Paradise

*Level 14 is paradise. You should visit sometime.*

## **Description:**

*Level 14 is an oasis. The forest from your dreams shimmering in the night. Close your eyes for a moment. You can see it, right? The crashing waterfalls. The crimson grass, wet with dew. The eternally starlit sky. Even the branches on the trees reach up as if trying to touch it. You can hear the forest whispering to you. You’ll be happy here, you’re sure of it. After all, everyone else is. And why should you feel down when others are so content?*

*A cacophony fills your ears. You can’t think, but you don’t need to. Aren’t you relieved to have the burden of thought lifted from your shoulders? Don’t you feel so much lighter now? You can almost float away. Perhaps you will. Look at the other guests lying peacefully in the soil. Devoid of all pain as they meditate, their bones glistening in the moonlight. Don't you want to be like them? You're so close now you can almost touch it.*

### **Bases, Outposts, and Communities:**

*Children line up in rows. They howl beautifully at the moon, waiting to become whole. You want to help them, don’t you? Of course you do. After all, they only want to help you. All you need to do is surrender yourself. It won’t hurt, I promise. I bet you feel your mind leaking. Don't worry. We're just fixing a few things so that we'll be perfect for you, and you'll be perfect for us. That's it, let us in, and soon you'll be here too. We'll have a great feast when you come. After all, we want to welcome you.*

### Entrances:

*You know how to get there by now. Just keep going. You're so close.*

## M.E.G. Interview Log

**Interviewer:** Solomon Myers

**Interviewee:** Theo Lynn

**<Begin Log>**

**Interviewer:** Please state your name for the record.

**Lynn:** *Just a fool who fell from heaven.*

**Interviewer:** I know it's serious. This is just our procedure for cataloging new levels. How did you get to this level?

**Lynn:** *I poked a small hole in my brain, and I stretched it wider and wider until I could pass through with ease.*

**Interviewer:** And, how did you exit this level?

**Lynn:** *No, it would be foolish for us to tell you that. You wouldn't want to leave anyway.*

**Interviewer:** Can you describe the level that you ended up in.

**Lynn:** *You've seen it already, in your mind's eye. You don't need me to tell you again.*

**Interviewer:** Were you able to identify any of these bodies?

**Lynn:** *I saw everyone I know and everyone I have ever known. All beckoning me to come closer.*

**Interviewer:** Ah, what do you mean by "psychological effects"?

**Lynn:** *The voices sang beautifully in the night, but when I left, I couldn't hear them, and without them, I was lost.*

**Interviewer:** And you said this all started when you read some writing on the wall?

**Lynn:** *Yes, but we have a better way to spread the word now. You made that possible, and now so many people are happy.*

**Interviewer:** No, I don't think anything like that could happen in the database. It's pretty safe. Any closing thoughts?

**Lynn:** *Only that we've patched up that hole, so you can rest safely knowing that no one else will have to be thrust back into the pain. We will keep you safe.*

**<End Log>**