The alley doesn’t end with a brick wall or a pile of dumpsters like most would. It keeps going, perfectly empty and straight, until the upward slope of the pavement takes it from view. I start walking down it, peering hard into the distance, trying to catch a glimpse of where this strange little road goes.

The alley gradually tapers as I walk, until it’s so narrow I have to hunch my shoulders to fit through. Then I pass one last set of brick buildings, and it opens up into clear sky. I am now standing on something like a waterfront pier. There are benches, lamp-posts, and an ornate metal railing guarding the edge. But beyond the railing, there is no water. There is nothing at all. Just an endless expanse of blue sky extending in all directions, left and right, up and down, until it disappears behind rolling clouds. Next to one of the benches is a bronze plaque that reads:

END OF THE WORLD VIEWPOINT

PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR PARKS CLEAN

DISPOSE OF ALL TRASH IN THE

PROPER CONTAINERS