The Accidental Wanderer

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The wanderer who had no business poking their nose into the horror that is the backrooms. Is it possible to slip in through your dreams? It seems like it was possible for this unfortunate soul. Lucky for us, they recorded everything in a notebook they found in Level 0. Follow along as this notebook records the wanderings of this walking accident. 
(Note, this story was started in mid 2021 and some of these levels referenced no longer exist. The backrooms are analogous and is always changing. It is not difficult to conceptualize levels coming in and out of existence.)
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Entry One: A Call to the Mind, a Path Set in Hell
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I remember from a long time ago reading about the backrooms. I thought it was an interesting enough creepy pasta, seeing the oddly familiar picture that the whole concept is based on. I might have even stumbled upon the subreddit at the time.
Well after my initial discovery, I went about my life never really thinking about it. Years might have passed since, I'm not sure. Either way, I had completely forgotten about the "backrooms" at least, until recently.
It might have been about a week back or so; I'm not sure what triggered the memory, but here it was, in my brain, once again. Maybe I saw it in a dream, maybe it was the old peddler’s mall in town that sparked it. Whatever it was, it left an impression as I haven't been able to forget about it.
Well, I started researching: watching videos, reading stories, and finding the subreddit. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I started dreaming about yellow walls and damp gray carpet.
Well my problem starts there you see. I don't know how, and I don't know why (which is part of the mystery I guess but I'm no longer amused). but in one of my dreams, I couldn't wake up. Have you ever had anxiety so constant, so pressing that it feels like it's consuming you? It's like a pool of acid in the pit of your stomach (I know that's a terrible metaphor since your stomach is already full of acid but I'm panicking here!)
Anyways, it's just as it's always been described. Yellow, damp, the buzzing... so much buzzing. I don't think enough is said about the smell. Maybe I'm sensitive to mildew but I guess I'll have to grow accustomed to it.
I started wandering the rooms just picking a direction and continuing. So far, I haven't heard or seen anything except that fluorescent buzz and my moist footsteps.
After what felt like hours or more, I can't seem to gasp time here, I found a room with a single desk. It was the first item I found so far. Inside was a piece of paper, and invoice of some sort. It looks like an order for some sort of electronic component? Anyways, the amount was in USD if that means anything. There was also a pen, an empty notebook, and some paperclips. I took everything I found (I’m a bit of a hoarder).
I set the desk on its side as to make kind of a fort next to a wall and I will rest for a moment. I'm terrified. It's so empty and I'm so lonely. I dread the loneliness. But I dread the sudden feeling of not being alone even more.
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Entry Two: Uneasy and a Bit Darker than the Rest
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I decided my legs had rested enough and I needed to move on. My pants were damp from the carpet, but I had a will and determination to progress. 600 million square miles though? Was that the number?
I still had yet to hear any noise other than the dull buzzing from the fluorescent lights. I read about some sort of creatures, but I have yet to see any sign of one. Maybe not, just loneliness. Though at this point, I’m surprised I’m not seeing something, fabricated directly from my slipping mind. 
At some point, surely there is some sort of pattern to these rooms? No? It’s almost at the dimensions were determined by digits of pi. Left, right, straight, left again. It’s not linear an any way. Often enough I could pick more than one direction. 
After more hours of endless, pointless travel, I started to miss that little desk. It was something different at least. Sometimes I like to look at that dumb little invoice. Did it come from the outside world and no-clip here too? Do items no-clip? Is this exclusively human? What was it for? When was it created? I liked to ask my questions in my head. Something to try and drown out that awful buzzing.
My attention pulled toward a particular wall. This wall seemed… off to me. I really wanted to touch it. As I approached and reach out my hand, my body fired up a natural response, like if you put out your hand somewhere and you see a spider or something. It was like that. I jerked my hand back. The wall was darker than the other walls around it and was just eerie.
My flight or fight response was flaring like a siren. Like, I wanted to run through it, but I also wanted to run away. This wall was odd; it had no business being here. I hate it. I hate this place. I think... I will not test the fates today. I don't know how long I've already been here, but I already feel my mind slipping.
Nothing else to do but walk.
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Entry Three: Suspicious Red, Feelings of Dread
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After playing some of the Fallout games, I began to fall in love with some of the old tunes. The Wanderer by Dion was one in particular that I enjoyed. The song seemed rather fitting given how long and how far I've walked. No objective, no destination just hopelessly trying to find something, someone, anything to give me some sort of edge to my environment. I don't know how much an ink pen, a piece of paper a notebook, and some paperclips will give me a major edge but since I found those, maybe I can find something else?
The Wanderer is quite a cheery song really. Thinking about it, it's a strong juxtaposition to be humming while traversing this hellscape. Of course, I'm sure the devs over at Bethesda studios had a similar mindset when they added the soundtrack to those games. Made their world more interesting. That contrast.
It's something, I guess? To hum a tune. Anything to make the dull buzz and piss yellow engulfing my sanity a little more interesting. "I go through life without a care. 'Til I'm as happy as a clown. With my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere "
Wait... that looks like somewhere? A change from the yellow... rather a deep red? Almost like blood. For a moment, instead of hunger and extreme thirst, I could feel butterflies in my stomach. It was ominous, I was terrified. But my curiosity, and something besides that awful yellow....
"They call me the wanderer, yeah the wanderer. I roam around around around..."
I step in the red room. It continues just like the familiar yellow. In fact, it looks exactly the same as the rest of the rooms but it's red. The further I walk in though, the more I notice the stench. Yeah, the mildew was still there, but it was overpowered by a powered waft of rot.
The lights flicker, almost systematically, like a warning? I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. That feeling in my stomach turned into pure dread. That feeling of "I might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time," except I can almost hear it - like a feint whisper.
From the wall behind me, I hear what sounds to be a soft knocking. I took off, not at a full sprint as my body was weak from dehydration and hunger, but rather a quick and determined pace. As I moved from room to room, I saw red liquid dripping from the outlets. I hear knocking directly in front of me. I stopped, as though to divert my momentum to knock something over - like mom's prized German decorative bowl. She thinks it's worth a small fortune; I have my doubts. (I really am losing it.) I turned the other way and ran as hard as my body would allow. I need to escape. Back to the yellow. At least it's familiar. Maybe even safe?
The more I ran, the less familiar I was with my surroundings. The rooms must be shifting. It's like the red wants me to stay. Is it alive? Am I being eaten? I start to see spots on my eyes, and I am hearing voices. I wasn't sweating anymore, and I was heaving. Suddenly, I spot an air duct. This might be my only chance.
I ripped off the vent, it was surprisingly easy to break open. I could barely fit, but I was in full panic mode. I would have run the Shawshank Redemption brown mile with my mouth open just to get out of these red rooms. After an eternity of wiggling and moving, through a new vent I see the familiar yellow. I open and squeeze through. Yes, bright, pale piss yellow. My favorite. That sweet damp grey carpet. It was cool and nice. My vision is blurred, my body exhausted...
"I go through life without a care. 'Til I'm as happy as a clown. With my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere.
I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around.
I'm…"
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Entry Four: A Pleasant Poison
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 *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
My body was so weak. I feel like I should have died by now. It's been days without food or water. This has to be hell. I would be dead by now if it wasn't hell. It hurts to move. Why does it hurt to even open my eyes? I hate it here.
 *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
Huh?
I finally managed to crack open a single eye.
 *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
It felt like electricity running through my legs. It was as though an eager phantom was willing me to wake. My eyes focused a little. Nothing. There was nothing. Was it a muscle twitch? I am dehydrated more than I had ever been in my entire life.
Walking again was no easy task. I was sure my demise was approaching, but I might as well explore until then. Who knows? Maybe I’ll find something nice. To counterbalance the horror of the past day. 
I entered a room that didn't look too different than any other except for a bookshelf by one of the walls. It was a black, thin metal bookcase typical for an office holding SOPs or inventory logs. This one was barren with the exception of a single black and yellow, plastic hand-carry toolbox.
Well, of course I had to see what was inside. Upon unlatching the yellow flap, I spot two items: A black and yellow Philips’s screwdriver and a 1-liter carton of liquid. The screwdriver for sure was an absolute win! If I could find another office desk, I bet I could fashion a club out of a leg or something to fight off some hostile creature (though I’ve encountered absolutely nothing.)
The carton, well... I'll open it and see. It was white, no visible markings or labeling. It had a sweet smell, looked clear like water. Almonds? Vanilla maybe? I wish I could say my mouth watered at the thought of something to drink but I don't think I could produce anymore saliva.
On one hand, perhaps the strange liquid was poison? I would drink it, die or turn into zombie. Two: I don't drink it and die of thirst anyways. Three: if luck was on my side, well I might just get to push on a little longer? It seemed a clear choice. (Amazing to think I can make any rational thought at this point). I'm going to drink and maybe die.
I started with a single gulp. Oh, did it feel amazing. Like a cool shower on a hot sunburn. I continued to drink the sweet liquid. Endorphins were shooting down my spine. I was careful not to drink too fast as I might vomit from the sudden sustenance. The more I drank, the more relaxed I felt. I could even feel my brain focusing, clearing up. If this does kill me, at least I'll die feeling rather pleasant.
I sucked every drop of liquid from that carton. Smiling, I sat down, exhausted and satisfied. As to examine my prize I looked at the carton. Turning it about. Maybe there is an ounce of hope (or a pint) after all.
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Entry Five: Everything is Looking Up
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New outlook, new me. New goal, renewed energy. I was feeling pretty good. Whatever that magic potion was, it did the trick. I for sure have no idea what it was made from or if I was going to kill over at any moment. But I felt good, still hungry but good.
It's time to work. I moved my feet with determination, carrying my new toolbox and screwdriver. (I kept the carton too, never know if I might find water) I continued my method of trying to keep one steady direction. After keeping a personally impressive pace for a good while, moving from room to room, I arrived at something I hadn't seen before: a door.
Now the last time I gave into curiosity, I nearly died. This time, however, felt different. I guess today, I was ready to test the fates. Today was my day. I put my hand on the doorknob and pulled it right open. I had the attitude of "here I am!" "Ready or not!"
To my surprise, the other side yielded a concrete staircase. Black painted handrails going upwards to another door of a similar wooden make. There was nothing else particularly interesting about the staircase except for, it wasn't the standard backrooms I was used to.
Naturally, I went up. Didn't get any off-putting feelings or anything and once I reached the top, I simply opened the door, and I was in a new place. The walls were a grimy concrete, and the floor was tiled with a low hanging fog. It still had the annoying fluorescent lighting (though a somewhat dimmer), but no moist, gross, grey carpet and no piss-colored walls. It was nice looking... at least it was different. I might just stay here for a while.
Now the layout of the rooms was similar as below, just a bit larger. Like a warehouse. It was a constant labyrinth of empty corridors. I'm hopeful of finding another desk or something of a simple construction that I could maybe disassemble to use as a weapon or tool. At the moment, I was defenseless (except for a screwdriver which I could use as a shiv if I really needed to). I figure there might be hostile creatures somewhere about and I would feel much better if I had a crude club or something I can swing, just in case. Only time will tell.
Just like before, I continued to walk. Though hunger was really starting to kill me. Occasionally I would see puddles of water on the ground and some weird art on the wall that would seem to disorient me. They would sometimes disappear too, if I wasn’t looking directly at them. At one point I even found a crate!
Time to put my screwdriver to work. After cracking it open, I found several small cartons of that sweet almond water. This was a much better place. I grabbed every carton, putting some in my toolbox, guzzling another. 
For the first time I felt what could be described as some as a small sliver of joy. I finally have the upper hand! 
Then that dreadful sound rather, the opposite of the usual, dreadful sound I was so accustomed to hearing. Instead of maximum hum buzz, I heard silence. And I could see nothing. Power outage. Then I heard the footsteps…
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Entry Six: Darkness, Faceless, Hopeless
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The power outage only lasted a few minutes but the impact to my mind and body will never recover. I don’t think my heart pumped a single drop of blood in the duration of that nightmare. This whole place is a nightmare. One giant, complex, overdesigned nightmare. When the lights jumped back on, and that buzzing began to fill my skull, I noticed a few things that were peculiarly different.
For one: My crate was gone. Where the hell did it go? Two: There was a painting on the nearest wall. It was like an AI tried to generate art of a hillside, but they were too round and perfect with perfect little houses on each. It was very uncanny. Three: Just a small thing, but there was a faceless man walking right up to me. 
I froze, not knowing what to do. Is this one of those “entities” I read about? Standing before me was an old man. At least I think it was an old man? I rubbed my eyes. I can't tell if it was from the exhaustion or my deteriorating brain, but I swear to you this man did not have a face. It was completely smoothed over except for some aging wrinkles.
He seemed non-hostile, at least not actively attacking me, but he was strange. Gave me a strong, heebie-jeebies - make your skin crawl - this is really unnatural - kind of feeling. What is this faceless monster / tortured soul / who knows what? A future version of me? I mean, did he used to be human? Maybe?
l was starting to feel a bit at ease since, so far, I’ve kept my face and my heartbeat. I hung around a bit, feeling a strange sense of peace being with a kind of “someone”. I tried talking to it for a bit, trying not to get too close. Of course, it never responded, as it had no mouth to speak, but it was therapeutic in a sense, since it was my first time really talking since I got here, who knows how long ago. I was feeling okay enough until I let my guard down, he started feeling my face and body and... well it was rather invasive to say the least. I didn't speak, as what do you say to a man with no face? I just turned and walked away. I felt so icky. I couldn't tell if he was trying to follow me or not; he moved rather slow.
Walking again was no easy task as I was feeling very uncomfortable. After a few hours, I found another crate. I excitedly opened it up, hoping to find some useful supplies and sure enough I was lucky again. If only there was a lottery here today, I’d give it a shot. I managed to grab a working flashlight and some energy bars (solid food!!!). I wolfed down those energy bars and grabbed the flashlight. I won’t be caught in the dark unaware anymore. 
Though my first encounter in the backrooms wasn’t life threatening, I was sure my demise was approaching soon enough. I might as well explore until then. Who knows? Maybe I'll turn into a faceless old man groping random strangers as I find them. I still couldn’t help but wonder, how did this faceless man come to be? Did it have consciousness? Am I losing mine? I took a swig of almond water from my toolbox. Got to keep my head, got to keep moving.
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Entry Seven: Lights Out
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This place is starting to feel familiar. Like, even though there is no pattern to anything, it appeared like a pretty easy system. Concrete everywhere, water on the ground sometimes. Lights will occasionally flicker on and off. If the lights turn off, be very weary of your surroundings. Pay attention to sounds. Notice abnormalities.
Things I have noticed: Sometimes I’d see more paintings on the wall that were kind of abstract, with no real meaning or intent. Sometimes they would just disappear out of existence. Sometimes I’ll find a crate with dead rats in them, seemed to be filled with some sort of fluids, like an embalming fluid? Occasionally some of the puddles acted in a strange way. Like, they would ripple in strange patterns and would seem to be sort of attracted to me? I tried to stay away from those as much as possible. 
Crates were not common, but I would find them every now and then. Some had food and almond water. Others had some useless junk. I managed to find a roll of tape and fashion a sort of club out of wood and a solid metal machine part. I’m not tech savvy enough to know what it was, but I was able to attach it to the piece of wood and wrap one end with tape to make a handle for comfort. It wasn’t much, but for the first time I was armed with something other than my toolbox. I made a strap for my toolbox with the remaining tape so that it no longer needed to be carried. All of this took several hours which was okay as I needed the rest, and I wasn’t in any immediate danger.
Danger. As though the thought was a trigger for malice, the power went out again. This is fine. I’ve experienced this dozens of times now. Haven’t really seen anything except the faceless man before. But I stood quietly, listening to any sounds. I powered on my flashlight just to be safe. Nothing. No sounds. Nothing to see... wait.
It was out of the corner of my eye. Like glowing teeth. I immediately beamed my flashlight in that direction, but whatever it was it ran off. Then I saw it again, in the darkness. It had glowing eyes and teeth. It looked at me as though it were smiling. I beamed my light and it disappeared again. Am I losing my mind? Then it appeared again, outside of my light. I backed away slowly. It was definitely following me. 
As I walked backwards, I felt an unpleasant wetness. I didn’t want to lose sight of this awful smiling presence, but this wasn’t an ordinary wetness. It was sticky. All of a sudden, I felt something gasp my leg and pull downwards. I intensely hit my leg with my club as though I was swatting away at a bee or something. The metal machine chunk hit my leg and whatever was grabbing me. Hard. It hurt like hell. Whatever it was, it grabbed the club, and I jumped out and ran. The only problem was. I couldn't see the smiling demon.
I ran, trying to avoid any puddles but as I looked back, I saw those teeth chasing me and gaining. I didn’t know what to think, all I had in my hands was that flashlight, and the light wasn’t slowing it down either. It would just move side to side to avoid it. I was sure I was a goner. I threw the flashlight as a last resort to maybe hit it and stun it since it was about to engulf me; then the strangest thing happened. It chased the flashlight like a dog chasing a treat. I didn’t have time to comprehend it. I kept running. I ran into a wall, and I guess it was a door or something because I went right through it. 
Brightness... Light! That power outage seemed to have lasted longer than the others. But I see light! Real light!
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Entry Eight: Window into the Uncanny
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The light hurt my eyes for a second. I looked back behind me to see if it was still following me from the dark but behind me was… a window? I jumped through a window? But the window was shut, and the curtain was drawn shut too. I couldn’t catch my breath either. My adrenaline was astoundingly high. I puked. Oh, I vomited so much onto the floor. Nothing but energy bars and almond water. I couldn’t help it either. I sat and leaned against the wall as to collect myself.
What I saw before me was a large, enclosed corridor. The ground was carpeted in a green moss. It reminded me of that “turf” that you would see at a mini-golf course. There are sidewalks that kind of pathed its way through and a wooden circle near the middle. It was made to look like it was outside, but there was a roof, and the light was artificial. At least there was light. What a relief. This only soothed my anxiety somewhat though.
I was surrounded by small, square windows; most of them were covered by curtains. It looked to be about five stories high, almost like a hotel courtyard but all indoors. It was very uncanny. It really put me on edge. Every now and then, out of the corner of my eye, I swear I would see things. Like a being of some sort, but they would be gone as soon as I looked. I think it was my mind playing tricks on me, but it was eerie, and I felt like I was being watched. 
I managed to sip some almond water. I lost my club and flashlight but at least I still had my toolbox. After resting for about an hour or so, I was able to stand up. I didn’t like my feeling and decided if I was going to be attacked, I had better be in a position to run. This courtyard wasn’t huge either. It would only take a minute for me to walk from one end to another. I decided to look into some of the windows; do a little reconnaissance. 
Most of the windows were covered but there was one that wasn’t. Strangely, it had some sort of human shaped shadow inside of it. A person maybe? A monster? Even though my adrenaline was still pumping, yes even hours later, I was feeling crazy enough to investigate.
The shadow seemed to beckon to me, but I couldn’t quite make out who or what it was. I got closer to the window to see what it was. As I peered into the window, the shadow moved closer as well. The only problem was, the closer it got, the more I realized that it was not a person but literally just a shadow entity. It reached out towards me. 
I then remembered the puddle from the warehouse, that reached through to grab me. I quickly jerked back as a hand went through the window towards me. I swear it was closed before. I quickly looked back at where I had initially come through (next to my pile of vomit) and I ran. No thoughts except the word RUN. I didn't even think twice. I just jumped through the window. I didn’t care what happened to me, but I needed to get out of there. I'm not dying today.
There was no shatter of glass, no collision, only a brief fall and then a splash of warm water. Disoriented. Wet. Water. What?
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Entry Nine: A Pool of Peace
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Splash! I was expecting a warehouse but instead I got a pool of water. A rather large one at that. Thankfully I was able to stand up where I was, but it was deep enough that I was unharmed during my jump. What is this new place? The water was kind of warm, pristine, with white tiles spanning the floors all of the way up the walls and covering the ceiling. If were not for the blue-green water, this place would look completely uniform.
So, windows are evil now. I made a mental note. I guess everything is out to attack me. I wouldn’t be surprised if this water was evil too. Yet somehow, it was calming, soothing like a spa. I started wading through the water, hoping to find a staircase or something to get out, but all the pathways were a bit high to reach. I was in a large room, natural light coming from who knows where (a stark contrast from my previous adventures). There were pathways above me, dry and with rooms and hallway entrances scattered about. There was a hallway directly behind me that I could wade through, so that is what I did.
The hallway was curvy and consistent, the water temperature never changing. There seemed to be a current, but it was directionless. Like the water was moving about, even if I was perfectly still. The sound was pleasant, no hum buzz or monster noises. The other end of the hallway opened up to another large room with huge pillars reaching the ceiling from the floor. Lucky for me, there was indeed a staircase, also lined with white tiles, dipped into the water.
After climbing the staircase, I sat down. Taking deep breathes further calming myself. My eyes grew heavy. The tranquil atmosphere, soothing sounds of water and the super comfy looking hard tile beckoned me to lie down. I did not resist. I laid down and slept. I slept like I’ve never slept before. I didn’t care anymore if I never woke back up; unfortunately for me, I did eventually wake.
It’s not often that you sleep so well that you feel inclined to write about it. Lucky for me my toolbox was somewhat watertight, and my notebook stayed dry in my plunge. I stood up, but quickly sat back down. I was dizzy. I drank some almond water (finished off my last bottle as there was plenty of water here) and ate my last energy bar. I’m going to need to find a way out of here or I will go hungry. 
After regaining my energy and my senses. I went about to explore my new wilderness. Beautiful as it was, I could still feel the disparity of loneliness. I’ve lost track of how long I’ve wandered the backrooms. I had yet to meet anyone else. I was skinny from malnutrition, frail from constant cardio. PTSD was for sure an ongoing problem, something I’ll have to put in the back of my mind. I made it this far. That feels like an accomplishment on its own. I've survived some terrifying events and odds. I felt a determination to keep going. I gained a will to live.
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Entry Ten: The Darkness Welcomes Me
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I decided to stick to dry ground for a while as chafing would be agonizing and I don’t want to strip down just in case the temptation to wander off gets me lost and I live the remainder of my life in the nude. This place is honestly stunning. It was as though it was handcrafted by some higher power, with the purest drive of creating the perfect aesthetic. 
Walking from room to room was awe inspiring, huge spacious architecture, pools in every space, pure in color with welcoming warmth. Archways, pillars, bridges, calming bright lights: all features just created beauty.
Sometimes I would strip down, just to jump into the beautiful water. Some pools have deeper water, some are so deep you can only see blackness instead of floor. Some stairways will end in some of these water-filled pits. Each plunge made me feel calm and warm, even staving off my growing hunger. 
I think I’ve been wandering here for a few days, and though I have plenty of water, the need for food did continue to grow. Occasionally, I would explore in the waters, making sure not to lose my way. I would carry my clothes just in case. I tried to jump in the water as often as possible since I liked the way it felt. Some corridors would lead into darker areas where the water would start to feel cold and in certain places, the water would stink. Any time I found these areas I would guide myself back to the calming light as to avoid any unnecessary danger.
After another day or so, the excitement of this very safe area began to wear off. Hunger was starting to physically hurt, and I was feeling the starvation steal my life force from me. What once was a beautiful, calming labyrinth, transformed into a repetitive prison of lonely torment. The all-to-familiar dread of the backrooms hung over my head constantly.
My newfound need to survive was quickly wearing off. I eventually decided: this will be the place I die. I can't go on any longer. The shaking of hunger had already stopped and so did my will to live.
At least it is peaceful. I doubt anyone will ever find my body. I took a deep breath. It’s time to make a choice. Do I wait and die of starvation? Do I jump into the deep and drown myself? The thoughts of waiting gave me huge anxiety, however, being sentimental and knowing I’ll never get a proper burial, burying myself in the water seemed the right thing to do. What does it matter anyways?
I stood up straight. I’ll keep my clothes on for this one. I secured my remaining things in my toolbox, closing it tightly, closed my eyes and plunged into the blackness of the deepest pool I could find. I opened my eyes to blackness. I was at peace. I made it pretty far, didn’t I? 
The further I sank, the more pressure I felt. My ears were starting to pop, and I had feelings of extreme anxiety. My blood was turning acidic from lack of oxygen; I was panicking. This isn’t peaceful at all! I started to kick out of pure instinct. I kicked and kicked and kicked. Where is this sudden will to live coming from? Where is this sudden burst of energy coming from? 
I kicked until I began seeing light, but the light had changed. It was too late to care. I have to keep kicking. Kick kick kick.
Finally, I breech the surface and take a huge gasp of air. I’m coughing and wading pushing myself to the ledge so I can hang on and rest. Hang on. The beautiful warm light and pristine tile was gone… I was in… a hotel pool?
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Entry Eleven: Nothing to See Here
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There was soft, soothing music playing. Handel? It was nice. There was a sweet smell too, like a perfume. I managed to pull myself onto the ledge and let my eyes study the new environment. LED lights lined the ceiling near the walls creating a warm, but modern light around the pool. There was some seating with outdoor style couches and a few tables lining some of walls.
One of the tables had a baggie sitting on top. It looked like something food came in! Without a second thought I immediately pushed my body towards the baggie. Beef jerky. Jackpot! I opened it up suspecting rot and mold, but it looked perfectly preserved! I sat down on the couch and devoured the jerky. I took every bit of it. Even used my fingers to dig out the crumbs in the corner. It was the most food I had consumed at once in probably over a month. I honestly had no idea how long I had been here; time doesn't flow in the same way as the outside world.
After I ate, I laid out on the couch. It was soft. Too soft to be totally honest. I tried to close my eyes but after an hour or so, my back began to hurt; my stomach hurt a little too unsurprisingly. Well, maybe I should explore a bit. There wasn't any more food in my immediate vicinity and my curiosity was peaked. Is that a will to keep going I sense?
I found my feet and went out the door. Supplies exist here, that is the most important thing. I exited the room into a large hallway. It was wide with alternating dark blue and black tile sections for the floor and black and tan sections for the walls. There were doors lining the hall like the one I came from resembling a hotel hallway.
I walked down the hall for a bit, turning a corner and walking some more. Maybe there is a reception desk somewhere? Or a vending machine? I kept walking, corner after corner. Nothing. Well, let's try one of the rooms. I approached the side and surprisingly, the door nearest to me was unlocked.
Now, I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't another pool. The room was of a similar size as the one I arrived in, but this one had a window. Windows... I had terror forming in the pit of my stomach. Windows are evil. Still, I could look from a distance, right? There was light coming from it and seeing some sunshine for a change would be rather pleasant.
I cautiously lined my vision up with the window, avoiding getting too close to it or the edge of the pool. That's interesting? My curiosity finally outweighed my new fear of windows. Outside was an empty white void. Absolute nothingness. No sky, no ground, just whiteness. It was infinite. It was devastatingly empty. Well, at the very least, there was no shadow monster waiting to pull me to my doom. Monsters seem to be so grabby in the backrooms.
I walked up to the window, hoping to find a latch or a way to open it up. Nothing. I looked around me as if someone was going to catch me being naughty and I tried to smash the window using a potted plant I found near the side. It was solid. Not even that glass "clink" sound I was expecting. I broke the pot though which is unfortunate as it was kind of nice. Some of the dirt spilled into the pool and immediately dissipated; it was as though the pool was self-purifying or self-cleaning. Where am I?
== ==
Entry Twelve: The Lobby at Last
== ==
My brain was having a hard time processing my senses. I'm in a simulation, right? Is that why I've never died from hunger or thirst? Emptiness. Infinite expanse. That would explain why I can hike for days in one direction in a seemingly endless structure without ever finding an 'edge' so to speak. But some things are certain: I do feel hunger, I thirst, I feel real pain, I receive real injuries. Whether I'm tied to a lab chair with probes driven through my skull or not, this feels entirely real.
I explored more tenaciously, to find food, supplies, anything to add to my handy toolbox. What a toolbox really, its sturdier than anything I've ever owned. Room to room, everything was always the same: Swimming pools. Every single one. Now the layouts varied, some were bright, some had windows. Often enough there would be some sort of seating or a plant here and there. Once every two hundred rooms or so I could find some kind of food: salted peanuts, jerky, energy bars. I filled my box with anything I didn't immediately eat. Fashioned a new club of sorts from a wooden side table leg, though I hadn't encountered any enemies yet.
Being prepared was always the top of my priority list. This place, though incredibly lonely had its benefits. I might can stay here for a bit. I had access to food, water, places to lay down, no enemies. Though it was still maddeningly quiet and lonely.
Fast forward a few days, maybe weeks, who knows. Operating outside of normal, standard procedure, I finally found something different enough to catch my attention. Something to remove away from the normal, room-check-for-food-leave pattern I had mastered. It was a lobby of sorts and at the end of that lobby was a door that felt different. Big windows that didn't have the all-white void, rather it was outside?
I never in my wildest imaginations did I ever think I would get to go outside. I was hesitant, as I didn't know if this was some sort of trap, if I had finally made it out of the backrooms or what. I checked the glass to make sure there was no shadow monster behind it. Windows are evil. Nothing. I pushed and sure enough it was unlocked. I felt warm, humid air as I walked through. I took a deep breath. I'm out, I'm actually, finally out. I began to tear up.
There were more pools just outside the hotel, quite a few. They appeared to keep going really. That's strange. Every now and then I would see a building. Inside each building was always the same type of things. Lifeguard floats and rings, nets on poles, chlorine chemicals etc. Sometimes I would see a frog which was cute and nice. But this was wrong. Everywhere I went, more pools. Pool, pool, pool, shed, pool, pool, pool, shed.
The further I got along, the more I came to feel a strange feeling. Someone, or something was watching me. I could feel its gaze. I could almost spot it at the corner of my eye but as soon as I would look, it was gone. Where are you? I gripped my make-shift club harder. I was ready for an attack.
At some point I did realize, to my disappointment, I was indeed still inside the backrooms. I felt super uncomfortable out here and I was scared. It was time for me to go back to the security of the pool-room hotel, assuming I could find the entrance again. I started back the way I came. I tried to stay in sight of the hotel building. It was strange, there were windows all over this place, and big ones at that. Why couldn't I see them from the inside?
== ==
Entry Thirteen: Hospitality at its Finest
== ==
It took a few unnerving hours, but I did eventually find the front doors, well, a front door. It looked different than what I came out of. It was a sliding glass door rather than a swinging door like before. Oh well, I was too busy looking for some sort of security rather than obsessing over the nuanced details of what door I left from. As I entered, my heart jumped – a... a faceling? I was back in a hotel, but it wasn't the same hotel I left, I was sure of it.
There he was, at the front lobby desk, a faceling in a dark blue sports jacket and pressed formal wear. Minus not having a face, he was quite dapper. He opened his hands and arms in a sort of - welcoming gesture. The last encounter I had with one of these entities, though not violent, was rather uncomfortable. Maybe it was specific to that one faceling? This guy seemed very friendly and even professional. I gripped my makeshift club tightly.
The hotel had a nice, sweet smell, like it was cleaned with a scented cleaning solution on a regular basis. Everything was fresh and tidy, the wallpaper was smooth and neat, the carpet was soft and spotless. There was a large, beautiful fountain of clean looking water. This might be the nicest place I have ever seen in the backrooms. The most shocking though, wasn't any of that. It was the person walking towards me... This person had a face.
He must have seen the horror in my eyes as I took a defensive stance. He immediately said to me, "hey now, take it easy, you're safe here." It was the first human voice I had heard for what I think were months. He was of average height, toned with dark hair and dark eyes, not monstrous in any way. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of pants. "Welcome to level negative eighteen, I'm Leo of the Backroom Colonists."
Negative eighteen? The backrooms had negative levels? How did I end up here? "Hello there?" I fumbled but managed to get some words out of my lips. "Did you say negative eighteen?"
"Yes, yes yes" replied Leo, he appeared rather excited to see my naivety and innocence. "Is this your first time here?"
I adjusted my stance to look a tad more relaxed. "I came from a hotel of sorts, but it wasn't anything like this... Is... is there food here? And water?" My eyes dilated a bit and my mouth watered at the thought. If there are colonists here, there has to be a food source, right?
"Oh buddy" Leo smirked with a little chuckle. "You're in for a treat, this level has a restaurant on this floor that covers about 20% of the entire footprint. And this hotel is over a mile long!"
I'm in paradise. This sounds amazing. A restaurant? In the backrooms? "A restaurant? How do I pay for food? What money is used in the backrooms?" My stomach growled. 
"Bud, I have no Idea. I just eat and the facelings just keep bringing more out. Here, I'll lead you to it." He starts walking and I followed. This guy could be leading me to my doom, but I didn't care. The thought of food, maybe even hot food made my legs feel like jelly. "How long have you been wandering the backrooms?"
I had no idea, time felt so different here. "I'm not sure, sir. Months maybe?" With my social energy levels being rather full, from the lack of human interaction for so long, I was pretty excited to talk to someone. I began retelling some of my adventures. I could already taste that food.
== ==
Entry Fourteen: A Clean, New Start
== ==
"Sounds like you've had a wild adventure, you're going to want to talk to the MEG on this level." Leo said authoritatively. He opened a glass door.
My eyes widened. Food. So much food. It was a buffet larger than I had ever seen before. There were restaurants in the restaurant. Looked like some of the fast-food joints from back home. "Who is Meg now?" I could hardly concentrate.
"MEG or M.E.G? Major Explorer Group? You've been here months and haven't heard of them? They're established on almost every reasonably safe level in the backrooms. Heh. Heck, they established a permanent base here within couple of weeks of finding it." Leo grabbed a plate and handed it to me.
"You're the first human I've seen since I got here." My hands were shaking. As I grabbed a pair of tongs and snatched a large piece of fried chicken. It was warm and crunchy. I scooped a hefty portion of mashed potatoes. The green beans were next. I had to grab a buttery biscuit too. It was flaky and golden.
"I can't tell if you're lucky or unlucky" Leo laughed. "Either way, you're lucky enough to have found The Suites. Be sure to grab a room to stay in, there are 10,000 of them heh." We sat down in front of a T.V. that was playing re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond. I sat down. Leo offered me a soda and a glass of almond water. I happily accepted. Leo's face turned authoritative again "Now you can find us near the lobby. We're all about relaxation and rest. Most of the backrooms are full of unspeakable horrors and we like to forget about it for a while." Leo stood up. "I'd love to stick around but I have a meeting to attend with some other Colonists. It was a pleasure to meet you!" He stuck out his hand. I shook it graciously.
Leo turned and left, right after he grabbed a little biscuit for himself. He never even asked my name. I looked around and saw other people about. Mostly facelings refilling food and sweeping the floor but there were a decent number of humans too. I think I might just live here forever.
After gorging myself on fresh, hot food and sitting for a spell, watching some boomer humor television, I managed to waddle myself back to the front desk to Mr. Dapper – hotel manager - clerk guy. "I'd like a room please." The faceling nodded and started typing. After a minute or so he swiped a card and handed it to me. The card read 82-89. Well, I guess it's time for me to find my room then. Straight back from the lobby was a set of elevators. I certainly didn't want to take the stairs. I pressed the "up" button and waited. After a few minutes the door opens, and I am greeted with another faceling. He was dressed in a red sports coat with gold buttons. I showed him my card and he pressed 82 on the button wall. The door closes and we begin to rise. Smooth jazz was playing on a small speaker on the ceiling. "So have you worked here a long time?" The faceling nodded.
After maybe five minutes of moving, the door opens to an extraordinarily long hallway. I said thanks to the faceling and I turned left. 50,51,52... I passed a door that seemed to be shrouded in darkness. Taking a mental note, I kept going. 85, 86, 87, 88... 89. This must be it. I opened the door to a huge, full apartment. It had a bathroom, sink, kitchen, and the softest looking bed I had ever seen. I'm going to savor this. I jumped in the shower and turned on the hot water. I bathed with REAL SOAP and REAL SHAMPOO. I squeaked I was so clean. I dried off with a fresh towel that was, oh so fluffy. I jumped in the bed, and I slept so hard the devil himself couldn't wake me.
== ==
Entry Fifteen: A Nice Smile for a Change
== ==
I woke up with a thunderstorm in my stomach. Sharp sharp pain. I guess going from eating nothing but energy bars and junk for months to eating a huge, full-sized meal might mess with you a bit. I will spare you the details, but I was happy to have my own personal bathroom nearby. After finally winning that fight with my body, I cleaned up and decided to explore a bit, maybe grab a quick bite to eat once everything settled down internally.
I started walking back towards the elevator when I saw that dark room again. The light was out, and the door was cracked open. I had a strange feeling. My hair stood on edge a little bit. I remembered Leo's comforting words "You're safe here." A quick peek won't hurt right? I peered into the crack of the door into darkness. It was too dark for me to see anything until all of a sudden, I saw two glowing, white eyes and then a smile of sharp teeth. Oh no, not again. I backed up quickly and ran down the hall. I was in a panic. I pushed the elevator button: down down down! I look back to see my death approaching me but there was nothing. The hallway was empty?
The last time I saw one of those smiler things it chased me until I was able to escape by throwing my flashlight. This one didn't seem to care. Well, I wasn't about to chance going back and testing my luck. Ding! The elevator doors open. "First floor please" I said to the faceling in red. The doors closed and the smooth jazz soothed my soul as we made our descent. "So, you like it here?" I asked. The faceling nodded. After a few minutes the doors open to the main corridor. After the elevator bell dinged, I walked through, and I saw a lady. She was next to the big fountain. She leaned over and dipped a cup into the water. She looked up at me and said "cheers" then walked past me into the elevator.
How is she so casual about this place? I walked to the front desk, back to mister Dapper. I wasn't sure what to do but Leo said I should look for the M.E.G. I asked the front clerk if he knew anything about the M.E.G. He looked at me, then looked down and grabbed what appeared to be a business card. It read M.E.G. Base Charlie. Find us on floor 100. "Thanks!" I spoke. I casually walked back towards the main hall. I'll grab a quick bite, I thought to myself.
I went back to the restaurant and had a light meal with buttered toast and some eggs. I grabbed a cup for the road like the woman had earlier. I left the restaurant feeling satisfied and full and walked back towards the fountain. I'll try some of this too. I dipped my cup into the water and took a sip. To my surprise it was some of that almond water. I never could figure it out, but the almond water always made me feel good. It's like a drug that dulled and soothed my senses. I refilled my cup again and waited for the elevator.
"Floor 100 please" I said to the faceling in red as I tapped my foot to the sound of smooth Jazz. "So, you have any family?" The faceling nodded. After what felt like 10 minutes, we finally reached the top. Wasn't a super-fast elevator but it sure beat taking the stairs. The door opened and to my surprise, the floor was rather busy. Lots of facelings in various uniforms, some looked to be scrubs like from a doctor's office. Others were in janitorial clothing, some in formal wear. There were even a few people. Over by a set of chairs sat the lady from the fountain. Brown hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She wore a t-shirt and a pair of pants.
"Hello there!" I said with a tad more shyness than I was expecting. "Could I ask you a question?" She adjusted her stance, appearing uncomfortable and awkward, as though she was hoping I wouldn't engage in conversation. "Sorry to bother you, I was hoping you could show me how to find the M.E.G.? She showed a little bit of relief.
"Ah sure love, take a walk down the hall there yeah?" She pointed down the hall, left from the elevators "Keep walking for about 15 minutes and you'll reach suite 100. There will be door with a sign M.E.G. on it."
"Thanks for the help!" I said, cheerfully.
She nodded "You got it."
She wasn't kidding when she said fifteen minutes. It really was quite a walk. It felt like half a mile before I finally reached the end. There was a window, a chair, and a plant. Next to it was a door. 100. M.E.G. Major Explorer Group. Base Charlie. Well, I found it. I thought to myself, 'here it goes' as I went for a knock on the door.
== ==
== ==
Entry Sixteen: Thank You, Next!
== ==
“You’ve been here for how long?” The MEG operative was staring at an older computer screen. Her eyebrows form a wrinkle in the middle of her forehead as she concentrated and filled out her form.
“Uh... here on negative eighteen or in the backrooms in general? “I casually shifted in my chair. Heh, casual. Everything here was so casual that it was still messing with my brain. Was I just unlucky? Am I the only one that has experienced horror upon horror? Maybe I was just weak and fragile and they’re all just so seasoned that the occasional run-in with a real-life monster was just no big deal.
“Let’s go with both. How long in negative eighteen and how long in the backrooms as a whole?” She finally took a break from her screen to make brief eye contact.
“Well, I got to this level yesterday. Met a guy named Leo, you know him? As far as the backrooms goes... I’m not really sure. Most places I’ve seen don’t really have a day and night cycle, so I really don’t know how to measure time here. It feels like months if that means anything.” I suddenly got the feeling like I was rambling. I felt anxiety in the pit of my stomach. That was one thing I had hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with in the backrooms.
“Right... so what’s your story? Where have you been and how did you get here?” She pulled up an audio recorder and pressed the red record button. Where did they even find this stuff?
I started from the beginning. I talked about my dreams, level 0, the warehouse/cement building that I assumed was level 1 from what knowledge I had. After that I talked about the strange window area and the water tiled area. I talked about my triumphs in the hotel pool area and my awesome system of finding food. After telling my, what had seemed to be, my whole life’s story I stopped. Silence. She just stared at me for what felt like forever and each passing moment my anxiety flared up more and more.
Finally, she clicked her button and the recording stopped. “Thanks.” She continued typing for a bit. Eventually she looked up and said “That’s all. Thanks for stopping by.” Her eyes went back to her computer without a care in the world.
The faceling in the elevator was better conversation after my fifteen-minute walk back down the hall. “Floor 82 please”. How could she be so cold? Even after everything I had gone through. I told her everything too, nothing but a dry “thanks” for compensation. I mean she didn’t owe me anything I guess, but some advice or a warm welcome would be nice. I don’t know, maybe it was the anxiety that was eating me up inside. She had a job to do and that is what she did, and I shouldn’t think anything more about it.
“You like the smooth Jazz?” The faceling nodded. I imagined the nod to be in rhythm with the music playing on the speaker. Ding! The doors slide open. “Thanks” I turned and walked towards my door, increasing my pace as I walked past the smiler dungeon room.
After closing and locking my door, I kicked off my shoes and jumped on my bed. I was so overwhelmed. I felt like I was wound up, stressed out, and irritable. I let out a deep sigh as I rubbed my eyes, afterwards aggressively rubbing my whole face. I could see stars after rubbing them so hard.
Well, I know what MEG is, I guess. Another BS bureaucracy somehow has entered into this hell. It makes sense I guess, why wouldn’t hell have a stupid bureaucracy? What was the point? “You should go talk to MEG!” What a stupid notion. They’re worthless.
After rambling and ranting to myself, drowning in self-pity for an hour, I decided to take a deep breath. “I bet the place has a pool!” I blurted out loud, myself being my only companion. I’m not sure why, since I had spent so many weeks literally in pools, but I wanted a dip.
Based on a hunch, I found a pair of swimming trunks in a drawer that somehow was my exact size and a towel. I then hit the trail. I wanted to punch something, but I figured a nice, relaxing dip would be a better option. 
== == 
Entry Seventeen: Pool Party Time
== ==
Armed with nothing but a towel and my toolbox, notebook stored inside. I secured my door shut and began my trek back to the elevators. I was sure I would get some strange looks, wearing nothing but swim-trunks and carrying my toolbox. It's a just precaution, I guess. Despite having made it to a paradise level, I had become overly cautious. I was still in the backrooms after all.
Upon arrival, I pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. I couldn't help but feel somewhat cold from the AC blowing on me. It made me wonder if I should have at least worn a shirt. Nah, too late to even want to go back. Besides, I really needed this. I was still really stressed from my encounter with the M.E.G. earlier.
I hear the bell ding and the doors slide open to a familiar face... well, lack of face. "To the pool please." The faceless operator nods and presses the button for the first floor. The elevator begins moving with the familiar shift in weight. "So, you got any hobbies?" I asked, waiting for the nod in which he predictably obliges. 
Upon arrival to the first floor, I was greeted by the same woman and fountain as I had met two times prior. She held the same cup and was drinking more of that almond water from the fountain. Giving a little smirk she lifts her cup. "Cheers." The smirk disappeared quickly as she most likely realized she had said and did the exact same thing, just a day prior. 
Not wanting to tease, I simply started to ask "Hey do you..." 
She cut me off with a small grunt and points down the hall past the restaurants. I guess it was no secret I was headed towards the pools. "Erhm, thanks. Ah, cheers." I could tell I hadn't really had many genuine social interactions lately. She glared at me and gave me a smirk. Not one of those cheerful smirks either. Just that awkward look when you tuck your lips inside your mouth and bite down slightly. 
Not wanting to die from cringing myself to death, I just nodded and walked past. Trying my best not to make any unwanted eye contact. I peered my head near the restaurant door just to see if my colonist friend Leo was around but, even if he was, I wasn't really dressed for any conversation with him either. It would probably be best if I stayed on task. 
Down the hall a bit from the restaurant, I got another odd feeling. This feeling was similar to the feeling I got when I walked past the room with smilers, but yet, it was also different. It was a bright red door, closed, probably locked. It had 31D on the front, which was odd, considering the numbering was not in the same order as the other doors I passed, not to mention the letter D which also seemed out of place. 
This was not a door to try and test, I thought to myself. I was in a good place, and this was not time to get curious. I turned to walk again towards my destination when I noticed a framed mirror, opposite of the door. The reflection, reversing the numbers and letter spelled out the word DIE. A big lump formed in my throat. A real "Red Rum, The Shining" moment. "Yeah, I'm definitely not testing fate today."
I continued down the hall eventually finding my destination. The stench of chlorine filled my nostrils as I slid open the door. Honestly, the pool was really impressive. It was huge. It had diving boards, multiple sections, tubular slides (very colorful), it looked like it even had a whirlpool. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprising, the pools weren't super crowded. There were some people; they appeared rather friendly within their own little groups. I wasn't sure if I was going to make any new friends or if I was just going to try and relax. 
Lifeguards were posted about, also facelings, of course. I wonder if they get paid? Were they born? Do facelings reproduce? What an awkward thought. I put my toolbox and towel on a chair and stretched a tad. I looked around, attempting to make the impossible decision of where to start. Well, it's always been my philosophy to just get the initial shock of cold over with and jump in, but those slides did look pretty fun. 
I walked up the stairs leading to the entrance. A faceling was at the top, guarding the entrance. "So, am I good to go?" The faceling lifted a single finger, indicating I should wait. Meanwhile, a second lifeguard faceling approached me, from the stairs carrying my toolbox and towel. 
"Ah, see, I really don't want those to get wet. Is it okay if I just leave it on the chair?" I swear these entities are odd. Like they're some sort of AI driven NPC from a video game or something. Like they were sentient but at the same time they're kind of brain dead.
The faceling guarding the slide motioned for me to continue down. Thankfully the other guard didn't protest any longer. I grabbed the top of the tube and launched myself inside. The water pushed me along rather quickly. 
The slide was rather long. Really long actually. My heart was sinking faster than I was, flying down the slide. It kept going and I couldn't see the end. I know I didn't climb that many stairs. Shoot, I've really messed up. There was no hope of me climbing back up either. The slide was slick, being consistently wet from the water, plus my momentum. After about 5 minutes of sliding, I heard something solid approaching me rapidly from above.
My toolbox! Perhaps I got a little too excited, too early as the black and yellow box smacked me in the head. "Ouch!" My towel was also fed through the handle which was quite considerate considering the thoughts I was having about the facelings just moments earlier. I grabbed the box, not wanting it to go somewhere where I wasn't. Guess I was the braindead NPC now. I wish they could have warned me somehow.
10 minutes pass, 20 minutes pass. I actually didn't know. It's not like I had a watch, or pants or shoes for that matter. I felt like I was in a bad situation. I had no idea where I was going to end up or if I was just going to slide forever. 
I was feeling kind of dizzy. The weightless feeling of going down a water slide is fun for a short amount of time, but makes you feel rather sick after a while. I closed my eyes. Maybe I've pushed my luck too far this time? Why did I even go to the pool? I literally spent months in rooms full of pools. Ugh I was so frustrated at myself. Stress was compounding. I was already seething after my encounter with MEG or whatever it's called. At least I had a full belly... for now anyways. I was feeling rather queasy. 
I think maybe I got to sleep a some, but I woke up as I noticed myself slowing down. All of a sudden, shortly after opening my eyes: SPLASH! I dropped into some dark, murky water. It was not a swimming pool either. Wherever I was, it was humid and hot. 
I stood up, still feeling dizzy and a tad sick. I was really regretting not having any shoes. I was in a dark hall with closed gates and metal bars on either side. They looked like some sort of shops, like I was in a market of some sorts. The water was about waist high and seemingly pitch black. I wasn't sure if it was due to the low levels of light or if the water was really dirty. Judging by the smell, I assumed the latter. 
Before I really had much time to really process my new destination, something had grabbed my leg. It tried to pull me under. Thankfully, I was near one of those shops and I grabbed onto a metal bar. "I just got here!" I screamed as I kicked down with my free foot as hard as I could. 
The entity scratched my leg as it released its grip. It lunged out of the water causing a big splash of water. It was blueish grey with no facial features or anything. I screamed and jumped directly towards it. I was done running. I reached for its neck and to my surprise, it did not fight back. Yeah, it flailed its arms to try and knock away my arms but instead of attacking, it attempted to run away. 
I didn't bother giving it any pursuit as the water impeded its movement a lot less than it did mine. I was honestly just happy to survive yet another encounter. These entities are getting out of hand. I propped my injured leg on a box just above the water line. It was bleeding pretty bad. Thankfully I had that towel, which, though soaking wet, could act as a temporary bandage for the time being. I guess I have nothing to do but assess my new situation and try to make the best out of a very stupid decision.
== ==
Entry Eighteen: Give It Back!
== ==
I sat and rested on my temporary perch for just a moment, using the brief break to allow my heart rate to slowly return back to normal. I wasn't really tired physically, despite my brief encounter with a monster. My leg still hurt a tad and I will have to take care of it at some point, but for now... where am I? A flooded level, shops, most are locked. I looked at the water. It was really filthy. It was brown, stunk a bit. I looked at my wrapped leg again. "Yeah, that will probably get infected." My earlier urge to go swimming, for some reason, seems to have vanished.
I opened up my toolbox and to my surprise, everything appeared dry. Honestly, this toolbox is something else. If I ever manage to return to reality, or the frontrooms rather, I'm taking this toolbox with me. After re-latching the toolbox shut again, I looked around. It was dark, but light peeked through holes and breaks in the sheet metal ceiling. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, noticing again the heat of the level. Two shops from my view appeared to be open, or at least unlocked and unguarded. The first was a kitcheny-kind of shop? It had pots and pans, maybe some plastic-ware. 
I sat and thought about maybe crafting some sort of armor out of the metal pans. I laughed at the thought. For one, it would be super loud trying to walk around with all of that resonating, thin metal. I would attract way too much unwanted attention. Secondly, I don't know squat about making armor. I guess I could try and poke some holes into some baking sheets and tie them around my body? How much protection would that really give me? And would it slow me down while trying to escape? I'm a decent runner it seems and that is probably my greatest strength here, traversing... whatever this is. Nah, armor from cheap pots and pans weren't for me. Perhaps I can find something as a blunt weapon? 
The other open shop looked more promising. It had clothes, and me, being almost naked, was definetely excited about some clothes. I cautiously slipped back into the waist-high, dirty water. Careful not to accidentally step on something sharp. I really regret not having shoes. I couldn't help but continually, mentally beat myself up for ruining such a good thing as level "negative eighteen". Why was it negative? What makes a level negative? What really earns a level its number anyways? I hadn't really put that much thought into any of that before. It was at least something to occupy my mind as I was wading through this filthy water. 
Once I arrived at the clothing store, I marveled on how packed it was. I couldn't imagine where all of this clothing came from. Clothes were hung high and low, the high thankfully being out of the water. The clothes were not new. They looked somewhat worn out. They didn't look dirty, just used. Well-loved rather. Imagine clothes you'd find at a thrift store. Well, I wasn't one to be picky anyways, especially given my current circumstance. Still though, I had some time to browse and pick what I wanted. 
There were old university sweatshirts, high-school basketball and band. "Oh sweet!" I gasped as I saw a Ninja Turtles t-shirt. "Shoot." It was slightly too small. I browsed a bit and settled on a solid blue shirt that felt rather sturdy and well made. I put it on and tied up the front, so the bottom didn't get wet. Browsing around a little more, I scored a nice Jansport sling bag that appeared to be in pristine cond... Jassport, not Jansport. Oh well, it was still nice and to my eyes, they were of good quality. I found a few more shirts and a pair of shorts and stuffed them into the bag. 
Donning on another pair of shorts over my swim trunks, I decided to be okay with them getting wet. At least I have something more than just swimwear on. Now I was thinking about the future chafing I would have to endure. Pushing the thought aside, I browsed on. Hanging towards the back were some flip flops. They had Adidas logos on them, but I wasn't fooled. The logos were out of proportion and a tad too large. At least Adidas was spelled correctly. I was feeling quite confident with my current luck. This level sucked, but it had supplies, and now I had shoes... kind of. 
I casually waded towards the kitchen-ware shop, hoping that my luck would continue, and I could find some knives or something. I started looking at the pots, rather small and round, but great for some soups or rice maybe. The pans were pretty thin though and felt pretty cheap. Probably not bad for a starting family or something but would break after maybe a few months of use. There were a lot of woks of different sizes and plastic tubs and bowls. I saw some plastic cups, plates, nothing ceramic. There were buckets and smaller buckets with handles on them. Big washing tubs. I didn't find any knives, or anything really for that matter. 
As I was searching and sifting through all the wares, I suddenly felt a strong tug on my Jassport bag. It wasn't a super strong tug or anything, but it was enough to catch me off balance and pull me back a little. I turn to see a faceling... a child faceling? At least I think it was. It was child sized. Before I could really process what I was seeing, the faceling yanked my bag off of me and took off running. The tiny jerk was really fast too. I tried running after it and stopped. Why would it take my stuff? I paused, annoyed at the whole situation. "There's literally open shops with free things, just there. RIGHT THERE! Why?"
I rubbed my forehead in confusion. Facelings man... I returned to the first shop and grabbed a Hello-Kitty bag. I wasn't my first choice but who am I trying to impress anyways? I put more dry clothes in it, looking over my shoulder on occasion, expecting to see that little brat again. I start walking in a new direction, my guard up high. There he is! Wait, no, another kid faceling. It runs up to me, reaching for my new bag. I debated for a quick second, in my head about the morality and ethics of hitting a child while we initiated our game of 'tug-of-war' with my new bright pink, Hello-Kitty bag. I quickly decided that a faceling child wasn't a real child and I punched him in the... fa... face-region. 
The kid jolted backwards, still holding on to the bag strap. I gave another forceful kick to the kid's stomach. After a few more blows, the kid decides to abandon his prize and run away. I was breathing rather heavily after the tussle. I had never been attacked by a faceling before. Why now? Why were these so aggressive? "AND WHY MY STUFF??" It was so frustrating. Literally, just grab whatever stuff you need. YOU DON"T NEED MY STUFF! I continued my walk through the shadow of these stores. Returning back to my thoughts of luck, I found an open hardware store. "Jackpot!"
I began by looking through the store. It was small and didn't have too many useful items. Mostly screws, nails, washers, glues of different types. I grabbed a tube of something called "mighty bond" and put it in my toolbox. Never know when that might come in handy. I grabbed Phillips screwdriver, stowed it, and grabbed a couple of hammers. If anything, the hammers could prove to be quite effective in combat. 
I continued my soaking wet shopping spree as I wandered into a little snack store. "This level really has it all huh?" I grabbed a bottle of soda called "sparkle" and opened a bog of some sort of chip-like thing called "rollercoasters" or something. Feeling satisfied I sat on a chest freezer, just out of the water. The soda was kind of warm but tasted really sweet. The chips were stale but not bad. I stuffed some jelly cookies and more chips in my bag as well as some Vienna sausages. That will be a really good food source for later. 
I was just starting to let down my guard a bit. I was feeling somewhat relaxed. At least this place had food, and it's not half bad either. Well, relaxed is a dangerous state in the backrooms you see. And I should know by now...
"I found you" followed by a small chuckle. The distorted voice... it was like electricity, climbing my spine. I looked into the dark recess of the store, only to find two glowing, horrible eyes... and an even worse, sinister smile. 
== ==
Entry Nineteen: Where Are All of You Coming From?
== ==
I must have stopped breathing as I peered into the soulless pits that were supposed to be eyes. The unnaturally wide smile caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. His skin was pitch black and I couldn't hardly make out the shape of his body in the dark. He starts laughing sinisterly as he approached me, slowly and steadily. "Now you're mine... heh heh heh..." his voice was hideous. It was pure evil with absolutely zero chance of any benevolence. I never realized they could talk. This monster... it reminded me of the first glowing smile, so long ago. Level 1 maybe, was it? The warehouse, right before it chased me into the weird hotel corridor with the evil windows. It was a blur at this point, and I was too panicked to really even think straight. 
I tried to eye my escape route. The monster was too close. As he reached for me, I finally let go of my breath long enough to kick start my heart and bolt into action. It was fight or flight and I was planning on both. First to go was the glass bottle of sparkle. I didn't get a chance to fully drink up the sweet citrusy nectar, but the added weight was a bonus against this foul demon. Crack! The glass bottle clunks on his head as he rears backwards. It wasn't enough though as he lunged forward again at me with even greater vigor. 
Next to go was one of my hammers. He tried grabbing my legs that were standing firmly on the chest freezer. The crack on his skull was enough to cause him to stumble backwards wailing in pain. He did manage though, to knock me off my balance as I stumbled back into the water. This gave me the opening I needed. I grabbed my toolbox and hello kitty bag and bolted towards the entrance. "I'll get you! You'll be mine! You'll be smiling just like me!" He yelled, hot on my tail in vicious pursuit.
We were both impeded by the waist high water, but I was determined to lose him, and I was sure his head was exploding with pain from the trauma I caused using what rudimentary weapons I had. "What do you want from me!" I yelled in a huff as I slowly gained space away from my pursuer. I turned the corner and continued my aggressive push through the murky water. I was starting to get really tired from this. Thankfully this smiling monster wasn't nearly as fluid in the water as my first encounter on this level. If he had been, I would have been long dead. I turned another corner. I wasn't sure how close or far he was from me still, but I was too scared to check. Something about that thing frightened me to the core. I was petrified from the very sight of him, and even more so of the sound. I shuddered and shivered thinking about his hideous voice. 
Shop after shop, turn after turn I finally found enough courage to look over my shoulder. Fortunately for me, I didn't immediately see him on my tail. They must be somewhat slow. I scanned for an open shop and settled for another clothing store. It had wares from top to bottom. It was an excellent hiding spot. I pushed myself into the racks of clothing. It reminded me of when I was a kid in the department stores, hiding from mom like a little game of hide and seek. It was an odd feeling of nostalgia that I was getting, despite my current, perilous dilemma. 
I did my best to try and slow down my breath. My lungs protested and they decided that they were instead fighting for their lives, but I had to keep quiet. Open mouth, wide, breath in, hold, slow release. Repeat. I was a quiet as humanly possible. I could hear wading in the water at an uncertain distance. "I found you before, I will find you again." I heard, muffled. He was close, but I wasn't sure how close. I used one of the hanging shirts on my face to further muffle my breath. I hope this thing doesn't have super hearing. 
After what felt like an eternity, the sound of wading dissipated into the distance. I remained motionless. After 10 minutes or so, I relaxed my stance a tad and attempted to breathe normally. My heart was still pumping on overtime, and I wasn't ready to let down my guard just yet. At least I was able to finally let go of the hanging shirts. I slowly and quietly unlatched my toolbox to retrieve my second, and last hammer. I wasn't ever going to be caught unarmed again. I waited for what I assumed was another hour before I exited the confines of my cozy shelter of clothing. Despite constantly standing in water, I was drenched in sweat. The heat of this level was really something. The soda I had drank wasn't helping either as I sloshed my sticky tongue at the roof of my mouth. I was going to need to find some fresh water, or I might run into heat related issues soon enough. 
Once I started wading back down the halls of endless shops, I became lost in my own thoughts. I didn't understand why I was so brave against the first monster that actually managed to injure me, but I was absolutely mortified by the smiling monster. I remembered that I had seen smilers before but somehow, something had changed. It was different in a way I couldn't understand. I was sure that it was the same entity, but it wasn't. It was almost like I was experiencing some sort of Mandela effect. Either way, I was just grateful to have survived yet another encounter with a Backrooms entity. I clutched my hammer and toolbox tightly as I shut my eyes for a small moment. There were definitely a lot more entities here than in the other levels I had traversed. I just wondered when my luck would finally run out. 
I continued my trek, occasionally peeking into an open store here and there. There were tons of things and supplies in this level. So far, most of them wouldn't be of very big use for me at the moment. A lot of the items seem to be of a low quality make and the electronics certainly wouldn't work in this drenched level. I continued further on, attempting to maintain a straight line. I was hopeful I would find some sort of safe refuge somewhere. A few more hours pass that were, thankfully, uneventful. I saw the occasional faceling here and there which I gracefully managed to avoid each time. I didn't really have the will or energy to fight off any more kids. Eventually I came to a point where the roof had a break.
I paused and looked up. The sun was beating in-between the two roofs with a ferocity that I had yet to witness all of my life. I stepped forward and nearly fell into the water. Hidden beneath this filthy flood, there was a suddenly a trench. The trench was gooey, and I felt the filth around my feet. The water was bad enough, but the goo was too much. I shuddered as I attempted to clean the new unwanted muck off my feet. Once I got over my minor squeamish tantrum, I realized I was in front of something entirely new. Making sure I hadn't noclipped into another level, I turned back to see if my maze of shops were still there. Sure enough, it was right where I left it. 
Studying my new space, I carefully scanned the new landscape. It was still a market, but instead of shops, it was stalls and tables. On each of the stalls was rotting vegetables and fruits. There were cabbages, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, okra, different types of squash. There were citruses of all shapes and sizes next to piles of mangoes. I'm sure at some point this would have been a jackpot of a find, however in its current state, I doubted whether or not I could find a single bit of produce that was actually safe for consumption. The waft of mold and rot made my eyes twitch. It was pungent and it was strong. I took a step into the area where I was immediately assaulted with a cloud of gnats. They were thick, and despite having an endless food source of rot and decay, they decided my face was way more interesting and important.
"What a miserable place..." I mumbled as I tried swatting at the hordes of flying nuisances. Desperate to hopefully find an exit, I continued on, passing stall after stall after stall. I was still hot. Nasty water, terrible smell, clouds of insects, this was a fate worse than hell, it had to be. I continued onwards. Every step is one of pain and misery. Why did I have to go down that damned water slide? I had made it. I was in paradise. A paradise that lasted one day. "ONE DAY!" It just wasn't fair. I had food, shelter, safety, warmth, friends. Everything. Now I'm back, fighting for my life at every step. 
Step. It's like I was asking for it. It grabbed my foot, just like before. This time I knew what to do. I grabbed the slimy hand and pulled up. There came that ugly, faceless, featureless monster. I thrust my hammer on the side of its ugly head. It scuttered away as fast as it could, and I had to admire its speed at the very least. Their appearance was uncanny, but I didn't fear those things nearly as much as the smilers. This time I managed to not get any additional injuries. I think these things like live as ambush predators, hiding in the water. They also appeared to be scared when confronted in any capacity. I wonder what would happen to me if I just froze or didn't fight back? I refused to entertain the idea any further. I did, however, decide to be more vigilant of what might be still lurking in the water. 
Water... speaking of water, the depth of said water did seem a bit lower than before. Was I at higher ground or was the flood receding? Where it was at my waist before, it was now just a few centimeters above my knees. Well, at least I have that going for me. I unzipped my Hello Kitty bag and grabbed a t-shirt. These clouds of gnats were rather quickly driving me insane. I've heard about what happens when you allow your sanity to drop unchecked in the backrooms. I wore the shirt around my face, hoping to at least keep the gnats out of my ears, mouth and nose. I tied the shirt around the neck, just tight enough to keep out insects, but not too tight to choke me. Heaven knows I shouldn't restrict my breathing any more than necessary. 
Pushing forward I happened upon an anomaly. It was a produce stall like the others, but this one was different. The water was below my knees now. In this stall were baskets, perfectly filled with beans of many types, corn, and rice, all in a nice pyramid-like cone shape. They were pristine, clean, and ready to cook. If I could just find some water, I could eat off this for days. I looked at the water, just below my knees. Even if I boiled this water, it would still most likely kill me. I pushed my fingers into the beans, allowing the smooth round legumes fill the empty spaces between my fingers. They were hard, but the sensation of the beans around my hands and fingers were oddly satisfying. I let out a soft sigh at the sensation. It's the little things, right?
"Hey, are you going to eat all of that?" A sudden voice startled me from behind. 
== ==
Entry Twenty: Bombs Away
== ==
He was about the same height as me, if not a tad bit shorter. The man in front of me was an absolute unit though; he was a tank. He had black hair, darker skin, dark eyes, probably of Southeast Asian descent. He had a slight accent, but his English was pretty much perfect. "You're not one of those crazy types, are you?" He looked at me head to foot. I guess I was staring at him a tad too long as to make him somewhat uncomfortable.
"Oh, ughh hi. Hello. Ugh. I'm a little crazy but not like, bad crazy...heh." I stumbled again through my words. I was still surprised to see another wanderer despite having come from a level that was full of them. Of course, thinking about it, I hadn't met a single person until that hotel place, so I guess being startled at seeing another wanderer wasn't too out of the question. Shoot, I was staring again.
"Right, hey you mind if I grab some of that. I'm on a run for supplies. Gotta feed the troops yah know." I immediately pull my hands out. I felt awkward just standing there so I moved to the side.
"Uh, sure, hey, um, where am I?" Honestly the most coherent sentence I've spoken in forever. 
"You mean like, the backrooms?" His eyebrows bunched up in a questioning fashion. The guy was charismatic to say the least, if not even a tad intimidating. But his face was of a kind demeanor, and I didn't get any threatening vibes from him.
"Like, uh, what level is this, I guess? I fell into here about half a day ago from level negative eighteen." I shuffled my feet in the water. It was around my ankles. 
"Negati...? Oh, yeah well, welcome to The Palengke then, I'm Aaron." He pulls out some bags and sets a few of them carefully on a table in the booth. 
"The Pa... palaka... plank...por..."
"The Palengke. It's uh... Tagalog for Market. You're at the market." He interjected to my relief. "I think someone might have called it level 859 or something. I'm not entirely sure, this is the only level I've ever been to." He started filling up different bags with rice, corn, and beans. "The Palengke is kind of a rare level, but we have a big group here as you can noclip directly from the frontrooms to here from a similar place." He stuffs a bag full of rice into his backpack. "Myself, being an example. I was out shopping with my lola, and I just fell through the floor. Ended up here. Thankfully my lola didn't fall in with me, she wouldn't have made it here." Another sack filled up with a small, hard green pea-like bean. 
I stood awkwardly, silently listening. I hadn't realized that he had stopped talking and there I was, just staring, again, watching him. Why am I so odd? "So, you said you had a base or colony of some sorts?" I was hopeful. There seems to be safety in numbers around here. 
Aaron zips up his backpack. "Yeah, sure, I'll show you." He turns to face me directly but then stares further behind me. "But first we gotta outrun that."
I turn around to discover one of the most horrifying sights I had ever seen. It had the face of a distorted human with long, jet-black hair. Its skin was pale and gray, nude as the day it was born. It stood on all four feet, like a dog. Its eyes were solid white and dead looking. The head was hung low, but I could see the eyes staring directly at us. My heart stopped, as well as my breath. I completely froze. 
"Don't break eye contact and don't make any sudden moves." Aaron backs slowly to a citrus stand. He reaches back towards two hardened fruits and grabs them both. As soon as he does, a third citrus falls to the ground with a hard splash. It sounded like a rock hitting tiles followed by a rush of falling water. With the sudden sound, the dog-like monstrosity charges at a dead sprint directly towards us. With well practiced precision and aim, Aaron chucks one of the hardened, ancient fruits at the beast's head. The beast strafes to the side, barely dodging the fruity missile. 
"Gago!" Aaron prepares his aim again. This time the target and projectile meet. A satisfying thud to the side of the enraged quadruped's head. The monster veers to the side in pain and quickly retreats. Due to the low water level, its withdrawal was impressively quick. In just a few moments, the dog-man-monster disappeared into the stalls and booths without a trace. "We got lucky." He sounded very matter of fact. "They don't always run; hounds are vicious and persistent. But they will startle on occasion."
Hounds, that made sense. Still, that was the ugliest entity I had ever seen. "Why are there so many entities here?" I was only on day one here in the pla... pran... level 859 and I had already seen more entities than in my entire stay in the backrooms. I think he could tell I was somewhat on the disturbed side.
"Ah that's just how it is here e... I've heard other levels are even worse. The trick is to just kind of, stay hidden. Walk low, hug corners, that sort of thing." Aaron crouched down a smidge as a show of example. "You won't have to worry too much here in a few minutes anyways."
"Other levels that have even more? I don't want to ever see those levels. The one's I've seen so far; entities are fairly rare." It took me a second to process all this information at once. I guess my heart rate was taking over my brain functionality. "You said I won't have to worry? Is that a threat?" My mouth was moving faster than my brain. Shoot. I didn't mean to offend him or accuse him of being dangerous.
"Hahaha, nah man you're good. I'm not a bad guy, promise ah. Nah, this level has weather events like this flood. When the event is over, entities will hide as the palengke heals."
"Heals? Like fixes itself?" I think I was starting to catch on.
"You got it boss. Now let's get out of here." He starts heading back into the produce area and I followed in tow. I really hope the colony isn't in the produce section. I really hate the gnats. Well as long as there is at least some fresh water. I'll trust Aaron for now. It's not like there's anything he could gain from leading me to my death. If Aaron is the death of me, then so be it, I guess. 
== ==
== ==
Entry Twenty One: The Oasis Known as Purok Dos
== ==
My feelings of anxiety and slight heartburn weren't necessarily remedied when we began walking the same direction as that dreaded hound, but I guess at the same time, we weren't really headed in some random direction either. It was comforting to think there could be a settlement in such a hostile area. I was of course assuming this settlement wasn't more hostile than the entities I've encountered. Judging by my limited interactions with Aaron, I felt a shimmer of hope. Honestly, I didn't feel like I had much of a choice. In reality, I guess I did, Aaron wasn't interested in trapping me or preventing me from just taking off in the opposite direction, but at the same time I had already been attacked numerous times in the span of just a day or so. In short, I don't think my survival chances are very high traversing this hellscape alone. 
The water was reduced to just puddles here and there and even those appeared to be shrinking and drying up. Aaron would occasionally chit-chat about this and that, food, fun, karaoke, video games, something he called DOTA and League. I tried my best to be pleasant and attentive, but I was just so nervous, walking on my toes, expecting to see another dog-man, man-dog... hound around any dark corner. I just felt sick to my stomach due to the fear and anxiety, so I wasn't the chattiest individual. Aaron didn't seem to mind though, he seemed to just be happy to chat with someone. 
I found myself occasionally complaining about the heat and flies. Aaron told me about the heat waves and how the heat actually gets way worse, and they have issues of people dying from heatstroke. "Not to worry though my guy, we have a CR which has good water to drink." He walked forward a few more steps then paused. "Hey, you mind waiting here for a sec?" I didn't really have a reason to protest so I waited as he started digging around a coconut stand filled with brown, discarded husks. "Yes! No way! Finally!" Aaron's enthusiasm and charisma could hype anyone I bet. He steps out holding a machete that looked to be in pretty good shape. "Been looking for one of these babies for ages!" He was smiling ear to ear.
Me, still thinking about water and me possibly dying soon without it: "What's a CR?" I asked, trying not to sound completely desperate. 
"Eh a ah... comfort room, a bathroom. It's really the only sure source of fresh water on the entire level. Once we find one, we either mark it on a map or we immediately set up a camp there. They're super important" It was crazy to think about a level that I just came from that had such an abundance of water, I could literally swim in it. And 859 is all this guy has ever experienced in the backrooms. 
After about an hour or so of walking, we finally exited the produce section and the clouds of gnats ceased. Honestly, though visibility was more limited in the dry areas, I felt a big feeling of relief. I removed the shirt from my nose and mouth and took a deep, satisfying breath. It was still excruciatingly hot, but that bug-free breath was very refreshing, plus, less of my body being covered helped a tad with the heat. 
As before, most of the shops were locked up, and as Aaron stated before, I could see the market healing. During the hours of walking, I would occasionally see a stool stand itself up, or a box move back into place. It was like ghosts were moving them back into their rightful homes. Usually, it was out of the corner of my eye that I would see this happening, but I could hear sounds of creaking and scraping all around me. "We're just about there." Aaron plainly, but enthusiastically stated. It was a relief to hear, because I was starting to feel dizzy from dehydration. 
"So... what is your colony called?" I asked, trying to maintain some sort of communication as to not make Aaron feel like he was being used or I had bad intentions. 
"Purok dos, it's an offshoot of The Barangay, the main colony out here. A lot of us no-clipped out of reality directly to level 859 so I don't think it took too long before a group got together to try and figure this place out."
"Perk dos... alright, sounds good." I hesitated a little. "Pork, proque, para..."
Within the hour, we approached a large looking corner shop with some barricades desperately trying to disassemble itself. The floor was completely dry now at this point, which was nice to finally be able to walk completely unhindered. I could see people continually securing, retying, relatching and fixing sections of their barricade that was automatically attempting to "fix itself" We stopped at the entrance. 
"Aaron! Grabe ito! Anung oras na? Bakit ang tagal mo!" A middle-aged man smiled as he shouted at Aaron.
Aaron responds "Pasko na. May regalo akong dala!" He shows his full backpack and gives the guy a big smile. 
"Aaron! Welcome back! Uy! Sino yan?" The man starts to point at me. 
Aaron began to explain our first encounter, describing me digging through the beans, stepping aside for me to get some. He described our encounter with the hound. He called me a friend, though I had just barely met the guy. Of course, I wasn't going to protest. Especially if there's a chance for me to get some water. Occasionally he'd switch back between English and his language, but through context, everything made enough sense to me. 
"Baka delicado ang tao na iyan! Di mo yan kilala! Malay mo, Rizalist yun!" The man now looked kind of angry. I didn't understand what he was saying, but I assumed it was intended as a statement of distrust to who I am.
"Hoy! Do you know any white Rizalists!?" Aaron seemed heated for the first time. Was he defending me? "And please speak English ha! For my friend."
"Sa bagay... Okay yeah, that's a fair point. Okay, come on in." The man finally subsided. 
I sheepishly asked Aaron "What's a Razor List?"
"Razor wha... oh Rizal... they call themselves Rizal Elitists. They're kind of a bandit group, a bit of annoyance, but nothing we can't handle." Aaron thumped his chest, looking proud. 
"So, this is putoke dos?" 
"Purok dos, yes" The other man chimed in. "I'm Elmer" He was a middle-aged man with dark skin and darker eyes. They looked kind though, if not a tad worn and tired. He hunched a little as he stood, but his hands were calloused, telltale signs of a hard worker. He opened the gate and allowed us inside. The camp was organized by area of need. Foam mattresses were being laid out on the newly dried ground, an area was designated for storage, one for cooking, and then, like a treasure, a shining beacon in the back, was a door with the letters CR painted above it. 
"Water" I mouthed as tears welled up in my eyes. Elmer smirked as he could read my thoughts. He grabbed a cup off a nearby box and beckoned me towards the bathroom. The bathrooms felt hotter than the rest of the market, and it was humid and sticky. The floors were wet and muddy and the whole place felt dirty. Two of the three sinks were busted, but one, like an altar of light, was untouched. I turned on the water and filled my cup. If I weren't so dehydrated, I'm sure I would be drooling. I took my first drink, and the water was cool. I sloshed it around my mouth and swallowed. I remembered my first drink of almond water after wandering level 0 for so long. My eyes teared up. It was a holy experience. I closed my eyes as I took another drink, careful not to drink too fast as to get sick and vomit. 
Elmer was standing nearby, smiling. He also seemed like a really decent person. Everyone appeared to be from a similar origin, and I was glad they could all speak English so far. Honestly, I was shocked on how accommodating and kind they were. Resources, I'm sure, were scarce but they let me in with just a small conversation and that's it. Not to mention Aaron calling me a friend after only hours of interaction.
I finished my cup of water then refilled it. "I will introduce you to Jose, the leader of our camp, then I will let you rest. You look like you've been through hell." Elmer gave me a kind smile. "Aaron is a good judge of character so I think you'll fit in fine around here. If you need anything, we will try to help out." I took another drink. I seem to be in a good place for now, if not even a safe place in the midst of danger. An oasis of sorts. 
== ==
Entry Twenty Two: The Cleanse
== ==
You never really realize how tired you are until you stop to take a breath. My head was swirling. I finally had some water in me, but I was sore. My cut leg hurt, my muscles hurt, my abdomen hurt. I guess wading in water for hours upon hours can really be an intense workout. Elmer gives me a smirk as I tried to shake out some of my soreness. I assumed that wasn't his first flood event. "So how long have you been stuck in the backrooms?" I asked as he was reaching for a bucket that he had begun filing up from a spicket in the wall. 
"You know, I really don't have much of a concept of time here to be completely honest. The sun never sets, so I can't really tally days or weeks. But I will say, I was a bit closer to your age when I fell through that gate long, long ago." Elmer cut the flow of water from the spicket and stood up. He had a smaller bucket in his hand that had a ladle on it. "Take this tabo and clean yourself up a bit." He handed me a bar of soap as well. Elmer looked down at my leg and frowned. "Cuts like that after a flood can make you lose your leg... or worse." 
I took the bar of soap and thanked Elmer. He left the bathro... CR to give some privacy. I stripped the soaking clothes off of me, careful not to put any unnecessary pressure on my cut. The water was cold. Honestly a lot colder than I was expecting. It made me flinch a little. After a moment or so of time, the cool water felt nice and refreshing. I made sure to scrub every part of my body, saving the cut for last. I knew it wasn't going to feel very good. Sure enough, it stung as I scrubbed. I wasn't a medic, but I had been around long enough to know that I really needed to get that wound clean. 
Even after a few minutes, the wound was still throbbing from the cleanse. I could tell my leg was kind of swollen too. I held my breath. I sure hope this doesn't get infected. At least it wasn't bleeding. I inspected my toolbox. I had set it on one of the busted sinks. I was still amazed at its durability. After all this time, on top of everything, that toolbox held up. I unlatched to check my journal that was miraculously still dry. Writing everything down that happened since the hotel would be a chore, but I had the feeling that it was an important endeavor. 
I attempted to dry myself off with the remaining dry part of my shirt that I had set aside, and I unzipped my Hello Kitty backpack. It was like a treasure seeing the dry clothes that I had prepared just for this moment. I slowly put them on, feeling the warm, dry fabric against my chilled skin. I felt electricity climb up my spine from the sensation. I closed my eyes, embracing the feeling of being dry again. I refilled my cup again with water and took another gulp. It would take a while for me to actually, fully hydrate. 
I exited the CR to find Elmer waiting for me. Elmer smiled. "You brought a change of clothes? Not bad. You've got a good head. I think you'll fit in here. Come on, let me introduce you to Jose, our leader." Elmer beckoned me towards what looks to be a kitchen area. It had a few propane burners, burning with a couple of pots on top. The smell was actually pretty nice, and I felt my stomach rumble. It had been a minute since I had any real food either, not counting the junk food I got to momentarily munch on before getting attacked by that smiler. 
Jose was about the same height as Elmer which was just a tad shorter than me. He looked to be about the same age as Elmer, maybe a tad younger, but he held himself with confidence and authority. His presence commanded respect, which I could appreciate on some level. 
"Good afternoon. I am Jose, leader of Purok Dos." He was very matter of fact and spoke with a stronger accent than Aaron or Elmer. He stressed syllables in an odd way, but his language was clear, careful and precise. From his first sentence, I could already tell that this was a very intelligent man. Jose looked me up and down and smiled. "You're the first white guy I've seen for a long time. Pardon my English ah!" Jose grabbed a plate and opened a pot lid, using his bare hands and set it to the side. Inside was full of white rice, steaming fresh. He scooped me a big helping, replaced the lid and opened the second pot. 
A waft of savory steam assaulted my nostrils as my mouth began watering. My eyes must have watered because Jose started chuckling at me. "You kain, kah-een!" He motions a scooping like motion to his mouth which I assumed meant to eat. "Mah-sah-rap" I didn't know what it meant, but I tried repeating it as he handed me my plate. The steam coming off what looked like a lentil soup made me choke up a little with joy. He handed me a spoon and I blew on the food to cool it down. I took my first bite, and I immediately knew what the word had meant. Masarap. It was delicious and masarap just made sense for some reason. 
"You will kain, eat the masarap na food ha, then you rest." Jose pointed at the foam mattresses aligning one of the walls. "Get some sleep and rest. If you're willing, I have a mission for you when you are gising. Gising! Wake up!" I appreciated the language lesson.
I took another bite of that glorious mana. "I am willing to contribute in any way. I could use food and shelter, and it looks like you all really know what you're doing here."
Jose looked satisfied by my answer and pointed to a table and chairs. I sit down, putting the plate on the table. I looked around the camp. It looked to be a repurposed grocery store, not unlike the one I had found earlier, but this one of course had a bathroom. There were maybe twenty people about, busy with moving shelves, maintaining the wall, stocking supplies. Aaron was showing off his new machete to some of his friends, smiling with the enthusiasm of someone too happy to be burdened by the problems of life. I was envious of his optimism, his outlook on life. How can anyone be so happy in a place like this? I took another bite and smiled. Well, good food for sure helps. 
I didn't quite understand the language that everyone seemed to speak, but I caught bits of Spanish here and there. Based off of some of the things Aaron had said, I was fairly sure everyone here was Filipino, and it appeared that level 859 was a major entry point to the backrooms from The Philippines. I was too shy to ask, so I'll just play along. Everyone so far seemed super nice anyways and I didn't want to ruin the vibe by being rude or anything. 
I finished off my plate. Rice wasn't really my favorite before, but this was something special. With a full and satisfied stomach, I stood up and stretched. I lost vision for a second and I felt a little lightheaded. I realized that Jose was absolutely right, and I needed some serious sleep. I went to the CR to wash my dishes, grab another drink of water, and returned the newly washed plate and spoon to Jose. I thanked him for the hot meal and the proceeded to the makeshift dormitory. I picked a mattress close to a solid wall and laid down. I think I was asleep before I could even remember closing my eyes. 
== ==
Entry Twenty Three: Welcome Back
== ==
A kind man, looking at me, smiling. He wants to help me. I trust him. I feel happy. Then suddenly, I'm not so happy, but the man seems kind. He's sad that I'm angry. He wants me to be happy. I can't move. It's dark but bright. He's so nice but I'm very upset about it. I'm pushing and pulling my body, but I still can't move. I'm in a panic. I'm angry. The light hurts but my soul is dark. Move. Move. Move. Cut. Cut. Cut.
I wake up in a sweat. I quickly remembered how hot level 859 was. It's not an enjoyable place but at least I was safe. I felt safe anyways. What an odd dream. I think it was a nightmare, but it was really unclear what was happening. I thought about me not being able to move. Maybe it was a sleep paralysis thing? I sat up from my foam mat. The market was surprisingly quiet. There was a bit of chatter around but the scraping and banging of the market repairing itself after the flood had ceased. 
I stood up, stretching, left to right. I was stiff and my head was spinning, but I actually felt pretty well rested. No one was tending to the walls anymore, but I spied Elmer guarding the gate as usual. I approach him and he looks over at me and smiles. 
"So, you're finally awake?" He chuckles to himself. "You've been out for about eighteen hours." Eighteen hours? I don't know if I had ever slept that long before. I was shocked. I guess that explains the aches and my spinning head. 
"Heh, good morning. Hey, uh, Jose said he had some sort of mission for me, have you seen him around?" I rubbed the back of my head, still trying to wrap my head around the reality that I was no longer asleep. 
"Check the office next to the CR, I think he and Aaron are planning your mission as we speak." Door by the CR... I guess I was so tired I didn't even notice a whole doorway just feet from the bathroom I had spent so much time in yesterday. 
"Thanks Elmer, I appreciate it!" I tried to sound enthusiastic, despite me still grasping the reality of my sudden consciousness. I walked back towards the office, studying the walls along the way as to make sure I didn't miss any more secret entrances. When entering the door, Jose and Aaron were hunched over a table with large, makeshift map blanketed across. The paths on the map were painted with back paint, with labels in English stating things like produce, meat, hardware, grocery, Rizal hideout, etc. The map was equisitly detailed. I studied as they were pondering the different paths pointing to things and mumbling in their native language. As I was staring at the table, I was imagining myself drawing such a map. I think I could pull off making maps, especially when it came to remembering details and paths. I think I could be a decent cartographer. 
"Ah, our resident ghost is awake!" I wasn't sure if that was a mild racial jab or not, but Jose was smiling and seemed in good spirits.
"Good morning my guy!" Aaron also seemed in good spirits, though this appeared to be his default mood. I smiled and waved at them both, still trying to study the map while attempting give them the attention I assumed they were requesting. 
"Hey, how is everyone?" My mind was finally firing on all cylinders, I think. "So, what's the mission?"
Jose seemed quite pleased with my question. "Ayos yan. Just awake and already to magtrabaho! Trabaho! Work! Trabaho!"
"Tabaho." I repeated, desperately wanting his approval. 
"Yes! Yes! Very good!" Jose seemed quite excited whenever he teaches me a new word. "Okay, you see here?" He points at a spot on the map that read P2-004 Grocery. "This is our current base. P2 for Purok Dos, and the 004 is the fourth stronghold from the main Barangay." He then moves a good distance away from the P2 across the produce section and back into the dry market on the other side. "Aaron tells me you came from this produce section, no?" I nodded in agreement. "He tells me he scouted a grocery store near there, but he suspected an entity hulled up inside." 
My eyes must have doubled in size, and I think I stopped breathing because Jose immediately stopped and looked over at me with concern. Aaron also seemed concerned. "Everything okay my guy?" 
"Uh, yeah. I ah... I think I was in that grocery store and there was an entity. It was awful, pitch-black except that awful smile." I shuddered remembering my encounter. 
"Hoy! Smiler yun!" Aaron shouted with concern. 
"Yeah, I think so, it started chasing me. I hit it over the head with a bottle and I high tailed it out of there. It was screaming at me, calling for me." 
"Wait you hit it? I didn't think they even had solid bodies. It was calling for you?" Aaron's eyebrows bunched up. This level is his only experience in the backrooms so perhaps there are different variations on different entities? I wasn't sure.
"Well, either way, we've just had a 'Calm Event' so entities should have disappeared for a while. This time, I want you both armed and for you both to have flashlights, just in case you do run into a smiler. Entities haven't been spotted yet so I think you should be safe to grab supplies. Prioritize any canned goods or things like noodles." Jose was very matter-or-fact as he spoke. He was a true leader and I immediately felt massive respect for the guy. 
We adjourned our meeting and Jose led us to a supply station where we were both gifted large backpacks. They insisted that I didn't bring my toolbox. I insisted that I do not leave without my toolbox and at the very least, I could fill that with supplies as well. So, Aaron and I took off, back into the market. I stuffed my toolbox in the backpack and carried my hammer on a toolbelt Elmer gave me. Aaron led the way, machete in hand, carrying the experience of a well-traveled wanderer. Aaron was very excited to have his first official assignment with me, and to be rather honest, I was rather excited for my first mission with Aaron. He really was a good dude. 
Aaron and I wandered back through the market, arriving at the produce section. As Jose predicted, the trek so far had been fairly uneventful. The walk was much easier this time as we were both hydrated, rested, fed, and unimpeded by flood waters. Conversation was pleasant as I had talked about my adventures in the backrooms. I went into details on level 0, which is the most common entry point into this dimension. We paused at the produce entrance while we both donned bandanas across our mouths and noses to keep the gnats out of our faces. 
We continued our journey as I continued my story about finding a staircase that led me to level 1, my first encounter with an entity, the power outage, and my first smiler encounter. Aaron clung on to every detail, occasionally asking questions about specifics such as level composition, sounds, smells, feelings. He was honestly the best audience I ever had, and that was including my life in the frontrooms. I talked about the chase in the power outage, me suddenly appearing in the corridor full of evil windows, me running back out the window I came from, falling into the poolrooms. 
After describing the poolrooms, I decided to skip the part of me trying to, well, end my misery, by just calling it: testing the "depths" of the water. I talked about the hotel-like level that was full of pools and my awesome method of scouting out food. We eventually arrived on the other side of the produce section where we both removed our bandana masks. Still no entities to be seen, which was a relief. I was feeling rather relaxed, despite the heat. Now that I think about it, I was already starting to be accustomed to the intense heat, well, as much as one can. 
We continued onward as I explained how I ended up outside, only to find even more pools. I described the feeling of someone watching me, making me feel paranoid until I found some glass doors. Those doors somehow transported me to level negative eighteen. Aaron's eyes widened. "There are negative levels?"
"That's what I said!" I continued my story of meeting the Backrooms Explorer guy and the endless buffet of food. I talked about the facelings and the elevator guy that I pretended I had a connection with. I told him about the room full of smilers that never attacked me. I talked about that rude M.E.G. secretary-something-or-other. I really ranted about her. Aaron asked more about the buffet and could hardly stop thinking about it. I told him about my eventual, fateful decision to go swimming and to ride on that awful waterslide. That ride was a long one, one that I would deeply regret. Aaron looked a little sad at that bit of news. "But on the bright side, I've made some good friends. A lot nicer people here than that MEG lady." Aaron's mood lifted at that. 
Finally, we arrived at the grocery store that we were assigned to scope. The entire walk was entity and calamity free. I looked forward, feeling like a rock was sitting in my stomach. Yeah, this was it. "This is the place." Aaron looked at me concerned at the darkness in my eyes. The store had no lights. There were no signs of any struggle, but we were still cautious. We held our breath. I don't know why were scared; entities hadn't returned yet as we would have at least seen a faceling by now. 
We took a step inside, and I immediately looked towards the back. "You came back? You idiot." All I could see were his eyes and teeth. 
"Bro..." Aaron put his hand on my shoulder. I don't know if it was that his hands were shaking, or it was just the trembling of my entire body. "That's not a smiler."
== ==
Entry Twenty Four: Finally, Some Action
== ==
"You won't get away this time!" The entity exploded in a dead sprint of rage towards the two of us. Aaron, still disoriented from the surprise entity shined his flashlight at the smiling foe. "Agh!! My EYES!" The smiler-thing flailed his arms in front of his glowing eyes and dived to the side, knocking over a shelf. There was a loud crash and he jumped back to his feet. "Kill that LIGHT! I will kill YOU!" 
Arron gripped his machete in preparation. "Hey! Flank him!" I gripped my hammer and took off around the corner into another passage between the rows of shelves. There wasn't a whole lot of room to move, but I was elusive, and I wasn't a large person either. The smiler charged again towards Aaron, fueled by pure rage. Aaron, waited for just the right moment, dodging to the side like matador faced with a raging bull. The entity leaped towards Aaron, just missing him with his body but catching a face full with his clenched fist in a mean left hook. Aaron, being a sturdy fellow, took the blow like a champ and returned with a downward swing with his machete on the man's lower left side, causing him a significant laceration and a spray of blood. 
"Gahhh!!!!" The man twisted his body, powered by adrenaline, lunging again at Aaron. This time he went for a full choke with both his hands around Aaron's neck, squeezing with all his might. Aaron tried screaming, but his airways were completely blocked. Aaron, using the hilt of his blade in a desperate attempt to break free of his grapple, cracked the side of the smiler's head, causing him to be stunned enough for Aaron to break free. 
Aaron staggered backwards, attempting to catch his breath as the monster managed a solid jab to Aaron's abdomen. Aaron made retching sound from the force of the hit but managed to stay on his feet as he attempted to swing again at his attacker with a downward slice. The smiler, predicting the attack, planted his knuckles on the muscle tendons on Aaron's swinging arm, causing him to lose his grip and drop his weapon. While the blade flew away, Aaron, in an old boxer's fashion, saw his attack of opportunity and returned fire with his free hand in a left hook, followed by a low shoulder to the man's chest. 
The smiler stumbled backwards onto a chest unit fridge but was able to hook onto Aaron's neck again with his right arm, twisting and wrestling him over the fridge. The smiler managed one more strike to Aaron's face before attempting another choke out. I had circled back around just in time to catch this maniac with his back turned. I sprinted towards him at full speed. He was too distracted by his blood lust to notice me coming, despite my complete lack of discretion. With a warrior's cry, I raised my arm, and like Thor of Asgar, I landed the head of my hammer clear in the back of his skull. There was a loud crack followed by a thud with the smiler-knock-off collapsing flat on the ground, Aaron falling in tandem. 
Aaron, breathing like a marathon runner looked at me with exhaustion. "About damn time!" After a moment, he started chuckling. "Can you get this asshole off of me?"
I immediately broke my stupor and lunged forward in a panic to grab the beast of a man off of him. The guy was fully nude with his skin painted or dyed black. It wasn't natural by any means. There was bright red blood seeping from his lower back, forming a pool of blood on the ground underneath him. He was knocked out but still alive, at least for now. His eyes, reflecting all light seemed to be pried open with chunks of circular glass. They were seemingly handcrafted lenses that were somehow attached to the eyeballs, enlarging the appearance of the man's pupils by a significant margin. His mouth was carved in an upwards smile shape, most likely with a knife. I wasn't a forensic investigator, but these modifications didn't look self-inflicted, turning my stomach in knots. 
Aaron looked down at the defeated enemy. "This..." He took a deep breath. "This is just some guy... twisted and tortured. This is a person. Not even an entity." Aaron was starting to get the picture. "This explains why he was even here, even this soon after a 'Calm'." Aaron knelt down next to the unconscious body. "What do we do with him?"
I felt a rush of adrenaline followed by a rush of queasiness as I contemplated ending this man's life. He was clearly crazy and a danger to anyone and everyone. But at the same time, I didn't know his story; how he became like this. The backrooms can be a twisted, cruel place with twisted and cruel people. Plus, the thought of killing someone... I didn't even know his name. I closed my eyes, hoping to see into my own brain, even just a little more clearly. On one hand, if I kill this man, this level might be somewhat safer, but I knew I would see his dark face, every time I closed my eyes. On the other hand, if he managed to further hurt any of my new friends, I don't think I could ever forgive myself. 
I exhaled deeply. I wasn't the type of person to go through with it. "I think we should help him." 
Aaron looked up at me and smiled. "I knew you were a good one." Aaron stood back up and dusted off his pants. "I know some first aid and I think I can get him patched up."
"I don't think that glass can come out of his eyes without blinding him, but I think I know where a hardware store is near here. There might be some welding masks to help him block out some light. I think that's at least one source of his pain." I remembered him flinching when Aaron activated his flashlight. Aaron agreed with me and told me to go ahead, and that he could handle this guy "no problem". I exited the grocery store and retraced my steps from the previous day. I seemed to have a pretty decent sense of direction, noting small landmarks here and there. Despite the area looking rather different without the flood waters, I managed to find the hardware store. 
I rummaged through the wares, newly organized and tidy. I retrieved another hammer, adding it to my inventory. It had come in handy several times as a blunt weapon and redundancy never hurt. After a few more tedious minutes, I finally succeeded in finding a welder's mask. Not wanting to waste any more time, in fear that our resident entity cosplayer might wake up in a frenzy, I trekked back towards the grocery store. I paused as I passed my favorite clothing store where I found my beloved Hello Kitty backpack and grabbed the nearest shirt, shoes, and pants that appeared to be somewhat close in size to our captive. After stuffing the wares in my pack, I returned back to the store, noting each of my personal landmarks as I went. 
Aaron had managed to bandage up the man's wound with some gauze that I assumed he had found in the store. Aaron was sitting on the fridge leaning back. He looked completely exhausted, coming off an adrenaline high. He had a bottle of sparkle in his hands, smiling as I entered in the doorway. "There he is." We secured the man's hands as to sort of "disarm him" for when he woke. Then we waited. We took shifts watching him as we each loaded up our packs with food and supplies. Aaron told me to specifically look for something called "Magic Sarap". After maybe 4 hours, the man on the ground started to shuffle and moan. 
I had put a shirt over the man's face to keep the light out of his eyes and to hide our positions. I lightly kicked the man's legs. "Don't move and you might live." I said, personally feeling rather hardcore. "We have some questions for you."
== ==
Entry Twenty Five: Why so Down?
== ==
Content Warning: Topics of torture and murder.
"He said don't move!" The man was attempting to stand. Aaron firmly planted his foot on the man's back. Thankfully we had the foresight to tie up the man's hands behind his back and to lay him on his stomach. The man continued to squirm and moan.
"I'll kill... ughhh why does my head hurt so bad!?" He squirmed some more and then with a defeated sigh, he finally relaxed. "So, why am I alive?" His head rested on the floor. At least I think it was. We covered his head with a shirt to keep the light out of his eyes. 
"We have some questions for you. And if you play your cards right, you might actually survive." I wasn't really sure what my role was in particular. My interrogation experience was limited to a few buddy cop movies I had watched in the past. "For starters, what the hell are you?" Yeah, the basics. Let's start with the basics. 
"I am... ugh I am an entity. An entity. Important research. My head..." I wasn't sure if he was just recovering, or he had just lost his mind over time. Maybe a touch of both? 
"What kind of entity? You look like a discount smiler. Ukay-ukay lookin' ass..." Aaron gave the guy a soft kick/nudge with his foot. "Bare ass, double monocle, black face, I'm not racist 'but' lookin' ass."
"Entity... valuable... I should be happy. Why did he do this? What was the point?" The man began shaking, trembling. The whole situation felt wrong. Off. Something was off. 
"Someone did this to you didn't they?" I think I was starting to get the full picture. "Who did this to you? What did this to you?" I started to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, a feeling I unfortunately seemed to be getting used to. 
"He tied me down. Told me to be happy. No more frowning. I'll be a great contribution to research! The pain..." I could see the grip on his fists tighten. If they weren't dyed black, I was sure they would be turning white. "First it was the skin. He violated me. Chemicals. It burned after a while. Then my eyes. It hurt so much. It made everything so damn bright!" The man screamed in agony from the terror of his memories. "Then he took a knife and cut me up. Said I would never frown again. I swore I'd kill him." The man huffed after straining. 
Aaron was sure to keep the man on the ground. The man continued, "I got my chance. He wanted to make a monster. He got his monster. Days upon days, weeks upon weeks he tortured me, punished me. Made me forget my humanity." His voice quivered. I couldn't tell if he was crying or if he even could cry. "I don't remember. I don't even remember my name. But one day, once he was sure I was completely insane, he set me free, hoping that I would wander, hunting, killing. Except there was only one thing I could never forget. That man would be the first to die, no matter what. My brain may have deteriorated, but my rage kept that one thought in mind." His voice was beginning to clear up, he also seemed more awake and aware.
"I grabbed the nearest object I could find. I don't remember what it was, but it was hard and heavy. I hit him across the head knocking him down. He wasn't so strong without his restraints and his chemicals. I choked him. I watched the light escape his eyes. I watched him go limp and I enjoyed every moment, every second. The euphoria, the pure pleasure I got from extinguishing his life. That I will never forget. I've been chasing that high ever since. I guess I really did become a monster." 
I hadn't realized I was holding my breath. I guess I wasn't expecting this tortured, twisted man to be so coherent. His rage scared me, no, it terrified me. I wondered if I made the right choice to spare him. "Is that why you attacked us? You wanted to feel that feeling again?" This would be the determining question. Does this man still possess his humanity? Would I be the final judge? His executioner? What gave me the right? 
"You know, I never got a chance to see. I've wandered from level to level. Most people run away when they see me, some try to attack. Solitude for me is survival, but eventually you get tired. You get tired of running and fighting and searching and fighting and running and FIGHTING!" I could see his fists clench again. He held his breath for a minute. All we could hear was our breathing. Finally, he let go of his lungs in an exhaustive release, relaxing his hands and his body. "I finally found this dark corner of solitude. I could eat. I could drink. I could defend. Then you two showed up. I wasn't going to give it up without a fight."
Aaron decided to butt in. "Well, you fight like a damn typhoon. And you ain't exactly winning any pageants. We thought you were some sort of new entity. Ewan ko... What do we do with him?" Aaron looked over at me. I guess it was decision time...
"Well, I tell you what. I am not a violent person. And we sort of prepared for this... um... outcome. I have this welder's mask here uh... close your ey... hold on for a sec while I put this on your face. This should help you with the bright lights." I cautiously stepped over towards the man's head and lifted the shirt. He squirmed and moaned in pain a little bit, assumably from the light. I slipped the mask over his face, and he sighed in relief. 
"That's actually not half bad. I'd be willing to test it out in the brighter areas." He shuffled his face around the mask, perhaps getting a more comfortable fit. "I'm not going to fight anymore, well assuming you don't fight me. I'm tired of fighting. I'm... I'm just tired."
I don't know if I am just naive, but this really was tugging at my heart strings. Maybe my mind is just finding reasons to not have kill this man. I felt like I might just be able to trust him, even if just a little. I looked over at Aaron. He was staring me down. Judging by the look in his eyes, he was having the same exact thought process. We locked eyes for a duration until he gave me a subtle nod. "Alright, I tell you what, we're going to let you up, but for our safety, we're keeping your hands tied. At least for a while. Remember that we do have weapons. Don't try anything."
We turned the man around onto his side and helped him on his feet. He stumbled slightly, but with our help, he was stable enough to stand on his own. We let him go and to our surprise, he didn't try to attack or bolt. I guess he really was tired of fighting. We removed his restraints and Aaron piped up again. "Bro, you really need to put on some pants." Aaron tossed the pants to the masked man's chest. He stumbled a little as he balanced, put each leg into the pants. He slipped the shirt on, over his mask. It was a little large, but it fit well enough. 
The man chuckled. "You know I completely forgot I was naked. Didn't even occur to me." He rubbed the back of his head. "So, now what?"
== ==
== ==
Entry Twenty Six: Ready to Roll Out
== ==
"Oo nga e..." Aaron rubbed that back of his head. "What DO we do with you?" We all deadlock stared at each other in a spell of thoughtful silence. It wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable silence, rather, we had to weigh our options. We were all aware, including our new friend: he was a little bit... less than stable. Aaron broke his stare to gaze at me. We had only known each other for just a few days but we had already shared a brotherly bond. We just clicked. I could already read his mind because it was the same as mine. This guy's story is tragic, but he could also be dangerous. He didn't deserve the torment he went through, but we can't afford anyone getting hurt. 
"Well, the way I see it is we have two options." I was nervous. I'm not really used to taking charge. I was never much of a leader, so the role felt really uncomfortable. I knew Aaron could take charge, but I felt like it wasn't fair for him to have to use that kind of energy, given that he took the blunt of the fight. "Option 1, we just let you be, we grab some supplies, as that was our whole goal of coming here in the first place." The man across from nodded his head, considering the option. He looked as though the fight was taken out of him, so I think this was indeed a safe option. "Option 2, you come back with us, we... provided they would..." I trailed off, looking at Aaron, remembering that I was barely a new guest at Purok Dos. 
Aaron piped up, coming to my rescue. "Option two, you come back with us. We have a base with food, water, and security. We can help you, provided you can refrain from becoming a threat." I could see Aaron's eyes darken. He was actually a tad on the intimidating side. 
"My mind definitely isn't what it was. I do not plan on intentionally attacking anyone. This sounds like a real chance for me to get whatever is left of my life back into some kind of order. But I am scared. I have terrors, I can barely sleep. I'm constantly in pain. Lights make me go wild, though I have to admit this mask is genius. I never even considered this. I've tried sunglasses but they weren't dark enough." The man readjusted his stance to something a bit more relaxed than before. "I will be on my best behavior, but I want everyone to be aware of what I am, what I have done. I want to be open, right at the gate." I could hear his voice tremble underneath the shield, covering his face. "I want to make up for my past. I want to avenge the person I feel like I used to be, by overcoming who I've become. And I am going to need some help."
"What do we call you?" A seemingly obvious question. I don't know why I didn't ask sooner. 
"I..." The man paused briefly. "I don't... I don't remember. I ugh... I was just research, an entity... I... I..." He grabbed the sides of his head and crouched over. This poor broken man. A monster that I thought was just some brutal backrooms force, a mindless entity. This human, this person, was now hunched over, audibly sobbing right in front of me. All from a simple question. A small concept: Identity. Something perhaps that we all take for granted. How important it is... to know who you are, and when you lose that, it just breaks you. 
"Well." I looked over at Aaron. "Maybe we can think of a new name? You said 'new you' right? So how about a new name?" I'm quickly finding out that I might just be a bit of an empath because I too, was on the verge of tears. Could he even cry with that glass shoved in his eyes?
"We could call him Happy?" Aaron shrugged. 
"Bro!" Was he for real? 
"Ugh, sorry ahh, Jim?" Aaron was panicking.
"Hector... Dave..." I wasn't really confident with my ideas either. 
"Well, he fights like a damn tornado. Maybe we name him after ol' Senator Pacquiao. Pac Man himself? We call him Manny. What do you think my guy?" Aaron's panic appeared to have subsided. Granted, that was actually a pretty good idea. I wasn't Filipino, nor was I into boxing, but even I knew who Manny Pacquiao was. I think our new friend did too, because he seemed to perk up just a little bit. 
"Yeah, actually I kinda like that." You could tell he was trying to calm himself down, which is actually really good sign in terms of mental stability, at least in my opinion. "Damn." He chuckled under his breath. "I can't remember my own name, but I sure as shit remember who Pac Man is." The three of us all burst out into laughter. A hard laugh from the belly. We were all under high tension until that point and the humor was certainly a nice change of pace.
After a minute, our laughter died down. We each took a few breaths. "So, what do you think Manny? You joining up with us? Aiding on our conquest?" Aaron seemed to be warming up him already. I think having a name was helping him a lot.
"You know, I think I would like that." Manny slapped his chest with a confident thump. "And as far as your conquest goes, I can do you one better. Wait right here." Manny disappeared back into the dark recesses of the store. Moments later we could hear what sounded like hard rolling wheels on the concrete floors. Sure enough, Manny emerges with a metal, flatbed wagon, trailing behind him. "First we use boxes to build up the sides, then we fill the middle with whatever we can. We'll bring the whole store if it will fit." 
Aaron's eyes reminded me of the look in my brother's eyes when we opened up our Nintendo GameCube on Christmas morning. Man, I hadn't thought about my family in so long. I'm sure they thought I was dead by now. I feel like I've barely had any time to miss them since I've noclipped into the backrooms. I've either been fighting for my life or running for my life. It's honestly a miracle that I've survived this long. I wonder if Aaron had any family... I should ask him sometime. Maybe not yet. 
"Bro! Let's go!" Aaron was hyped up. I guess he's fully rebounded. He started grabbing boxes of goods. Chips, crackers, candy. 
"Oh, I've got the good stuff." Manny added in. He disappears again, back into the darkness. Moments later he reemerges with cans of tuna, SPAM, Vienna sausages. A few more trips with sardines and corn beef. "Tonight, we dine like kings!" We all took to packing that cart the best we could in a way that it at least felt somewhat secure. We even grabbed a few jugs of water, noting that they could also be refilled at the CR. We added things like rubbing alcohol and bandages; we grabbed whatever medical supplies we could find. It was a decently sized store, so we had a rather good selection to choose from. 
We eventually took off back towards our home. Manny seemed to be unbothered by the large gash in his side, and he dragged the wagon behind with ease. The floors were mostly concrete and debris free, as we had just experienced level 859's Calm Event. We donned our bandanas over our faces as we entered the produce section. "Keep your eyes peeled. We're due to start seeing real entities." 
Manny replied, "Despite my fancy contacts, I actually have really bad vision. The glue that quack used on my eyes really did a number. I can barely see anything but crude shapes and light. And light is excruciating." Manny knocks on his mask. "I'll let you know if I hear anything though."
"Well how in the hell did you know what was in those cans?" Aaron with the rebuttal, quick as usual. 
"A fine point sir. I felt around, found some cans and prayed it wasn't cat food." We all shared another chuckle. We traveled for a few more hours until we reached the other side. Aaron and I removed our masks, Manny trailing with his wagon behind. We traveled for another thirty or so minutes when Aaron stopped. 
"Stop. Look." Aaron pointed down a dark alleyway where I saw two glowing eyes and a smile. "This one's a real one. You two move to the other side and get ready to bolt. Leave the cart, we can come back for it." The smiler was already rapidly approaching. I could feel my blood turning acidic as I held my breath. Aaron stood in the middle of the corridor as he grabbed his flashlight. When the smiler was just a few meters away, Aaron ignited the light. This caused the entity to charge in a mad frenzy. Aaron chucks the light down the opposite hallway and dives towards us. The smiler immediately chases the light like a hungry dog fetching a bloody steak. "Run!" 
The three of us broke into a dead sprint, leaving behind our valuable treasure. We ran for ages. We ran until our lungs were on the verge of exploding. "Good thing smilers are idiots." Aaron broke the silence with heavy breath. I could see Manny's helmet looks towards Aaron. "Heh. Sorry, I mean the real ones."
"Hahaha, you're good. Despite my ugly appearance, I never considered myself to be anything like them."
We eventually make it back to our gate, greeted by the ever-friendly Elmer. Elmer, cheery as per usual, gave us a big smile. "Hey! Welcome back you two!" Elmer then, of course, looked at Manny while rubbing the back of his head. He gave us a deep sigh. "And what in the hell is that?" 
Aaron, remembering that he's now brought home 2 strangers, just in the span of a few days gestures towards Manny. "Elmer, this is Manny. Manny, Elmer. Hey, uh, we have a problem. We've got a huge cache of supplies about an hour that way." Aaron pointed back towards our recent trail. "We got ambushed by a smiler and we could really use a squad."
Elmer smiled with the wisdom of a hundred years. "Well then, I guess I will rally the troops."
== ==
Entry Twenty Seven: Shake it Off
== ==
Our retrieval mission went a lot smoother than we expected. Aaron, Manny, and I went with a group of about 5 others back into the dark halls of the market, retracing our previous steps. Aaron, having a good sense of direction, along with myself, were easily able to remember where we ditched our beloved cart. Though the market was dark and consistently winding, there were enough landmarks such as odd signs, little boxes and tables, that we were able to differentiate one place from another.
"Another left turn... here, then straight and we should walk right on it. Now keep your eyes peeled, that smiler was seen somewhere near here." I was really impressed on how Aaron took charge. Everyone clung to his every word. I don't know if it was his above average height, or if he just had charisma rolling out of his sleeves, but Aaron was a natural leader. 
Just as predicted, we walked upon the cart with our bounty safely secured on top. A few guys walked a circle around the surrounding corridors and swiftly reported back. There were no threats present in our immediate proximity. I grabbed the handle, and we went on our way.
The only noteworthy event on our return was that a small group of faceless kids did try to ransack our cart, but with our decent sized group, we had zero issues fending them off. Upon arrival Elmer, Jose, and Manny had a nice, long discussion. They talked for hours where Manny was very open about his situation, story, and condition.
They did decide to allow Manny to integrate into the camp, but he was to stay under direct supervision. Manny agreed and he also volunteered to help out in any way he could, despite his poor vision. Manny would find his strength handy when lifting boxes, organizing, guarding at the wall with Elmer. After a few weeks, Manny and Elmer really hit it off. They became rather close.
Aaron and I, during those weeks, was assigned to scout out the entire produce section. I was getting rather handy with drawing out maps to try and help us so that we didn't retrace our steps too much. Often enough, at least once every few days or so, we would find a stall with dry, clean produce. Sometimes we would have to make a few trips, or we'd drag the cart along and fill up on corn, rice, and beans. 
We would run into entities on occasion. In the produce section we would find those gray, faceless monsters. They were just like the one that grabbed me when I initially fell into level 859. Aaron called them dullers. They will try and ambush you, but if you attack them right back, they seem to cower and run away. 
So far what we had mapped was approximated to be around 20 square kilometers of just produce. It was wider than it was long. As we were scouting towards one of the far edges, we felt a small shake. "Did you feel that?" I never lived near any major fault lines, but I knew what an earthquake felt like. "Should we be worried?"
"Tang ina, that's not good." Aaron nor anyone else had taught me what those words meant, but I realized long ago that it wasn't good when I heard anyone say that. "We'll give it about ten minutes and if it shakes again, we need to find shelter."
"Again? Should I expect trouble?" We hadn't had any disasters since the first flood I experienced before.
"Uh yeah, kapatid, this could get bad. I've felt quakes here that will shake you to your very core." 'Kapatid' was a word he used to address me fairly often. It was a word for brother, well, sibling. Jose had put us on every mission together and Aaron was really like a brother to me. He's honestly the best friend I had ever had, and this included my life in the Frontrooms. Man, that felt like an eternity ago. 
Before I had slipped into the hellscape that is the backrooms, I considered myself a bit of a loner. I had friends, I had family, but I was often the guy that was invited to things as an afterthought, simply because I was in the right place at the right time. I don't think I had too many enemies, but I wasn't really interactive enough to really make any close relationships with anyone either. I never had a girlfriend or anything, and now that I think about it, I don't even think I ever even had a crush on anyone. Just not something that interested me. Is that normal? 
The ground began shaking again. "Yeah, this is bad." Aaron started frantically surveying the area. "We need to find shelter ASAP. Being the produce section..." Aaron trailed off in deep thought. I wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but I had a feeling we were about to experience 'the big one' very soon. 
After another ten minutes of walking the ground shook again, and according to Aaron, that was the last small quake we were going to get. He decided on a large table, made from sturdy wood and tiles. We both were able to fit completely underneath. "Kapatid, listen close. This could get real nasty. I want you to hold on, and don't let go. This table is the only shelter I could manage." Aaron braced himself against the end and held his hands on either side. It felt appropriate for me to do the same. 
That last quake was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I thought the ground was going to open up and swallow us whole. I'm not sure if either of us were screaming as the crashes and scraping noises were so loud that I wouldn't have heard it anyways. We heard debris flying off of tables and shelves. A big box of, I don't know, maybe tomatoes, crashed down next to us. It was too rotten to actually determine what it originally was. All I know is it smelled horrible. We hear a loud crash right above us as an entire section of tin roofing crashed down on top of our table, falling to the side to block our view to the left. 
The quake lasted roughly 30 seconds, or maybe longer. I don't know. I wasn't exactly keeping time. It felt like hours in the moment. The building continued to fall apart for a little while, after the rumbling stopped. After about ten minutes, Aaron and I finally got the gall to exit our temporary safe haven. 
The entire market had changed. Entire sections of roof were on the ground, shelves and entire booths were toppled or collapsed. I saw a large beam that had javelined straight through another table just like ours, only meters away. My eyes doubled in size, seeing that missile of steel protruding through the other 'potential shelter' that we could have dived under. If Aaron had chosen the wrong table, at the very least, one of us would likely be very dead. Honestly after a shake like I that, I'm surprised we survived at all. 
"We need to get back." Aaron was eerily calm after what just happened. I was not about to protest either. We made our way back towards camp. Our pace was slow as we dodged debris left over from the recent disaster. Well, at least we should get another calm. 
We took a day cleaning up camp as the market slowly began healing itself. That was apparently one of the strongest quakes they had experienced for a long time and were relieved that no one was seriously injured or killed. During the calm, Jose assigned Aaron and me to go raid Manny's old grocery store again as we shouldn't see any entities during the calm event. They predicted this to be a longer calm as the market was in rough shape. 
A few more weeks pass by, and Aaron and I continue on little missions, mapping out territory and gathering supplies. We eventually were assigned to go beyond the current mapped boundary beyond Purok Dos to try and find more grocery stores. We did succeed in finding another large store; however, we were ambushed by the Rizal Elitists. We fought and ran. Aaron lost his machete in the tussle. We managed to hide in a clothing store for a few hours until we were sure that the Rizalists were no longer hunting us. Aaron was really upset about losing his machete, but we felt pretty fortunate to just have escaped with our lives. 
When we finally returned to camp, there was a fair amount of commotion. Elmer let us in the gate and Manny was against the wall, hands tied with a rice sack over his head, He was panting, sitting, 4 other guys were around him. Jose was talking to him in a calm, fatherly manner. 
"He woke up in a frenzy. A night terror worse than he had ever experienced here. Poor guy..." Elmer was a rather experienced storyteller. "He woke up, ripped off his mask and started screaming. 'The light, the light!' He was flailing his arms. 'I'll kill you! You bastard!' It was real dramatic." Elmer took a deep breath. "Took four guys to take him down. Luckily, no one got seriously hurt." 
"I'm... I think I'm calm. God what happened to me? I'm... so... I'm so sorry," Manny was huffing, breathing heavy. 
"You're okay. You're okay. Breathe Manny, you're safe. Huminga ka, slowly, deep breath." Jose looked like a father consoling his child. He was so calm, so kind as he talked. "Manny, you're okay, nobody was hurt. Okay ka lang. You're okay." 
We walked over to the panicked group. Jose greeted us and Aaron handed Jose the welding mask. Jose put his hand on Manny's shoulder. "We are going to untie you and put your mask back on to keep the light out. Are you ready na Manny?" Manny nodded as a man named Cesar untied Manny's hands. Manny remained absolutely still as Jose placed the mask on Manny's head while removing the sack. 
Manny, Jose, Elmer, Aaron and I held a meeting in the office around the mapping table. We talked about Manny's recent episode and how he could potentially be a danger to the group. Manny was expecting to be exiled, though he was very grateful to have not been killed. Elmer did his best to comfort Manny. Jose in his wisdom, decided that the best course of action wasn't to exile Manny, rather, Aaron and I were to escort Manny to The Barangay, the main colony on level 859. 
We were to bring the cart, full of supplies to The Barangay where Manny would seek help from the hospital that was set up there. There were real doctors that worked in The Barangay, and Jose believes that Manny could get real help. Maybe when they deem him safe enough, he could return to Purok Dos, and Jose would accept him with open arms. We were to embark after a day of rest as the journey would take several days. 
We took a nice long rest, enjoyed some good food, and exchanged stories. We even shared a laugh or two. Elmer chose to stay by Manny's side for the remainder of the day.
== ==
Entry Twenty Eight: Startling Trek
== ==
It's difficult to really tell the time in the backrooms, especially in the market as there was no true day and night cycle. We just kind of declared a day as the time we wake up, to when we would sleep. It's not an exact science, but we made it work in our own weird way. To start our newest day, we gathered around the conference table in the office next to the CR, where a new, larger map was spread across. Jose was standing over the map, speaking in Tagalog to Elmer and Cesar. When we entered the room, Jose immediately switched to English. 
"Ah, you're finally awake. Gising na!" Jose had a strong accent and liked to throw in a few native words here and there. His English wasn't perfect, but from I understood, he was fluent in at least three languages and could work around in a few more; I was barely proficient in one. Needless to say, I was really impressed with Jose and his abilities as a leader and as a person. "Are you ready for your next na gawain." Gawain, I know that one. It's like a task, or something to do. 
Aaron, Elmer and Manny also joined me in the conference room as we all looked over the map, this next task was going to be a long one. "The five of you will be our next runners back to The Barangay, the main camp. Manny, you will get medical care while there. Elmer, as I understood, you will be Manny's support during this endeavor?" Jose looked over at Elmer, where Elmer replied with a smile. First at Jose, then over at Manny. 
"It's been a long time since I've made the journey back to The Barangay. It will be nice to get some rest and see some friendly faces while I'm there. Manny is in good hands with me." The way Elmer talked... this really did sound like it was going to be a very long trip. 
"Now I know that Cesar, Aaron, and Elmer have taken this journey more than a few times. For our new travelers, the journey will take about six days. You will be bringing Manny's cart, full of supplies for the main camp. You will also have your provisions and rations on the cart as you travel so do not lose it!" I felt weirdly proud to have the opportunity to work under such a great leader. I felt almost like a soldier as I stood up straight and said: "Yes sir!"
So, we were off, day one. The five of us including myself, Aaron, Manny, Elmer, and Cesar. I had my toolbox and hammer; I gave Aaron my other hammer since he lost his machete. Cesar had a hand-crafted ammo belt across his chest, loaded with flashlights. Manny and Elmer just brought their peaceful, but powerful demeanors. Judging by the map, we would have to cross, in addition to the typical dry markets, two produce sections, and one meat section. The meat section being a place that I had never seen before. 
Day one was, for the most part, uneventful. We crossed a few facelings one our path, but we didn't have any problems fending them off. The adult facelings never really bothered us anyways. We marched for about ten hours by my estimate before we settled in a reasonably lit corner and set up camp. Now level 859 was mostly dark, but rarely pitch black. You could always see a little light poking through the little holes in the tin roof and occasionally there would even be a light bulb or two, lighting the path. Now, the darkest areas were particularly dangerous, as they could potentially house smilers, which we didn't really have an effective way of countering other than 'flashlight and run'. Lucky for us, cheap flashlights seem to exist in abundance in this level. 
We each took turns keeping watch as we rested up and slept until we all agreed it was time to move on. Day two, our fears of the dark were realized. It always starts with the white glow of teeth and eyes. It's such a contrast to the darkness. Cesar was the one to step forward and take charge. Now Cesar had been doing runs for a long time. He was slim but toned. His calf muscles looked like they were chiseled from marble. He illuminates a flashlight and shines it at the ceiling. We all knew the drill, and we pressed onward, leaving Cesar to deal with the problem. 
Smilers, allegedly, weren't aggressive on their own. They are just rather... easily agitated. So, the best course of action is to distract them in time for you to make a hasty escape. Now Cesar waited for us to make some distance. I was lucky enough to look back in time to witness a pro in action. Like Aaron before, he shined the light directly at the monster, causing it to charge in a frenzy. Cesar waited for the perfect moment and then chucked the flashlight down the opposite corridor. The distance and accuracy in which he throws the light was absolutely admirable. The smiler, enraged by the light ignores Cesar completely. Cesar doesn't even look back as he casually jogs to our position as we simply carried onwards towards our next camp. 
Day three we enter into the first produce section. This produce section looked just like the one Aaron and I had mapped out, except this one was quite smaller in comparison. After about 2 kilometers in, we were faced with a duller. This was now my time to shine. The duller attempted to lunge at me, as they do, but this one got the privilege of receiving a nice crack in the skull by my faithful hammer. Naturally, the creature was stunned, but quickly regained awareness and shuffled backwards. I simple raised my hammer again in the air and the duller scrambled on its feet and scurried away. I like to think it was terrified of me. After about another 3 kilometers, we were out of the gnat infested rot that was the first produce section.
Camp for day three got annoying at times as we had to continually fend off child facelings that were bent on stealing our supplies, but they couldn't quite shake us. They gave up eventually and we finally got some peace. Day four we ventured into the larger produce section. The gnats were the least of my concern at this point as we were now faced with one of my biggest fears. Staring us down, just like the day I had met Aaron was a pale, ugly, greasy face of a hound. Their human like appearance with their dog-like movement really triggered my feelings of the uncanny valley. They absolutely filled me with dread. The beast, seeing new prey, and not wanting to waste the opportunity for fresh meat, charged forward with gusto. 
The dead sprint and the unnatural speed... I knew if I survived this, it would keep me up at night. Cesar put his hands up, signaling for us to keep back where to my surprise, Elmer stepped forward. I was shocked to see Elmer reach into his button-up shirt and pull out a revolver. He takes one quick aim and just when the hound was close enough, placed a bullet square in the beast's skull where only its momentum carried it forward until it dropped dead at Elmer's feet. 
"I never even considered the possibility of guns existing in the backrooms." I was shook. Elmer looked at me and chuckled. 
"There's only very few of us that have a firearm in the Palengke. You know I served in the US Navy for over a decade?" US Navy? I guess that explains his near perfect English and his lightning quick, and machine accurate shot. I made a mental note to learn more about Elmer's past as he was a really interesting dude. The entire rest of the day was spent in the produce section until we arrived at what they called "The Oasis". 
Now 'The Oasis' was a small stretch of dry market between the produce section and the meat section. It was only about one kilometer in length, and it would provide us a break from the awful smells and the flies of the wet markets. This section also had a separation in the ceiling with a small CR where we could refill our water. Elmer fired up a stove where Aaron and Manny filled up some pots with water to boil for food and drinking. The break in the ceiling was hot, but it provided enough light that we didn't fear being ambushed by a smiler and we could relax, even if for just a little bit.
I did manage to get Elmer to talk about his adventures in the Navy including some spicy details about his station at Subic Bay. Apparently, Elmer had a wild side in his youth. We all settled in while taking turns keeping watch. I picked Aaron and Cesar's brain about The Barangay and what it was about. It sounded like a paradise in the midst of hell. There were over 200 people there with food, supplies, music, dance. They talked about hospitals, politics, corruption, peace. It seemed like the colony had been established long ago and was thriving, despite the challenges that exist on the level. It really made me proud to be a human. Like, if we could thrive in a place like this, we could survive anything as long as we stuck together. 
Day five was the dreaded meat section. I had never been to a meat section, so it was going to be a bit of a culture shock for me, and unfortunately, I was indeed correct. The first thing I noticed was the smell. I thought moldy, rotting vegetables and fruit was bad; that was nothing compared to the slimy and bacteria covered meat and fish that penetrated my olfactory senses like a hot knife. The fish... that fish smell was horrendous. I immediately started gagging and retching. The second obvious difference was the flies. These weren't the tiny gnats that I was used to; these were full sized flies and there had to be billions. The clouds of flies were so thick that it had cast a shadow like a fog on the whole section. 
Tables lined the sides of each pathway. They were filled with all sorts of meats including full pigs' heads and intestines. Chickens, fish, sausages, all sorts of mystery cuts were organized in boxes and trays. The tables were tiled while soaking with all sorts of bloody and gory liquids. There were butcher blocks and meat hooks all the way down as far as the eyes could see. It was honestly something straight out of a horror movie. It was truly a gruesome sight. 
We donned our masks like we do in the produce section, but here in the meat section, we wore goggles too. Manny, of course didn't require goggles since he had his welders mask, but even he was grumbling about the flies. The meat section was enormous. We were maybe about ten kilometers in when I heard a blood curdling scream. We all froze to a halt. The sound of the flies had masked every other sound, but that scream sounded managed to break through and it sounded human. 
All of a sudden, what appeared to be a man was sprinting directly towards us. His hands were flailing like an insane person. The closer he got, the more I realized that this wasn't an ordinary man. It was as though his skin had dissolved, exposing his muscle tissue. There were these unnatural sacs on its body, filled and pulsating with some sort of puss-like liquid. This thing had holes and tears all over the body. His mouth was stretched back into a hideous smile. Why does everything in the backrooms seem to smile? It's always a smile. I hated it. 
This time Manny stepped forward. "I got this one." The monster reached towards Manny as each step brought him closer and closer. The entity managed to grab Manny's shirt, but not for long. In one fluid motion, Manny swooped up his hands in a clean grapple to the monster's throat. In a split second, the creature was up in the air, just momentarily until its head was slammed down onto a butcher block on the nearest table. The was a loud crack and I swear, even the flies stopped buzzing for a second. The creature just laid there, blood pouring out of its head while its unnatural body twitched as it slid onto the blood-soaked ground. 
I could feel bile climbing my esophagus as I saw its soulless body flinch and twitch over and over again. It didn't take a doctor to realize that thing was dead the moment it made contact with that block. I could see the horror in Aarons eyes as I'm sure he was reflecting on the time he fought Manny in hand-to-hand combat. I'm glad I had his back because I think we were all frightened at the sheer strength and power Manny possessed. We all continued our journey in relative silence for the next ten to fifteen kilometers. 
Finally, we made it out of the horror that is the 'meat section' and we quickly set up camp. We were all exhausted; even Cesar, the most seasoned and in-shape veteran of us all was entirely pooped out. We all ate and leaned back, keeping an eye on our surroundings as light wasn't necessarily our ally in this particular camp. Manny and Elmer took first watch as we drifted off to sleep. I assume they talked about fighting and war stories. Though Manny couldn't remember his past, I was sure there was a history of violence somewhere in there. He was too skilled a fighter otherwise. Well, I was just glad he was fighting on our side, for now. 
== ==
Entry Twenty Nine: Welcome Home
== ==
Day 6 was the easiest day despite how tired we all felt. We went the entire day without seeing a single entity, and as we were just traveling through the dry markets, we didn't have to really worry about any flying insects either. The corridors were dark, as always, but we were all in good spirits. I was especially excited to see The Barangay. The way everyone was describing it, it seemed like it was a sprawling city, loaded with people. It sounded really exciting to be honest. I wasn't really a people person, but this sudden change of pace versus the extended isolation I had experienced in my travels in the backrooms would be fully welcome. 
Cesar was the most excited to see someone named Mary Jane. He appeared to be quite fond of her by the way he smiled. His whole face lit up as though his soul was illuminating through his eyes. During my time in Purok Dos, Cesar was one of the people that made runs up to The Barangay the most, so I assumed they had developed during those visits. I was happy for him. I certainly wasn't the romantic type, but I sure could appreciate seeing someone become so happy by simply being with another person. It warmed my soul, and looking at everyone else's expression, my feelings weren't isolated. Even Manny, whose face I couldn't see, seemed to be touched by Cesar's stories. 
Elmer was also rather excited to arrive at The Barangay. He didn't have any romantic flings, but he has many friends that he hadn't seen for a long time, and he was ready to catch back up. Aaron didn't mention having anyone he was excited to see, which I thought was a little odd since I've always known him to be chatty and talkative. We pretty much became instant friends at first contact; I can't really imagine him not having a lot of close buddies wherever he went. Maybe he just hadn't spent a lot of time in The Barangay? I didn't question it too much. 
As we arrived at the front gates, we were greeted by four security guards. The oldest of the guards instantly recognized Elmer. "Oi! Kuya Elmer! Grabe! Balik bayan ka na!" Well, I understood Elmer and that's about it. 'Ka' was 'you'; I knew that. 'Na' was used in so many different contexts, I still wasn't really sure what it meant. Words were starting to pop out to me, but I was far from understanding their language. Lucky for me, most people had at least a basic understanding of English, but I was still trying my best to learn what I could. 
"Tony! Good to see you my friend, we have gifts!" Manny approached with his cart stacked high with supplies. "This is Manny. He has eye problems, so his mask keeps him safe. He's a good man." They went through rounds of quick stories and introductions. Of course, they knew Cesar and recognized Aaron. After a few minutes of chatting, they unlocked the telescopic gates and allowed us to pass. We stepped inside and I have to say, I was not prepared for what I saw. 
The area was bright, with Christmas lights strung from walkway to walkway. It was bustling with people. There were shops with clothes, food, tools, anything you could need. The whole vibe of the area was excellent. Now the perimeter of the colony was walled off for security, but everything else about the market felt fully alive. Men, women, and children were busy about, chatting, laughing, playing, working. Everyone had something to do, somewhere to go. It honestly would be difficult for me to go back to Purok Dos after seeing this. I could even hear music playing somewhere in the background with someone singing karaoke. 
Elmer pointed towards a small store that was boarded up with green painted wood and two guards standing outside. The words 'Barangay Hall' was painted in neat letters next to a small doorway. "That's our first stop. From what I understand, Ate Peping, that's Ah-tee Peh-Ping, is the new Barangay Captain. Now, Peping is, ah... she's a, ah... very professional woman. Just uh, smile and nod. She doesn't bite... I don't think." We shuffled our way to the hall and Elmer had a small exchange with the guards, showing them the cart. One of the guards spoke into a small radio then opened the door for us to go inside. 
The inside was simple but clean, there was a desk with a young woman sitting behind it. She told us to stand by and she left to go inside a small office behind her workstation. After a few minutes of us standing in awkward silence, the lady returned and beckoned for us to enter into the office. Behind another desk was a shorter, older lady with grey hair and a scowl. "Ah, ano po yan? Sir Elmer, you're back." Peping opened up a drawer in her desk and pulled out a folder. "Will you be responsible for our guests here?" She stared directly into my soul. I don't know why, but I was absolutely terrified of this woman. She wasn't so much as physically intimidating, but she was smart, quick, and not exactly friendly. 
"Yes ma'am. They are under my care." She handed Elmer a folder. He opened the folder and briefly looked through the papers. 
"Okay, please sign in everyone's name. Check the box with transient, and the box with Purok Dos. You can get food and rest. How long will you be staying?" She never once cracked a smile. In fact, I think her face was frozen in a permanent scowl. 
"Well, Manny here is in need of medical care. Jose has instructed the two of us to stay as long as he needs to get better. Cesar, and these two will return on their own accords. Jose has requested additional runners for Purok Dos as we've had some recent encounters with Rizal Elitists." I could see Aaron clenching his fists as he looked down at the ground. He was still really upset about our last encounter with those terrorists. 
Peping and Elmer exchanged a few more words in their native tongue as they discussed initiating the applications and forms to acquire more personnel for Purok Dos. Eventually we got the pleasant opportunity to finally leave. I don't think I took a single breath while I was in that office. Honestly, I was feeling pretty tired. We stopped by a shop where it appeared a group of people made crude tools and weapons out of miscellaneous recycled items found throughout the market. Elmer gave a friendly hug to what I assumed was the shop's owner or manager. The man who I think was named Jim-Ray, led us down a long corridor to a quieter set of renovated shops. 
Aaron had been pretty quiet this entire time. It seemed like he was careful not to make too much eye contact with anyone around. "These are the barracks. They're separated by either families, or by gender. We have our own special barracks for runners." 
"You okay kapatid?" I knew his vibe was off. It felt like an appropriate question since we were finally in a quieter area of the colony. 
"Uh, yeah. I'm alright. You know it's crazy, but after everything all of us have to go through, just to survive here in the backrooms, there are still somehow, major assholes everywhere. I uh, I... Let's just say I worked hard to get out of here to be a member of Purok Dos. I don't exactly have a lot of good memories here. But I'm pretty happy to see that Manny is going to get some good help, so I'll be fine." Aaron tried putting up a fake smile. He was pretending to be okay, but I could tell he wasn't happy to be here. 
We settled into our barracks, sat down, and relaxed. Elmer and Manny decided to visit the medical area so that Manny could get introduced to the phycologists and doctors that worked there. Plus, Elmer's bones were aching, and he could use some acetaminophen anyways. Cesar left to go find something to do with a 'red horse' and to unwind with some karaoke and maybe drink enough liquid courage to go find Mary Jane and hopefully not screw anything up. Aaron and I stayed behind. I could tell he wasn't ready to socialize, and I wasn't really into crowds of people anyways. 
"Kapatid, I've been thinking..." Aaron sat up and scooted forward on his cot. "I want my machete back. Those assholes think they can get away with anything and I'm not gonna stand for it."
I was kind of surprised that, despite our recent journey, all the events that occurred on said journey, our conversation with Peping, The Barangay, everything: Aaron was still thinking about that machete. "Well?" I chuckled a little bit. "What's the plan?"
"Well, the way I see it, we get some food, some rest. Maybe shop for some supplies or whatever, and we leave. It's about a five-day journey back to where their base is, and since we won't have the cart, I bet we could make it in four." Aaron stood up and put his hand on the doorway and looked out into the corridor. "We would sneak in and make some sort of diversion to get their attention elsewhere. We go in, snag that machete, maybe some other stuff, then we book it out of there."
"You don't think they'd kill us?" I'd take a bullet for Aaron at this point, but this plan was a bit careless. 
"Rizalists distract easily. They like to gamble and party. If we could break in during a hound fight or something, they'd probably not even notice us in there." I wasn't about to ask what a hound fight even was. I felt electricity run down my spine at just the thought of it. "Plus, we're fast. We've done nothing but cardio for the past couple of months. They're lazy. Plus, they wouldn't dare try to attack Purok Dos. If we just make it back there, we'd be safe."
Aaron seemed pretty sure about this plan. Also, thinking about it, maybe I could snag a cool weapon too. "Alright, I'm in. Besides, there's too many people here for my liking anyways." 
Aaron's whole face lit up. "It's destiny then." He lifted his fist heroically. 
== ==
Entry Thirty: Gone with the Wind
== ==
Aaron and I woke up around the same time and honestly, it was some of the best sleep I've had in a long time. The mattresses were similar to the ones I slept on in Purok Dos, but they were on an actual bed frame, and we had the absolute pleasure of using a rotating fan, keeping us relatively cool for our entire slumber. I stretched my arms first, then my legs. My shoulders popped in such a way that felt super relieving. Even Aaron looked fairly well rested, despite his obvious excitement to go take back what was his own personal Excalibur. After a few moments of catching our bearings from our respective beds, we got up to go get some breakfast. 
We grabbed seats at a small makeshift table and feasted on some spam and rice. I was never a huge fan of spam when I was in the frontrooms, but I have to say, when they're cooked properly and eaten with rice, spam actually kind of slaps. 
"Holy shit! Look at that, ang lakas ng loob ah! Aaron is back!" A couple of guys that seemed to be about Aaron's age walked up towards us. The way they swayed when they walked felt like they were trying to intimidate us. I wasn't swayed. 
"Oh God, hey Jayvee." Aaron, despite his attempt at a pleasant greeting, did not have a pleasant expression to match. 
Jayvee walks right up to Aaron and grabs his tray and tosses it on the ground. "Still a bitch Aaron, no?" He reaches to ruffle Aaron's hair.
"Bro if you don't back the hell up, I'm going to break your nose." They didn't see that I had my hammer at the ready. I did not appreciate them messing with my brother. "The hell is this? Walking up with this high school bully ass shit? Go on somewhere."
"Oh, you got GI Joe to come and save you ah?" Jayvee's partner in crime went to go grab my food tray as well but was met with a loud crack from my hammer, right on his knuckles. Judging by the sound, I definitely broke something. "Ahhh! Mother Fu..." He stopped as both him and Jayvee looked past us as Ate Peping approached us.
"You two! Layas na!" Peping shouted so loud the entire cantina went silent. The two bullies nodded and immediately vacated the premises. "As for you two. Bago lang kayo and you're already starting trouble?" I didn't understand everything she said but I was pretty sure we weren't off the hook either. Thankfully, Peping didn't stick around for too long afterwards and the usual sounds and chatter of the crowds resumed. We decided to not stick around either; we didn't want any more trouble. I can see why Aaron wasn't a fan of being here and to be honest, after that, I didn't feel like being here either. 
"You know you could beat both of those guys in a fight, right?" I looked over at Aaron as we walked towards the tool shop. We both figured we would find Elmer over there chatting with Jim-Ray, or at least Jim-Ray would know where he was. 
"I don't know, maybe. I just. I don't know, he's always got into my head. And it's not just him. There are several just like him that always just want to see me miserable. I don't think I could take them all on." Aaron looked at his feet as we walked. I could feel anger swelling at the pit of my stomach. 
Elmer wasn't a huge fan of our plan to leave early on our own, but he eventually realized that our minds were made up and he didn't really have a say in the matter. Of course, we conveniently left out our plans to infiltrate the Rizalists to get back Aaron's prized blade. Elmer had also already heard about our trouble in the cantina and agreed that maybe us being here might cause more trouble than it was worth. Jim-Ray hooked us up with some flashlights and batteries and we all exchanged our goodbyes; we stopped to see Manny as well and he wished us luck. We couldn't find Cesar, but I'm sure we'd see him within a week or so anyways. 
With packs, rations, hammers, and my handy toolbox in tow, we left through the main gates and started our journey. "You know, kapatid, getting back will probably be a lot quicker than getting here." Aaron looked like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, finally being out of The Barangay. 
"Especially since we're not lugging a big old cart around and plus, let's be honest here, Elmer and Manny aren't the fastest travelers in the world either." We both shared a chuckle as we made our way through the dark corridors. Shop after shop, hall after hall, we zipped through the market, rarely even glancing at the map. We did see the occasional entity, be it a faceling or a smiler, but with our experience from mapping out our resident produce section, we had gotten pretty good at avoiding most trouble. We could move with speed and stealth. 
Aaron was certainly right about our fast pace. We managed to get to the meat department in half the time it initially took to traverse that distance. It did take the rest of the day to get through the meat department and we really pushed ourselves to get through. We even managed to escape past a group of those skinless insanities with relative ease. Finally, we made it to The Oasis and set up camp under the break in the roof. Careful not to fall into the little trench of dirty water that ran through the length of the sectional break, we dropped from exhaustion and ate our rations. Despite being tired, we felt pretty proud of the distance that we were able to cover in one day. "With this pace, I'll be swinging that machete around in a matter of days."
We took shifts keeping watch as we both got some well needed rest. As we were eating our breakfast, post snooze, we both paused to look up into the sky via the break in the ceiling. Clouds? Lots of them. "Shoot..." Ah geez, Aaron looked concerned. Another weather event? I was starting to catch on with how things worked around here. 
"Well, should I be worried?" I knew the drill by this point. "What am I to expect with this one?"
"Well, we have about an hour before the rain starts." Aaron took a deep breath. I could already feel the wind gaining strength. 
"Then?" Was he pausing for dramatic effect? 
"Then the wind really picks up. Watch out for flying debris, falling roofs and all of that. Might get a flood too." Great, another flood. 
"Well, Aaron, on the bright side, I think we'll get our distraction. Should be a piece of cake." Sometimes you have to look at the positives, right? 
Lucky for us, the wind was at our backs and with the cooler temperatures as well, we kept a really fast pace during the storm, and just as Aaron predicted, we got one hell of a storm. The wind was howling so loud I thought I was going to go deaf. We attempted a few times to shout at each other in order to talk, but we eventually just gave up and used some sort of makeshift sign language to communicate. I had been reading gestures and body language for months now, since most people didn't speak English unless they were directly talking to me, so we made it just fine. Sleeping was an absolute nightmare though. 
After a few days, we made it to what we remembered to be the Rizal camp. Water was about up to our waists from the storm's accompanying flood. Chaos was ensuing at the camp as the Rizalists were desperately trying to maintain some sort of order. We concealed ourselves behind a stack of boxes, waiting for our opportunity to break in. Luck continued to be on our side as a large portion of roof gave way and flew off to take out the two guards standing at the gate. We didn't wait around to see if they survived the impact.
Their camp was set up in a cleared-out store, not unlike our set-up in Purok Dos. No one appeared to notice us amidst the chaos as we hugged the walls, looking for any supply caches. I tapped Aaron on the arm and pointed to a pack that was situated on top of some shelves. I bet there were some good supplies in that. We waded over to the shelf and grabbed the pack. To Aaron's excitement, there was his machete, right underneath. Lady luck was really with us today. I could see the sparkle in Aaron's eyes as he triumphantly raised his blade into the air. 
Our newly found excitement was quickly extinguished as an arrow flew into the wall right next to us. They have a bow!? Aaron and I didn't need to speak for us both to know we needed to get the F out of dodge. We scrambled towards the exit as several Rizalists began pursuit. Another arrow flew past our heads as we dashed through the water. Aaron was also right about them being sluggish as they could not maintain our pace. But arrows? You've got to be kidding me. 
Wading through the water at such high speeds was no easy task but we were starting to put some distance between us and our pursuers. Another section of roof falls directly in front of us, barely missing our skins. We needed to hide and fast, as the storm proceeded to get worse and worse. Aaron signal towards a locked shop with a roll-down gate. I think we had lost them as the Rizalists weren't anywhere to be seen, but I was sure they weren't far behind. Aaron takes the lock and slices at it with his machete. I guess he wasn't worried about damaging it as he could always resharpen it in the future. 
It took a few strikes, but the cheap lock did eventually give. He rolled up the gate just enough for us to get in and he closed the door immediately. We both froze in place, desperately trying to listen if anyone was following, while catching our breaths. It was no use as the roaring wind and the pounding rain on the rooftops were too loud to hear our own thoughts, let alone anything else. All we could do was wait and hope. At least for now we seemed somewhat safe. 
After a few hours of dread and terror, the rain and the wind died off completely. Aaron, unsure of what was happening, powered on one of his flashlights. I could see the confusion in his expression. 
"Eye of the storm, or is it finally over?" Of course, this was my first typhoon in level 859, so I wasn't sure how this particular disaster worked. 
"This... this doesn't happen like this. It never just stops." I could hear the water moving outside, splashing and moving. It was eerily calm. "Well, should we chance it?" Aaron shined his light directly into my eyes. 
I chuckled as I closed my eyes, empathizing with Manny in my thoughts. "Well, better now than never I guess." Aaron carefully opened the rolling door only to be assaulted by bright light and a horrendous smell. Water poured out of the shop, almost taking us with it in the current. 
We were... Outside? 
We stood in shock, neither of us willing to make another step. "Aaron... I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." 
== ==
== ==
Entry Thirty One: Something's Fishy
== ==
"Bro what the hell is Kansas?" Aaron stepped onto the wooden logs that made up the walkway. There was a slight breeze carrying the stench of waste and death through our nostrils. It was a maze of lashed sticks, less than a meter above an ocean of water. Lining the paths were huts. These huts were thrown together with scrap wood, tarps, metal sheets, even the occasional advertising sign. The water was filthy, with plastic, diapers, paper, dead fish. It looked absolutely toxic. 
As we walked on the sticks, they creaked and groaned as they bent underneath our weight. "Aaron, I have no idea where we are. I've never even heard of a place described like this. I don't know if there are hazards, entities, nothing. Keep your eyes peeled." The pathways were narrow. The entire makeup of the level looked to be thrown together without any planning or infrastructure in mind. Paths would end in huts, turn abruptly, intersect at other places. Rarely was there a straight line. 
Aaron grabbed a clothesline that stretched between two huts and plucked it like a guitar. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about finding clean clothes. This place is packed with fresh laundry." He grabbed a pale-yellow shirt. It looked stiff as a board. I guess fabric softener wasn't really a thing in the backrooms. 
"Food won't be an issue either. I hope you like fish." In a few spots along the path, including a few racks on some rooftops were hundreds of small, sun-dried fish. 
"Hey with some vinegar and sili... uh peppers, those aren't half bad. You think there's rice on this level?" There's a hopeful thought. Honestly, anything is possible. There was rice on level 859, so why not here? Then again, I thought back to the times I almost perished on level 0 and in the poolrooms. Resources usually weren't as plentiful as they seemed to be in the market. But, then again, we did have some fish, so at least we wouldn't starve. Water on the other hand might be an issue. I looked again into the water beneath us. I swear I saw a turd floating by. Maybe a good sign? Perhaps there are other people here? 
Being optimistic, at least the weather was nice. It was warm, but the breeze made it quite cool, especially compared to the intense heat that was always present on level 859. Plus, we had a little bounce in our steps thanks to the springing motion of the log pathways. Though, I wish the logs were a tad sturdier, as I do feel branches crack underneath my weight from time to time. We walked for a few hours before we both decided to take a small break. "Kapatid, I don't think there's an end to this." Aaron was right; if level 0 was approximately 600,000,000 square miles in size, this was probably just as large. Now that I think about it, how do they even know level 0 was 600,000,000 square miles? 
We decided that no one actually lived in any of these houses, and we decided to break into a few of them. Now they were all locked, but with Aaron's quick machete work, breaking in wasn't much of a hassle. Now, I don't know what I was expecting, but the insides of each of the houses were rather, simple... to say the least. They were all one room, with a small table or two, usually a grill made out of a large, cut metal oil can or something, and had a low table made out of bamboo slats; Aaron says they're beds, but they looked rather uncomfortable if you ask me. I guess it's better than sleeping on the floor. 
The floors of the huts were also made out of long sticks, and occasionally solid sheets of plywood. I looked down into the putrid water. "How deep do you think it is?" Even after being in the level for hours, the smell was still quite terrible. 
"No idea, but I ain't jumping in to find out either." I couldn't blame him one bit. It was disgusting and I could feel bile kissing my lower esophagus just thinking about it. 
We decided to move on and further explore the area. After another hour or so, we found what looked to be a small shop. There was a metal cover over the main window, but Aaron was able to pry it open fairly easily. Inside was a mostly empty shelf and a chest freezer. The shelf had a few packs of ramen, a little notebook and pen, a book of matches, and a little bag of cracker nuts. Pretty nice find if you ask me. "Hey, kapatid, maybe I should start a journal like you, no?"
I chuckled; I didn't realize he ever saw me writing in mine. "Hey, that's not a bad idea. That way when MEG or someone finds our bodies, they'll have a record." We both shared a hearty laugh. I still had a very negative impression of the Major Explorer Group. I opened up the freezer and peered inside. The freezer was warm; obviously there was no power. At the bottom were smaller bags tied up and filled with a clear liquid. I picked one up and gave it a light squeeze. "You think this is fresh water?"
"Malay mo, open it up and see." Malay? Like from Malaysa? I carefully made a small hole in the top of a bag, careful not to get any liquid on my hands. I used my other hand to try and waft the smell of the liquid towards my nose. I wasn't a chemist, but I knew better than to just poke my nose into some mystery liquid. There was no immediate stench to the liquid, and it looked clean. I poured some of the liquid on the wooden shelf. If it was acid, I'm fairly sure I'd at least see some bubbles on the organic material, right? Just to make sure, I poured a little on metal brace on the shelf as well. No bubbles there either. 
"You think it's water?" I think I was ready to touch it and taste it. I poured a little on the back of my hand. Nothing. It felt like water. I took a swig. Definitely water, and it was fresh. It was quite nice really. "Bro, I think we hit the jackpot. We have food, water,and fire. Plus, we've been here for hours and haven't spotted a single entity. This might just be a safe level. Heck, we might just be able to make a colony here, assuming we can find other wanderers." I was starting to feel a shred of optimism. 
"Yo! Kapatid! Look outside!" Was that... was that a sunset? It had been months since I've seen nighttime. It's probably been years for Aaron. 
"Well, given that there doesn't seem to be power or light on this level, we'd better find a house to camp out in for the night." Even though we hadn't seen any entities during the day, it's possible they only come out at night. We broke into the house next to the shop and ate some rations. We were running low, but it seemed like there was a steady food source on this level, so I wasn't worried. I laid down on the hard wooden bed. You know, it wasn't that bad to lay on as the bamboo gave just enough to not feel like concrete and was hard enough to actually feel quite nice on my back. Plus, it being slats, I felt reasonably cool. 
I could see Aaron writing in his new journal, using a flashlight to see. I smiled a little to myself. It was a good habit, writing. I'm glad I could be a positive influence on at least someone. I drifted off to sleep as Aaron took the first watch. 
== ==
Entry Thirty Two: Drop, Drip
== ==
I took the last shift and waited for Aaron to wake up. So far, still no entities. I figured I'd try some of this fish, so I used the first of our book of matches and lit up some of the coals found in the makeshift grill. Now we did have a flint and steel as part of our travel packs, but to be quite honest, I was pretty terrible at using them. Now, naturally the coals didn't want to light up at first, so I went outside and grabbed some thin clothing to try and ignite and burn. Thankfully I got this idea after only wasting one match directly on the coals. 
Once I finally got the fire steady, I began putting little dried fishes on the grill and to be completely honest, I was hoping for a slightly better smell. I guess, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever really cooked fish before. Sure, I've heard that cooking fish smelled, well, fishy, but the stench was actually really unpleasant. Well, it's food. It should fill our bellies and give us some protein to go about our travels. I'll even cook a few extra for the road so we can have some lunch later as well. Maybe we'll luck out and find another shop with some food in it. Maybe I can find some almond water, I haven't had that in a long time. 
Aaron shuffled around a bit and halfway woke up. "Hey, that smells pretty good, what'cha cookin'?" Smells good? Different kicks for different folks, I guess. 
"Good morning, you hungry?" He shot up fast. He looked quite excited to eat some of that fish. Aaron grabbed one right off the grill. It was still painfully hot as he tossed the fish from hand to hand, waving his singeing hand through the air in a desperate attempt to cool off his fingers. 
"Aray!" Aaron tossed the fish in his mouth and started chewing. "Damn that is salty!" He shut his eyes so hard I thought he was going to tear his eyelids. I gave a good laugh and grabbed one of the fishes that I had set aside on the table. It was still warm but not at the equivalent of hot lava like the one Aaron had grabbed. He was right though; they were incredibly salty. Well, food is food, so I endured until I was full. Aaron, after eating a few grabbed one of the bags of water that we had secured from the previous day and shove his finger through the top. You'd think he had been wandering the desert for a month on how fast he sucked down that entire bag of water. "Ugh!" He shivered his whole body.
"You know, if we do make a colony, we're going to need to find the perfect spot? It should be special." Aaron had finally recovered from his salty demise. "With the occasional store and plenty of food... Maybe we could make a flag out of some old clothes? I was thinking red, blue, and yellow. You know, something to raise up high, attract more wanderers?" Aaron had a solid idea with that. I was decently artistic, so I think I could probably find a way to make and hoist a flag. 
"Alright, bet. But like you said, it needs to be a really special spot. We have nothing but time, so I want to be picky." We packed up our things and extra fishes and hit the trails. We immediately noticed as we were walking that the water levels were significantly lower than they were the night before. "Low tide or a tsunami?" I didn't really have much experience with either, but after our time in level 859, I had become rather pessimistic with natural disasters. 
"No clue, kapatid. It looks like a low tide to me, but I've never been in a tsunami." After about an hour or so, the water had completely receded, exposing a soggy, wet ground just underneath a couple centimeters of water. There were tide pools of slightly deeper water scattered about and piles upon piles of wet garbage. Rats could be seen scurrying about as I studied all of the different items below. It would be a bit of a climb, but I bet there was some useful things down there. Well, for now, I didn't think it was worth it. 
We continued our journey unbothered. We figured if there was a tsunami, there wasn't exactly a high ground for us to escape to, so we'd be out of luck anyways. No sense worrying about it. We would rarely find a store in our travels where we would find some food stuffs and little miscellaneous items. The most important thing I found was a completely full, sealed, 5-gallon jug of water. One of those jugs that you'd put in a water cooler dispenser while you made small talk at the office? First, we filled up our water jugs to try and lighten the weight of the 5-gallon jug just a little and we then drank our fair share of water to stay hydrated. We elected to take turns carrying the jug as we traveled. We would keep it when we finally went through the whole thing.
We were relieved when the tide came back that evening in a calm, orderly fashion. We boiled up our ramen for dinner using what dishware we had and camped for the night. I had a good feeling about this place. 
It was about a full week before we finally found our perfect spot. It was a wide square with a nice spot of open space for sea water in the middle which was a nice contrast to the typical narrow walkways we were used to. There were two stores, both having a decent supply of food and water. We found some tuna, sardines, and to Aaron's excitement, a bottle of vinegar. The only other time I had seen Aaron this excited was when he first found his machete months ago. I though he was going to break the ground as he was jumping with excitement. Yeah, this is the place. 
Since we'd been here for an entire week without ever spotting an entity, we figured, either entities are extremely rare on this level, we were super lucky to never see one, or there just weren't any entities on this level period. It was a nice feeling to finally be able to let our guard down a little. We were so used to watching each other's backs all the time that we forgot what it was like to not be on edge constantly. 
Aaron went out to scout the area and I initiated the process of crafting our flag. Finding the colors for the flag was relatively easy as there were clothes everywhere. The tide had pulled out for the evening, and I climbed my way to the bottom. It wasn't an easy climb either as it was about a three meter drop to the bottom. Thankfully, there were a few places nearby where stilts were close enough to shimmy up and down, creating access to the ocean floor. I knew exactly what I was looking for, something that I know was in abundance here on the ground: fishing line. This would be what I would use for thread, and if I was lucky enough, I would find a fishing hook that I could use for a needle. 
I looked for barely five minutes before I had an abundance of fishing line and a couple of fishing hooks. I still had my hammer, so straightening it out shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Making the flag was surprisingly easy. I had never really sewn much before, other than my home economics class in school, but I seemed to have a knack for it. I made a tri-color pattern. Yellow on the top left to represent the sun, blue on the top right to represent the sky, and red on the bottom to represent the red earth underneath us. I snatched a long pole from one of the houses and hoisted the flag on the tip. I then set the pole on top of one of the sturdier huts. I tied it off with gusto. Even though we hadn't seen any storms, it would rain on occasion, so we didn't really know what the weather really had in store for us. 
Aaron returned with another jug of water and looked up at the new flag. "It's perfect my guy. Absolutely perfect. I bet you could see that thing four kilometers away." We would work on organizing the camp over the next few weeks as we mapped and scouted out the area. We unlocked all the doors, set up some sort of perimeter, cleared out some of the filth in the water, folded and sorted the laundry. We even made some hammocks so that we didn't have to sleep on the hard beds anymore. 
One day, I was going on a round, trying to find supplies when one of the logs I was walking on completely gave out. Now I had broken a few logs in the past, but this time I fell completely through. Lucky for me the water was at its peak height, so I didn't fall too far before hitting the water. On my way down, my leg scraped across a sharp part of the wood, and it cut pretty deep. I flailed my arms in the nasty water and screamed in pain. This was bad. I managed to pull myself out of the water, back onto the wharf. My leg was bleeding. A lot. I grabbed a nearby shirt and did my best to wrap the wound. I could feel the tare in my muscle. The worst part of it was the fact that I was cut in the exact same spot as before, when I initially fell into level 859. 
Walking hurt. Besides the fact that the cut was really deep, I could feel my leg tingling from how tight I wrapped the wound. I did what I could to get it to stop bleeding. It took me an hour to walk back which allowed me to completely dry off. Aaron immediately noticed my newest fashion accessory on my leg. "Kapatid! What happened?"
"Log broke and I cut my leg up. Doesn't feel too good." Aaron was panicking. We were brothers, and we got worried for each other.
"You didn't fall in completely, did you? That's water is real nasty!" His eyes were dilating. I think he was in more of a panic than I was falling in.
It took a moment for me to respond as I ultimately decided not to give him the full truth, as not to worry him too much. "Just my foot went in. I'm fine." Aaron immediately relaxed. "We got anything to clean this up with?" I would like to try and clean the wound, though I was afraid it would start bleeding again if I took off the DIY bandages. 
"Nothing man, maybe we'll luck out and find some soap or alcohol in a shop or something." I hope he's right. Might even need some medicine if this gets infected. That water is horribly putrid. Well, I can still walk at least, so I'm sure we'll find something eventually. 
== ==
Entry Thirty Three: Top Ramen
== ==
"Hey dad." Dad was picking at a guitar. He never learned more than a few basic chords, but whether he realized it or not, he was one heck of a musician.
"Hey son." Dad interchanged between a D minor and an A minor. It was a soft plucking pattern that was solemn and sad. The pattern then resolved with an upbeat C major followed by a G major and finishing on a D major. Starting the progression with a D minor and ending with a D major, made the phrase feel like it was asking a question. It added a space for thought as he alternated the E string up and down a whole step, adding just a little bit of melody to the progression. "Son, have you been a good person?"
I never felt like I was a bad person. I wasn't the hero type either, but I strived to do the right thing when the opportunity presented itself. I definitely don't think I've ever made any important impact anywhere. "Dad, how are you here? You died years ago. You had cancer, remember?" I could hear dad hum a melody as he started the progression over again. After playing the final D major and pausing after the melodic E string shift, he switched to an upbeat chorus in a strumming pattern in F major and G major. After such a solemn verse, the chorus made me feel hope and ease. "Was I a good person, son?"
"You were to me. I mean, you weren't perfect, but you loved us... I felt loved. I know mom did too." Dad returned to his quiet picking pattern as he began with the D minor chord. 
"I never felt like I made much of an impact. I was always at work and then I was tired when I got home. I'd eat, sleep, and go back to work." That last D major, always left space, time enough to think a million thoughts, even though it only lasted a moment. 
"You were kind, dad. You provided for us; you protected us. I understand that you had to work." He repeated the verse again before ringing that D major again.
"I wish I did more." He returns to the strumming pattern, playing his heroic chorus again. It was such a simple song, but it was impacting me greatly. As the music rang through my soul, I thought about my own moral dilemma with Manny. At the time, I thought about killing him. What a mistake that would have been. Manny, the man who lost his own humanity, only needed some help to become a person again. I had made the right choice. 
As though he were reading my thoughts, my dad spoke as he continued his song, now playing a bridge part that was dreamy, but hopeful. "You are kind; you have a good heart. You may or not be remembered, you may or may not leave a legacy. There are so many people to have come and gone; we can't remember them all. What matters, what is important, is that you have done right in your heart. Choices are made, and that is that." He plays through the chorus one more time but instead of ending at a G major, he ended with a G7, making the whole song feel unresolved, making me want more.
I sat up from my hammock. I was thirsty and thankfully had some water in my cup on the table. I took a long, careful drink. It was soothing and refreshing. We had a decent supply of water already, especially for just the two of us. Though, supplies can run out unexpectedly fast, so we would need to keep stocking up. I looked down on my leg and removed the bandage. It still hurt, a lot, but at least the bleeding had stopped.
Aaron and I split a can of sardines for breakfast, and we finished off our breakfast with a bag of some sort of salty crackers, salt and vinegar flavored. Pretty tasty snack honestly. Since we had established our colony of two, I had taken to drawing maps. We each added to the maps, little by little as we explored around our camp. We had our chitchat for the morning before we decided to split up for our daily exploration in order to find more supplies, quicker. We were really hoping to find some sort of medical supplies, if they even existed on this level. 
I took the route heading what we determined to be north. Now we had no way of determining which way was actually north, or if there even was some sort of magnetic pole to even define a north or south, so we just chose the side of our camp with our flagpole to be the north end of the camp for direction's sake. I was extra careful not to break through anymore logs as I traversed the wooden paths, passing hut after hut. Honestly, without the map, it would be super easy to get lost. Everything, more or less, looked the same. Each house had its own differences, but the whole amalgamation of materials used in the structures were so similar that despite the differences of each structure, they all sort of blended into each other in my mind. 
I passed the threshold of mapped territory, jotting down notes of the new area. After just a few turns, I happened upon a rather large store. Jackpot. I used the back end of my hammer to pry open the metal shutter over the main window. It was never difficult to break into these things. I maneuvered myself into the shop, trying hard not to touch anything with my leg as it was still very tender. Of all places to get cut, it just had to be the same spot I was cut before. 
The first thing I saw made my heart skip a beat. It was a whole pack of ramen. No, not just a single pack of noodles, I mean a whole box. I counted each carefully still fully in disbelief. Twenty-four in total. Right next to the ramen was 6 sleaves of Magic Sarap. "Oh, Aaron is going to love this." I thought back to him looking for these in Manny's shop. I wasn't exactly sure what it was made of, but I knew it was some sort of MSG-style flavor packets. I grabbed everything of use and hit the road again. 
After a few hours I found another store. Inside was a few bags of chips and, miraculously, a little box of Band-Aids and a little bottle of antacids. Now these will absolutely be zero help for my current situation, but the simple fact that I found them, indicates that are indeed medical supplies on this level. If anything, it is a sliver of hope. I looked down at my leg. Hopefully my body can just heal itself. It had before so I don't know why this would be any different. 
After the second shop, I didn't find anything else useful, and I made the trek back to camp. Aaron arrived shortly after with a few bags of water and some food supplies. "Aaron, I got a surprise for you!" 
Aaron leaned up against a rail that we had installed on the side of the main square. I pulled out the Magic Sarap, along with the box of ramen. "Yo! That's amazing! Epic find, kapatid!" Yeah, that was the reaction I was hoping for. "I could use some of that ramen, I don't know why, but I am exhausted, haha." Aaron rubbed a bruise that had appeared on his arm. 
"Where did that come from?" I also had some bruises here and there. 
"Bro, I have no idea. It doesn't hurt too bad." I was always amazed at Aaron's strength, both physically and mentally. 
We continue our searches over the next week. Each day, we feel more and more tired, but satisfied with our progress from day to day. We were starting to even get a surplus of food along with our water. This was all coming together according to our plan. If we ever did meet other wanderers, we would have a place for them. 
My leg was getting worse. It was starting to look liquidy and it hurt all the time. I dabbed the wound with a wet shirt that I was using as a washcloth. Yeah, that was definitely infected. Aaron wasn't feeling great either. We weren't around anyone to get any viruses, so maybe it was just an effect of the level or something. Despite our ailments, we pushed on with vigor. I would fight, tooth and nail, just to keep my bother safe and secure. Aaron was the best friend a man could have, never got angry, always looked to the positive side of things, was always encouraging. I thought back to my dream with my dad, neither one of us had made any impacts in our respective worlds, but Aaron has definitely made an impact in my life. 
== ==
Entry Thirty Four: If You're Not Careful and Noclip Out of Reality
== ==
I stood up, not knowing how much time had passed. I felt a lump in my throat as well as bead of sweat forming on my brow as studied my surroundings. Around me was room upon room upon room of nothing but yellow wallpaper and moist carpet. My nose was assaulted with the strong, pungent stench of mildew. My ears twitched to the maddening sound of fluorescent lighting above me at maximum hum-buzz. Level 0, I knew this place. I had only spent about 4 days the last time I was here, but it was a vivid memory. 
No worries, I knew what to do. I was a well-seasoned backrooms veteran at this point. At least this time I have my... wait, where is my pack? My toolbox? Shoot, I must have left it behind. Nothing else to do but walk, I guess. 
I just picked a direction and kept going. Sometimes I would pick left, sometimes right. Occasionally I could just go straight. I was looking for oddities, miscolored walls, doors, stairs, anything that could potentially get me out of level 0 and into a place with more supplies. Maybe I'll luck out and find a colony or something. I got this. 
"Hey son." I couldn't believe my eyes. There he was, standing in the very next room. 
"D...dad? How... how are you here?" This wasn't making any sense. Had I actually, fully lost it? I haven't been here for that long. "I thought wanderers were isolated in level 0. "You're not supposed to be here."
"Do you want to be alone?" Alone... I remember being alone, how it felt. No, I don't want to be alone, never again. 
"No, please walk with me." And walk we did. We continued for a while; I don't know how long. We walked until I found a nice, big shelf with a black and yellow toolbox. 
"My toolbox! Oh dad, you'll love this. This is the best toolbox in the world, take my word for it!" I unlatched the toolbox and opened it up. Inside was a single photograph. Posing at some sort of historic site was me, standing next to my dad, mom, and brother. "I... I don't under..."
"That's a nice photo. I've always liked that photo." I relatched the toolbox and took it with me. I wasn't going to leave that behind. We walked for another couple of hours when we stumbled upon a desk. I opened the drawer where I found a piece of paper, and an invoice of some sort. It looks like an order for some sort of electronic component? Anyways the amount was in USD if that means anything. There was also a pen, a notebook, and some paperclips.
A notebook. I opened it up, expecting it to be empty. Each page had writing. It was my own handwriting. Page after page was my story in detail. I quickly flipped to the last entry in the notebook. It was filled too, but it wasn't my handwriting. "Dad... what does it mean?"
"Legacy, son. Who do you inspire?" 
I woke up in a sweat. Aaron was sitting on the wooden bed, next to my hammock. "Hey, kapatid, you were murmuring in your sleep." 
I felt hot. "Hey, is there any water around?" Aaron didn't skip a beat and immediately exited to go grab some water. I looked at my leg. It was turning grey. The cut itself was black, with bright veins surrounding the wound. The sight alone was enough to make someone lose their breakfast. 
Aaron came back shortly after with a nice bag of water. "How's the leg feeling?" Aaron was always so kind, always concerned. 
"You know, it's actually not feeling too bad today. Maybe it's finally starting to heal?" I couldn't tell if Aaron knew I was lying. I was in agony, but I did my best to smile behind the pain. He deserved that at least. I didn't want him to worry about me. Aaron went to go cook some fish for breakfast. You know, after being here for months, I was starting to like the taste of the dried fish. I guess it really is an acquired taste. 
After breakfast and a nice casual chat, Aaron stood up to go on his daily adventure. We were desperate to find medical supplies, specifically antibiotics. Though at this point, I would be shocked if I didn't lose my leg. It was infected, I knew it, and I knew that Aaron knew it. I stood up to join him, but Aaron insisted I took the day off. I don't know, but it was probably me nearly collapsing as I stood that gave him that idea. 
I spent the day by the square, overlooking the murky seawater. I looked up to admire the flag that marked our little outpost. I thought about my dream in level 0. I've had a few odd dreams lately. I thought about that photo. I had lost my dad due to chemo and colon cancer years ago, but my mom and brother were still alive. I wonder if they still thought about me from time to time. I wish I spent more time thinking about them. Survival is busy. 
Later that evening Aaron came back with a couple of packs of chips. No medicine today it would seem. "Hey, kapatid, if we combine some ramen and some sardines, that might be pretty good, no?" 
"Yeah, I think that sounds pretty good, kapatid." We ate and talked about his adventure today. Nothing much really to note, everything looks the exact same, no matter where you go. We talked about how everything we eat is so high in sodium, literally everything. We shared some laughs then retired for the night. 
In the morning, I woke up with a fever. Aaron told me he was going to stick around today. He said after yesterday, he could use a rest anyways. I really had a hard time getting up, so I stayed in bed. Aaron wouldn't leave my side for more than a few minutes at a time. He's a good dude, a really good friend. I may not have had my family with me anymore, but he was the best family someone could ever ask for. I spent the day tired, just feeling very tired. 
I thanked Aaron for helping me out today. "Don't worry, kapatid, I'll be better soon." After writing in my journal, I think I will rest. 
== ==
Entry Thirty Five: It's Time to Leave
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I don't know what to say. It's been months since my brother went to sleep for the last time. It's taken me this long to finally have the guts to read this journal. It didn't take long for me to realize he was lying about his leg feeling better. I only wished he wasn't lying about getting better soon. I did my best to give him a proper burial. It wasn't much, I dug him a little spot in the mud. It took hours but it was worth it for my brother. 
It wasn't too long after he died that our mission became a success. Thanks to that beautiful flag he made, I was found by four other wanderers. They were excited to see that we had established a comfortable place to stay. Ann, Rico, Seph, and Eric seemed like fairly decent people, trying to make their way in this cursed hellscape. We decided to name the colony after my fallen brother, though we couldn't stay for long.
It only took a few months before we had completely exhausted our resources. There were no more shops for kilometers around. We would have to leave or die of thirst and starvation. It was a bitter feeling to leave behind what we had worked so hard to establish. It didn't take long before we all started getting sick too. Somehow, Eric disappeared without a trace; I just hope that he found his way out of this level. Ann passed away. She was so sickly, poor thing. 
I guess... I don't know. I wish I could talk to my brother one more time. If I could, I would tell him, that he was loved, he was a good person, he was a kind person, and he was an inspiration to me. I never expected to make a friend like him. I never expected to have family again. It's not fair! It's not fair that we should have suffer here. I don't know how the backrooms came to be. I don't know how we got here, why we are here, what we did to deserve this constant torment. All I know, is my friend deserved a better life. I deserved a better life...
I knew my brother. I noticed he never mentioned his name, not even once. I knew his name, and I want the world to know him. But... I will respect him. Instead of a name, I will give him a title. If anyone ever finds this notebook, know who he was. The name isn't important, his legacy is. He stumbled upon this world by mistake, we all did. No one is meant to be here. So, if you accidentally find this notebook, I give you the same title I gave him: The Accidental Wanderer. 
-Aaron
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Main Author: TheDadams
Originally published (Chapters 1-15) on WattPad in 2022
Category:Tales
Category:The Wanderers Toolbox