night of 4/24/10

i am on my way back to school. i join a highway from the smaller rural road and suddenly there are ground-hugging, futuristic enclosed motorcycles filtering in among the cars; these are the others also heading for the school.

i am in the empty offices; my tie is undone and my belt off. i want to get them on before anyone arrives. i put my things on someone's desk and fumble at the tie. someone enters. i say i don't know which desk is mine--i have until now attended remotely. or, i know that i have appeared to attend remotely; i don't remember whether i have bothered.

the students are gathered, sitting in various chairs and desks, and await the professor. someone asks me where the students i've sponsored are. i have a chart. my name is written next to two other names. i don't recognize the names and don't remember sponsoring anyone, or knowing i'd need to. i wasn't prepared for any of this.

i am on the train we take to go to our places. i make my way up through the whole of the train to the very front, the first compartment, where ride the special few with near-magical abilities. it is not hard to sneak in. the doors to the sides are open, but only occasionally does someone enter; the remaining mass of crowd presses past toward the back of the train, not seeing the first compartment at all. there is no need for security. they speak a while, cryptically, while i look at their faces. one finally sniffs the air. he looks at me. he says--