Road to Nowhere?

From the Diary of Cerulean Saffron

I've read the newspaper article I found at Gruesome Point at least seventeen times already, but I still can't make sense of it.

Construction Begins Anew on Road to Nowhere

Construction has begun once again on Mayor Orange's pet project, the Roy G. Biv Highway to connect the towns of Somewhere and Nowhere despite the earlier sabotage attacks (that have yet to be solved) and the continued protests of Nowhere's Mayor Blue.

“It's vitally important that the highway project continue as scheduled,” Mayor Orange said at a press conference this morning. “The Roy G. Biv highway will be a boon to the economies of both cities, it will connect our people, and it is a symbol of progress and of hope.”

The article was front page news in The Somewhere Times. That means there's a place called Somewhere, and they've heard of Nowhere. They've also heard about Mayor Blue. And they're building a road here. Does that mean they know about us--about all the kids that are trapped here? Are they trying to free us? I think they are, at least, all of them except for whoever is responsible for the sabotage on the road. Who could want to keep us trapped here? I'll bet it was Mayor Blue.

Scarlet

From the Diary of Cerulean Saffron

Is there a new threat in Nowhere?

I keep hearing about this mystery man named Scarlet. I've never met him, but he seems to be connected to the Outlawz somehow, and that means he can't be trusted. Azure told me he gives them hope. Except she called it fake hope. I'm not sure what that means, but I do know one thing. In Nowhere the fear is real and the sorrow is real. We don't need fake hope here. We need real hope.

Where Am I From?

Navy's Scribbles

Don't call me crazy.

I don’t think about this often but I seem to be the only one of the Outlawz--maybe the only kid in all of Nowhere--who has no past or memory outside of this town. I guess I was born here? But whenever I say that everyone tells me I'm stoopid. 

"No one's born in Nowhere. Mayor Blue brings you here. Everyone knows that."

 

Some of the other kids have visions or flashes or even full memories of a time before they were here. So why am I different? Do I have parents? I mean I know I have them, I was born. Duh. But did they let me go? Or did Mayor Blue take me when I was too young to have memories before here, or...?

Screw this, the Outlawz are heading out and I don’t want to think about this anymore. Time to show everyone why we OUTLAWZ are to be feared.

Outlawz forever!!

Mayor Blue

From the Diary of Cerulean Saffron

Some days I hate being the oldest kid in Nowhere. I'm in charge of everything: from feeding the little ones, to washing their scrapes, to rocking them to sleep at night when their homesickness is too much to bear. And honestly, I don't mind any of that stuff. Most of it is actually pretty gratifying.  

It's the other stuff I hate. Like when the Outlawz prank us, or when Mayor Blue attacks.

He attacked us last night. He took one of our own. And poor Indigo was right there to witness it. Her name was Catalina. She was ten and came to Nowhere from San Diego. I met her at Gruesome Point like I meet all the newcomers. She'd only been here for a week when it happened.

Indigo saw it happen. They were in the kitchen. Catalina wanted a drink of water but was too scared to go by herself because it was dark so she took Indigo with her. Indigo said that Catalina had just raised the glass to her lips when he took her.

There was a ripping sound. She said it sounded like a giant ripped through thousands of pieces of paper all at once. Catalina dropped the glass. It shattered on the floor. Then she screamed, and something yanked her backwards. Indigo couldn't see what it was. She said it was like something picked Catalina up off the floor and yanked her backwards into the air. Then there was a pop, like the air shook, and she was gone. But Indigo could still hear her screaming for almost a full minute after.

This is the nightmare that we live with everyday. We are trapped in this place we call Nowhere. Trapped with the evil Mayor Blue. He can take any one of us, at any time. We know this. And there is nothing we can do but stick together, and find whatever reasons to smile that we can.

And hope. All hope is never lost. Not even in Nowhere.

The Outlawz

From the Diary of Cerulean Saffron

Mayor Blue isn't the only bully in Nowhere. There's also the Outlawz.

God, they piss me off. As if the little ones didn't have enough to worry about. First they're stolen from their homes and families and locked up in this god forsaken town, then they're terrorized by Mayor Blue. And now they have to deal with those stupid punk Outlawz? It's simply too much.

If Denim, or Azure, or Navy, or Cobalt show their dumb faces around here again, they're gonna have to deal with ME! That's a promise.

ROY G BIV HIGHWAY PROJECT CREATES A RIFT AMONG SOMEWHERE RESIDENTS

54% of Residents Polled Look Forward to the So-Called "Road to Nowhere" while 45% Call the Mayor's Pet Project an "Impending Disaster"

Fern Viridian, staff reporter

I spoke with Mayor Orange today, less than a month before construction is scheduled to begin on the Roy G. Biv highway, about his feelings concerning the project. I also asked him about public opinion polls which show that only a mere fifty-four percent of citizens are in favor of the future highway.

"What do you say to those who call the highway a vanity project?"

Mayor Orange frowned. "I'd remind them that the Roy G Biv highway will create jobs--good, stable jobs with sizable incomes. The sorts of jobs that fuel the American dream. Without the highway the new Ardor Labs facility would just be a proposal sitting on a shelf in an office somewhere, ignored. It would be a pipe dream. Instead, by this time next year it will be open and there will be hundreds of new opportunities for Somewhere residents."

"That brings me to my next question. Detractors are saying that the highway itself isn't a bad idea, but the location of it is. Why a road to Nowhere? We don't trade with Nowhere. And you yourself have stated that Nowhere's Mayor is opposed to the project."

"Mayor Blue may be opposed to the highway but I suspect that the average Nowhere resident would favor it, if he understood what it could mean for his quality of life. Nowhere is...strangely cut off from the outside world. We don't know much about that city. And Mayor Blue is an enigma."

"My mother used to tell me tales about Mayor Blue when I was a child."

"Oh yeah?" Mayor Orange chuckled.

"Yeah. I never used to think he was real. To me, he was like a boogeyman."

"He still is, to a lot of people."

All Hope is Never Lost

From the Diary of Cerulean Saffron

We had a pretty good day here at the Hopeful House. Periwinkle and Indigo helped me make jam out of our blackberry crop. We ate it slathered on thick slices of homemade bread.

Oh, God, sometimes I hate myself. "Homemade bread." Why did I write that? Like there's any other kind in Nowhere. Like I could run down to the Piggly Wiggly and buy a loaf of ready-made bread if I wanted to. Sure, I can gather up the kids and we could walk down to the Piggly Wiggly. There might even be a few loaves left on the bread aisle. But I'd hate to see the condition they're in. 

The bakery and the milk man don't deliver in Nowhere. Indigo and Periwinkle and all the other little ones I've watched over the years know that. In Nowhere you have to do for yourself. If you want bread, you have to grow the grain and make the dough. If you want jam, you have to grow the fruit. 

If you want to live, you have to keep your head down and stay away from Mayor Blue.

What was that thud? Indigo's crying. What's going on? Here comes Periwinkle. 

Damn it. The Outlawz are here. They threw rocks at the girls' window. I've got to handle this. Be right back.