Lateral Movement

Eugene is walking through the campus courtyard with his friend Nathaniel, who lags behind engrossed in his cellphone. “Man, I can’t get any reception...” Nat complains.

The brightness of the day is turned up a bit, along with the blood flow. The band plays: significance and memory wail away, dueling solos on infinite banjos. The usual pupil dilations.

The dress of an attractive brunette grabs Eugene’s attention as she walks by. There is something in her motions that Eugene finds captivating: it is not one movement in particular; it is a way of moving.

“Hello.” She smiles warmly at him, meeting his gaze exactly halfway. Such a beautiful voice. Symmetrical, in so much as sound can be.

“Hi.”

Eugene continues on, another step, and another. Thousands more, shuffling across the pavement, in and out of the auditoriums and gymnasiums. Who moves like this girl does? She does, of course, but he has seen it before. In thinking about this Eugene sees something play out: the chemistry, year after year, every year the school has been. The infinite. Infinity? A number of ways he sees his peers, all of them proportionate to one another. So perfect. Movement and the paths upon which it all happens. Like his walk to class. Like that girl.

All of it.

He finally stops to see himself sitting in a chair in room 9202 of the Arts and Administration Building. It is completely empty save for the girl sitting in the chair next to him. There are no windows in the Cave, but it feels like nighttime -- the fountain is not running and what remain of the lights are being turned off.

The girl nods at the janitor positioned at the light switch panel knowingly.

“What are you doing here, mate? I have to check. You shouldn’t be here. It’s against the rules.” The janitor gives him a funny look, his finger on the last light switch. He flicks it off.

Eugene turns, back to the light, to face Nathaniel whose face looks worried. His friend stands there calmly on the college walkway. Outside, of course. “Hey, man...are you OK? You look white.”

“I just... saw this.” Looking past his friend, Eugene can see the the girl walking on towards the Arts and Administration Building. “...and her.”

“You saw what, and whom?”

Deja-vu drowns out Nat’s questions and everything else. Eugene’s vision locks into place: one still picture, a snapshot to be viewed in time, but perhaps another time. It’s all just a bunch of snapshots and they are all collapsing back towards him now. Quite a few; a few too many: the horizon, the A&A Building, the girl, Nathaniel -- all of it an avalanche, a great accordion.

Everything gets folded up, and really this is the end right here.