(Nolan)
I didn’t head back toward the main strip right away. I let the car roll through the next stretch of road instead, watching how the town shifted as the traffic picked up again. The quieter streets faded behind me, replaced by movement that felt more lived in and less cautious. That was where things usually hid best, not in silence, but in places where no one thought to look too closely.
That was when I saw it.
The sign sat high enough to be noticed without trying too hard, fixed above a building that didn’t need anything else to pull people in.
The Spoke.
I slowed just enough to take it in properly as I drove past. The place was busy in a way that didn’t feel forced or temporary. Cars filled most of the lot, people moved in and out without hesitation, and even from inside the c
