Dr. NoSleep

During the tense months I spent waiting for a placement, I imagined that I would be working in a school like the one I had graduated from.

I figured my students would be like me, city kids with city problems, and a lifestyle that I was familiar with.

When my letter finally arrived, I discovered I had been assigned to a tiny Appalachian town called Deerchase.

Its population was less than 300, and according to the organization, most of my students would be bussed in from nearby regions that were even more remote.

I had never lived anywhere without public transportation, without 24-hour shops, without background noise and light pollution.

I had received a letter along with my posting, one in which my future principal explained just how isolated Deer Chase really was.

It was an hour to the nearest gas station, and even further to the nearest grocery store.

In winter, snow piled up on the narrow roads, making them impassable for weeks at a time.

The creeks usually flooded in spring, and if I went into the woods during summer, I would need to be on the lookout for sinkholes and rattlesnakes.

The only piece of good news was that the school had a house for visiting teachers, so at least I would be living rent-free.

The more I read about Dear Chase, the less I liked it, but I had made a commitment.

I wasn't going to back out because the location wasn't to my liking.

Besides, I needed the work badly, and I'd heard rumors that the organization blacklisted any teacher who turned down a posting.

As I packed for the 14-hour drive to Deerchase, I told myself to look on the bright side.

Maybe this was my chance for one last big adventure after college.

For all I knew, I might be about to discover that I loved life in the country.

My secondhand hatchback had over 250,000 miles on it, and I was more than a little worried that it wasn't going to survive the journey.

In order to give my car a break, I decided to spend the night at a rest area halfway to my destination.

I couldn't get over how exposed the place was.

Those glaring overhead lights, the nearly empty parking lot, the rumbling trucks and shadowy figures going to and from the bathrooms.