condemned
Summary
The narrator revisits the Yates Mystery Road in upstate New York, a location featured in a 1987 zine he once subscribed to. Recalling his youthful urban exploration attempt, he contrasts the zine’s inaccurate backstory with a local’s account of 1969 hitchhiker murders. Returning to the site decades later, he drives the overgrown road and encounters dozens of silent hitchhikers, forcing him to confront his past and the lingering horror of that night.
Topics discussed
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Introduction: A zipper pouch of old zines
The zines: Bones Got Teeth, Purplish Prose, Investigation Different
The Yates Mystery Road article from 1987
Planning the trip to Yates in 1987
Returning to Yates: The drive and the turnoff
The barrier and the plan to drive through the woods
The gas station owner's story about hitchhiker murders
Leaving the gas station and entering the woods
Driving onto the abandoned road
Exploring the desolate road and abandoned houses
The terrifying encounter with dozens of hitchhikers
Escaping the road and returning to Yates
Reflections on the 1969 North County killings
Conclusion: Growing up and putting the zines away
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