Not too long ago, Gopherly was a
thriving little community, with all
kinds of colorful characters who
regularly occupied its public spaces
and made it a very pleasant place to
live. We knew each other. We learned
from each other. Sometimes we argued.
There were good friends and a few
mortal enemies. There were village
elders and passers-through. We didn't
have any stores, but we didn't seem to
need them either. People bartered.
People gave. Some even set up co-ops.
It was a good place to live.
Then, a couple of years ago, almost
everyone moved off to Geminiville. Or
somewhere else. I'm not sure.
Now Gopherly sits mostly abandoned.
There are echoes of Pripyat here. Most
of the houses are empty. The public
spaces are overrun with weeds. The
streets are dusty, the asphalt
beginning to break up everywhere.
Abandoned animals slink along in the
shadows. Old machinery quietly seizes
with rust. The ghosts of former
residents wander the streets. Someone
-- I don't know who -- named them
"mirrors." They're constantly talking,
but I don't think they can hear
anything.
Those of us who stayed behind live
alone in our neighbourhoods, with
dozens of empty houses between us and
our nearest remaining neighbours.
Sometimes we meet unexpectedly and
chat, but mostly we mutter to
ourselves, with the odd sensation that
someone might be listening. You know
how that is... it's probably nothing.
Some people say Gopherly's a dangerous
place to live because the spirits are
listening. I don't know if I believe
that. Then again, every once in a
while, another neighbour disappears.
On occasion, we drive on over to
Geminiville to have a look. It's shiny
and new and they have security there.
People feel safe. I usually recognize
a few familiar faces in Geminiville
and it's nice to see them again.
Once when I was there, I listened in
on a group of strangers arguing about
the bylaws and urban planning. Some
guy wanted to put a sign on his house.
The other villagers thought he was
planning to build a Wal-Mart. Someone
said the sign guy and his friends
wanted to turn Geminiville into a
city! Then someone else put a stop to
it all. He said that Wal-Marts and
cities were against God's Plan. He
said it was in "The Protocol." A few
people grumbled, and some people later
put signs on their houses anyways, but
the conversation was over. You know,
you still can't shop in Geminiville.
You have to drive clear on up to
Webberton to find a Wal-Mart.
I've thought about leaving Gopherly
from time to time. Place is lousy with
mirrors, mumbling away, not watching
where they're going. Then there's all
those disappearances. I thought about
Geminiville, or little Sparta, further
on up the road. I've heard rumours
about a place called Mercury, but I
don't think it's real. Maybe I just
dreamt it? Lately, though, a few
people started moving into the
workers' shacks near the old SDF
plant. The odd squatter has settled in
along the town limits too. So I guess
I'll stick it out and see what
happens.
