Welcome to Vaporwave Heights

It's October 2020-something and I'm enjoying a hearty lunch on a warm Tuesday afternoon at home. My daily routine: scrolling through my social media feeds. Early evening, I have an enormous plate of spaghetti and meatballs with a slice of garlic bread and a Sprite. Several bites into enjoying this hearty meal, I look out my window and all of a sudden, the sky was light pink and the clouds a mixture of pink and fuchsia. Then, all of my electronic devices, including my phone, unexpectedly shuts off. I tried repeatedly turning on my phone, but no luck. Having anxiety and dealing with a stressful situation doesn't go well. For the next seven hours, I had to deal with not having any access to my precious electronic devices. Everyone in my neighborhood started to panic and started to destroy trash cans, mailboxes, and whatever they could get their hands on. They couldn't imagine not having devices that were no longer functioning. This chaos lasted all night and well into the early morning hours. I fell asleep on the couch, because I was too stressed and upset to head into my comfy bed. Around three in the morning, I heard a loud hum. I got up to investigate, and a bright blue light came from the closet of the guest bedroom. I opened the door and there was another door behind it and it was pink. I was faced with two choices: open the door or leave my closet and ignore it. To be fair, I'm a thirty-something single man with no purpose in life. So, I decided to take the plunge and opened the door. A tiny, magical boxcar that was empty appeared. Don't ask how it was able to fit inside a closet. The boxcar was red with yellow stripes. The kind you see on train tracks. I went inside of it and saw a lever that said, "Pull the lever to fast forward to the year 3030." I closed the door behind me and pulled the lever. The magical boxcar moved at a speed of 100 miles per hour, which led me to hold on to the lever to dear life. This lasted for several minutes until it came to a complete stop. I opened the door and what I saw was breathtaking: shades of neon, pinks, purples, and blues. Also, palm trees were 20 feet apart from each other. The evening sky was dark but had the same pink and fuchsia mixture clouds I saw from when I was back in my neighborhood over 100 years prior. Where was I? I asked an older gentleman where I was and he said, "You're in Vaporwave Heights, son."

Vaporwave Heights' motto, according to a billboard, read, "Where every day is 1980-something." It was a place for everyone: the young and old. It didn't matter what you looked like, how much or little money you had, or where you came from. Everyone was like family there. I look around and saw tall buildings, neon lights, neon signs, and random items that paid homage to the 1980s. Despite smelling rancid and not having a chance to shower, I was in awe of this beautiful place and taking everything in. The people, music, and overall atmosphere was an environment I immediately grew attached to in a matter of hours. It was nine o'clock at night and walked into a random neighborhood. Ranch style houses: that's all there was on Nostalgia Avenue. I fell asleep behind a neighbor's large bushes to get some shut eye. When I got up the next morning, I saw a couple and their two children preparing to move out of their home. It was a two-story house with a garage. The husband, who I later found out his name was Dave, noticed that I was a mess, as far as the condition of my clothes and hadn't eaten for almost a day. He approached me and said, "Are you okay, sir?" I replied, "No, I'm not. I'm hungry, in need of a shower, and a place to live." Dave asked what my name was and I said that I didn't have a name. He said, "Well, I'm going to call you Billy. How does that sound?" He nodded in agreement and that name suited him well. Dave shared some things about himself: He was in his mid 40s, been married to his high school sweetheart for over 20 years and worked in an executive position for a law firm downtown since he was in his early twenties. Plus, he also mentioned that he was looking for someone to live in a house three doors down that was previously owned by an old friend of his. There was furniture, artwork, mirrors, a bed and furniture in the bedroom. Also, there was a bathroom in master bedroom and another bathroom close by. Finally, there was nice furniture in the backyard. The best part: it was all paid off, meaning that Billy didn't have to worry about paying a mortgage every month. Too good to be true? Maybe? Dave asked if Billy was interested in living in it. Billy expressed to him about his skepticism about this great deal. Dave reassured to him that this was a 100% real offer and by proving that he gave him the keys to the home, an envelope containing a $5,000 in cash to spend on food and other expenses plus another $1,000 on top of that, and a job at the same office building he worked in, but on the first floor. My new place of employment was located on the third floor. Billy's new boss was eager to see him at work on Monday. Despite a lack of work experience, this was a new start for him. So, Dave led Billy inside his new home and took a look inside every area. He was in love with it instantly. Billy thought, "This is the life and I love this town." In the end, Dave gave him his phone number if he ever needed anything and also mentioned that there was a phone book on the kitchen counter that had numbers to different businesses, especially restaurants. Then, he went outside and he introduced Billy to several neighbors. What Billy had back in 2020-something was hectic, but now in this new community, it was peaceful, people were friendly, and the atmosphere was vibrant. Dave and his entire family left their old home behind and Vaporwave Village.

Billy went back inside and took the shower he desperately needed. After he got fresh, he headed straight to the living room and saw a TV, VCR, and a collection of movies. He put a movie in the VCR and grabbed something to eat from the kitchen, where he could see the TV from. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. It was a man named Daniel, who was one of his neighbors. He came by to welcome Billy to the neighborhood and invited him inside my house. Daniel was in his early 30s, no children, unmarried, and worked as an elementary school teacher. They chatted for two hours before he departing, stating that he had some things to tend to. He would come by that evening, and they had some pizza that Billy ordered, Coke, and watched some movies. Daniel was more than just a neighbor to him. He was the first real friend Billy has ever had. For the next few days, Billy ventured around town, went to different restaurants, and constantly admired how amazing Vaporwave Village was. His old life was boring and uninteresting, but now, his new life was just getting started.

6:00am Monday morning: the alarm clock rang loudly, and Billy slammed his right hand on it. He got up out of bed, took a shower, put on his brand-new suit, and had some breakfast. Nothing too heavy. Just a bagel with cream cheese on top and a glass of orange juice. He read a newspaper to pass up the time. His lunch consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich, an apple, and a Thermos filled with iced tea all in a medium paper sack. The suit, by the way, was crimson red, a white dress shirt, a crimson red handkerchief, black dress socks, cufflinks, and a pair of brown dress shoes. Billy was eager to start his first day as an office assistant. One hour later, he locked the door behind him and stepped into his new car that Dave gifted to me: a black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. Just like the house, it was all paid off. No car notes to worry about or paying for insurance, although he had to carry it on him. All he had to pay for was gas. It originally belonged to Dave's late father. The license plate read SPEEDY1, as it was an honor of the latter's nickname growing up. The engine purred like a kitten, and he backed out of the driveway, making the 10-minute commute to the office.

When Billy arrived at the office building with his lunch and briefcase in tow, he took an elevator to the third floor, approaching the receptionist's desk. Her name was Janet and Billy inquired to her that it was his first day at work. She called his boss and let him know that Billy had arrived. Billy's new boss was a man named Bob, who was in his fifties. Athletic build and a bit of grey hair on top of his head and facial hair. Also, recently divorced from his wife of nearly 30 years, but had two grown sons who were in college. Billy shook his hand while introducing himself and Bob led him to his desk in his new office. Once Billy got situated in his new space, his duties were to file mountains of paperwork and answering phones. After an hour, Bob checked in with Billy to see how he was doing. He was impressed that someone with little work experience was performing so well on his first day at work. At lunchtime, Billy went inside the break room and introduced himself to the other employees. They were friendly and sympathetic towards his plight. He got along with them and chatted for an hour before heading back to his office to resume his duties for the rest of the day. Before Billy's day was over, Bob stopped by and told him that he had done an outstanding job. Bob told him that if he keeps performing well once he's been an employee for 30 days, he will heavily consider giving him a raise. Billy left the office, having a very productive day. He got inside his car, stopped by a local fast-food restaurant, and headed home. Once he got settled in, he put in an action movie inside the VCR and relaxed on the recliner. At 11:00pm, Billy went inside his bedroom and went to bed in his king size bed. He was looking forward to repeating the same routine tomorrow morning.

Billy struck gold by being handed a golden ticket to a brand-new start to his life: a new house, wonderful and friendly neighbors, and a career he was proud of. He was living a life of luxury of some sorts, but glad he found a place that he had no plans on leaving anytime soon. What would the next few months have in store for Billy? Only time will tell.