One moment, Alexander was standing in an orchard, below a beautiful meadow----

  And the next, he was looking straight at Grace's old house.

  He was a little dizzy from the 'move', but soon recovered completely.

  "Thank you Apples." He mumbled, as he took stock of his surroundings.

  There were new house designs, unlike anything he had ever seen.

  Not just the houses, but the roads and street mps looked different.

  Holographic dispys floated in front of stalls and small establishments.

  The few people he could make out in the distance, wore clothing's of strange new designs, with floating holographic dispys following along in front of their faces as they walked.

  "So this is the future." Alexander intoned. Then his gazed fell on his own outfit. He was still wearing his orange jumpsuit.

  Unlike back at the meadow. The entire street was brightly lit, with street lights, and residential building security flood lights.

  "I need to get off these streets"

  Alexander turned to Grace's house, and walked into the compound. It was the only house on this street that didn't look modern.

  It almost looked like someone had gone to great lengths to keep things looking as Alexander had remembered.

  As he approached the mahogany door. He was contempting how to get in, when he noticed the bonsai pot to the side.

  Recalling Grace kept her keys there. He reached for the pot, hoping she still did, and he was gd to discover the keys were indeed present there.

  He soon opened the door locks, as it heaved backwards with a creek, and dust came pouring out, clouding Alexander's vision.

  The lights flickered dimly to life as he turned them on from the side, while coughing mildly.

  'What in the world is going on. ?'

  'Gracie would never let her pce get this dirty, even if she had moved out ?'

  Alexander took measured steps as he moved towards the living room.

  He soon noticed some papers and envelopes on the desk----all belonging to Grace, and strangely carrying her full maiden name.

  And they were all dated.... to ten years back.

  The gnawing dread Alexander had been pushing aside grew worse, as he slowly walked towards Grace's bedroom.

  His fragile heart drummed vigorously against his rib cage, and his back was drenched in sweat.

  He got in and walked over to her wardrobe, and opened it up.

  It was filled with Grace's clothes. Even the one she wore to see him.... ten years ago.

  "This can't be happening." Alexander mumbled, as he staggered backwards from the wardrobe. His hands and feet trembling ever so slightly.

  "Maybe she just love keeping all her clothes here " he reasoned.... his thoughts not based on logic or evidence, but on desperate hope.

  He began walking to the guest room. The one he usually stayed at when he came over.

  As he pushed open the door, all he saw were papers. Psterred On the walls. Scattered on the table, furnitures and bed.

  And these were not just 'papers'.

  They were court records. Police reports. Witness statements. Appeal fillings. Evidence Analysis. Alibi Documentation. Prison records. Personal notes. FOIA Requests. Rejected filling ..... And so on.

  All covered in dust and baring his name. With most having dates for ten years back, and nothing after.

  Alexander staggered back out, and started moving like a zombie through the corridor. His gait unhurried. His eyes unfocussed.

  He just walked and soon he was out on the open street once again.

  He turned and walked in the direction of one of these modern homes.

  He was greated by a young dy who directed him to another house since they were new and couldn't answer his question.

  Alexander was soon greeted with an elderly man. Who looked close to his age.

  "That house. Did you know who lived there ?" He asked solemnly. Pointing at Grace's house.

  "You mean Chief judge Grace ?" The elderly man asked with a glint in his grey eyes in recollection.

  "A judge....." Alexander murmured.

  "I see now." he added.

  "What happened to her ?"

  "And what about her .... Family ?" He asked the man. Though he already knew the answers to his own question.

  "Family ?. No. She never married. And always kept to herself."

  "She was a very good person though. Always helping those in trouble around the neighborhood."

  "Shame what happened to her. Such a nice dy dying like that" The man added, as he swayed his head in regret.

  "And ... How exactly did Gracie die. Do you still recall ?"

  "She was run over by a drunk driver, they said. I pray her soul rest in peace."

  "And do you.....do you know were she was yed to rest ?"

  "She had no family. So she was buried in the public cemetery located behind the city library"

  Alexander turned, and started walking.

  By now, multiple residents had already called the police. Citing a strange old man in prison garb was patrolling the streets.

  But none of that mattered to Alexander at the moment. Not even the possibility of being arrested yet again and sent back to prison.

  Alexander just walked.

  And he kept walking.

  For an hour.

  Two hours.

  Three hours.

  He felt his body failing. His organs were screaming. And his old bones groaned.

  The soles of his feet bled. Leaving bloody footprints in their wake.

  As he finally arrived before the cemetery, he slowly ran his lifeless gaze through the headstones present, until he found a very small one, at a secluded corner, with the inscription...

  ___

  In Loving Memory

  Grace Rosemary Bloom

  April 15th. 2000 --- January 30th 2054.

  ____

  "Found you...."

  "My love."

  Alexander walked over and sat beside the gravestone, as he started talking.

  He spoke of the ten years she'd missed.

  He spoke of how he got out of prison.

  He would ugh and wait for her replies on multiple occasions.... But none came.

  He told her about his arrival at their childhood meadow....and everything else, as the tears never stopped pouring out of his eyes through it all.

  "You must have been so lonely Gracie. Am so sorry!" Alexander wept.

  "You said you'd be happy... But you weren't happy."

  "Now.....you are gone.....and there is nothing left for me. "

  "Nothing....."

  "Nothing matters anymore."

  .....

  ||There is a way||

  The voice that had been quiet all this time, finally spoke.

  "What do you mean ?" And for the first time since Alexander had stepped into Grace's home. His blue eyes sparkled with something..... Hope.

  ||There is a way to undo all this||

  ||To cim back the life that was stolen from us||

  ||And to bring her back||

  "How ?!"

  ||We just have to 'move'||

  "Move ?!"

  ||Yes. We have to 'move'.....backwards||