The Bureaucratic Wanderer

__NOTOC__
Do you ever find yourself, trapped in the monotony of the repetitive cycle of work and bureaucracy? Imagine your soul, slowly being chipped away each day as you are tied down with forms, spreadsheets, emails, meetings, the same conversations with the same people, hour after hour, day after day. Then finally you escape. You enter a dangerous, mystical world full of mystery and turmoil, where your only chance of survival is through your own determination and merit. 
Meet Stacy, worn down by corporate vampires year after year, found herself in the backrooms. Fueled by her determination for survival, Stacy lucked out and found safety and community within the Major Explorer Group. The novelty of this sanctuary and solace would, however, eventually wear off as she found herself back into the deep dark depths of corporate bureaucracy. Desperate to get out, Stacy takes the time to visit her friend Tammy in level 444 who had once given her the advice to become her own person, despite the risks. Who are you? Are you proud of who you have become? What will you do to be who you want to be?
== == 
Entry One: A Reunion with My Hero
== ==
"I am so honored that you'd come all this way just to say hi to me." Tammy gave me a huge motherly hug. Her eyes were all misty and if I'm being honest, so were mine. I was in a really low place when she found me, and Tammy had lifted me right out of it, saving me. I owe her everything. A man was sitting at a desk close by, listening in on our conversation. Based on his age and appearance, I thought to myself, this must be Les. Tammy had talked about him while we chatted back in level 4. That must have been, what a year ago?
"Of course, Tammy. They finally let me have some time off to myself and I knew it was only a trip through level 11 to get me here. How have you been?" Tammy took me around the Theatre Grandiose where M.E.G. base 4-Charlie Tango was stationed, giving me the grand tour. She talked about some of the shows she got to see with 'The Troupe' and her new friend Chris, the guitar player. She showed me the catwalks, greenroom, the auditorium itself which was, I have to admit, spectacular. 
"Grandiose barely describes this place doesn't it, Tammy?" I was in awe of the decor. The deep reds of the walls and chairs, contrasted with bright gold trims and statues. There were different lights in the boxes in the back, as well as hanging from the catwalks above. A huge console was cubbied in an indention towards the middle of the auditorium, which I assumed was used to modify those lights and work the sound systems. There were 3 tiers to the seats as well as large opera boxes dotting the towering walls. This place could probably hold 100,000 people if you packed it tight. It was by far the largest theatre I had ever seen. 
After sharing and trading war stories, Tammy and I retired to the greenroom, a break area with food and water. Tammy sat me down on the couch and grabbed some oranges and water from the fridge. "Here sweety, don't want you to get scurvy. That's a horrible way to go. I have something else for you too. Just wait here." Tammy hurried out of the greenroom while I sat, waiting on the leather couch. I stared up at a poster on the wall with a large photograph of a cast and crew in front of what looked like a flower shop. There were a few signatures written in permanent marker and a logo at the top spelling 'The Troupe'. 
Tammy, being the busy body that she was, rushed back into the greenroom holding a black and yellow toolbox. I chuckled. "I recognize that! You still have that old thing?" Tammy smiled from ear to ear as she sat down next to me and began unlatching the toolbox. 
"You know Stacy, there was a time when I swore that I would fight to the death to keep this toolbox no matter what. But I've had time to think and reconsider." Tammy pulled out a red notebook and started thumbing through the pages. I could see a twinkle in her eye as she turned each page. "This notebook was found next to a boy that I've determined was named Aaron. Poor guy. Judging from the description, I assume he passed away from scurvy as well, so enjoy that citrus!" Tammy gave me a sincere smile. "Stacy, when I first read this story, I felt something. Not only was I moved by this accidental wanderer's story, but the notebook itself called out to me. It's hard to explain."
Tammy handed me the notebook and I started thumbing through the pages. After about halfway through the notebook I saw a sudden change in handwriting. "Stacy, I've done all the adventuring I ever care to do, but there is still space in this notebook. When I first met you, you told me you felt like you had no individuality, you had no story, no purpose. Stacy, I want you to have your own story. I want you to write it down in this very notebook. I've thought about this over and over again and I really feel with my whole soul, that this needs to go to you."
I stared down into the pages. The college ruled lines, the three holes on the side meant for a binder. There was something powerful about this thing and I couldn't explain it either. It was though there was a calling; a challenge issued to me. "Tammy, this thing terrifies me. But... I accept the calling. I don't know why, but I do." Something started to choke me up as I could feel warm, wet tears forming in the corners of my eyes. 
Tammy leaned over and gave me a tight squeeze. "I knew you were the gal for the job. Thank you, Stacy. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Tammy straightened herself up as her mood shifted from melancholy to excitement. "One more thing. The toolbox. They have to stay together. I don't know why, but that's important." She gave the box a proud pat. After everything it had been through, the toolbox was somehow still in great shape. "I guarantee this is the best toolbox you'll ever use."
We spent the next few days together where I got to be better acquainted with her friend Les and her boss Sarah. My manager in level 4 was also named Sarah which I thought was kind of fun. Though, she wasn't fully my boss as there is no 'official' M.E.G. base on level 4, rather, I was just stationed to represent in the SRC colony. It was time, however for me to return to my station, draining my life away behind an old computer as this crazy realm passes me by at a million miles per hour. 
My route would be through level 3, which isn't the safest level in the backrooms, but all things considered, not the worst either. As long as I kept my wits about me and I stayed stocked, prepared, and vigilant, it's an easy path back to level 4, where GPS can lead me back to the SRC. Tammy and Les escorted me to a maintenance room, not too far away from the MEG base where I would no-clip through the lift gate. I really hate no-clipping. 
Les pointed at the gate where I could feel the static. "This is where we've determined to be our best chance at no-clipping into level 3. You see how the metal seems to be dancing in place?" Oh yeah, I saw it. I could feel myself being pulled towards it. A lump started to form in my throat. There was always a risk involving no-clipping. Usually, you fall through and end up at your designated location, but there was always that small chance you ended up in the void. The space between levels. That would be a fate worse than death. 
I gave Tammy and Les a hug goodbye, and I held my breath. I imagined the machinery and brick walls found on level 3, then I focused my mind on the gate in front of me. I closed my eyes and sprinted towards the metal frame, jumping before I hit it. Just as I was about to crash into the structure everything went quiet. I drifted in blackness for a moment as I willed myself towards the bricks and machinery. Tammy, Les, and all of level 444 were behind me now. I must stay focused on what is ahead. Brick. Metal. Machines. Power. Electricity. There!
Just as I left, I returned to a physical space. I felt the solid ground beneath my feet as I opened my eyes to see a long hallway before me. It was lined with brick and mortar with a smooth concrete floor beneath me. In front of me was a metal gate made from iron bars. I knew that no matter how hard I tugged on those bars, I would never get through. I was just glad I no-clipped on the side with a clear pathway. I observed my immediate surroundings and listened. I could hear electrical buzzing and the occasional thump of a machine in the distance. The room behind the bars had a window providing light into the immediate vicinity. 
"There are a moderate number of entities on level 3, but if I can avoid the darkest areas, I should be fine." So far, I hadn't heard any footsteps or anything that would indicate the presence of something hostile. I was alone for now. I began my walk down the hall. Sarah of 444 set me up with a week's worth of supplies for the journey which was a very nice gesture in my opinion. Of course, she certainly appreciated my generous donation of almond water since that never spawned on level 444. I was really enjoying these oranges. I smiled as I thought about Tammy, being all mom-like, making sure I had good nutrition for the road. She was my role-model, and I was going to do her proud.
== ==
Entry Two: Remember the Name
== ==
Trigger Warning: Topic of suicide.
I was looking for one of three things. I could either stumble upon either of the two MEG bases found on level 3, or I can find an office door that simply reads 'Office Sector'. Despite the impassable iron bars that I would sometimes run by, traversing level 3 isn't terrible. The ground is stable and there is light, though occasionally halls will be darker than others. At one point I had to hide behind some sort of machine as an insanity shuffled though. They weren't the most dangerous entities, but I wasn't the most powerful when it came to hand-to-hand combat either.
After waiting about 10 minutes in silence, trying to resist the urge to actually fiddle with the machine I was hiding behind, I eventually got the gall to stand and continue my journey. I was sure that I would find more entities on the way. It was possible for me to find signs as well. M.E.G. usually wanted to be found, so they will put up signage to try and guide a wanderer their direction. Of course, there are exceptions for more sensitive research, but level 3 wasn't one of those spaces. 
I put my hand on one of the many pipes lining the walls. Some of these pipes apparently contain almond water, but according to the database, it is not safe to drink. Now that I think about it, why didn't I get one of those fancy tablets the researchers seem to get? The one's with internet and a copy of the database? Maybe since I just record data, they didn't deem me important enough to have one. I guess, being in the backrooms, tablets probably aren't the most abundant of resources to find. I walked through room after room, corridor after corridor, hallway after hallway. Everything looked exactly the same. It's easy to lose your mind from the repetitive nature of it all. 
Tucked away in another set of pipes on the wall I saw something that startled me. It was a hand, pale, reaching out. At first, I thought it was dead, but then I saw it twitch. My instincts told me that someone was trapped in there, wedged between the pipes. I started to run towards the hand when my mind caught up with my brain and I stopped. "This is why they won't give me a tablet." I knew what that was. These things are unnecessarily strong and fast. I backed towards the wall, hugging it to keep distance. Clumps were ambush predators, and they don't like to chase if they don't have to. 
I tip toed past the mass of flesh, well what I assumed was a mass of flesh and bone. Once I was directly in front of it, it began to beckon to me. Something in my mind made me wonder if there really was someone stuck in there, but its lack of speech and panic tells me that my intuition is correct: That is indeed a clump, and I am not going to risk my neck for it. Besides, clumps are notorious for their high numbers on level 2, and I am only on level 3. Too close to feel relaxed. 
Eventually, I made it to the end of the room, keeping an eye on the entity. When I was just about to turn the corner, I saw the thing roll out of the mess of pipes. It was hideous. Pale arms and legs all extending from a central blob of pink and tan. I could feel bile climbing up to the back of my throat. The mass began its roll in my direction. Nope. Too many limbs. I took off. I don't know if that thing was following me or not, but I did not want to risk it. 
My sprint lasted probably about 10 minutes before I continued on with a light jog. Being stationed in level 4 for so long kind of made me lazy, but thankfully, that trip through level 11 helped my get some of my cardio back. Either way I was exhausted. After wandering the maze of level 3 for about 6 more hours, I finally stumbled upon on one of the oases that can rarely be found. A dark hallway. Now these areas don't have any resources like an oasis, but they are known to be generally entity free. 
It was a stretch of pitch black. A hall without any light. Now, usually in the backrooms, a space like this meant trouble. Usually you'd find smilers, or something waiting for lunch to approach them. Level 3 was an exception. I laid down on the cool, hard concrete, letting my body rest for the first time since I left 444. So far, I had lucked out. I've only seen 2 entities and I didn't have to encounter either of them personally. I looked back towards the lit area that I had just come from. My adrenaline was still firing off too much for me to try and sleep yet. I dragged myself to the edge of the darkness and opened up the notebook. 
After writing down everything I could remember from the past few days, I started flipping through the pages. "Well, I have some time before my heart rate allows me to sleep, I might as well do some reading."
I started with entry one. It was a standard story of finding their way into level 0. Looks like this guy no-clipped in his sleep. What a horrible way to get into the backrooms. Entry two through 4, he finds the toolbox and notebook, almost dies of thirst, blah blah blah. The red rooms are kind of odd. I never heard of these, at least ones that you can escape. Maybe this is one of those things Tammy talked about being from a different backrooms universe? 
Eventually he makes it to level one, as one does, and finds some supplies. Good for him. Looks like he finds his first faceling here. "Heh, I remember my first faceling. They start out as the creepiest entities and then turn into a comfort entity once you get to know a few." I kept reading. "Uh oh, looks like a smiler. Not sure what grabbed his foot." Something about this story seemed familiar. He ran through the dark and no-clipped into level 188. "Here is where Tammy said was an anomaly with 188." I was really getting into the story, but something was nagging at the back of my head. I know this story somehow. 
I kept reading. He made it to 37. "Well, that's lucky. If I were to ever go on vacation in the backrooms..." He did indeed like the water, but hunger sets in eventually. Poor guy tried to end it all. I know what that's like. I teared up with empathy. The whole reason I ended up in level 4 was so that the SRC could keep an eye on me. I pushed the thought aside. It wasn't a good time to think about that for now. I continued on where he pushed through the lukewarm hotel which I believe is negative 33. This was all really familiar. 
Then it hit me. This guy makes it to level negative 18. I was stationed on negative 18. I was hoping my blood pressure would relax from reading this, now it's going back up. I knew what was next. Sure enough, he meets the M.E.G. employee and he is not happy. Now I know why I remember this story. It's been told to me before. "I was that bitch on level negative eighteen." Oh my God. I started crying, I was not in a good place back then. Despite me being on a paradise level, I was deathly depressed. I know this man's name. His name was Jericho. The accidental wanderer's name is Jericho. He was confused, fell in to this hellscape and came to me, looking for something. Guidance, anything. All I did was my job, but that wasn't enough. 
My job was to write down people's stories and take note of any relevant information so that researchers could read it, and maybe learn something about new levels or existing ones. I don't know why I remembered his name, maybe it's because he looked so disappointed when he left. Jericho would then fall down a waterslide and end up in level 859. He left because of me. I could have told him. I knew about the water slides. "Oh my God, Jericho." I started sobbing. I remembered Tammy telling me about how he had died, and so did his friend. I think I killed him. I killed Jericho. He's dead because of me. 
I started hyperventilating. My breathing was out of control. I was getting dizzy. My head was spinning. Then I remembered when Tammy first met me, she had me breathe and count. 1, 2, 3. Yeah. 1, 2, 3. "Again!" 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. I kept repeating the process. over and over again. I didn't have anyone to rub my back, but it was up to me to get through this episode. I had thoughts of jumping into that pipe with the clump to let it devour me. I thought about diving headfirst into one of the electrical machines. I thought about shoving my head into one of those pipes and keeping it there forever. I thought about my promise to Tammy. 
I took another breath. "Tammy, I said I would do you proud. I meant it." I sat up and leaned against the wall. "I'm not going anywhere." I cleared my nostrils with a sharp inhale. I held my breath until I felt my blood turn acidic, then I let it go. "I had better put away this notebook." I looked down at the red cover, I had set it down on the toolbox. "Jericho... I'm so sorry for the way I treated you. I'm sorry that you are gone. I wish... I wish you could know that your story lives on. I wish that you could know that you will never be forgotten. I will remember you. Tammy remembers you. Your story will be known to all of us in the backrooms, I'll make sure of it." I wiped the tears off my cheeks with my sleeves. "I'm trying to be better buddy. It's taking me time, it's taking me going to therapy, it's taking me hurting myself too many times. But I promise you, I am striving to get better."
I stowed the notebook back into the toolbox. It really was a brilliant toolbox. The way the latches snapped shut so perfectly. "Oh, I'm keeping this, Tammy." I laughed to myself. I tucked myself into a dark corner and closed my eyes. I just hope it won't be plagued this time by nightmares. 
== ==
Entry Three: A Wrench in my Plans
== ==
Sleep wasn't great as my mind tended to wander towards Jericho, and I mean a lot. I eventually gave up trying to sleep and I lazily moved myself back into the light. I opened the journal back up to finish his story. It was comforting to know that, even though Jericho passed away, he was loved and cared for. Aaron, who was also dead, wrote the last entry which surprised me. He seemed like a really decent fellow. Manny and Elmer might just still be alive. I wonder what happened to them? I paused where Tammy started writing, I did intend on reading her story too, but I really did need to get some rest. At least for now, my mind was at ease. 
I managed to slumber for about 4 to 5 hours, which all things considered, wasn't half bad. It should be enough to get me through the next day. I was hopeful that I wouldn't have to spend too much time on level 3, so that I can relax again, back on level 4. In a way though, I dreaded going back. Nothing against the SRC or Sarah or anyone, it's just the job of entering data, typing up stories, talking to the sick and wounded, sitting behind a screen for hours and days and weeks, it really wore me down. It shouldn't, I know. In fact, it should be interesting to hear all of these stories, but it just made me wish I was on my own adventure. I was sick of being in a chair while a whole universe was being explored. 
Being on level 3 was an adventure on its own, even if it was just a transient path for me to get back to level 4, there was something exciting about the danger. It was thrilling. I was even jealous of Jericho. Sure, it killed him in the end, partly my fault, but he lived a whole life down here. He lived more in that year or so in the backrooms than I did my whole life. Aaron too. Shoot, even Tammy had one heck of an adventure. I'll be sure to read that when I get another break. 
Traversing the maze of level was no different from the day before. I had to outrun another insanity at one point, but it honestly wasn't too difficult to lose him in the chaos of the rooms. I was more worried about the hound I saw at the end of my next hallway. It growled at me as I stared it down. It wasn't charging yet, but it wasn't moving either. I yelled at it jumped towards it and it did flinch at my sudden movement. I slowly backed out of the hallway, keeping eye contact. As soon as I was out of sight, I booked it, going the opposite direction. 
Naturally, the hound charged in pursuit. Not a great situation. I could hear the claws scraping the rough concrete as I dug my own feet into the hard ground, pushing my sprint as much as my body would allow. This thing had a good nose, and I wasn't prepared for a confrontation. Shoot. This might be it. I turned a corner and dashed through the next room. I heard the hound miss the corner as its momentum wouldn't allow it to maneuver directly into the new space. I knew that would only buy me a moment of time. 
I turned again through another corridor, hoping to lose it in the confusion, but the sound of scraping and growling continued to chase me. I could picture its sharp canine-like teeth with its human shaped head, gnawing on my flesh, ripping it from the bone. A horrible way to go. This thing was gaining, and I was running out of steam. This is it. I continued to run past another hall. I clenched my fist, bracing myself for the inevitable. Suddenly I heard a yelp. Then a second yelp with a fleshy thunk.
I turned back to see what the commotion was about, and I saw some big dude with a giant plumber's wrench in hand, going to town on the skull of that hound. Blow after blow, the beast gave up the ghost and collapsed to the ground. "Man, I really hate those bastards." He was sweaty and out of breath. He had short hair, almost a buzz cut. He was sweating in his oversized hoodie. Maybe that was his only clothing? Not much of a practical choice, but to each their own, I guess. "Hey, you alright ma'am?" He huffed again from the sudden exertion. 
"Um, yeah. I'm good now. Hey, thanks for the save." It really was a clutch save. I would have been a goner for sure. "The name's Stacy. You are?"
"Hey Stacy, my name's Scott. I'm part of the Maintenance Workers here on level 3." He scratched the back of his head then looked down at the deceased beast. "You uh, new here? Don't have any weapons in that fancy toolbox?"
"I've actually never heard of The Maintenance Workers. Is that a new colony on level 3?" The database only listed the two MEG bases as official colonies for level 3. 
"Nah, we've been around for a long time. We don't interact much with the M.E.G. base down here so that's probably why you haven't heard of us. We do hang out with the B.A.S. squad from level 4 though. They're good people. We run around, poking at machines, helping out folks like yourself. I can't talk you out of that toolbox, can I?" I couldn't blame him for wanting this toolbox, it really was an excellent toolbox. 
"No sir, this box has a purpose. It goes with my notebook, and they must stay together." That sounded a lot dumber out loud than it did in my head. 
"You a writer? That's cool, my mom was an author. Of, um, romance... novels." He paused and blushed. I was curious but decided not to push the issue any further. Hey, did he say friends with the B.A.S.? I knew a few of those guys from being stationed with the SRC. 
"Hey, do you know how to get to level 4 from here? If you don't mind me asking." I really sound sour when I talk don't I? I need to work on my people skills. Especially since my job was literally interacting with people. I don't need another death on my hands simply because I'm an ass. 
"You serious?" Scott chuckled and shook his head towards the ground. What was he on about? "Look in the next room. You're gonna freak."
I obliged and poked my head around the corner. Sure enough, there was a door that was labeled 'Office Sector'. No way. Yeah, I'm freaking out. If it wasn't for his rescue, I would have died right in front of the exit. "Oh my god. Scott, thanks. A lot. You're a hero, honest. You want me to petition to have your group added to the database?"
Scott contemplated for a moment. "You know, I think it's better that the MEG didn't know about us, you know what I mean. You know how they are. They come in, get up in your business. Next thing you know, you're just another branch under their bureaucracy." There it was again, that word: bureaucracy. It was the reason I hated working for the Major Explorer Group. I really thought I'd be doing something when I joined up. I really thought I'd have a purpose, other than just being a scribe, basically a secretary. 
I gave Scott a bottle of almond water as a notion of thanks, especially since I was about to venture back into level 4 which had resources. Scott, being a gentleman, even opened the door for me as I entered into the familiar office space. "Take care, Stacy." I thanked him and he closed the door behind me. Welcome home...
At least I could connect my GPS from here. Yeah, I didn't get a fancy tablet, but at least the SRC was kind enough to hook me up with a GPS, which was essential for finding my way back to base. "Let's see, 37 miles. Not great, but not bad." At least this level was entity free, so rest wouldn't be an issue. "It is kind of chilly though." I looked out the nearest window to see a light rain against the misty void. Home sweet home. 
After my contemplative stare into the empty void, somewhat wishing to be there, I decided to camp in a nearby office for a rest. My legs were tired, and I was still breathing heavy from my near-death experience. I wasn't necessarily afraid of dying, but I wanted it to be on my own terms. I was not about to get eaten alive if I could help it. The office I chose was cozy. It was empty minus a broken office chain in the corner. I easily snapped off the cushion on the back of the chair as it was hanging on by a single screw. This would make for a nice pillow. I propped my body against the wall and opened up the notebook. 
Tammy had quite the adventure. She managed to survive a class 5 difficulty level. That's a real accomplishment. She got chased by a monster, then landed in a chain level. Eww. That sounds miserable. Nothing but paths of spinning chains and... "And SNAKES?" Good lord that sounds awful. Tammy was tough as nails. She even took one as a trophy. I wonder if she still has that fang? "If I ever see her, I'll ask." Next was a wooden level 0, except somehow worse. At least you can find resources in level 0, even if it's rare. Thankfully, she made it into level 30. That doesn't seem too bad. 
This is where she met her B-A-S boys. I don't think I've met them. Maybe I have, I just don't remember, but I have met Shanga. I wonder if he makes an appearance? Sure enough, they make it back home and Shanga greets them with friendly fire. "Heh, some of these insults are pretty good. Rashad's got some bars." Tammy browses a computer, gets some info printed and... she meets me. "Yeah, not a great first impression with her either." Thankfully she was willing to look past that and be my friend anyways. 
I finished reading the journal and wrote down my own adventures. Tammy is such a bad ass. I want to be just like her. "She really is somethin'. Well, I may not have the skills and abilities that she has, but I can write, though my story is about over since I'm finna be back at my desk, doing basically nothing. I'll have this thing around though, if anything interesting ever happens again." I closed the notebook, grabbed some energy bars, jerky and another orange. I washed it all down with some almond water and laid back onto my make-shift desk-chair pillow. The carpet underneath me was rolled out over concrete, so it wasn't much more comfortable than the cement on level 3, but it was warmer and not as rough. Sleep came easier than last night, and I think I was ready to finally get back.
== ==
Entry Four: The Manila Folder
== ==
Finding my way back to the S.R.C. was a relatively easy task compared to the turmoil of level 3. For starters, there are no entities to haunt and stalk you. Secondly, level 4 is cool but not cold around this time of year which makes long hikes fairly comfortable. Also, having a GPS takes away the edge and fear of getting lost in a potentially infinite space. I leaned back in my familiar chair and sighed a heavy sigh. Of course, I made sure no one was around to see me do it, as I was supposed to be "better" from my depression and... dangerous thoughts. I pretended like I was better; I mean, I had a much better handle on things, but I don't think I will ever FULLY be better. 
I looked at my agenda. They had a patient that was in from level 34 that had barely escaped with their life as they accidentally flew through a ceiling grate during a massive earthquake. They suffered a concussion, 3 broken ribs, a broken shoulder, as well some internal damage that I didn't quite understand the terminology for. They were found by the B.A.S. here on level 4 and brought here for emergency exploratory surgery. "Poor guy's been through it." The dossier mentioned that they were on the mend and ready to be interviewed. "This should be interesting as I'm pretty sure 34 is a class 5e difficulty." I logged into my computer and pulled up the database. Sure enough, 5e- environmental. "I suppose they're lucky to have even gotten out of there."
I saved a copy of level 34 as a pdf for quick reference during the interview. Class 5 levels are rare to learn about as there are so few survivors, so I'm sure the MEG researchers will value this one quite high. As I was saving the file, I looked at the other files I had saved in the folder. Level_11_Old... Tammy... That was over a year ago. She was on a mission, a mission she initiated herself based on a hunch and reading this journal. I looked over at my toolbox. Still in perfect shape, what a great toolbox. She gave herself purpose and stopped at nothing to fulfill that purpose. I leaned back again, this time closing my eyes. I could feel the world spinning around me. 
I pushed my fingers into my eyes and rubbed. The pressure made colors appear out of the corners which hurt but felt relieving at the same time. I felt anxiety climb up my spine again as I thought about the dread of having to interview someone else about their adventures while I was trapped, yet again in this prison. Sure, I could walk out anytime I pleased, but honestly, I should consider myself lucky. I had my own office where most people here were just in a cubicle. I sipped on some almond water to help sooth my mind. "What would you do Tammy? You told me once to be my own person, no matter the risk." I thought about the dangers and horrors I had just experienced on level 3. Yeah, I was terrified, but in a way, I was living. It was exhilarating. I held in a deep breath until I could feel my blood turning acidic. 
After a long, therapeutic exhale, I sat up in my chair and slapped the table. "I can't do this." For once, it wasn't my darker self discouraging me, there was something else burning inside, a fire. "I can't do the office thing anymore. I need adventure." I got up out of my chair and went straight to Sarah's office. I still found it funny that both Tammy and I had a manager named Sarah. I knocked on the door and she beckoned for me to come inside. 
"Hey Stacy! Come look at this." I walked over to look at Sarah's computer screen and she had some plants pulled up on the screen. "You think it would be a waste of water or space to have potted plants here?" In her previous life, Sarah was a botanist and her love for plants were only seconded by her love for cats. I wasn't sure how she got the gig of leading a medical facility in the backrooms, but it was probably due to her keen eye on details and her organization and leadership skills. Plus, her absolute need to know everything for certain. She always had some sort of reference pulled up, learning about something new. 
"I mean, plants are good." I wasn't sure what else to say. I was from Chicago. Plants weren't necessarily absent, but they weren't the main visual feature either. "Hey Sarah, can I talk to you about something?" I wasn't sure how to go about this, but I was hoping she would understand. She's always been very involved in my recovery and unlike most MEG leadership, she seemed to actually, genuinely care. Sarah looked up towards me and smiled, waiting for my question. "Sarah, it's nothing against the S.R.C., and you all have been nothing but kind and helpful to me but... uh..." Shoot, this is harder that I thought it would be. "Uh..." Great, now my voice is shaking. 
"I knew your visit to 444 was going to be a good one. You're not built for office work are you, Stacy?" Wow, she really was paying attention. "What is it that you want? And I want you to be honest with me this time." I guess if I was going to get what I wanted, I needed to tell her everything. 
"Well, you're right about one thing. Tammy has really gotten to me, but not in the way you might think. I think the root of my depression has been the office, the monotony, the repetition, the bureaucracy." There's that word. It felt like a jab to the chest every time I heard it, and it was somehow worse when I, myself said it. "Sarah, I... it's boring, I'm going insane, and I need to... I need adventure, something. I think I want to be a researcher like Tammy. I think I have a lot to offer. I have skills, I know the questions, what to look for. I have so much more to offer than just sitting in a chair writing up reports on other people's adventures." Not gonna lie, that felt good to get out in the open.
Sarah was smiling. It was as though she was waiting for me to finally come out and be open. She yanked open a desk drawer and pulled out a manila folder. With a satisfying splat, she slapped the folder down on the desk in the space in front of me. "I got this as soon as they sent you to me. Your last boss suspected you were miserable where you were. And after your... incident, they wanted you to 'get better' before they sent you on this assignment." I looked down at the folder. The incident she was referring to was almost my last. I swallowed hard thinking about it. I picked up the folder and looked at the files inside. It had a single photograph of a beach and instructions on how to get to level 110 from level 4. 
The path was through level 100, which was actually really exciting as level 100 was apparently beautiful despite some risks. From 100, it's a straight shot to 110, which also looks like a beach and a forest. Both levels are a class 1 difficulty with hardly any entities on either level. I smiled as I read through the document. I caught a glance at Sarah who was gleaming with excitement. I could tell she had read this document a few times and probably had every detail memorized. I was to locate a colony on level 110 called the Jeff Martin Company. Not much was known about them except that they were apparently camped out somewhere deep in the forest. 
"So...? What do you think? Is that the kind of adventure you're looking for?" Sarah was beaming. Her smile spread from ear to ear. Honestly, she looked more excited that I was. Then her smile dissipated instantaneously, and her expression then immediately turned to that of concern and fear. "I don't mean to imply that... I'm not trying to get rid of you or any... I didn't mean that at all, just excited for you to have an adventure, not leave here. You know, you can stay here if you want..."
"Sarah, it's okay." I chuckled. "I understand what you're saying, and yes, this sounds amazing. I am actually really excited to be a researcher. So uh, when do I start?" I was already imagining palm trees and sandy beaches. 
"Well, you can leave as soon as tomorrow. But there are a few things we need to talk about. For example, level 100 is safe, but there are some dangers. Particularly the lack of fresh water as well as the hydrolysis plague. That's all in the folder. The trip there isn't bad, but the trip back won't be so easy." I hadn't thought about the trip back, and if I was being honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to come back. "Level 110 isn't very well studied and there are only a few known exits. The MEG base there will give you a file with more information, but you'll most likely need to travel through level negative 110, which is a tricky level to traverse."
I thought about it. It sounded risky, but then I thought about what Tammy said to me: 'despite the risks'. No, I needed this. This was my chance. "I understand there are risks, but I am still willing." Sarah started typing on her computer. It looked like an email; I'm assuming to the MEG officials who would be directing this mission. I internally giggled, a mission. How exciting! 
I decided to still conduct my interview with the injured sewer survivor and his story was rather interesting. He had a decent life in level 603 with the Tri-Union but had to escape through a manhole whilst escaping from both a hound and a death moth at the same time. Then it went from bad to worse. Well, at least he ended up here and had some details about both level 603 and level 34. Both would probably be useful for a researcher. A researcher... I'm a researcher now. I was thrilled at the thought. I couldn't help but smile. I bet Tammy would be so proud. I wonder if I could send her an email. I think I will. 
"Dear Tammy..."
== ==
Entry Five: The Lens of Clarity
== ==
"Should be just around the corner and to the left." Pat and Ryan were assigned to escort me to the entrance to level 100. It was supposed to be a door with a symbol of a wave posted on it. I had interacted with both of them on occasion in the breakroom or in passing. Pat was an engineer in his old life and Ryan was a CPA, I think. Neither of them had a background in medical which seemed to often be the case with the SRC, despite their entire purpose of a colony. Either way though, they both found their callings here. I know Pat was really handy with diagnosing equipment and other technical issues and Ryan was surprisingly handy with a scalpel. They both were very kind individuals and were very pleasant during our five-hour walk to the wave door. 
"Okay, are you all set Stacy? You know what to do, what not to do? You have your dossier in your toolbox?" Ryan was always very careful to make sure everything was in order. His experience as an auditor made him very keen on keeping up with proper paperwork. 
"Yes sir. I think I'm all set." I don't know why I called him sir. He seemed like a sir. Whatever that meant. We shook hands before I departed, and we said our goodbyes. Armed with a simple pack, stocked with water and basic food, along with my super high-quality, would-never-leave-without-it toolbox, I twisted the handle and stepped out onto the sand. I never even heard the door close when it disappeared entirely out of my own personal reality. I wondered if that door remained on the other side, or if they would have to find a new wave door to get to level 100 in the future. 
The scene before me was stunning. There was a slight breeze coming off the soft waves carrying a mild salty scent. The rhythm of the waves was soothing to the ears, and it generated a calming effect on my mind like a deep tissue massage, but through my ears. It was warm, much warmer than level 4, but not uncomfortably so. It was bright, midday I assumed, despite there not being any visible sun. I looked down at the soft sand at my feet. "Oh yeah, I needed this." I habitually looked around first to see if anyone was watching me and then kicked off my shoes to feel the sand on my feet. It was heavenly. "I think I've earned a little me time." Just at edge of where the sand was dry and wet, I lounged back against the gentle slope and propped my head on my hand. I sat for hours, watching the waves come in and out. I'd even play in the water some. I was careful not to get my clothes wet, but I couldn't help myself but to enjoy the crystal-clear water at least a little. 
I finally got my fill of self-administered beach therapy and decided to continue on my task. To get to level 110, I needed to "drop an item" for a low chance of just appearing on level 110. I wasn't sure if there was going to be some dramatic fall or tumble like no-clipping through the sand or something. I wasn't even sure what thing I should drop. According to the level 100 article, there are shipwrecks along this sandbar with some useless items. Personally, I feel like any item can have use if you're creative enough. Well, any item that can move me to my next objective will be very useful. 
Traveling the sandbar actually turned out to be a decent workout. I wasn't expecting it to be, as the ground is so soft. I figured it would be really comfortable. A low-impact sort of thing. Well, my calves were burning after a mile or so and I resorted to taking frequent breaks. It's not like we had an overabundance of beaches in Chicago, and I never really had the time nor money to travel to the coast. Despite my exhaustion from walking, I was still really enjoying the scenery. Plus, no entities. Heck, there weren't even fish or birds. "I think I will enjoy this slice of isolation for at least a day or so." Now that I think about it, that is an odd thought to have in the backrooms. Most people are isolated for the remainder of their miserable lives when travelling in this maze of treachery. I should be grateful to have interacted with so many people. Still though, the peace and quiet of solitude was a very nice change of pace. 
The sun was setting, well, the lack of sun... the daylight was setting. Maybe about an hour of light left assuming the day/night cycle was reasonably similar to most places? To my right was an overturned ship, one large enough to have some sort of living quarters below deck I imagined. This was my opportunity. I pulled out a bottle of water from my bag. I've earned a drink. I downed about half the bottle. It shouldn't matter. Once I get my "item" it should be no time before I reach level 110. Should I be cautious or optimistic? I'm cautiously optimistic. Yeah, that's right.
The boat did indeed have a hatch, but inside was completely submerged in water. A wave of humid air smacked me in the face. There was a foul stench coming from the murky depths. "Shoot. Hydrolysis Plague. Better not even think about touching that." Of course, the first boat I come across contains one of the only dangers present on this entire level. I closed the hatch and looked around the boat. Empty. Of course... of course of course of course. Nothing is ever easy, is it? I dug around the sand, hoping to find something, but I wouldn't be so lucky. 
Nightfall, as predicted arrived and I was still without my precious item. Since I wasn't quite sleepy yet, I continued my hike down the barren beach, still admiring the beauty of the level. Despite it being night-time, there was an illumination of sorts as I could clearly see everything in my surroundings, even in the dark. I retired on an elevated part of the sandbar to camp for the night. The temperature was actually dropping quicker than I was expecting, so I certainly didn't want to get wet from a rogue wave or anything. 
I sank my feet once again deep into the sand. It was nice and soothing; my legs were so tired that I could feel my blood pulsating within. "Huh? What is that?" I reached into the sand next to my feet. There was something smooth; something hard. I pulled out what appeared to be a lens from a pair of subscription glasses. I peered into the glass. "They must have had horrible vision." I couldn't see anything but a blur through them. "Wait, does this count as an item? I bet it sure does! This is my ticket out of here!" I grabbed my toolbox and donned my backpack and took one last look at the sea. "Let's do this." I felt like Indiana Jones, dropping that bag of sand to replace that cursed, gold statue. Time to be careful and precise.
The lens clinked gently onto the sand, and I held my breath in anticipation. I waited. Waited. Waited... Well, that wasn't worth the drama. I looked around. Still here... "Maybe I did it wrong?" I picked it back up and dropped it again. Nothing. "Nothing is easy. Ever." Again and again, I picked up and dropped the round glass piece. I was at it for at least an hour. Eventually my eyes got really heavy, and I decided to call it a night. I placed the lens on top of my toolbox and laid flat onto the sand, peering into the night sky. Surprisingly, there were a few stars to look at, but not many. "Is there an outer space on this level? If I had a rocket, what would I see once I got past the atmosphere? Is it just an illusion? Would I crash into a wall? What even is reality?" I knew those thoughts could get dangerous, so I decided to just push them out of my mind for now. Nothing needed to make sense, and nothing rarely did. The important thing is that I am safe and secure. 
Sleep came naturally and went as quickly as it arrived. It had got really chilly, and I woke up with my teeth chattering. It wasn't dangerously cold, but with the breeze, I was definitely feeling it. I figured doing some walking would warm up my body enough to be comfortable and perhaps I was supposed to be moving while I dropped my "item" over and over again anyways. I guess I needed to try. I picked up my things and restarted my never-ending stroll. I was already getting sick of the level in my frustration. My back was aching from all the bending I was doing. Occasionally, a break was necessary, and I would listen to the waves which would calm me down some. I powered through the rest of my first bottle of water then returned to my sandy trek. 
I never could exactly keep track of how long I was walking. I wasn't sure how long I had slept either, but eventually daytime returned, again without a sun. "Where does the light even come from? And how come there are stars but no sun?" Again, no existential dread thoughts Stacy, okay? I only occasionally dropped my piece of glasses. My back couldn't really handle the repetitive movements anymore. "This sucks. This really sucks." I drank through half my second bottle of water. I only had 4 in total, so I needed to be careful in case I ran out and I was stuck on a level with no fresh water. How dumb would it be to die on a safe level?
The light continued to return to its full intensity as the level's warmth returned to its full glory in parallel. I was actually getting kind of hot now, especially compared to the morning earlier. My head was hot too in parallel with my elevated blood pressure. This is ridiculous. "Chill Stacy, this is what you wanted. It beats sitting in that office by a long shot." On the other hand, I wanted to do Sarah and MEG proud. Spending too long on the beach was not something that would make anyone proud. I had a mission and a goal to complete. I'm a researcher now. So, time to focus. I increased my drop/grab rate as hard as my body would allow. Nothing. Nothing, nothing. "Ughhhh! What even is this!?" I grabbed my dossier and closed my toolbox. "Maybe I'm missing something?" I peeled back the manila envelope and the breeze picked up at the exact same time, carrying one of the pages down the beach. "No!"
I ran after the loose page and quickly stomped my foot onto it so that it wouldn't fly any further down. I grumbled to myself as I picked up the paper thinking, what else could go wrong? When I stood back up, I was facing a dense jungle. "Huh?" 
== ==
== ==
Entry Six: The Call to into the Void
== ==
"Well that wasn't at all what I was expecting." I stared into the thick vegetation. I couldn't explain how, but it felt like it was also staring back at me. The ocean was still at my back, but I had most certainly ended up in a different level and by what I understood, I was successful in finding my way into level 110. "Got the beach, the trees, the ocean. This is it, but where do I go?" I looked through the dossier in which I had just chased down. "It just says follow the beach. To where? Do I go left? Right? How do they not think of these things?" I paused and took a moment to think. Now Stacy, this ain't a reason to get worked up. Pick a direction. Just go left.
In a way it felt like I wasn't making any progress. The longer I walked, the more I thought this. It had been about two hours and absolutely nothing had changed about the beach. No bends, streams, even rocks. If I ever made it back to the same spot I arrived, I would have no way of knowing. I paused for a moment. Maybe I should draw something in the sand. That way, if I did somehow walk in a big circle, I would at least know it. I proceeded to draw a big heart in the sand. Yeah, I know, it's silly, but I'm just a girl. I grabbed a few leaves from the tree line next to the forest. Then something called out to me, like a whisper. Something inviting me inside. I stared into the deep. The further I looked in, the darker it got. It was spooky, but somehow, it was really inviting. 
I shook the thought from my mind. I need to stick to the mission. After pushing some branches into the sandy heart, I continued down the beach, admiring the sounds of the calm waves gently brushing the sand. It was warm, but it wasn't too hot. After a few more hours, I made an odd observation as I looked upwards. "The sun hasn't moved since I got here, and I've been here at least four hours." Thankfully the temperature hadn't changed either. I sat on the sand for a rest. Of course, all this sand walking, just like level 100, was giving my calves an extra vigorous work-out. "Well, the exercise is a good change of pace." I polished off another bottle of water. One bottle left and no signs of anything fresh to drink. 
As I sat there and watched the waves, hoping to see a bird or a fish, maybe a crab, then something behind me startled me. I turned to look but there was nothing. Just the trees. The bushes... the plants... it looked nice and cool in there. I was getting kind of hot, being out in the sun all day. "No Stacy. Stay on task." I stood up and brushed the sand off my pants. "Let's go!" I continued down my path. Surely, I will see the MEG camp at some point, right? Looking down my path, there wasn't any sign of a camp or any life for that matter, other than the trees. I looked back into the forest. I hadn't realized it, but I had been walking closer and closer to the tree line versus when I got here. 
Deep in the jungle. It was peaceful in there. What would it hurt if I went in? I mean, I'll just come right back out and be back on my mission. Besides, this whole thing was for me to get some adventure in, right? Easy, I'll just pop in, enjoy the shade for a minute, then come back out. It's decided then. I carefully stepped through the thick plant matter and pushed the low hanging branches out of my way. Strangely, it was hotter in the jungle than on the beach, despite being fully shaded in. I walked a little further, hoping to find pockets of cool air, but it was honestly suffocatingly hot. "Yeah, this was a stupid idea. I'm going back out." I immediately did a 180 and pushed back through the trail that I had just made. 
I continued walking until I noticed my trail had ended and oddly enough, the coastline was nowhere to be found. "Oh... that's not good. That's not good at all." I picked up my pace and started panic walking in the same direction. After about 10 minutes, I tried running but to no avail, the coastline was gone. "I had barely walked 100 feet into the jungle and somehow I'm already lost! This is ridiculous!" I was so frustrated! Why did I listen to my stupid brain? It was easy! "Follow the beach until you find a MEG tent. That's it! That was the whole mission and I failed!" Maybe the researcher life wasn't for me. This has been a waste of everyone's time and resources. 
I continued my swift pace in the same direction when suddenly I dropped into a pool of water. It was hidden behind some sort of ferns, and I guess I wasn't paying attention. Of course, I've twisted my ankle too. This isn't good. "Ouch! Mosquitos? There are mosquitos here? Why!?" I suddenly missed level 100 very much. Where that was a place of peace and calm, here is nothing but turmoil. "Ouch!" Another one. I'm surrounded! "Ughhh! This is a nightmare!" I sat on the bank of the small pond and rubbed my twisted left ankle. It wasn't a bad sprain or anything, so I think I should be fine... wait a minute. This is fresh water! "Okay, small victories. Small victories Stacy." I drank my last bottle of water, smacking my exposed skin from the cloud of mosquitos that were constantly attacking me. "I had better not get dengue or west Nile or some shit. With my luck though..." I carefully filled up my four bottles. The water was rather clean, despite me recently stepping out of it. 
"Okay what do we know? This is level 110, and there are no entities on this level. It's safe. So, if I just keep going... Ouch!" Another smack to my right arm. "These damn mosquitos!" I stood up and continued through the jungle. It was somehow worse than travelling in the sand. It seemed like every step required me to climb over something. I was dodging rocks, vines, roots, shrubs, it made walking a nightmare. I did my best to climb up a tree, but I didn't nearly have the dexterity to succeed. It's not like I had any trees to climb growing up. I was raised by the streets! Not really, despite growing up in Chicago, I lived in a nice apartment complex. We never really went without. Of course, there were areas I knew to stay away from, but I never really had any moments where I was scared for my life or anything. 
After a few more hours of walking, the temperature began to drop as the sunlight, from what I could see of it, began to set. "So, there is a day and night cycle... oh hell nah. What in the hell is that!?" Suddenly, hanging from all the trees were leather dolls. Thousands of them and I mean thousands. "Nope, nah-ah. Hell to the no! I ain't nearly white enough to even try to attempt to walk through here. No ma'am. Nooooope!" I turned my happy ass right back around. Retracing my steps, I noticed that the dolls were still all around me. "Now I know these weren't all here before. No way." God this was horrifying. No matter how far I tried to retrace my steps, the dolls were everywhere. They hung high and low. I could easily reach out and touch them, but I wasn't that dumb. In fact, I took great care not to touch them, dodging and weaving. God, I hated this. God... what god would be cruel enough to even let a place like this exist? No, not a thought I need to be having right now. "Stay focused Stacy" I grumbled to myself. 
It was maybe another hour or so until somehow everything got worse. Spiders. Yes, spiders. Black, shiny spiders. Now, I never considered myself to be an arachnophobe, but this was unreal. The dolls were gone, sure, but thousands of spiders? This is insane. I started tearing up from the stress and anxiety. What sort of nightmare have I ended up in? I folded my arms close together, making myself as small as possible. The jungle was now seemingly weaved together by one continuous spiderweb. The more I walked, the more the black and red spiders appeared to be trying to fall on me. I had to duck and dodge to avoid them. I could try to go back the same direction that I came from, sure, but somehow, I knew that wouldn't do any good. 
I looked at my left arm and then suddenly felt legs slowly crawling and my heart stopped. It hadn't even been five minutes. "Hell no!" I smacked that spider like my life depended on it. It popped like a grape on my arm, leaving behind a black, sticky goo. I don't know what happened. I didn't feel a bite or anything, but it's possible I got bit and just didn't feel it. It was honestly unclear in the heat of the moment. I don't know why, but I was feeling woozy. Really dizzy... Immediately. My vision went blurry then my eyes suddenly went completely dark, and I went down. Total blackout. 
== ==
Entry Seven: Arachnophobia
== ==
I floated through a vast space, free, unhindered. Before me, a display unlike anything I had ever seen before. I wasn't in a void, no. I occupied an empty space but the space I was in was everything but empty. Everything... I saw a web. It seemed to occupy all space. Not just up, down, deep or shallow, but it transcended traditional space and time. I could focus in on specific points in this cosmic web and somehow, I was able to perceive multiple instances of the same point. It was unclear, yet I understood it fully. Total darkness was filled with light, vast emptiness was full of matter and energy. 
My attention was drawn to one point. I saw a city skyline, one building I recognized immediately, the Willis tower, formerly the Sears tower. To me it will always be the Sears tower. Chicago, my home. Why was I seeing this? What's this? The tower itself seems to whisper to me that in this instance, it was still called the Sears tower. An odd detail, but maybe this is an old memory? No, this is now, and it's never changed. I saw the skyline warp, a few buildings change, but the time somehow stayed the same. Sears tower was now the Willis tower again, and I knew in my heart this was my world. But why am I seeing this? What is the purpose? 
In the blink of an eye I returned, floating in front of that great cosmic web. This time, my eyes focused on a different point. It was somehow connected to the first point, but I didn't understand how. Here, there was the backrooms, but instead of the level 0 I was familiar with, there was a gate, made of retro-futurism tech. This gate was created by some corporation in order to create space for a lack thereof in the reality we call the Frontrooms. The workers were all wore SCBA suites, and they were terrorized by a single sticky monster. Then, through the same cosmic point, I found myself in the backrooms again, but it was more similar to mine. No, this was different too. It had so many of the similarities, but the levels were completely different after a certain point. This happened again with another set of completely different levels. It was chaos incarnate, but it was all connected and somehow organized. 
How many iterations of the backrooms existed? I kept warping from variation to variation, I don't know, but I knew none of those places were the ones I occupied. How many universes were created just for tormenting people? Then I arrived in my version of the backrooms, I know it was mine because of my desk in level 4. I didn't see the desk, but I knew it was there. Then it zoomed out, my perception that is. I saw a branch of the web and I knew it to be all the levels in the backrooms as I knew them. It reached infinitely outward signifying the potential for endless levels, but then I looked to the left and to the right and I saw repeating branches that looked just alike, but with minor and sometimes major differences from branch to branch. I saw a level 11 teaming with life, colonies, tame entities, and the very next branch I saw a level 11 completely dead, no life, not even plant life. I would see sparks of light pop off from one branch and move to the other. I even saw chunks of the cosmic branches break off entirely and dissipate into the dark empty space in between. 
Within one branch, I saw multiple iterations within the same point, just like my Sears/Willis tower from before. In each of these branches was their own story. In one I saw a murky darkness, but it wasn't in the backrooms, no it was just connected somehow. It spread from world to world, enveloping it all. Nothing would survive. Then the backrooms were created. It was a space made for solely evil purposes. A tool of eternal torment, limitless in size. I saw great gods and beasts. A young man, draped in red. Average in every way except for his face, which is only half there. He holds secrets. He's willing to kill for those secrets. He is powerful. I saw another man, skin black as the void I was floating in. His skin cracking with glowing white. He was also powerful, a king of sorts. I saw a mechanical monster with two heads. It could weave time itself. I saw many more beings and they faded away until I was faced with a wall of unimaginable size. There was an eye in the wall. The eye looked at me as hands started to grab me from every direction. Then I was suddenly above the cosmic branch again. 
The next branch, I saw a court. It was a royal court, no, a court of gods. A pantheon of sorts. I saw a man that existed as a shadow with glowing white eyes. Suddenly the same being wore a crown of spikes and his flesh became a purple mass, my mind transcended to that of the nighttime sky. This faded and I was in front of an old man with gray hair and brown eyes. He held a stopwatch in his hands, but like the young man draped in red, he held secrets that he needed to keep at all costs, and like the metallic beast with two heads, he seemed to manipulate time and space. I saw another being, this time black like a void, absorbing light. Could this be similar to the murky blackness that enveloped all life before? There was a single zero figure on its face, glowing white like the shadow from earlier. This one could bend matter and light. Then I started seeing being after being: I saw a man distributing keys to various levels in the backrooms. I saw a man who loves to torment those with their own past, he then transformed into death itself. I saw a horrible monster made from twisting and entangled tubes of mass and matter, grotesque and gory. I saw what looked to be a faceling in a lab coat with golden skin and a goofy but friendly face. I saw the same king from earlier that had somehow managed to exist in both cosmic branches. I saw queens, priestesses, beings forgotten entirely. It was overwhelming to how many there were. All gods, all with powers of some sort and the backrooms was their kingdom. 
I projected into another branch. I saw a large, glorious, exalted being. Ethereal white. It was human in shape, but it was no human. It held a shallow box which seemed to be full of sand. It was like I was seeing God, like the God I was familiar with. At least, that was the feeling I got. But the being was still, as though it were asleep. That being faded away, and I saw another being; it was grey and dark... dead looking. It felt so evil. Maybe this was the devil? It felt so horribly wrong, heavy, and sinister. It was also still for a bit, but then it woke up and stared right at me. I thought my soul was going to be torn in half. Then everything went black again. It felt like I was in the blackness forever. At some point I was able to look up and I saw a rectangle of light. It was like a doorway of sorts. My mind was then filled with visions of all cosmic branches of the backrooms, my backrooms. I saw many with gods, stories, wars and battles, unique places and anomalies. All coexisting together, separately. They were all intertwined but respected each other's boundaries. Then the light of that doorway returned to me, and I was thrust out of the cosmos.
I woke up in a sweat. I could tell my heart was elevated as I could feel my blood pumping in my head. It was pounding. I had no idea how long I was out, but I looked down and I was absolutely, entirely covered in spiders. Hundreds, maybe even a thousand of those black spiders covered my body from head to foot. I held my breath, certain not to make any sudden moves. Miraculously, none of them were biting me. It was as though they were just resting on my body, enjoying their stay. I slowly and carefully made my way to my feet and attempted to shake them off. They complied little at a time, falling off one by one. Still bite free. Despite the fact that I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of spiders that were on my body, I couldn't help but notice their striking beauty. I regretted killing the first one. They were just existing, just little guys, living their lives. 
I looked over at the spot on my arm where I had smashed the first little guy. The spot was black, like venom had rotted me from the inside and it was attempting to climb my veins. I inspected the wound more closely, and I could not identify any sort of bite mark or even a bump, it was like the juices of the dead arachnid somehow absorbed into my arm. The light in my immediate vicinity wasn't the best, as I was not only in the shade, but daylight was fleeting into dusk as well, whether or not I was actually bit or if this was some anomaly of level 110, I was unsure. "God my head is throbbing..." I drank some of my fresh pond water. It was surprisingly refreshing. 
The spiders within the area continued attempting to crawl on me, and I was very careful not to harm any more of them. They were oddly cute. "Nope, I'm officially losing it. Thinking a spider is cute." The darker it got, the colder it got. After another few hours of walking, I was enveloped in darkness. It was fully nighttime and seeing was not easy. Thankfully, I did have a small flashlight in my pack with my dwindling food supply. The spiders had entirely vanished maybe twenty minutes ago, but there was something else... I felt a pit in my stomach. "What else... Oh! Ugh! What is that smell!?" If it's not one thing, it's another. It was a whole wave of rotted meat stench. I openly gagged. 
Up ahead I could see light, dancing through the gaps in the flora. As I pushed through, I found myself in a clearing. Bones were scattered across the ground along with chunks of flesh and skin. The ground was soaked in blood, but none of it seemed human. In the middle was a hut, so evil that I could feel its sinister nature about my very skin, like the moisture from extreme humidity. There was a campfire with a lit flame. It illuminated decapitated animals, laying on the ground. I saw the heads of pigs, goats, and chickens. I could feel bile climbing up my esophagus as I bore witness to the gruesome scene. Instantly I knew that this was not a safe and welcome place to be. 
I looked around and listened. I was sure that I was alone, at least on the outside. I didn't want to test that theory and go poking around in that hut. Again, not to start any fights, but I wasn't white enough to mess around and find out. I skirted along the edges of the clearing, doing my very best not to make any loud noises. It was honestly harder not to wretch and heave from the awful smells coming from rotting meat. Once I had altered my path enough, I made my way back into the jungle, hoping to forget about that horrid place entirely. As I walked further and further from that clearing, I was hoping that awful coating of evil would leave my skin, but it never really did, and neither did the smell. It stuck with me every step. 
After about a half hour of walking, I stopped and my heart sank, yet again. Dancing light. "Another one? Are you kidding me?" I more or less mouthed the words to myself as I was still terrified to make any sounds. I pushed my way through the threshold of vision, and I found myself back in the exact same clearing as before. I knew it was the same, as the position of the gruesome animal heads were the exact same as before. "Shiiiit!" Whoops, that was louder than I was expecting. I held my breath and listened. Either I am alone, or no one heard me. I traveled the opposite direction as before and escaped back into the wood. 
Another 30 minutes passed, and I arrived back at the same exact clearing. Frustrated, I walked straight through the clearing to the other side, little bones crunching under my feet. Back into the jungle for another 30 minutes, boom: clearing. "I hate this Groundhog's Day ass nightmare." This was ridiculous. "I am NOT going inside that hut!" I grumbled to myself as I pushed through the jungle once again. Another fire through the bushes! "Gaaaaaaah!" 
"Woah, dude, like relax, man. We're all chill here!" It was a new clearing? I could see firelight dancing in his glasses in front of me, another man right next to him. "Come have a seat man and take a load off. Chill."
== ==
Entry Eight: Good Company
== ==
The dancing light in the perfectly round lenses created a soft glow on the man's elegant beard. His voice was calm, soothing even, nothing malicious at all. The other guy was slurping some sort of soup from what looked to be a coconut husk. "You want some root soup? It makes you feel good. I don't know what kind of root it is, but it's earthy and nice. I think you'd dig it. Well, I had to dig for it, ya dig?" The man let out a throat bleeding snort that turned into a wheeze. That wheeze then flowed straight into a cackle. It was the oddest laugh I had ever heard. This guy was wearing sunglasses, despite it being nighttime and the firelight illuminated the glistening soup droplets that polluted his scraggly facial mane. 
"Uh, hi? So, you all just live here? Oh, sorry..." I was still processing the scene in front of me. I really wasn't expecting to see anyone out here, especially within this close proximity of the carnage hut. "I'm Stacy... You mean the plants here are edible? That's actually an amazing discovery." MEG would love to know about that, I'm sure. 
The second man stopped his ridiculous laugh after losing his breath and fumbling into a full coughing fit. I paused to let him recover. "Heh, they're not all edible. I tried making some tea out of some light greenish leaves once, and my face swelled up like a watermelon, man. It was crazy. Like, I couldn't see out of my left eye for like 3 days. Then, on top of that, I could barely breathe. It was a whole trip man." He took another long, obnoxious slurp out of his root soup and exhaled in satisfaction. 
The other, soup-less man smacked his forehead with his surprisingly clean hands. "Shoot, where are our manners? Stacy, this is Jeff, my main dude." He paused for a second. "Not like, MY dude, but he's my dude. Not that there's anything wrong with having a dude. You know? And uh, my-name's Martin. Together!" Martin points back and forth between himself and Jeff. "Together, we're the Jeff-Martin company."
"We toyed around with the Martin-Jeff company for a while, but it just didn't have the same ring to it man. You know?" Despite it being rather dark out, I could see a piece of leaf dancing up and down from in-between his teeth. I pushed the image from my mind as I recalled my actual purpose on level 110. So, this is the famous Jeff-Martin company? Literally just two hippies sipping off soup in the middle of the jungle? Honestly, they seem happy. Maybe it's not such a bad place to be in. I looked behind them to see a decently made hut, made from leaves and sticks from the nearby trees creating a modest structure for these two 'dudes' to get some protection from the elements. 
"I've actually heard about your... company. I'm a MEG researcher, tasked with finding out about your group. Are there more of you here?" Hopefully they didn't mind me asking questions right off the bat. 
"Heeeey, we know the MEG. Yeah! They're alright. They got a tent up by the beach. Well, at least that's what I've heard. We haven't moved from this spot for years. Well, maybe years, I don't actually know. I haven't seen the sun in forever man." Martin looked down at the fire. I could tell that question. which he didn't answer, put him in a deep thought. 
"I've thought about the beach too man, just sand and vibes heh. Problem is, I'd miss this soup too much. Can't get any soup on the beach man. And once you go in the forest, there's no coming back out." Jeff put a reassuring hand on Martin's back. They claimed not to be a couple, but I wasn't exactly convinced anymore. 
"So, just the two of you here? Sharing this beautiful home?" I gave a smirk insinuating that they're not fooling me. 
"Yup just the two of us, well three if we count you. You're here technically, and you're bringing some vibes with you, which is like, the whole point of being here. The vibes." Jeff was still rubbing Martin's back. 
"Well, I don't know how long I plan on staying. You know, gotta report back to the group. But yeah, good vibes. What brought you to level 110 and why did you stay?" I commandeered one of the spare stumps next to the fire and sat down. I had a job to do, and I felt extremely lucky to have just stumbled upon the very people I was assigned to interview. I really thought that I had botched this mission, but I might just have some success anyways. 
"Well, we were uh, cabin-mates in Level 63 back in the day. Real nice place. We we're exploring some of the rainforest areas there." Martin seemed nostalgic talking about it. 
Jeff interjected. "We've always been about the island life, but we've always felt the call to the woods. Hey! What happened to your arm man?" Martin also seemed to spot the black veins on my already dark skin. The dancing flames probably revealed my wound. 
"It's nothing I suppose. I killed a spider on my arm. Reflex. And uh, well, after I woke up, my arm started doing this. So how did you make it to level 110?" I wasn't sure if they were trying to change the subject, or they just distract easy. 
"Dang dude, that's rough. We're friends with the spiders. Unfortunately, they only rarely show up around here. They're friendly though. They won't bite. At least I don't think so. Were your vibes off or something?" This might be a long night. 
"I'm not sure. The level though..." I was trying so hard to stay on topic. 
"Right, yeah, so we were holding ha... keeping each other sturdy while we raced towards a tree. It looked different from all the other ones, so it looked neat, and we wanted to touch it..." Right, so they noclipped. 
"Yeah man, next thing we know it, we're on the beach here. Didn't think anything of it so we went straight back into the jungle. It's been peace and happiness ever since. So, you passed out? Tell us about that man." Martin wasn't about to leave the spider topic alone. 
"Yeah, I felt like I was asleep for days. I had strange dreams. It was like a web of sorts. But not spider webs. Now that I think about it, were those related? I don't know but it was cosmic... I think... It's hard to explain." Why was I telling them this? 
"Jeff, she had a vision. Stacy here's a prophet. Or prophetess. That's really far out man. Like, really far out." Martin locked eyes with me and refused to break eye contact, despite my attempts to look at everything except his eyes. 
"So, you noclipped out of 63 and ended up here after befriending the spiders? What are you doing here now? Why did you stay?" I was feeling pretty proud of coming up with the questions off the cuff. I guess years and years of doing nothing but interviewing wanderers and typing them up really gave me an advantage. This was a pretty sweet gig now that I'm where I'm supposed to be. 
"Well, we made it to the hut and the vibrations and energy there was just not it my guy. Like, not it at all, but no matter where we tried to go, we kept going back to that hut. So, we decided as a couple... a couple of bros to make our own hut. So, we settled next to that pond over there, built our new hut and we've been chilling ever since." I had noticed that Jeff's hand had never left Martin's back. I could tell they were older. Probably from a time when their relationship would have been seen as very taboo, and probably didn't want to invite the wrong kind of trouble. I get it. Or maybe, just maybe, they were JUST roommates. They made for a cute couple anyways. 
"So what made you stay? Why did you never leave?" They were chatty and liked to ramble. I couldn't blame them though. I don't imagine they've had a lot of visitors. 
"Well, you make the vibes of your own place man. You're in charge. If you have positive energy, the whole place has positive energy. Sure, we could just leave any time. But like, then what? We end up somewhere wild? We weren't born on level 63 man. We know what's out there and we don't like it. We would rather grow ol... wait it out together than go off into some deadzone and die in some horrific manner. No ma'am we're happy here doing our thing. It wasn't long before we started getting hungry, and since we were already both vegetarians, we started experimenting with some of the plants. Turns out, quite a few of the leaves and roots taste pretty good and keep our bellies full. And funny enough, everything here just grows back, like next day man. Our pond has never gone dry, we've never run out of greens. It's not bad here."
They were making a lot of sense. They also had each other, which is actually really nice. I had a boyfriend back home, but nothing too serious. Still, it was nice to be wanted, needed by someone. I couldn't help but feel a little envy of the relationship these two hut-mates had for each other. They didn't realize it, but they've already given me a ton of information about this level. The forced direction that I seemed to have traversed is its own level effect. There is food here. Now that I was thinking about it, I was getting pretty hungry. "Hey, you mind if I try some of that soup?" I maybe did notice the big metal pot next to Martin before, but it was taking a more, center stage in my vision since I could feel my tummy rumbling. 
Martin jolted up proudly. "Stacy, it would be an honor to share a meal with you." He disappeared into the hut and came back out holding two more of those coconut bowls. "We traded some roots and some sour leaves for the pot a Filipino guy brought from level 859. He carried this pot all the way here, hoping to get water or something. He said it was too big to carry further, still didn't want to give it up for some reason but he traded with us anyways. Good dude, popped into the main hut, grabbed that doll and he disappeared into the forest. We got word that people that do that end up in level 347, which isn't good man. Hope he's okay."
"So you know how to leave the level?" They seem to know a lot.
"Yeah, though, everything you do, you gotta play with that doll in the hut to get out of here. Anyone who goes in there finds the same doll. I've seen it, but I didn't like it." Martin swallowed hard. "One guy tried to burn it, ended up gone. Someone tried to rip off its legs, gone. One dude found a pretty flower carved into a tree. He tried to noclip through it, but nothing happened."
Jeff barged in to complete the thought. "Then he tried it while holding the doll then poof! He was gone like the sun after a sunset. The flower design disappeared too. It pops up again every once in a while, though." 
Martin handed me a bowl of soup. It had a sweet smell to it as the white, circular roots were sliced up into thin, potato-like slices. There were a few different types of leaves inside as well. The aroma was nice, but I was surprised on how tasty the soup actually was. Could use some seasoning though. Beggars can't be choosers. "I guess if I want to leave, I'll have to grab this doll I guess?"
"You got it sister." I've been 'man' all this time and now Jeff is finally calling me sister. As much as I would love to stay and get all fat and sassy off of root soup, I knew deep down that I would need to find my way back to a MEG base. It sounded like these two lovable goofballs will be my tickets out of here. 
== ==
Entry Nine: Thanks for the Soup
== ==
Sleeping in the hut with Jeff and Martin was a little awkward at first, but the hut was surprisingly roomy, and the vegetation organized on the floor was surprisingly soft. Jeff and Martin... yeah, they were right, Martin and Jeff didn't have the same ring to it. Being a woman, sleeping with two strange men in the middle of the woods and even worse, with no witnesses around was extremely risky, but my fear subsided instantly when I woke up at some point and saw them both cuddled up together. I knew that morning would never actually come, but I was feeling much more comfortable after that, and I was able to quickly fall back asleep. 
When I did finally wake up, I found myself alone. I figured that my two hut-mates were probably stewing up some more roots for breakfast or just admiring the 'vibes', so I took a moment to review my dossier once again, using my flashlight which thankfully, I haven't needed to use all too much, other than my brief moment exploring around the dark woods for a few hours. I needed to get to level negative 110, which would be tricky to traverse, but is the safest way out of this level. According to the file, getting to level negative 110 required no-clipping through some water. I wonder if my two distinguished gentlemen outside knew anything else about that. 
I couldn't exactly stand up in the hut, but I did my best to do some stretches in the privacy of its make-shift walls. First the legs and calves as they were the sorest from excessive walking on sand and then dense jungle. I tried not to forget the side-to-side body stretches and arm circles. Finally, after another round of toe touches, I braved going back outside. I don't know why I expected to see some sunlight, but I was still uneased by the perpetual darkness. I think that would be the one thing that I couldn't stand about living here long-term. I don't know how Jeff and Martin do it. Maybe as they have led hidden lives, they were comforted by the darkness? No, I'm getting too philosophical. Too much talk of 'vibes' and 'energy' is getting to my head. 
Martin was over by the pond which was illuminated by a small flame dancing on a primitive, but well-crafted torch. I couldn't exactly see Jeff, but I could hear rustling not too far off in which I assumed he was digging for more food in his self-replenishing jungle. I casually approached Martin who was scooping up water from the pond to clean out their big pot, being careful not to contaminate the water source from the dirty dishwater. I'm assuming this was their only source for drinking water, so they were extra careful to keep it as clean as possible. "Good morning, Martin... evening, aft... er.... hi!"
"Oh, hey there Stacy! Hope you slept well. Now that I think about it, we should probably start building a guest hut for visitors or anyone wanting to stay here long-term. Now that I think about it, maybe that's why people don't like staying here? I don't know man. I should probably give it more thought. Talk it over with Jeff. Speaking of Jeff, have you seen him about?" 
"Uh... I heard some movement that didn't seem too far behind the hut. I figured that was him gathering more roots or leaves or something." Martin scooped up some water with a clean cocoanut shell and handed it to me. It was cool and refreshing, like a natural spring. I took several big gulps followed by a smooth drink to ease my morning dehydration. "So naturally, as you probably figured, and I think we talked a little about it yesterday, I can't stay here long-term, and I'll need to make my way back to base." I don't know why I felt like I was breaking up with them. For some reason a wave of guilt swept over me. 
"Heh, we know little Stacy. Jeff and I already talked about it. You know, no one has ever stayed with us for long, but you at least, seem pretty chill with us. Not everyone is. For that, we're really grateful. We will remember you fondly. A real brother, well sister. Even just with a short visit." He still was wearing his shades despite it being dark out, but I could hear his voice quivering, ever-so slightly. I think he was choking up? It makes me wonder if previous guests weren't so kind to them. 
"The two of you seem to know a lot about this level. You mentioned before that the only way to leave level 110 is by interacting with the doll? My folder states that I have to no-clip through the water in order to get to level negative 110. Do you have more information on that?" I could hear footsteps approaching us from behind.
"Negative 110? You MEG folks are build different man. Like, that levels is crazy, you know that?" Jeff approached perpendicular to us and the spring, carrying a sack full of assorted plant matter.
"According to my instructions and what we know about this place, that seems to be the safest route back to either level 0 or level 11, which I can easily get back to a MEG base from. Heck if I can get back to level 11, I might just stop by level 444 and visit my dear friend Tammy. I bet she would love to hear about you two." I cracked a big smile thinking about Tammy and how proud she would be of me taking on this assignment. "So how do I get there from here exactly?"
Martin looked up at Jeff where they both shared a quick glance and a subtle smirk. It felt like they had just shared a full conversation at a single glance. "Well, you're right about no-clipping into the water. Well, it's more like, the water pulls you in like some sort of nightmare. It's pretty dramatic man. Like, chills down your spine sort of dramatic. But again, you gotta be holding the doll when you do it, otherwise you'll just be splashing around in the pond like a little frog-dude sort of thing. Trust me, we've seen plenty of people try it. You're more than welcome to use our pond though." 
"That's sweet, thanks Martin. And thanks for the information. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?" I felt comfortable asking these two that question as I was positive that they wouldn't try and take advantage of me. I really don't know what I have to offer though. 
"Well, if it isn't too much trouble, you mind if we take a look at that dossier? Any new information we can gather is great, especially if we can help new wanderers along. I actually didn't know that the pond would take people to negative 110 for sure, but we had an idea that's where it went. Now that we know for sure, we can warn folks a little better. You know what I mean man?" I didn't have any quarrels with them reading the dossier. It wasn't exactly a controlled document, secret in nature. 
They took time to read everything from the folder and chatted about the details. They talked about how nice Level 100 sounded, and I was sure to remind them of the lack of water in the area. I told my story of how frustrated I was, trying to drop that stupid lens over and over again, only to finally be successful after clumsily chasing down the loose paper from the folder. Jeff and Martin clung to every word. They read the information on level 110, particularly the known exits and they told me about a few more that they had personally witnessed, which I confidently wrote down in my notebook. We had a bit more conversation and shared one more meal together before it was my time to leave. 
Before I departed, they supplied me with more of those white roots. Apparently, they are pretty tasty, even raw. I gave them both a hug and thanked them over and over again for their kindness and hospitality. After being pointed out towards the right direction, I powered on my flashlight and disappeared back into the dense jungle. Gradually, I could recognize the smell of rotted meat as I approached that dreadful clearing. Anxiety boiled up in the pit of my stomach and I approached the dancing lights permeating from the leaves in front of me. This is it I suppose. I held my breath as I pushed through the last threshold of vegetation. 
== ==
Entry Ten: Voodoo
== ==
I had forgotten about the powerful wave of anxiety that washes over you once you break the threshold of the clearing. I don't know if it's from the result of mixing of rotted stench and the unsightly amount of gore scattered about the site, or if it's simply a level effect. Either way, my fight or flight was severely triggered, and I really wanted to just book it out of there. I took a step towards the fire. Each step I took towards the hut, I could feel the temperature drop. "There is something really sinister about this place... cursed. Some real spooky shit. And I know my ancestors are shaking their heads thinking, what's her black ass doing marching headfirst into some spooky ass shit like this?" I shuddered as my shoes crunched on the assorted animal bones that littered the exposed soil.
It felt like I was being watched. This place felt hexed, cursed, bewitched... Interestingly, despite me being swarmed by mosquitoes in the outer rings of the jungle, there were no flies here. I was really expecting flies. I mean, with all this rotting flesh and the smell... I gagged again as I glanced at a pig's head hanging off a nearby pike, its tongue fully exposed and elongated towards the ground. It was missing an eye and part of its skull was exposed from the decomposition process. The fire seemed to barely give off any heat despite my close proximity. I stood next to the structure almost touching the grass walls with my hands; I could see my breath in the light provided by the adjacent flames. 
I wasn't sure if it was smoke or fog, but a layer of vapor shrouded the hut in a nightmare of a haze. It was as though the whole scene was constructed for a movie set, carefully crafted in order to evoke every unsettling fear, all at once. The opening to the hut faced me as the feeling of being watched intensified. I held my breath, and I approached the mud and grass structure, dipping down to enter into the primitive confines. I shined my light downwards and I dropped to my knees. It was as though a force from above me shoved me down towards the clay below me. 
The center of the hut was decorated by a simple circle of ash. In the middle of that circle was a single, leather doll. This doll wasn't unlike the ones I saw previously in the wood, but there was something different about this one. It felt alive, like it had a soul, but that soul was pure evil. I could feel the absolute hatred emanating from this crude imitation of life. The feeling was so powerful, its hatred... I started sobbing, I couldn't help it. I cried and cried. How could such an evil thing even exist? It was as though a spectral hand was reaching out towards me from the doll. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it as its ethereal fingers wrapped itself around my throat, choking my very will to live out of me. 
I felt sick, and breathing became a huge burden. There is no more hope for me in this life is there? It's gone. All of it. I have no hope left. I felt it again, that feeling I felt in level negative eighteen. That night when I tried to take my own life. It was there again, and the feeling was strong. Through the tiny gaps in the grass and mud, where light could penetrate through, I could feel thousands of eyes staring at me, begging me to end it all. I tried to get up to leave, but my strength was gone and all I could do was sit and stare at this doll that wanted me dead so badly. What did I do? What did I do to this entity that it despised me so much? I tried to yell for help, maybe Jeff or Martin was nearby to rescue me, but I couldn't even make a sound. 
I tried reaching out towards the doll. The veins on my arm were solid black from the spider incident. Maybe if I could grab this thing and throw it out, I could get moving again. I had to try. How else was I supposed to get back to base? I was having doubts of whether or not this researcher gig was meant for me or not. I exerted all my strength towards the cursed doll, desperately extending my fingers towards its leathery surface. As soon as I managed to grip its side with my fingers and pull it towards the palm of my hand, I blacked out. 
"What is self-worth? Who measures it? Is it you? Some omnipotent god? Is there a scale that measures your good deeds from the bad ones? Are you worthy of peace? Were you ever worthy of peace?" A pale hand rested on my hair in a way that felt like an anointing or some sort of blessing. Its thumb placed directly in the center of my forehead. The being was shrouded in a black robe, its face hidden by shadow. I didn't feel dread, nor did I feel judgment. Despite its frightening appearance, I did not feel fear. It was as though whatever stood before me was a friend, or a parent of sorts. I tried to hold my breath in anticipation, but I had no breath to hold. I tried to look at my body, but I could not see anything. I felt myself floating in that grand cosmic web from before, but all I could see was this one being. Those questions... they burned me to my very core.
Suddenly, I gasped with a sharp inhale. Life. I was... alive? How? I tried to move but my progression was hindered immediately. Is this some sort of box... a casket? A rush of panic quickly washed over me as I started banging on the wood above me. My movement was limited due to the confines of the small box that I was imprisoned in. It was musky, with a faint smell of what reminded me of that medicine that mom used to pour over my wounds whenever I got scraped or cut. Moss or something biological in nature seemed to coat the surfaces of this casket, making my panicked hands feel sticky from its components mixed with my perspiration. "Help me! Is anyone out there!?" I pounded and pounded with all my might. 
Suddenly I felt something snap beneath me. I hadn't even noticed that I wasn't alone in this personal purgatory. I could feel a sharp laceration on my left upper arm as the bone of a ribcage ripped into my arm. "Ouch! Oh, dear God why!?" Wait! This gives me an idea. "Survival mode Stace..." I twisted and curled my now bleeding arm in odd contortionist angles, reaching for that piece of bone that had just snapped. I think it's long enough that I might just be able to pry this thing open or at least maybe be able to carve my way out of this box. "Got it!" I squeezed the rib bone with pride. "Sorry to whoever you were." 
I reached up towards what I assumed to be the lid of the coffin. It's a good thing I was facing upwards. "Shoot!" The bone was too thick to wedge inside the space between the lid and the box. Maybe if I try kicking it and wedge it in at the same time? I kicked with all my might, and the box did move with the force, but it wasn't enough. I tried and tried again, crying in frustration, exhausting myself. I gave up after what was probably an hour. I could feel my eyes closing from exhaustion. I imagine in such a confined space that I would probably never wake up again if I fell asleep, due to the limited amount of oxygen. My eyes closed and rested as I thought about that figure that I saw in what I assumed to be a dream. Am I worthy of peace? 
I don't know how much time had passed, and I don't remember even falling asleep, but I did eventually wake up again. "Oh god why am I still alive? You can't even let me die? Can't even grant me that courtesy?" I don't know who I was talking to, but it felt better to say it out loud. I regrasped my handy riblet piece and squeezed. "Let's give this one more shot." I positioned my feet at either edge, gripping the top with my feet as best I could despite how little room I had to adjust. With my other free hand, I balled up my fist and wedged my knuckles on the opposite side. Three appendages up, and one to pry inside the gap. "One, two, three!" I pushed will all my might. I shoved the sharper end of the bone in the gap and managed to shimmy it deeper and deeper. "Let's go!!!" I pulled downward with all my might while pushing upwards on the lid. Crack! The lid cracked and I kicked with all my might. The lid flung open, and I took the most refreshing breath in. "Freedom! Oh my God yes!" It was pitch black all round, but the air, though still musky, wasn't confined and there was lots of open space to breathe in. 
With my newfound freedom, I was able to reach for my pack which thankfully stayed with me. Inide was my handy toolbox which miraculously did not break, some fresh roots for food and thankfully, my still functioning flashlight. I flicked it on and was startled by the sudden light. I was in some sort of stone tunnel... no, a catacomb? The walls were lined with indentions filled with bones organized neatly into piles. Every few feet or so, there was a casket, similar to the one I had just broken out of. I shined my light into the box I had just escaped from and frowned at the skeleton that served as my prison mate for a spell. "Thanks for the help." Poor thing was shattered and desecrated by my weight. "What's this?" There was something shimmering at the bottom. A ring? 
I reached down and picked up a beautiful gold ring. It carried a gorgeous green emerald in the middle. I shined the light inside and I could see a perfect star pattern in the crystalline structure. "Oh, you had MONEY money, didn't you? Okaaay!" Past the shadows, in the not-so-far distance, I could hear several sets of footsteps. I powered off my flashlight and nuzzled myself in a pile of bones in one the intrusions on the wall. Being the backrooms, who knows what sort of terrifying creature was stalking me, and I had zero inkling of where I was. Better safe than sorry. After just a minute in my hiding spot, I could see several torches illuminating what looked to be four human faces. Better than a monster, but I still wanted to hide, just in case. I'm not much of a fighter after all, and who knows what they would do to me. Not everyone was like Jeff and Martin. 
== ==
== ==
Entry Eleven: You are a Bold One!
== ==
"No, I definitely heard something down this way. Sound travels really well down here." His voice was masculine, strong accent. Middle Eastern maybe?
"I'm actually a bit distracted as there seems to be a higher abundance of nooks and crannies." Another male, different accent. Not American though.
"Well, if you two would shut up for a minute, maybe you'll hear it again!" There's the American and thank God it's a woman. Say what you want, but it's risky being a lone woman wandering the backrooms. Making myself known was certainly a gamble, but my hiding spot wasn't exactly sasquatch-level to try and stay hidden. At least with another woman, I have higher chances of being safe. Well, that's what I told myself anyways. A woman with bad intentions can be just as dangerous as any man, but I like my odds a lot more. Here goes nothing...
"Um, hello there." I carefully stepped out from my hiding spot as a few femurs avalanched down to the ground next to me. I could tell I startled them as they assumed a defensive stance.
"General Kenobi!" I still couldn't place his accent.
"Erik, shut the hell up you idiot." Even through the torchlight I could tell he was Asian by descent. He also had a strong accent, Japanese? This was a diverse group. Nice.
"Yamato, hate the game, not the player." Not British, but definitely European. German? No, but it's close.
“What? What does that even mean? You’re spouting nonsense.” His scowl was that of pure frustration. I could tell that these two loved to bicker and banter. Very strong sibling energy between the two of them.
“Would you two shut up! I swear I’m like a broken record! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Uhhh!” She was an older lady with a full head of grey hair, pulled back into a ponytail. The wrinkles behind her eyes and in the corners of her mouth revealed sort of a permanent smile, emphasized by the light from the torch. She looked kind, almost motherly. In fact, I could very much tell that she was the mother of the group. A mama and her three rowdy boys.
“Uh, my name is Stacy… I am a MEG researcher, but I am really questioning at the moment whether or not I should stick with it. I just came from level 110, I had to… I just had to break out of my own grave… well whosever’s grave that was…” I am only now realizing the weight of the trauma I had just endured. It was really starting to settle in and I was having a hard time coping with it.
“Well, Stacy, nice to meet you. I’m Donna, this is Erik, Jad, and Yamato. Don’t worry, we’re not dangerous. We’re the Catacomb Raiders! Now that I think about it, that name doesn’t make us sound any less dangerous, but we’re nice I SWEAR!” Donna was a bit of a chatterbox it would seem. “Now, not to discredit your experience but you should consider yourself lucky. Most people that end up in level 207 have to dig their way out. Luckily for me, I had this hatchet. Was able to bust my way out and dig up from there. Not fun and let me repeat myself, NOT FUN! Erik here had a shovel. Yamato… I forgot; how did you get out of yours?” 
“It was an above ground cemetery. In Brazil.” Brazil? How did that make any sense? I didn’t escape the backrooms, did I? No, Donna said this was level 207. How can there be Brazil in a backrooms level? It didn’t make any sense.
“Excuse me, did you say Brazil? How is that possible in the backrooms?” My curiosity overpowered my sense of caution. I let down my guard. I guess I really didn’t have any way to defend myself even if I had to. I’ll just have to trust these ‘Catacomb Raiders’ for now. Yeah, she’s right, the name really doesn’t help and all I was armed with was a toolbox and a bag full of backrooms carrots.
Jad looked directly at me with his dark, piercing eyes, causing my heart to flutter ever so slightly. “Level 207 is a collection of cemeteries from Earth. All of them now that I think about it. Every cemetery that exists on Earth also exists, crammed onto level 207. Not just the cemeteries either; you have mausoleums, crematoriums, churches, catacombs like this one. Any burial site really.”
“So, if there’s a cemetery in Brazil, it’s here too. Same with Japan.” Donna looked towards Yamato. Hah, called it. “Same with the USA, Egypt.” She pointed at herself then Jad. Then, towards Erik: “Sweden…” So that’s where that accent is from. Not German. Is that close? I don’t know. I can’t remember. Now that I think about it, if every cemetery in the world is here, I bet I could visit Oakridge. It would be nice to see a little slice of home again. Maybe I should visit sometime.
“I guess my next question is, should I be worried? I’ve read a lot of backrooms articles but I’m not familiar with 207. Are there any entities? Environmental hazards? How secure are the catacombs?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be a very good backrooms level if there weren’t any monsters now, would it?” Erik cracked a wide, mischievous smile. I could tell Erik was the joker of the group. Always ready for trouble and fun.
“What do you mean by fun? The purest form of the backrooms shouldn’t even have entities. It takes away from the explorative, liminal aspect of the whole experience!” Yamato was the no-nonsense straight edge, the complete and total foil of Erik.
“Fun? Experience? What is this to you all, a vacation? We’re in survival mode down here. Plus, it’s okay that some backrooms levels have monsters, and some do not. It doesn’t take away from anything, it’s just the way it is, and we have to survive regardless.” It would seem Jad was the ‘both-sides’ guy, the mediator. The middle ground.
“There you three go again, flapping your gums. Level 207 has your standard entities. In the catacombs you have smilers and hounds. Above ground you’ll also see death moths and the occasional window on a church or building. Entities aren’t necessarily abundant, but they’re not rare either. If you stay on your toes and watch your step, you should be fine.” Yeah, Donna was definitely the mother of the group.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to see some friendly faces, especially immediately after… breaking out, but why hang out in a musky dungeon when it sounds like you have a whole world with sunshine and fresh air?” Fresh air sounded nice. Despite level 110 being outdoors, the air was anything but fresh thanks to the carnage at that witchy hut.
Jad brought his attention back towards me and I could see his sharp jawline emphasized by the low light of the flame. “Well, being the ‘Catacomb Raiders’ we scour the mysterious depths of these labyrinths in search of treasure. I’m talking gold and silver, swords and daggers, trinkets of all types. It’s exhilarating. And… it’s guilt free! It’s not like there is anyone to visit and mourn at these graves and I have serious doubts whether or not these are actually human remains or just some spooky props provided by the backrooms itself.” Everyone else clung to his every word. The man was charismatic with his passionate eyes and smooth voice.
Aside from the weapons, raiding up treasures seemed pointless and a waste of space. Unpractical. Who even cares about riches in the backrooms? What would you even do with them? As soon as I had that thought, I remembered my own hypocrisy as I had just stowed a very expensive emerald ring in my pack. “Hey, you want to see something cool?” What the heck. I reached into my pack and pulled out my newest treasure. “What do you think of this?”
I could see Jad’s dark eyes dilate, even in the low light. He examined every angle of the jewel, using his torch to survey the fine craftmanship of the accessory. He mumbled a few words in what I assumed to be Arabic. I didn’t understand anything he was saying, but they seemed to be words of admiration. Jad closed his hand and then his eyes, processing the treasure that he had witnessed. I take it he likes the ring.
After a moment, Jad reopened his eyes and his hand and held it back out towards me. “Stacy it is marvelous. A true treasure and a rare find. Excellent work.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty, but you know what? You can have it. As a thanks for being so kind and for giving me so much information about level 207.” Deep down, I didn’t want to give it up, but at the same time, what use would I have for it? And if it can get me in good terms with this rather armed group of raiders, I’ll accept the loss.
“Stacy, I couldn’t… really? I can have it? It’s incredible…” I nodded with a smile of reassurance. “Thank you so much, Stacy… I will treasure this for as long as I live.” He smiled with genuine joy. The man was honestly rather pretty, and he also had an eye for pretty things. I straightened myself up and fixed my hair with my fingers as he carefully reexamined his newest collectable.
== ==
To be continued...
----
> Open Author & Licensing Information
> Close Author & Licensing Information
Main Author: TheDadams author of The Accidental Wanderer and The Intentional Wanderer.
Category:The Wanderers Toolbox
Category:Tales