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Time is a half-remembered river, going left and right to who knows where. Space..... Space is the wide ocean, deeper than anyone knows with terrors lurking in the depths.
Welcome To Night Vale
Listeners, you have noticed that a strange person has arrived in town this evening. Strangely there have been no planes or buses and you know that the train tracks only run the world governments night trains these days. A reminder that the Night Trains do not exist, they are only a story. Any person repeating this story should go to the city council for re-education. According to my source in the Sheriff's Secret Police, they arrived in a: “dark blue police box” which is now sitting on the corner of Earl and Summerset next to the Ralphs, how strange as we all know the only police box is on the corner of Mission Grove Park, next to the community college. Remember do not enter either police box, they aren't run by the Sherrif's Secret Police and we are still not sure where it takes you. Wherever it is, it's probably worse than here.
Anyway, the stranger is wandering around says to be a traveller and are asking strange questions like “what year is it” and “is this earth” They may be some remainder of the recent Blood Space War that wrapped up two years ago or is still raging across the stars, space is weird like that. Let's all hope that this wasn't some secret weapon launched by the enemy for secret attacks or that they were on our side.
Moving on from the stranger, the news; a crack in time and space has opened up outside house 14 of Desert Grove, and the house appeared to be drained into the hole in reality. According to my darling Carlos, it seems to be like a crack in a pane of glass, one that is slowly opening up further and further slowly absorbing in the streets around it and potentially the entire town. I have also been asked to read this brief notice from the city council, the abandoned car lot is in line for a renovation, removing the unsold cars that have now gained sentience. It seems they did not like being left there for so many years, quickly grabbing any humans they can to turn them into fuel sources. Try to avoid this area until the renovation. Now uh, I am not seeing any time frame for these renovations so I am just going to say that the area is safe soon.
Now back to the stranger; it seems they call themselves Doctor, now it seems that is not just a title but their name. This isn't the weirdest name we have heard in Night Vale, just last year Sargent Sargent passed away due to wandering the sand wastes while the most recent governmental controlled thunderstorm was overhead. According to those interested listeners, they are heading towards the crack in time and space in Desert Grove, with a strange buzzing device in their hand.
On the crack in time and space, it seems to be growing larger, swallowing up everything around it. The houses around 14, seem to be being absorbed by the crack. Well, I hope the ancient people enjoy their new homes and running water. The people slipping through into the crack, well maybe they become your ancient grandparents so always think on the bright side.
There are shadows all around us, their hands reaching almost longingly towards our fleshy forms. Their eyes wide and glowing as they beg constantly to let them in. Go let them into your body, there is room for all of you, maybe. Amazon, let the shadows in to consume your soul.
The cracks in time and space in Desert Grove are growing larger by the minute, beginning to absorb cars of every size. The neighbours’ houses slipping into it, going well who knows where or when. It seems this Doctor is approaching the cracks; their device whirring and buzzing, shining orange light over the area. They seem to be trying to help. More of this story later now the weather.
Welcome back listeners, it seems that we are all okay. Another tragedy avoided, we are so lucky Night Vale, each week I hope our luck holds on and we can spend more time with each other, our family, our weird little town.
The Doctor walked towards the crack in time and space, adjusting their coat, staring determinedly into the endless dimensional rips. Pointing the strange device at the crack, The device whirred until it was ripped from their hand. Suddenly it begins to drag the world into the unknown reality inside it, at a quicker pace. But the Doctor was unafraid, they fixed their weather-worn coat around them tightly, walked towards the tear in our reality. Took a step into the crack, diving into time unseen. The crack just closed, silence overtook the desert at that moment. We don’t what they did but it appeared to work.
The wait was slow and agonising, all of us waiting with bated breath for this mysterious stranger. But they didn’t return. The well-trimmed grass of Desert Grove, now dead without the 100s litres of water taken to keep it from dying in this hot desert climate. Apparently, 4000BC didn’t have running water in the middle of the desert, shame on them. The people who returned seemed to have adapted to the other time well, coming back with sharp stones in the shapes of axes and weapons. Wearing crowns made of skulls of an unknown beast. They spoke in ancient tongues. Apparently, a few seconds here was 10s of years there
According to the Sheriffs’ Secret Police, the blue police box has disappeared from the corner of Earls and Summerset by the Ralphs, it disappearing without a trace almost like it wasn’t even here. Remember listeners; don’t feel sad that something disappeared from your life without leaving any trace, be glad you could see it at all for any length of time because love, especially that kind of visual love, is always fleeting.
Look to the void, see the twinkling stars, the infinite multitudes of time and space. Know that for a moment a stranger stood against the darkness, saved us from falling into an interdimensional hole and ending up our own great great great great great grandparents. Watch the lights that shine over our heads as they watch us back. Hold your love ones close and if you don't have any hold onto yourselves and know you are alive. You are breathing, feel the beat of your heart, the warmth of your flesh. Take a breath and just think about how lucky we all are to go through each day, hold tightly to the memories of those who didn't.
Goodnight Night Vale Goodnight.