Alice picked herself up out of the dirt in a daze. All around her were strange new sounds, the air smelled different, the sky was a vast field of darkness that hardly seemed to be affected by the stars that appeared so much smaller than she remembered. She watched the sky with concern - she had never been anywhere without trees and houses limiting the view of that vast nothingness and the sound of insects in the unfamiliar, flat desert seemed to enhance the feeling of insignificance.
She spun and tried to open the door again but the knob was quite firmly stuck in place. Even though she tried both sides it stubbornly refused to open again and she could not even see her old home through the dark keyhole.
Alice bit her lip as she looked away from the pine trees on the other side of the door and back to the bright lights of the town. They looked… wrong. It was not the familiar warm yellow glow of the street lamps and homes she knew, it was harsh and white. In spite of the terrible sense of foreboding that seemed to grow stronger with each step, she made her way toward the only sign of human life.
She nervously dusted off her dress as she got closer to the strange buildings and almost empty streets. There must be people here somewhere. She reasoned with herself as she walked along the strangely bright, oddly perfect sidewalks. The windows of the buildings were all dark and though she heard nothing but an unnerving noise she could not identify, she was quite certain she saw hooded figures watching her from around corners. When she looked more closely there was never anyone there so she simply scolded herself for allowing her imagination to get carried away.
Of course, she had stepped into a strange world through a strange door so she could hardly blame her imagination for any mischief it may cause. She felt like she had been walking for a long time when she finally saw something other than the unnerving, buzzing lights casting bright pools of illumination along the oddly perfect streets.
The sign made with green tubes of light that glowed so brightly they hurt her eyes proclaimed the building to be the 'Moonlite All-Nite Diner'. Through the window she could see a few people sitting at tables, each ignoring the others in a most deliberate manner. Their clothing was so strange and simple, nothing seemed to fit anyone quite right. Nothing like the dashing gentlemen in tailored suits and ladies in grand dresses she was used to seeing. She hesitated, nervously watching the woman standing behind the long counter who stared vacantly through one of the windows, then took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
"...tepping into the bright glow of the Moonlite All-Nite Diner where she thinks she may find answers. Of course, dear listeners," She froze as she heard the mellow voice issuing from black boxes attached to the wall near the ceiling. "Of course she will discover nothing. The strange new girl in the blue dress with a white apron and dusty black shoes will still be lost long after she leaves in search of help elsewhere."
Alice glanced down at her dust coated shoes and stumbled back, letting the door close silently between her, that strange voice and the silent people who never even looked in her direction. How had that man known where she was? Was he watching her from somewhere? She looked around but saw nothing. No movement, no lights, no life.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized she really was lost and might not be able to get home again. If only she hadn't approached the door, if only she hadn't listened to the talking rabbit, if only she had stayed on the path as she always did...
"Are you alright little girl?" A light but friendly voice asked.
She quickly wiped her eyes and curtsied to the man with kind eyes, perfect hair and a bright smile. "Sir... If you please, could you tell me where I might find a constable? I seem to have lost my way. I am sure my mother will be terribly worried..."
"Yes, I'm sure she is." He said as his smile faded just the slightest bit. "Your clothing looks almost new... What year do you think this is?"
Alice stared at him in uncertain silence. "1865 of course, sir."
"Well, at least they decriminalized time travel." The man said with a sigh. "Come on, I think it might be best if I took you to meet a friend of mine."
"Are we going to the constabulary?" She asked nervously. Her mother had warned her not to trust strangers though she had little choice in this place. She would feel much better speaking with someone she knew she could trust.
"Hmmm... It's a little different in this city... They do know you are here and will be watching if it makes you feel better." He said with a strange waver in his voice that made Alice quite certain it did not make him feel better. "My friend works at the radio station not far from here."
"Radio station?" She asked in confusion as he began walking.
He paused. "Oh, right... 1910. Radios are contraptions that allow people to send music and speech to large groups of people over long distances."
When he resumed walking she followed though his explanation had not set her at ease. "There was a voice in the diner... The man described me..."
"Yes, that's how I knew you were lost and needed help." The man said as he looked back at her with a smile.
"But how did he know, sir?" She asked. "I only just arrived and I have seen no one except the people in that building."
"Honestly, I'm not sure. He keeps up with events really well and any time I ask he... distracts me." He said uncomfortably.
"Oh." She frowned, troubled to think one friend would keep such important secrets from another. If she knew how to see everything that was happening she would surely want to tell her friends.
It was a short walk as the radio station appeared to be the dark and unfriendly building next to the diner she had so recently backed away from. Alice felt much better seeing the empty windows looking out over the street. He had simply seen her walk by as she had walked along one side of the building then turned and walked along another side to reach the diner.
The small amount of comfort she felt disappeared quickly as they walked up the steps to the building and stood before the strange door that seemed to be made of some kind of stone rather than the much more practical wood she was used to seeing. The man tugged but the door did not so much as rattle.
"Oh yeah…" He frowned, drew a small folding knife from his pocket and pricked one finger. Alice watched with wide eyes as he touched the bead of blood to the door then easily pushed it open. Though he held the door for her she remained frozen in place. Had he gone mad? Had she? "I know it seems strange at first…. and… well… most of the time after that. I'm still trying to figure out how that works, actually. It's alright, though. Don't mind the door. None of the rest are like this one. In this building."
Though his reassurance utterly failed to be reassuring, he did seem very confident and she was certain he was not a bad man so she took a deep breath and inched her way into the dimly lit building. The man led her down corridors and so far from the windows looking out on the street that Alice was once again very nervous and wondered how the man on the radio had known about her. He clearly could not see from so far back…
"Oh, there's the new intern!" Her guide said cheerfully waving at a young man down the hall. "I'm sorry I can't remember your name yet…"
The intern seemed to ignore his prompt for a name as he stared at Alice with wide, empty eyes and a slack jaw. She was not at all sure what to do so she held very still. Her mother spoke harshly of such ill-mannered boys but it was even more rude to speak such things aloud where they could hear.
"Well, then…" The man said as his smile faded. "We'll just wait for Cecil by the booth."
With a very light touch on her shoulder, he guided Alice forward and stayed between her and the rude boy. In time they came to a door with a large window and a glowing light. On the other side was a friendly looking man who smiled peacefully and spoke to himself while staring at strange equipment with lights and dials. After a few seconds he glanced up, his smile widened and he beckoned them to enter.
"He's on air right now so be very quiet unless he indicates that he wants you to speak, alright?" The man said softly as he reached out and opened the door. She nodded and followed him in.
"Well, listeners, you will never believe who just walked into my booth! My favorite scientist Carlos who is so caring and generous that he has gone to rescue the lost girl in the blue dress with a white apron and dusty black shoes! Isn't he just the best, listeners?" The man named Cecil said with a strange, adoring gaze at her companion. She glanced up at Mr. Carlos to see him blushing as he grinned back. "I would ask the girl in the blue dress with a white apron and dusty black shoes where it is she comes from and where she is travelling to but I'm afraid we are out of time for today. Perhaps we will be able to arrange an interview tomorrow. Stay tuned for the unique musical stylings of a toddler with a chainsaw. Until tomorrow - good night, Night Vale, good night."
He flipped a switch and the lights on the equipment went dark. Mr. Carlos returned to his normal color but still smiled at the radio man. "It seems this little girl is from the year 1865. It's possible all the red doors that have been appearing go to different times rather than other dimensions like the oak doors did."
"What if it's 1865 in another dimension?" He asked.
Mr. Carlos' smile faded and his eyes widened. "That's… possible… I need to run some tests…"
"Well, then." Mr. Cecil said, looking down at Alice with a wide, friendly smile and dark, knowing eyes. "Welcome to Night Vale."
A/N: Of course this little fanfic is not endorsed by or probably even known of by the creators of Welcome to Night Vale but does that affect its value? Not at all! This is a fun deviation that celebrates the wonderful town created by Joseph Fink. If you have a moment and enjoy the terrifying wonders of Night Vale as much as I do, take a moment to visit their website and donate or buy some awesome merchandise to show your support!
Today's proverb: Money is the root of all evil. Greed is the stem and violence is the flower. You are a terrible gardener. Stop that.