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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/KD_PL on 2024-09-11 21:05:43+00:00.

I need urgent help, I think I am in a town that doesn’t exist. I will do my best to explain with clarity. 

My name is Roger, I’m a cop.  I was recently re-stationed to a small farming town. I thought since it would probably be less eventful then the city, I would have had more time to pursue things I neglected for the majority of my life. 

However, that’s not what happened…

Upon my arrival at the station everything was fine, meeting my new colleagues I learned almost everyone came from out of town like me. It was nice to know everyone could relate to me. The first day was uneventful so to cure my boredom I made the mistake of reading some old case files. 

I thought I was reading an elaborate prank, calls describing impossible problems, monsters and flying spines? . I thought they were not cross-checked, so some officers decided to practise their writing skills. But the details were meticulous, vast with real and signed resident accounts…

I sent a complaint to the station’s higher ups.

The station’s higher ups were confused at my complaint, and gave a speech about how they ensure standards are kept high in the station. Speaking to my new colleagues I received similar reactions, as if I was explaining to them how it’s weird that it’s dark during night time. 

I didn’t know what to think at first. I thought maybe since I’m the new guy the station was just messing with me. However I saw it with my very own eyes.

 My next door neighbour and his house vanished within about 5 hours. It was replaced with a patch of grass dominated by a colossal tree… A whole 2 story house disappeared in just 5 hours, replaced by old oak a few decades old. Talking to my other neighbours about it filled me with extensive paranoia, I never thought a confused look would fill me with dread. 

I like to consider myself intelligent, so I rather quickly realised something is wrong with the place.  I collected all the evidence I could to send to my old station. Including some interviews I did with some of the officers who had weirder calls. I wanted to get their unprofessional retelling of events. 

Their off the record point of view.

I sent off the first few to my old station with no response coming back. In fact nobody from the outside responded. I tried calling everyone from: friends, family and even old colleagues. It seemed I had access to the outside world but the outside world didn’t have access to me.

Honestly I began to question my own sanity. I mean there are signs: outburst of emotion, foggy memory and hallucinations. I think that’s the best way to describe them. Oh which reminded me, I don’t seem to recollect how I got into the town. I got here, but if I drove here or flew I don’t remember. On top of that a quick google search showed me the place I’m in doesn’t exist, satellite images show just a thick forest directly where I stand. Standing directly next to my new little house, on the phone I only see trees. 

I’m unsure what my next move should be. So I decided to post this here. Hopefully someone will read the first interview  and tell me that this is not “normal”. 

I need confirmation that I’m not losing my mind. 

I transcribed the interview below.

8.09.2024 1:34PM Rowoak Police station  Interviewee - Jack Murrow

R - “And the recorder is on, how are you feeling Jack?”

J - “Good, how can I not be? I’m getting paid to do my favourite thing. Talking.”

R - “Alright, as you know I found out that some of the records were. Let’s say, poorly kept. So I’m going to ask a few questions about one of your calls just to fill in the missing details.” 

J - “No problem.” 

R - “Tell me about the call you had a few days ago at midnight, the one in Maggies.”

J - “ Just some kids broke into the store I guess, played some tricks on me too. Really that one had missing details? It was pretty uneventful, not like there were many details in the first place.” 

R - “Yes that one, just talk to me. Step by step what happened that night.”

J - “Alright big boss…”

I think it was just about five minutes past midnight, I was cruising down the main road on my unexpected night shift. I wasn’t supposed to be there that night, Anthony called in sick a day before. Ruined my Friday plans. I sadly don’t get paid to complain so I did my job. 

I remember it was rather cold that night, the breeze snuck into the cruiser at some points revealing my breath. I didn’t shut the windows completely as the echo of the outside wind brushing against the thick treeline brought comfort in the darkness. So did the quiet talk host blabbering on the radio about some new internet trend. The combination of those kept me awake for the midnight shift, the midnight shift is more of a formality than a need. I was on it a few times before and nothing ever happened apart from occasional check ups on my walkie talkie. After dark all business shut, the streets become filled with emptiness and the roads with occasional plastic bags dragged by the wind. 

Safe to say when my walkie talkie told me there is a potential robbery in Maggie’s, My pupils grew. 

It took me less than a minute to arrive at the scene, empty streets and all. The owner was outside eagerly awaiting my arrival. He rushed towards me before I even had the chance to take a step outside of my cruiser. 

“I caught em I caught em I finally caught the fuckers!” His words gripped at my collar and snatched me closer as he shouted his achievements to me. 

“Slow down sir, what is going on what do you mean you cau-”

“Every single night clothes began disappearing and mannequins were placed in random corners of the shop. Two days ago I even found the backdoor wide open. YOU GUYS didn’t take me seriously so I took matters into my own hands. AND I CAUGHT THEM” The owner spoke fast in an aggressive farmers manner as If I was the nuisance and not the apparent burglar in the shop. 

I remember a few days ago some of the boys did visit Maggie’s on multiple occasions, yet like suggested they didn’t find anything of note. Apart from the fact that the money kept in the backroom safe was never touched. 

“Please sir, listen to me. Slow down… Tell me wha- what do you mean you took the matters into your own hands?” 

“Alright…I bought motion sensors and upgraded my doors. The sensors went off a few minutes ago and the shutters dropped.” The owner responded. His slowed down tone gave me the time to finally get a good look at him. He was an older gentleman with a thick whitened beard and a protruding bald spot. He certainly didn’t look like an owner of a clothes shop. His jacket and jeans were rugged, worn out. I’m guessing he ran the finances while his wife did the clothing part.

“So this burglar is still inside?” I asked while peeking behind his shoulder onto Maggie’s. It was a brick rectangle with metal shutters protecting the front door. A giant sign above the shutters glowed and sparkled in my car’s headlights, it read “Maggie’s, Clothes Fit For All The Seasons.” 

“Oh they are and I want you to arrest them and tell them TO LEAVE MY MANNEQUINS ALONE!” his saliva polished my boot. 

I reached over to my walkie talkie and lined out the situation. While the owner was preparing to open the shutter doors I got the grim news that no backup would be coming. I doubted that the burglar would be armed or dangerous due to their recent non-violent history. However the fear of an altercation was still eating at me. 

My flashlight failed to reach the back of the store, slowly cutting off at the midpoint right at the rotating clothing racks. I couldn’t see any movement in the gloom, a good yet bad sign. 

“Hello…? This is the police, we surrounded the building. Make it easy for us and come out slowly with your hands up. “ I heard my own routine spoken right back to me, I was quite startled even though I knew it was just an echo. 

“I’m afraid… Afraid that the light switch is in the store room right at the back of the store. We can enter it through the backdoor.” With no hesitation I shut the front door and marched onward towards the back entrance. The owner fiddled with his mass of keys until one eventually fit. 

“Take a few steps back sir.” I gently slid my arm onto the owner’s shoulder and pushed him away from the door.  I grasped the metallic handle, slowly turning the knob while trying to control my racing heart beat. I felt my wrist tense as the door refused to pop open even though I turned the knob a solid 85 degrees. After a deep breath and a quick snap. 

The backdoor was open. 

My flashlight lit the concrete grey staff room, compared to the actual store it featured no aesthetics nor colour. It was just a formality. A quick glimpse showed that the door leading to the store was closed, but I still had to check if he wasn’t here instead. 

Each step created a loud thud that echoed throughout the room. My flashlight following my panning head showed the room was empty. The room was rather small, only featuring: an old sofa, table with a dusty computer, fusebox and bunch of clothing racks doing their best to hide the blandness of the walls. 

“Nobody’s here, come in.” The owner in an instant rushed towards the fuse box, while mumbling to himself he flicked some switches until the staff room exploded with a bright light. The sound of multiple lights springing to life and the corresponding buzz filled the orchestra. 

“There we go, let me get the computer I’ve got some cameras we can look at.” The owner rushed to the bright monitor while I r…

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