Vaguely poking at an alternate history type project where the USA fractured into multiple warring states in a multisided modern civil war.
Since I can’t help but inject some kind of weird horror elements I added “The Ohio Exclusion Zone”, an area roughly bordering Ohio that has been completely walled off. The wall is patrolled and watched. Whatever is beyond it is so serious that the warring states all agree the wall is off limits of the war.
I don’t know what is beyond it though. My first thought was skinwalkers. Shapeshifting weird spirits seems pretty ominous. Maybe instead f them, just a giant black orb hovering in Ohio and doing, something…
I don’t know. What weird paranormal thing would make the military patrol a border and is such a threat that enemies of that military agree the border is off limits in war.
(Yes I’m asking people to be creative for me…)
Also my first idea, but I think that’d only make sense if it’s a few centuries old and completely forgotten about creating weird superstitions. There’s nothing actually dangerous about long-term nuclear waste storage, all of these markings would exist mostly to prevent people from digging in the area and potentially uncovering the waste.
Not to mention that it’d have to be a very small area, nowhere near the size of a single city – nevermind a whole US state.
It could be an area 51 situation where it is also used for weapons/military testing. Maybe it’s a world wide disposal effort and that is why it’s prohibited in war like OP wants? An element of fantasy is probably going to be needed either way if things like skinwalkers are included. Kind of like the Mystery Flesh Pit National Park story
I feel like superstitions can form anywhere that is generally viewed as off limits or secluded