What the heck? [Morgan and Emily] [closed]
It must have been three in the morning. Morgan had been traveling since noon the day before, hoping to get to Wenatchee by Monday morning, willing to drive non-stop through northern California, Oregon, and southern Washington with no sleep in order to make it on time. It wasn't like she hadn't done it before, after all; it was amazing what willpower and a little NoDoze could do to keep a person awake.
She should have gassed up while she was still in Grant's Pass. That little valley in the mounatins was the last real stop of civilization before she was stuck in the mountains and the woods again, and there was no telling when she'd see another town, much less a gas station. It was an hour to Eugene, the next relatively flat spot on the map, and there was no way her gas was going to last her another hour.
Morgan sighed and merged over into the slow lane, so she wouldn't have to worry so much about paying attention. She spread the map out over her wheel, flipping on the overhead light to read and drive at the same time. The last sign she'd seen was for was Oakland, but there looked to be a few, no-name and unimportant exits off I-5 that might net her some gasoline. As long as she could make it. The next one was only a few miles up, she'd just have to risk it.
Five minutes later the exit appeared, white lines freshly painted on the dark black road. The newness didn't last for long, though; it swiftly turned into a pitted road with no lines, just an occasional yellow reflector down the middle. There was a gas station immediately by the interstate, but it wasn't a twenty-four hour one; it was closed and other than a Denny's next to it, there was no sign of life. None at all - just two stores, an interstate, and the thick old pine forest of Oregon pressing close all around.
Crap. Her dashboard was flashing the 'low fuel' light at her. Well no duh the fuel is low, you stubborn old thing, she thought. Just last for me long enough to get to a gas station. The last thing I want to do is go hitch-hiking in Po-Dunk, Oregon.
Just past the Denny's was a green mileage sign. Truth or Consequences - 5 miles. The closest sign of life available; if she got back onto the interstate, she'd be doomed to stall on the side of the road. Five miles wasn't much if she needed to walk back to this Denny's.
Morgan sent her little jeep trundling down the old road, avoiding the worst of the potholes and suffering through the rest. Soon enough, just as her engine was starting to cough and misfire, a flickering red light shone through the trees - a Shell gas station, the light old and broken and the S blacked out. It was open, the light of the little convenience shop bright and cheery compared to the dingy exterior. Beyond were the lights of a larger city, previously unseen through the thick forest that lined the road she'd been down. And across the road, another sign: Welcome to Truth or Consequences. A city that was no where on her map, but offered the salvation of gasoline she needed.
Morgan wasn't going to question it too much. The gasoline was what she needed, not a no-doubt reasonable explanation for a city that wasn't existent on a probably very out of date map. These things happen.
At least, that's what she thought until she finished gassing up her jeep and turned to find the road she'd come down gone. There was nothing at all - just a dead-ended cul-de-sac with tall, old trees preventing access through the forest.
As though the pitted road had never been there at all.
-
The next day Morgan found herself deciding she had definitely gone insane.
The road she had come in on did not reappear in broad daylight the following morning, nor did the store clerk seem to think there had ever been a road there begin with. Undeterred, she decided to just move on - surely there was some other exit from the town. After all, she'd come east off the interstate, so it made sense that if she could just find a road going west again, she'd eventually run into the interstate. Failing that, she could just take a road north until she found another town or hit the Washington border, and then reorient herself to find Wenatchee. No big deal.
This turns out to be one of those 'sounds good in theory' problems. Truth or Consequences turned out to be a pretty big city - even with a few small skyscrapers - which made it's lack of presence on her map of Oregon really bizarre. (She double-checked it, just to be sure - there was definitely not 'Truth or Consequences' anywhere along the I-5 route, or anywhere in Oregon at all. Could a city this large have sprung up in the last four years since the map was printed?) But what was even more bizarre was her complete inability to find any roads leading out of town... or that lead out of town for long.
Every time she found a road that went west, it eventually curved around and went back east, or dead-ended like the road that brought her into town to begin with. Every road that went north turned and led back into town as well. As an experiment she circled around the edges of the city, trying to go further east, even trying to go south, but she was completely unable to find a single road that left the city.
Morgan eventually turned to asking for directions, a dubious attempt considering her difficulty in communicating with others. Scribbles on her handy scratch-pad and the use of her map of Oregon yielded her results such as No, we're no where near the interstate. and Eugene? Never heard of it. as if Eugene wasn't one of the largest cities in Oregon, let alone the largest city near where she'd pulled off. Directions out of town involved vague responses like Oh, just keep following Main north. As if she hadn't already TRIED following Main north a half dozen times! By some bizarre quirk of road construction it somehow doubled-back on itself and ended up becoming the opposite lane of the road she'd JUST come down. Just one big fat mobius strip that led her precisely no where.
It was two in the afternoon before she finally broke down and spent more of her precious money on a map. It wasn't like she hadn't already wasted three quarters of a tank of gas toodling around this god-forsaken confusingly set up city. The clerk handed over the receipt and her change and told her to have a good day.
Morgan spread the map out over the ticking hood of her jeep. It was a very well-drawn map that covered every single side street and pointed out nearly every important place in town (and a few places that probably weren't.) It even covered the bus routes.
There wasn't a single road leading out of town.
That was when she officially decided she'd gone crazy. No town was made with no roads that lead outside. That was totally against the rules of commerce; there had to be SOME way in and out or else trade just plain couldn't happen. Where would McDonalds get its burgers if there were no roads leading out of town? This was just - this was just - bogus. Was there some trick being played on her? Was the whole city in on it?
Only one way to find out, she decided. Morgan located Ashwood Heights on the map and prepared to go find out just who the heck was playing this joke on her.
-
Ashwood Heights was a surprisingly gothic, old fashioned, and fancy looking apartment complex. It almost looked more like.... like a castle, or an ancient mansion, than an apartment complex. Granted, it didn't look like it was in sparkling clean condition, but there were no broken windows or gutters and while the brick might need some blasting it wasn't covered in mold or slime. It was... beautiful, honestly. And a little creepy.
Morgan held up the key to 'her' apartment, examining the little tag that dangled from it. Room 5D. Fifth floor, fourth apartment, according to the note from the city council, welcoming her to the city. As if somehow they'd known she was coming and prepared a place for her. Could anything get more creepy? Could anything get more crazy?
Probably not. So it made sense to just go ahead and find out who was behind this. Locking her jeep and leaving her few belongs behind in it - made for a better escape that way - the newest tenant of Ashwood Heights tentatively made her way into the complex, warily on the lookout for.... well, for anything.
She should have gassed up while she was still in Grant's Pass. That little valley in the mounatins was the last real stop of civilization before she was stuck in the mountains and the woods again, and there was no telling when she'd see another town, much less a gas station. It was an hour to Eugene, the next relatively flat spot on the map, and there was no way her gas was going to last her another hour.
Morgan sighed and merged over into the slow lane, so she wouldn't have to worry so much about paying attention. She spread the map out over her wheel, flipping on the overhead light to read and drive at the same time. The last sign she'd seen was for was Oakland, but there looked to be a few, no-name and unimportant exits off I-5 that might net her some gasoline. As long as she could make it. The next one was only a few miles up, she'd just have to risk it.
Five minutes later the exit appeared, white lines freshly painted on the dark black road. The newness didn't last for long, though; it swiftly turned into a pitted road with no lines, just an occasional yellow reflector down the middle. There was a gas station immediately by the interstate, but it wasn't a twenty-four hour one; it was closed and other than a Denny's next to it, there was no sign of life. None at all - just two stores, an interstate, and the thick old pine forest of Oregon pressing close all around.
Crap. Her dashboard was flashing the 'low fuel' light at her. Well no duh the fuel is low, you stubborn old thing, she thought. Just last for me long enough to get to a gas station. The last thing I want to do is go hitch-hiking in Po-Dunk, Oregon.
Just past the Denny's was a green mileage sign. Truth or Consequences - 5 miles. The closest sign of life available; if she got back onto the interstate, she'd be doomed to stall on the side of the road. Five miles wasn't much if she needed to walk back to this Denny's.
Morgan sent her little jeep trundling down the old road, avoiding the worst of the potholes and suffering through the rest. Soon enough, just as her engine was starting to cough and misfire, a flickering red light shone through the trees - a Shell gas station, the light old and broken and the S blacked out. It was open, the light of the little convenience shop bright and cheery compared to the dingy exterior. Beyond were the lights of a larger city, previously unseen through the thick forest that lined the road she'd been down. And across the road, another sign: Welcome to Truth or Consequences. A city that was no where on her map, but offered the salvation of gasoline she needed.
Morgan wasn't going to question it too much. The gasoline was what she needed, not a no-doubt reasonable explanation for a city that wasn't existent on a probably very out of date map. These things happen.
At least, that's what she thought until she finished gassing up her jeep and turned to find the road she'd come down gone. There was nothing at all - just a dead-ended cul-de-sac with tall, old trees preventing access through the forest.
As though the pitted road had never been there at all.
-
The next day Morgan found herself deciding she had definitely gone insane.
The road she had come in on did not reappear in broad daylight the following morning, nor did the store clerk seem to think there had ever been a road there begin with. Undeterred, she decided to just move on - surely there was some other exit from the town. After all, she'd come east off the interstate, so it made sense that if she could just find a road going west again, she'd eventually run into the interstate. Failing that, she could just take a road north until she found another town or hit the Washington border, and then reorient herself to find Wenatchee. No big deal.
This turns out to be one of those 'sounds good in theory' problems. Truth or Consequences turned out to be a pretty big city - even with a few small skyscrapers - which made it's lack of presence on her map of Oregon really bizarre. (She double-checked it, just to be sure - there was definitely not 'Truth or Consequences' anywhere along the I-5 route, or anywhere in Oregon at all. Could a city this large have sprung up in the last four years since the map was printed?) But what was even more bizarre was her complete inability to find any roads leading out of town... or that lead out of town for long.
Every time she found a road that went west, it eventually curved around and went back east, or dead-ended like the road that brought her into town to begin with. Every road that went north turned and led back into town as well. As an experiment she circled around the edges of the city, trying to go further east, even trying to go south, but she was completely unable to find a single road that left the city.
Morgan eventually turned to asking for directions, a dubious attempt considering her difficulty in communicating with others. Scribbles on her handy scratch-pad and the use of her map of Oregon yielded her results such as No, we're no where near the interstate. and Eugene? Never heard of it. as if Eugene wasn't one of the largest cities in Oregon, let alone the largest city near where she'd pulled off. Directions out of town involved vague responses like Oh, just keep following Main north. As if she hadn't already TRIED following Main north a half dozen times! By some bizarre quirk of road construction it somehow doubled-back on itself and ended up becoming the opposite lane of the road she'd JUST come down. Just one big fat mobius strip that led her precisely no where.
It was two in the afternoon before she finally broke down and spent more of her precious money on a map. It wasn't like she hadn't already wasted three quarters of a tank of gas toodling around this god-forsaken confusingly set up city. The clerk handed over the receipt and her change and told her to have a good day.
Morgan spread the map out over the ticking hood of her jeep. It was a very well-drawn map that covered every single side street and pointed out nearly every important place in town (and a few places that probably weren't.) It even covered the bus routes.
There wasn't a single road leading out of town.
That was when she officially decided she'd gone crazy. No town was made with no roads that lead outside. That was totally against the rules of commerce; there had to be SOME way in and out or else trade just plain couldn't happen. Where would McDonalds get its burgers if there were no roads leading out of town? This was just - this was just - bogus. Was there some trick being played on her? Was the whole city in on it?
Only one way to find out, she decided. Morgan located Ashwood Heights on the map and prepared to go find out just who the heck was playing this joke on her.
-
Ashwood Heights was a surprisingly gothic, old fashioned, and fancy looking apartment complex. It almost looked more like.... like a castle, or an ancient mansion, than an apartment complex. Granted, it didn't look like it was in sparkling clean condition, but there were no broken windows or gutters and while the brick might need some blasting it wasn't covered in mold or slime. It was... beautiful, honestly. And a little creepy.
Morgan held up the key to 'her' apartment, examining the little tag that dangled from it. Room 5D. Fifth floor, fourth apartment, according to the note from the city council, welcoming her to the city. As if somehow they'd known she was coming and prepared a place for her. Could anything get more creepy? Could anything get more crazy?
Probably not. So it made sense to just go ahead and find out who was behind this. Locking her jeep and leaving her few belongs behind in it - made for a better escape that way - the newest tenant of Ashwood Heights tentatively made her way into the complex, warily on the lookout for.... well, for anything.