Riddle 001: Where am I?

[questionauthority]

[Edward groans blearily and rubs his eyes, having fallen asleep in a squashy armchair in the corner of his new bedroom. He looks around, briefly. His eyes slowly go wide as he's bombarded with thoughts. This isn't my office. He looks down at himself. These aren't my clothes. He glances up at his desk, which feature pictures of a group of young children, a young woman, and... himself?! That can't be me. He pushes himself up, heading over towards the window. One peek outside and his eyes go wider. This certainly isn't Gotham!

He darts out of his bedroom and starts searching the house for a computer, a phone, an exit, something. He moves quickly, unsure if he's been abducted by anyone. Finally, he comes across an old rotary phone. Compulsively, he reaches for the phone, dials a number, and speaks into it with an urgent, hushed whisper.]

Gotham City Police Department? This is Edward Nigma, get Commissioner Gordon on the line! This is incredibly urgent.

Comments

[lovely-crane.livejournal.com]

Ah... pardon me, but...

I believe you might have the wrong number. This is Mayfield, not Gotham City.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

...Mayfield?

Must have forgotten to dial for a long distance call.

[Not bothering to apologize, he hangs up, then redials the same number.]

Hello? Hello?

[wizardoftheweek.livejournal.com]

... Edward Nigma.

[lovely-crane.livejournal.com]

I... I can still hear you.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

That is my name, yes. Who is this?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

...

[Eddie sighs a low, exasperated sigh into the phone.]

I take it the phones don't call outside of town?

[lovely-crane.livejournal.com]

I do not know. I have never heard of phones before I came here.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Never heard of---?

[He stops himself. Calm down, Edward. Taking another breath, Eddie speaks up once again.]

What is this place?

[not-oflegend.livejournal.com]

[Alice had gotten up early for a morning run, and has just returned home. She spots Edward at the phone and looks at him suspiciously.]

Who are you?

[lovely-crane.livejournal.com]

It is a small town called Mayfield. According to my husband, we are in America.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[Edward glances up at her. He recognizes this woman from the photographs on his desk. He places a hand over the receiver.]

I could ask you the same thing.

[not-oflegend.livejournal.com]

I'm Alice.

[She stops and thinks for a minute.]

Did you just wake up here?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Mayfield.

[He doubts this woman would know where this place is in relation to Gotham. Still...]

Is there anything else you can tell me about this Mayfield?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Edward.

Yes, I did.

[Wait... if she knew he was asleep, then... He drops the phone and waves an accusatory finger towards her.]

Were you the one who kidnapped me?!

[not-oflegend.livejournal.com]

No! [She holds up her hands defensively.]

I was brought here too, just like you. We all were.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He remains a bit skeptical, but he lowers his hand, hanging the phone back on its hook.]

Who brought us here?

[wizardoftheweek.livejournal.com]

An adept reader.

[not-oflegend.livejournal.com]

No one's really sure. There's Officer Grady and the Mayor, but there could always be someone else.

You're in Mayfield. It's a whole town full of people who have been kidnapped.

[lovely-crane.livejournal.com]

All I can really say is odd things happen here once in a while. Why they happen, I do not know.

Oh, and refrain from drinking the milk that's left on your doorstep.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

You're... you're serious.

[He's initially unsure how to respond, but he suddenly lets out a bark of laughter.]

And here I thought there were strange enough things in Gotham, but this... this is just beyond strange. "A whole town full of people who have been kidnapped." Ha!

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Milk? What---why?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

I'm in no mood for games.

[not-oflegend.livejournal.com]

Okay...

[Well, that was one way to react, she supposed.]

It really isn't anything to laugh about though.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

My dear, you must recognize the absurdity of it all. A whole town of kidnapped victims? You don't know how you got here. And I don't know how I got here. Does anyone truly know how we got here?

[not-oflegend.livejournal.com]

No.

I'm pretty used to absurd by now.