW’s! What has the world come to? Thank God, my condo is still there!
Damn it…my key is not working! What happened? HELLO! Open this door, right now! Who is it? You’re in my home, who are you? Open this door!
Why are you in my home and what have you done with all of my furniture? What do you mean you have lived here for the last 15 years? I don’t understand, I paid for this condo in 1985, I have the deed and it is in my name. This is my property and you are invading my privacy! I need to lie down! Do you mind if I lay on your sofa? Why am I asking you, this is my home! I’m lying down, like it or not! Do you here that ringing? I know you hear it, right? Why am I the only one who hears this ringing?
Uhhh, who keeps calling me at this time in the morning? Hello? David, what’s the date? Just tell me what the date is? Thank God! What do you mean you’ve been trying to call? How long? Three hours?!? What happened last night?
After that last drink, I don’t remember a thing. I did what? With who? Wait! Oh yeah, she’s right here next to me! Dude, you wouldn’t believe the dream you woke me up from……