All the Wrong Places (11) : Your GPS keeps glitching. It doesn’t matter what app you use. It doesn’t matter if you walk, drive, or bike. You’ll be given the correct address, but the directions always take you somewhere else–somewhere you don’t want to be. No matter what address you type in, the directions always take you to the same place–and it isn’t even always obvious that’s where you’re headed until you arrive there. Again, and again, and again. You don’t want to be here. But something does.
It had been one crazy Halloween. If she wasn’t magical herself, Saskia never would’ve believed half the stuff that had happened to her. It was like living inside a game—only this one didn’t have an exit button. She couldn't just restart either when she was finished with it.
The night had started normal enough. Or well as normal as this town got. Pumpkin lights were glowing along the fences, the smell of caramel and wet leaves was everywhere, and kids running were around in costumes that ranged from adorable to terrifying. She’d just finished a quick stream, still half in her Pumpkin Mei cosplay from Overwatch—her absolute favorite.
The outfit was a bright orange version of Mei’s arctic coat, trimmed in soft white fur and patterned with tiny jack-o’-lantern faces along the sleeves. Her goggles were tinted amber, catching the streetlight with every move, and her backpack had been transformed into a little glowing pumpkin drone she’d built herself for the costume. It bobbed and blinked cheerfully behind her like a floating lantern, casting a soft orange glow that followed her as she walked.
Between the fuzzy boots, oversized gloves, and glowing accents, she looked more ready for a boss fight than a neighborhood stroll—but that was half the fun.
Her phone buzzed mid-scroll—a message from her streamer friend, KiraKast, popped up with a ghost emoji.
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“Yo! Party at 137 Waverly. We’re doing a mini collab stream and candy contest! Get here before chat roasts us for eating it all 😆”
Saskia grinned. “Got it, Kira. No way I’m missing free candy and content.” After all it was a streamers dream to get good collabs done. Not only was it good for her, but her viewers also got to see her in a different setting.
She hopped on her bike, threw her phone in its handlebar mount, and launched her GPS. The robotic voice chimed through her earbuds: “Turn right in two hundred feet.”
Easy enough. At least it should have been...Except—when she turned right, she didn’t see the familiar street she expected. Just a long, fog-covered road that stretched too far for her short ride across town. This was no road she had planned to go to. Especially no road that any party the streamers she knew would be going too.
“Uh, okay…” she muttered, as she slowly pulled her bike to a stop and checking her phone. The route had warped, the blue line coiling in circles like a corrupted file. It was almost like her map had no idea where she was or where she was going. “Guess Maps is haunted tonight.”
She laughed nervously, turned around, and tried again. But no matter which app she used—Google Maps, Waze, even the weird one her mom swore by—they all led her the same direction.
And always… to the same place. A place she wasn't trying to go too. A place that wasn't home or the content party. It was as if her phone wanted her to go somewhere. Like her phone wasn't the phone she knew and loved.
The place was a cracked, nameless road lined with houses that looked half-swallowed by shadows. Shadows that felt like they were out of a horror video game. It was like the movies where the main characters walked towards them, when they should really be running away. In this instance though she really didn't have a choice. Her options were limited by someone or something out there.
Her calm gamer logic tried to rationalize. Maybe just maybe she broke something magical again. GPS interference, sure. But her gut said something else. The place wanted her there. She on the other hand did not want to be here.
The streetlights flickered as she moved her stopped bike a little further down the road. The air was thick, muffling every sound. At the end of the road stood one house—its porch light glowing faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Her GPS chimed.
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“You have arrived.”
She frowned. “Yeah, thanks, creepy narrator mode NPC.”
A gust of wind brushed past her blowing her cosplay wig almost completely off her head. She adjusted her wig but then the pumpkin drone flickered and dimmed. Followed by the fog rolling closer, curling around her bike tires.
She took a moment to take in her surroundings. If this was a game, she would turn around, and try to find another route. After all there can't only be one way to go? So she quickly turned to pedal back—but the road behind her had vanished. Nothing but endless white. Like a door she had opened had been shut.
Her phone buzzed again, screen flashing too bright. The map reloaded, glitching before displaying a single new line:
From her phone speaker, the GPS voice warped into a whisper. “You were never meant to leave.”
She gasped—and the sound of laughter hit her ears. This Halloween was starting to turn into a never-ending loop of horror games galore.
Saskia blinked. Bright orange lights, loud music, and the smell of chocolate filled her senses. Kira was standing in front of her, waving a candy bucket.
“Earth to Saskia! You okay? You zoned out like you lagged midstream!”
Saskia looked around. She was standing in the middle of the party. Balloons. Costumes. Music. Everything was normal. Her pumpkin drone floated happily again, glowing steady orange.
She laughed nervously, rubbing her eyes. “Yeah… I think I just—spaced out.” How on earth did she get here she thought to herself. That couldn't have all been a dream could it? but she felt the petals below her feet and the wind in her wig.
Kira smirked. “You good, Pumpkin Mei? You look like you saw a ghost.”
Saskia smiled weakly. “Yeah… maybe I did.” A ghost, another town, another world She had no idea what she saw, but honestly she was okay if it was all a dream.
She let out a breath. A smile grew on her lips as she reached for her phone on the table—and froze. The GPS app was still open.
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“You have arrived.”
Was it all a dream after all?
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