I can hear the murmured sounds of the distant voices crackle in laughter, as they all watch and prey, ( and get up off there feet). And there eyes are upon my skin, as i walk in corners watching the sidewalk pass below my feet. The store windows seem to follow as the buildings swing and sway an speak in whispered tones. But my hands shake, as i attempt to light a cigerette in the side alley away from the oncoming wind. And than a man approaches. " hey, can i get a smoke from ya?". i give him a quick look, assessing the situation, just in case, cause you never know. His hair is long and dirty, from years of unwash. He has on this long greyish trenchcoat, or at least it has the apparent perception of grey, with holes throughout. His sleeves are too long for his arms, and he wears these fifties glasses, the ones with no rims on the bottom. His jeans though, are actually pretty nice. " Yeah, sure, no problem, no problem at all". I hand him one as he smiles, almost cautiously, nods his head and begins on his way. Looking around at this small chunk of city that surrounds, puffs of smoke arise and filter throughout the already polluted air, I cant help but notice things look a little different. A little off, as if theres been some weird shift throughout the cosmos, or just in my mind. While walking up the street i still have the feeling of unseen eyes ever following, but it usually passes, after awhile, before it once again arises. I head into this small corner store up ahead, right after i stub out the cigerette. As this voice rushes in out of nowhere. " Hey you, you, what the hell you want?". I quickly turn around, arms raised, trying to get ready for whats about to come. This man comes barreling towards me like a rhinoceros, or an elephant. Yelling, screaming and waving his arms. Some kind of madman. I duck down, knocking over small shelves full of those cheap comic books nobody wants, as he swings his fists toward my head. So i quickly slip out and make way down the street, a block or so. As now i can see him by his front door hopping up an down like some red faced babboon. Wiping the small beads of sweat that have accumulated on my brow, i start to wonder whats going on. This cant be just a coincidence. I have been in that place thousands of times, without a hitch. I dont know, maybe he mistaken me for another. Across the street though, lies a coffee shop, one of those try to hard hipster ones. I figure, maybe i will have better luck over there. I go in and do my thing, order, pay, and whatever. Outside they have those crappy tables and chairs that nobody likes, the ones made out of metal that are supposed to be artfully laced. And the only time you see them is in some shit garden your grandma has. Or some wannabe rich person. People pass by without any attention, and slowly things start to fit into place. This table, as always, rocks back and forth as it tries to settle onto the crooked ground. I end up getting up, mostly from shear uncomfortableness, which i am sure is the purpose of the cafe. Just behind lies rows of houses standing in straight lines watching there neighboring selves across the way. Most the houses here are vintage, and in being so look somewhat alot alike. Like crayons all lined up nicely in there respective boxes, all the colors of the rainbow. Except these are all old an dirty,(and.. have a certain charm, i suppose,)as the yards are about the best thing they have going. Theres a school that lies in the middle of all this, that appears to always be empty. A few people are only ever there in the field playing with dogs or are just, well, there. My house is in all this, in back alleys squeezed inbetween everyother that have eventually muscled there way in through the years. The yard is ratty and undistured, with no plants or trees calling it home. Theres some patio stairs that are a peeling grey, with the steps and rails ready to give up and fall at any moment. As i attempt to open the door i find it locked, and as i try my keys the door again fails to open. The small window that is clouded over with dirt and whatever else might have found there way onto it is closed off with a equally crappy off colored blind. Finally after a minute or so trying to jimmy my key into the lock, my roommate comes and opens the door. " Uhh, can i help you?". He gives me this confused look as if he never seen me before. " Stop messing man, and just let me in". He stands there, kinda like some long haired otter with messed hair and looking as if he is a bit too laid back. " I'm sorry, but i have never seen you before so". He pauses for a second, and by the look on his face, i can tell he means it, but i dont know if i believe it myself. " I am closing the door now". He says as the door creaks slowly closed, but with a deafening thud. I turn around and notice, that once again, my hands do shake, as i try to light a cigerette. Have i gone crazy, or am i just hallucinating. I stand there for a second contemplating this, as i figure what to do, or think, for that matter. Going around to the front of the house, i remember the other suite. It lies just beside our front door, and up a few steps. So as i knock the door slightly opens, and i begin." I know this is weird, but". And i pause, giving off a slight sigh knowing what i am asking next. " But, i live downstairs, and my roommate is acting odd, everybody actually, seems to, Well... You know". He looks me up and down and says." He doesnt have a roommate". He smiles, one of those creeped out and confused smiles, and closes the door. And my cigerette now hangs in the balance(among other things)of falling. Outside on the patio the world is almost as it once was, a possible shift, maybe. As i look at the address on the door, i cant believe my eyes, but.... The numbers are different, and maybe, just maybe, so is this world.
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