Chapter Twelve: Riverdale, Fact or Fiction?
Dying towns and abandoned "ghost" towns can be found nearly everywhere in the United States, from the West Coast all the way to the East Coast. Sometimes these towns may recover and grow bigger than they used to be, given enough time, but more often than not, they will be abandoned completely as the economy crashes.
However, out of many "ghost" towns scattered all over the US, none is more mysterious than Riverdale, a town supposedly stuck in the 50s. Depending on whom you ask, the description simply means that the town retains its 1950s aesthetic as decades pass by, or that the town is literally stuck in time during the 50s. But that's not the most intriguing part of the town. If anything, the biggest mystery of Riverdale is that people cannot pinpoint the exact location of this place!
People mention how Riverdale does not show up on Google Maps; not even typing the town's name on search engines could produce meaningful results.
You may try asking certified historians or random people on the internet, but don't be surprised if they give conflicting answers. Even their Daemons are similarly stumped at the Riverdale mystery.
For example, someone on Twitter will say that Riverdale is located somewhere in California. And then you go to Reddit to find a person claiming that Riverdale is in North Carolina. If that's not enough, you can go to YouTube and find videos arguing whether Riverdale is located in Upstate New York or somewhere within New York City. Long story short, nobody knows for certain.
Some people with bird Daemons actually tried going to certain spots where Riverdale is rumored to be. The bird Daemons would fly as high as they can, as far away as they can, but they saw nothing and heard nothing, not even the town's welcoming signs can be located. Riverdale is literally a ghost town!
Even cat Daemons, supposedly able to see things that humans and normal cats cannot, failed to detect anything that resemble a hidden settlement. Of course, their humans would either blame the poor Daemons or insist that they arrived at the wrong spot.
According to conspiracy theorists, there really used to be a town bearing that name, having been established in the 1800s or so. But then something big happened that caused it to disappear.
Was it a natural disaster? Was it instead a man-made disaster? An ancient curse? Alien abduction? Time travel? Reality-breaking paradox?
For every theory that makes sense as to why Riverdale is untraceable in this age of technology, ten outlandish theories would try to bury it. What's more, a handful of people claim themselves, truthfully or not, as former residents of the eponymous town. Sadly, these people are already very old and no longer fit enough to describe where the mystery town is and what it looks like. One of them is Geraldine Grundy and her squirrel Daemon.
A permanent resident at a hospice in Kentucky, Mrs. Grundy speaks very fondly of her time in Riverdale, back when she was roughly 40 years old or so. She goes as far as claiming to be an English Language teacher in Riverdale High School. That is, assuming said high school actually existed and not a figment of her failing mind.
Dementia can be an insidious enemy, wearing down your memories little by little as you age, until nothing is left. Such is the fate that befalls Mrs. Grundy, who kept a series of journals and documentation on her person about the mysterious town that she used to live in. Now she's approaching 93 years old and her handwriting becomes more and more erratic as she struggles to keep her dementia at bay.
According to the old lady, she used to have four favorite students. These kids went by the name of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and Forsythe "Jughead" Jones. Her caretakers and distant surviving relatives cannot identify nor locate the precise whereabouts of these four students of hers. Later on, Mrs. Grundy would add three extra students named Kevin Keller, Josie McCoy, and Dilton Doiley as her favorite students as well. Again, none of her caretakers are able to determine whether these students are truly the residents of the infamous Riverdale town or simply a figment of her failing memory.
The old lady's tales regarding the mysterious students also changes quite frequently. One day, she'd be speaking of a big class project spearheaded by this Archie kid, the next day she'd be lamenting how Archie didn't get to see the class project because he got a detention. And then she'd weave a story about how Archie would sometimes find work in a diner, whereas the day before Mrs. Grundy declared how Archie couldn't even cook!
That's just one of her many, many wild stories about Riverdale. As time goes by, the lady or her squirrel Daemon might add even more unrealistic elements into her life story, such as the appearance of a businessman who could enchant others by his voice alone, or a cult who'd kidnap young women so they can play games together, or even a teenage sorceress likely inspired by Harry Potter novels.
Conspiracy theorists are more than happy to take Mrs. Grundy's words as gospel. More sceptical people, however, are not easily assured.
Now, Riverdale is officially classified as a "ghost" town, not because authorities find the settlement as such, but because it's not worth spending time and energy to actually track its exact location.
You may try going out there with your Daemon if you think you know where Riverdale might be, but don't be disappointed if you fail to find it like so many others before you. But here's a tip; when you believe that you've arrived at a potential location of the settlement, try to listen carefully. You might just hear a bunch of youngsters singing as if they're celebrating a homecoming night or prom night.