CHAPTER THREE
The woman from the subway station is perched on my front stoop, almost defiantly. She wears a pure black overcoat, dark sunglasses, and gloves. It was a little strange, considering it's a rather hot day. But stranger is the fact that this woman is sitting there to begin with. Especially because she knows my hacker name. Nobody does. Nobody at all. I find it all quite terrifying. And overtly suspicious.
'What are you doing here?' I say. 'And who are you?'
The woman stands, confidently, pulling off her sunglasses. 'Can I come in?'
I considered. 'Will you tell me who you are, and why the hell you're following me around the city?'
The woman, too, considered. 'All right.'
She followed me inside, and I sat at my table. I offer her a seat, but she refuses, preferring to stand. I shrug. Another tally on the insanity count, I think. And then I stop myself, as I wonder if this woman canread minds.
'All right,' I said. 'Two questions: who are you, and why are you here?'
She doesn't answer immediately, and this irritates me - I can't stand it when people stand there and think about their answer for so long that they end up forgetting the question. But she doesn't forget the question.
'Neo,' she says, 'don't you remember me?'
I clench my fists. 'You didn't answer my question.'
'Let me say this first.'
'All right. No, I don't remember you.'
She looks saddened. Well, that's not quite the right word. She looks disappointed. Not wounded, not upset, just disappointed, and almost wistful. This is all too crazy for me. I wonder if I pinch myself, I'll wake up? That could work. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz...except she doesn't pinch herself, does she? I almost laugh at the absurdity of it. Here I am, thinking about The Wizard of Oz, of all movies. And then that thought triggers something else in my mind. Ruby slippers, ruby slippers...what is going on in my head?
The woman stares at me, deep into my eyes. I feel my stomach lurch crazily. The more I look at her, the more beautiful this woman becomes. I wonder who she is (if she ever tells me at all!) I just want to know the answer to this puzzle, and then return to the normalcy of everyday life.
'It's me, Neo,' she says, retaining the gaze. 'Trinity.'
My first impulse is to laugh aloud and then shoo her out of the house. Trinity? What kind of a name is that? It's so calculated and...silly. But then...Trinity. TRINITY. The name rings a bell. Somewhere, in the deepest crevice of my mind, I know that I have heard that name before. Or perhaps my subconscious is playing tricks on me. Either way, this is all creepy, and I want no more of it.
'No,' I said. 'I don't know.'
'You had some dreams, didn't you?'
Now I am just terrified. How does she know this?
'Listen!' I say angrily. 'I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but I want you to leave my house! Right now!' When she doesn't move, I add, 'Or I'll call the police.'
'Goddamnit, Neo, just remember, PLEASE!'
'I mean it. I will call the police.'
She looks angry, and hurt, and I see fury blazing in her eyes, until she pulls her sunglasses back on. It seems as though she is biting back a repimand.
'All right, Neo,' she says, finally, quite calmly. 'I understand. But please - try and remember. Try and remember everything.'
And she walks out of the house, closing the door gently behind her, and leaves me standing there, perplexed, irritated and trying to understand the craziness the world has begun to offer me.
The woman from the subway station is perched on my front stoop, almost defiantly. She wears a pure black overcoat, dark sunglasses, and gloves. It was a little strange, considering it's a rather hot day. But stranger is the fact that this woman is sitting there to begin with. Especially because she knows my hacker name. Nobody does. Nobody at all. I find it all quite terrifying. And overtly suspicious.
'What are you doing here?' I say. 'And who are you?'
The woman stands, confidently, pulling off her sunglasses. 'Can I come in?'
I considered. 'Will you tell me who you are, and why the hell you're following me around the city?'
The woman, too, considered. 'All right.'
She followed me inside, and I sat at my table. I offer her a seat, but she refuses, preferring to stand. I shrug. Another tally on the insanity count, I think. And then I stop myself, as I wonder if this woman canread minds.
'All right,' I said. 'Two questions: who are you, and why are you here?'
She doesn't answer immediately, and this irritates me - I can't stand it when people stand there and think about their answer for so long that they end up forgetting the question. But she doesn't forget the question.
'Neo,' she says, 'don't you remember me?'
I clench my fists. 'You didn't answer my question.'
'Let me say this first.'
'All right. No, I don't remember you.'
She looks saddened. Well, that's not quite the right word. She looks disappointed. Not wounded, not upset, just disappointed, and almost wistful. This is all too crazy for me. I wonder if I pinch myself, I'll wake up? That could work. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz...except she doesn't pinch herself, does she? I almost laugh at the absurdity of it. Here I am, thinking about The Wizard of Oz, of all movies. And then that thought triggers something else in my mind. Ruby slippers, ruby slippers...what is going on in my head?
The woman stares at me, deep into my eyes. I feel my stomach lurch crazily. The more I look at her, the more beautiful this woman becomes. I wonder who she is (if she ever tells me at all!) I just want to know the answer to this puzzle, and then return to the normalcy of everyday life.
'It's me, Neo,' she says, retaining the gaze. 'Trinity.'
My first impulse is to laugh aloud and then shoo her out of the house. Trinity? What kind of a name is that? It's so calculated and...silly. But then...Trinity. TRINITY. The name rings a bell. Somewhere, in the deepest crevice of my mind, I know that I have heard that name before. Or perhaps my subconscious is playing tricks on me. Either way, this is all creepy, and I want no more of it.
'No,' I said. 'I don't know.'
'You had some dreams, didn't you?'
Now I am just terrified. How does she know this?
'Listen!' I say angrily. 'I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but I want you to leave my house! Right now!' When she doesn't move, I add, 'Or I'll call the police.'
'Goddamnit, Neo, just remember, PLEASE!'
'I mean it. I will call the police.'
She looks angry, and hurt, and I see fury blazing in her eyes, until she pulls her sunglasses back on. It seems as though she is biting back a repimand.
'All right, Neo,' she says, finally, quite calmly. 'I understand. But please - try and remember. Try and remember everything.'
And she walks out of the house, closing the door gently behind her, and leaves me standing there, perplexed, irritated and trying to understand the craziness the world has begun to offer me.