#gas-stations

Hello everyone, my name is Riley. I’ve recently made some major developments in my research, and figured it might be best to share some of what I’ve figured out where it can’t get stolen or “lost.” From now on, I’ll be using this as a platform to store and share my prior findings, as well as any developments in my ongoing field research into what I’ve dubbed “semi-corporeal demiplanes” and the entities therein.

I realize I’ve given no explanation as to what’s happening or what I’m talking about, but I hope you’ll bear with me. If all goes well, a write-up I’m working on, as well as some of my previous case reports I intend to publish here, will shed some light on the situation.

Found the time to pare down my current research into a working explanation. Not everything is included here, but hopefully this provides an outline as to what is happening.

First, I think it necessary to outline some of the terms I'll be using, and how they will be defined for my current version of this theory.

- Reality: The observable universe, consisting of the standard and continuous fabric of "normal" spacetime. - Demiplane: A confined or size-limited plane of existence, considered distinct from the overall continuity of the universe but nonetheless housed adjacent to or overlapping with our standard reality // plane of existence. This term is typically used in RPG's, but I found it to be a more or less apt word to use in this context. - Supernormal Energy: Blanket term for all forms of energy originating from demiplanes and their inhabitants, and sometimes from patterns within reality. Still working on how and why these types of energy arise, but I'll get to that. - Outsider: A "living" and typically sentient entity native or naturalized to a demiplane, and thus not or no longer of reality. Most commonly, they take a human or human-adjacent form, and are composed of some combination of standard matter and supernormal energy. My understanding of these beings in based purely on behavioral observation, so there will be some gaps here. - Hotspot: Places with high concentrations of supernormal energy. As far as I can tell, these hotspots occur partially due to human behavior patterns and partially through some as-of-yet unknown events or configurations. - Gate/Portal: A hotspot which has aggregated enough supernormal energy to "spin off" into its own demiplane, or fold into an extant demiplane. Once this has happened, the gate/portal exists both within reality, *and* within the now-adjacent new demiplane. - Boundary: The "walls" that separate reality from a demiplane within unstable or gate locations. Typically, in such locations, these boundaries are semi-permeable to varying degrees. - Semi-corporeal: Existing both within reality and shifted slightly out of it along a 4th dimensional axis.

With that out of the way, I think the best way to explain everything is by describing the life cycle of a demiplane.

1. An area of high traffic or otherwise high supernormal energy aggregation becomes a hotspot, slightly weakening the fabric of reality around it. This alteration allows the hotspot to hold more supernormal energy than previously possible, and makes it easier for energy to collect there. 2. This hotspot continues to amass supernormal energy, further influenced by events that are still poorly understood. 3. When this supernormal energy reaches a critical mass, the effects of the hotspot overhwelm the fabric of reality around it, shifting it's position against reality far enough that it becomes semi-corporeal. The "side" of the place that protrudes from reality is now a demiplane. 4. The confluence of energy and the sheltered location that the full demiplane provides, combined with the presence of humans (and other animals), gives rise to the demiplane's first "shadows" - half-formed outsiders. 5. Much the same way as hotspots, these shadows collect what seems to be a different form of supernormal energy, siphoning tiny bits of life force from animals in and around the hotspot. 6. Over time, this accumulation further solidifies the shadow, eventually becoming a fully-formed outsider. Depending on various, (and again, poorly understood) factors, these outsiders can have varying levels of intelligence, different habits and forms, and sets of behavior. 7. With enough outsiders, housed within a firm enough demiplane, a sort of ecosystem develops. Outsiders feed on the humans and animals that enter the hotspot, sometimes in unnoticeable ways, but in severe cases will pull a creature entirely into the demiplane to consume. 8. When certain factors weaken the boundaries in a particular demiplane, sometimes a human, animal, or insect can "fall" fully into the demiplane and out of reality. Once this has happened, the fallen creature seems to either die, or become so influenced by the supernormal energies present that they "naturalize," becoming a sort of hybrid outsider. 9. As reality's time passes, the gate will remain the same (or even deteriorate), but the demiplane will grow and shift, taking on what can almost be considered a personality. As far as current observations have confirmed, this seems to be able to continue indefinitely. 10. If gate location's in-reality side is destroyed or significantly altered, this can disperse the supernormal energies. In this event, the connection between the gate and the demiplane is severed. Based on current research, this can lead to one of two outcomes. One, the demiplane is destroyed. In this case the outsiders within are either destroyed as well, or become "unbound," remaining semi-corporeal but no longer limited to the demiplane. Two, the demiplane remains, but is inaccessible from that gate and more or less cut off from reality. Sometimes, this ultimately leads to the death of the demiplane, but there is at least one recorded instance of a demiplane strong enough that it spawned a new gate back out into reality.

This is an extremely abridged version of my current working theories, based on several years of research and observation all over North America. I assume that this is not limited to the continent, but have no research to make a concrete claim to this being the case. The full version of the theory goes into much greater detail and includes a broader and more complete picture of what may be occurring. I will continue to post further and more focused descriptions of these and other parts of the theory, but for now I wanted to try to paint a clearer picture so that my previous and future reports make a little more sense.

Unfortunately, this is all I can do for the time being. I think she's getting closer again.

Happy to say that I've made it to a safer spot to write you all a bit of a longer explanation as to what's going on. She's still following me, but if everything I've learned so far is correct, I should be alright here for the time being. For clarity's sake, I'll try to take things from the beginning.

A few years ago, while on a road trip with my family, I noticed something strange. We had stopped at a small gas station in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and upon entering the place, I had a series of strange experiences. Now, they were experiences that, by themselves, were all easily dismissed as standard weirdness, but together they made for a suspicious picture.

The first thing was the bees. In the small airway between the outer and inner doors of the place, there bees. Everywhere. There was no visible hive, and this particular station was well into the desert, yet they seemed perfectly content buzzing around the place. They didn't bother us as we walked in, nor did they seem to pay any attention to any of the few other patrons there. Not only this, but they did not ever enter the gas station proper - they seemed confined exclusively to this small airway.

Certainly a little odd. Upon entering the gas station, though, a few other things presented themselves. Besides the other family that walked in during the time we were there, the handful of other customers in the station seemed… off, somehow. They wandered up and down the aisles, but never really seemed to stop and look at anything. None of them had any items, nor did they ever approach the lone cashier. The cashier himself was also a strange character. He barely moved, paying no attention to the customers, and spoke in whispered monosyllables when we came to check out.

The final detail was the cowboy. In the small men's restroom in the back of the place, there was an older man in a weather-beaten, clearly authentic, and wholly stereotypical cowboy getup. He was washing his hands when I walked in, and continued to do so for the several minutes I spent in the bathroom. As I washed my own hands, he finished, wiping the water on his jeans and giving me what felt like a knowing tip of the hat. This might've been fairly mundane, except for the fact spent almost ten more minutes looking around for snacks and stretching my legs after leaving the bathroom, but never saw him exit.

When we got back on the road, I couldn't stop thinking about that gas station. Something about the sheer oddity of the place lodged itself into my head, refusing to go away. That night, in the hotel we stopped at, I dreamed of the cowboy, locked in a loop - washing his hands, drying them on his pants, tipping his hat to a new customer, then starting all over again.

I might've eventually been able to wave away this experience, as the human mind is wont to do, had it not been for the events of the next day.

We'd almost reached our destination, my grandparents' house, when we had to stop again. This time, we made our way to a recognizable chain gas station (which I'm not yet comfortable sharing with you all, at least until I've said enough that you might keep yourself safe). It was poorly maintained, but a far more familiar experience. No bees, no bathroom cowboy, no robotic cashier. But this time, I could *feel* something was off.

This feeling was confirmed when I exited the restroom. Milling about the shelves, I was met with the *same handful of customers* that had been at the small station the day before. Again, they wandered up and down the aisles, not really looking at any items, not making any attempt to seem like they were actually there for any reason. Not only this, but they all seemed… featureless, in a way I hadn't really noticed the previous day. Their clothes had no logos, were all in drab colors that seemed perfectly suited for the aging fluorescent lights overhead, and their edges were oddly formless. In fact, they had no distinguishing features whatsoever.

But this time, as I watched them move around, they stopped their pattern. With motions that sent alarms bells ringing from somewhere deep within me, their heads tilted in unison. Slowly, they all turned to look at me.

There was nothing behind their eyes. No hint of emotion on their featureless faces. Nothing but a cold and hollow sensation that sent matching chills down my spine.

Knowing what I know now, it was by almost sheer luck that I ever made it out of that gas station. I was there with my family, who were fortunately unaware of what was happening, and it was still light outside. Had either of these not been the case, I have no idea whether I would be here to write this.

These events began my research, set the wheels in my head spinning, igniting that so human of desires to know and understand things that bring us fear without apparent cause.

I'll leave you with these accounts for now, while I work more on my more recent findings. I'll try to give you all a summary of my current working theory soon, but there's a lot of ground to cover. I’m aware this doesn’t clarify as much as I’d like, but I felt these important to record publicly so as to have a complete record of my work, from the very beginning.