Aleena has made her way through various levels of the Backrooms and has now found herself in a strangely familiar suburban neighborhood. She can't recall how she got there, but she vividly remembers being pursued by one of those terrifying Eldritch Horror creatures. She quietly pondered, "I wonder if anyone else is here. It seems oddly quiet." Pausing for a moment, she strained to hear, convinced she detected footsteps echoing in the distance. As she turned, she narrowed her eyes and peered down the street, searching for any hint of activity. She was alone, but her experiences at previous levels had put her on high alert.
The challenges she faced in those places had significantly eroded her trust in others. One location featured a labyrinth of tunnels constructed from bricks and cement, with each room housing an electrical device that Aleena believes powers the other levels she has navigated through. Additionally, there was a maze of deserted offices, filled only with emptiness, yet within it lurked another strange entity. Lurking behind the windows, the entity is ready to snatch up anyone naive enough to believe they can escape by opening the windows. She saw through its trickery and steered clear of the windows. Then there was the ominous hotel, filled with its own set of bizarreness. The death moths were challenging, yet she successfully evaded them as she flung open a door and dashed through. The scenery transformed, and she suddenly found herself on a quiet neighborhood street.
"Where am I now?" she wondered, inhaling deeply. The night air was refreshing and brisk, and with each step, her feet crunched over the brittle leaves scattered on the ground. The asphalt beneath her is worn and fractured. Aleena moved forward carefully, gripping the knife tightly in her hand. Her eyes were wide and vigilant.
She
donned the olive-green bomber jacket she had discovered earlier. The white
blouse she had been wearing was ripped in multiple spots, so she opted for a
slightly damaged white T-shirt she had found instead. It has been days since
her last shower, and she probably wouldn’t get the chance to clean up unless
she stumbled upon a secure location with running water. She has several bruises
on her arms and one on her cheek, but fortunately, none are severe. She
accidentally made a deep cut on herself. To control the bleeding, she ripped a
piece from an old shirt and wrapped it around her arm just above the wrist, as the
blood was starting to attract attention. After sipping the almond water, she
noticed about an hour later that the bleeding had stopped. When she took off
the bandage, she discovered that the cut had healed.
“Wow, oh my god, this is amazing,” she muttered. It intrigued her,
but she didn’t dwell on it. She viewed it as a quiet blessing. She discovered a
note tucked away in a desk of the office maze, which said: don't drink the
water unless it's almond water. Although she wasn't entirely sure what it
meant, she decided to follow the advice. As she moved along, she wished to find
something to munch on. The almond water was getting low too. She thinks that
every level has a knack for crafting situations that force travelers into tough
choices between life and death.
"Day or night,"
she said, taking a moment to breathe. "How can anyone really tell what
time it is here?" Even though it feels like night where she is, she’s
fully aware that every location she’s been to has its own set of eerie
challenges ready for the next visitor. She fears that this level is no
different. She carefully steps into one of the houses. She thought about
calling out to see if anyone was hiding inside but chose not to, fully aware
that making any noise could lead to a deadly encounter with some unexpected
creature lurking within. She glanced around the living room before heading into
the kitchen. The space was a bit messy, but not overly dirty. When she opened
the fridge, she discovered it was completely bare.
“What do I expect?” she
thought to herself as she kept searching through the house. Then, she stumbled
upon something unusual. In a room on the house's lower level, she
discovered a dagger in its sheath. Next, she stumbled upon a flashlight and
turned it on to check if it functioned. It did, but the light is weak.
"Damn," she muttered quietly.
"Maybe there are batteries around here." She searched frantically but found nothing. Suddenly, she heard what sounded like chanting. A look of confusion flashed across her face. She sprinted out, leaving her backpack behind, but the dagger she had found was securely fastened to her belt. As she got closer, she saw a crowd gathered, cheering for a picture that one of them was proudly displaying. She moved in a little closer and gave a timid smile.
“Hello?” But they didn’t see her, so she took a small step back. Their behavior seemed off. “What’s up with them?” she wondered. Just then, a woman with long blonde hair and blue wide eyes, turned to look at her with a crazed look on her face. She held up an 11 by 14 picture of a blue parrot and exclaimed, “Praise our glorious God, our savior Polly!” Aleena slowly backed away, her heart racing. “Something’s wrong with these people,” she mused. From a distance, she spotted two horrifying creatures sprinting in their direction.
Her eyes grew wide with terror as she dashed back to the house where she had left her backpack. She locked the door and took refuge behind a curtain, peeking through a narrow gap to observe the approaching creatures. As they got closer, she noticed their unusual shape. They resembled a giant eye supported by optic nerves that twisted into spider-like legs. It was a sight straight out of a nightmare, and they could move with astonishing speed.
(Images are for the reader's entertainment, enjoy)
Jack asked, "Do you really want to be here when he shows up?" She paused, sidestepping his question, and knelt beside me.
Pressing her lips to mine, she whispered, "Remi, I
must go when he arrives. Please forgive me." A tear slipped down my cheek
as my body sank deeper into the seat.
Jack commented, "You know he’ll be angry
with you," before adding, "He’s here," as he reached for his
pistol. The ramp descended, allowing Mr. Smith to enter, his eyes filled with
both fury and concern for my situation. He shot an angry glance at Melanie, who
swallowed hard and stammered, "I’m sorry about this." Jack raised his
pistol, his look stern. Melanie gestured him to put it down.
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"Enough, save it, I don’t want to hear
excuses. Why did you go there in the first place?" He asked with an
indignant tone. Melanie remained silent, clearly terrified. I spoke up, my
voice barely above a whisper, "Please don’t be mad at her; it was my
choice." He scooped me up in his arms, casting a chilling glare at Jack
and Melanie before we exited the ship and stepped into the monolith. Melanie
clearly struggled with the situation; her distress was palpable, yet I grasped
the reasons behind her quick departure. He escorted me to the infirmary, gently
placing me on the bed.
“The AI will take care of you,
and afterwards, we need to have a serious talk,” he stated firmly. I felt a
lump in my throat and began to express my remorse, but he interrupted me, saying,
“Save it for later; I want to hear your side of the story.”
Time slipped by and I gradually
opened my eyes, to find myself in the infirmary. The walls around me were a
deep, shadowy black, while the soft glow of the overhead lights provided a
comforting illumination.
I took a moment to check in with
my body, stretching my arms and legs effortlessly, and drew in a deep breath,
relishing the wonderful feeling of being alive.
"I know you can hear me; can you please let me know if he’s still upset with me?" I asked the AI; my voice tinged with anxiety. "Yes, he is still angry, but he has feelings for you and will ultimately forgive you," it replied, offering a glimmer of hope. I pondered its words for a moment before asking, "Is he going to go after Melanie?" The room fell silent for a brief second before the AI spoke, “He’s been keeping an eye on her for a while, and he is aware of your little adventures together.” Hearing the AI drop that bombshell made my heart plummet. I responded, "I have a lot of questions, and maybe you can shed some light on them." Its response was a simple, "Maybe." Just then, Mr. Smith entered the room. He loomed over me, his gaze piercing. "How are you feeling?" he asked. I replied, "I'm doing fine.” He responded with a serious tone, "That's good, but I need to have a word with you." His face darkened and I felt the impending discussion swaying in an ominous direction. He helped me up and we walked to his room.
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I was wearing one of the hospital gowns from the infirmary. In that instant, fear gripped me as I stood beside him. Unbeknownst to me, the AI had the ability to sense my emotions and echoed my inner turmoil.
“She is afraid of you,” it stated,
prompting Mr. Smith to shift his gaze toward me. Gripping my hand firmly, he
reassured me, “Please don’t fear me, Remi. I regret if I caused you to feel
this way, but you hurt me.” As we entered his room, I felt a wave of regret
washing over me. "I’m truly sorry," I confessed, my voice barely
above a whisper. Clad in a flimsy white hospital gown, I felt exposed, acutely
aware of the betrayal that hung heavily between us. I took a seat on his bed,
and he settled beside me, the air thick with unspoken words.
"I’ll share everything, from
the moment I first met her to this very moment," I said, my heart racing
as I began to tell him everything from the moment I met Melanie up until our
last adventure. His unwavering gaze met mine, and as I spoke, tears brimmed in
my eyes, the fear of losing him looming large in my mind. A heavy stillness
enveloped us, and then the AI broke the silence, stating, “She fears she
might lose your love.”
“Curse that AI,” I thought to myself. He wrapped his arms around me, drawing me
in tightly. As he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, he reassured me, “I’m
not upset, well, perhaps just a touch, but you’ll never escape my love. You are
mine, Remi, and I will never let you go. I love you.” A frown creased my
forehead as I reflected on his words. While a sense of joy bubbled within me,
the underlying tone of his voice hinted at a troubling possessiveness that sent
a shiver down my spine.
(Images are for the readers entertainment, enjoy)
Aleena
roamed through the maze for what felt like days, navigating its twists and
turns with no end in sight. She was incredibly thankful for the backpack she
found, as it offered a place to store any essentials she might come across.
Along the way, she discovered another crate filled with almond water, but
unfortunately, there were no energy bars to be found. With a deep breath,
she pressed on, feeling the weight of her surroundings. She suspected that the
food she had discovered could be her sole sustenance in this nightmarish
Hell. As she moved forward, she noticed a door that stood out, lacking the
usual neon red "Exit" sign above it. Taking a moment to gather
herself, she prepared to approach it.
"Should I go in?" she
pondered. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded to herself, setting her
backpack down at her feet. She unzipped it and pulled out the knife. It is a
substantial blade, and although the handle showed signs of wear, it remained a
formidable weapon. Earlier, she had heard something eerie, and unnatural. Deep
down, she understood that any noise she makes would likely draw whatever it was
toward her. She isn't hesitant to wield a knife, but she often wishes she
owned a handgun. Her father, a military veteran, taught her the basics of using
a firearm, yet she has always been reluctant to purchase one for her own safety.
She swung the door open and stepped into a sprawling, vacant warehouse. It was
a chilly and musty environment. The atmosphere of her new environment sent a
wave of unease through her. She turned quickly, only to discover that the door
had vanished. This revelation didn’t shock her; she had encountered similar
strange happenings before in the yellow maze.
She
pondered, "I wonder if this place will change and shift as well,"
recalling how the walls in the yellow labyrinth would transform. She moved a
few steps ahead, her heart pounding and fear evident in her eyes. With a tight
grip on the knife, she pushed further into the eerie environment that awaited
her. She observed a peculiar mist hovering near the concrete floor of the vast,
empty space, unsure if it was a warehouse or an underground parking lot,
perhaps it was a mix of both. As she moved forward, a foul odor filled the air,
and a chill wrapped around her. She regrets not bringing a jacket or something
similar. “As if I could have predicted I’d end up here,” she chuckled quietly
to herself. Odd, dark puddles are dotted around the place. She paused a short
distance from one of them. She pondered, "I wonder if that water is
real," and stepped a bit closer.
While gazing into the puddle, a grey, claw-like hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her hair. Startled, she screamed and lunged at the hand with her knife. A loud wail echoed from deep within the puddle. The monstrous hand released her hair, and she quickly sprang to her feet, dashing away in the opposite direction.
A quick look over her shoulder revealed a terrifying creature, towering at around 7 feet with grey, grotesque skin, relentlessly pursuing her. It seemed to have emerged from the puddle or perhaps it was the puddle itself, transformed into this nightmarish being that was now in fierce pursuit. Dashing from one area to another and racing down the hallways, Aleena felt her hope dwindling. Her heart pounded in her chest, and as she veered into yet another corridor, she looked back to find that the creature had mysteriously stopped chasing her. She eased her pace until she finally halted. Leaning against the concrete wall, tears began to roll down her face.
"No, I won't give up," she gasped for air. "I will find a way out." She continued onward and spotted three wooden crates—two piled on top of each other and one positioned beside them. Hurrying over, she attempted to lift the lid of one crate. It suddenly toppled open, causing her to gasp as she quickly glanced around, anxious that another Eldritch creature might have been alerted by the noise. She rummaged through the crate and discovered three bottles of almond water and two energy bars.
At the bottom, she came across a white T-shirt, stained and it smelled a bit, but it is still usable, along with an olive-green Bomber jacket that has a pin at the front. The jacket is a bit dirty, yet acceptable to wear. She put on the jacket and shoved the T-shirt into her backpack. With a heavy sigh, she pressed on. After what felt like an eternity of roaming through the hallways and stark concrete rooms, she stumbled upon a corridor lined with metal doors and tried to open them a few times but to no avail. The doors were painted a bright blue and as she walked down the lengthy hallway, she spotted puddles here and there. She stopped for a second, her forehead creased with concern, a worried expression crossing her face as she let out a sigh. She looked up and noticed some water dripping from the ceiling.
“I have to tread lightly,” she mused. As she moved with caution, she noticed a door that was slightly ajar. Out of nowhere, a low, menacing growl emanated from behind it, causing her to freeze in place. Her heart pounded in her chest, beads of sweat formed on her brow, and she gripped the knife tightly in her hand.
A strange and grotesque creature gradually emerged from behind the door, its pale white eyes glinting beneath tangled hair. She instinctively stepped back, her heart racing as the creature came fully into view and a gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she took at its Eldritch Horror form. It bore a striking resemblance to a dog, but its elongated snout and unsettlingly human-like features gave it an eerie presence that was hard to shake off. The creature's thick, matted black fur hung in disarray, obscuring much of its face and adding to its menacing aura. Its limbs, though slender, exuded a sense of latent power, each ending in sharp, claw-like appendages that hinted at a predatory nature. The combination of its wild appearance and those unsettling pale grey eyes made it a terrifying sight to behold.
NOTE: Images used in this blog are for the reader's visual entertainment, enjoy.
(excerpt from Chapter 8:The Host)
A
few more days passed, my memories returned in flashes, I felt less pain in my
head, and I asked Leila to tell me what happened.
“Don’t you want Mr. Smith to tell you?” I
shook my head.
“I feel embarrassed, I want you to fill me in,
please.”
“Okay, I hope I’m doing the right thing. Mr.
Smith said that I should let him know if you start to remember but I think I’ll
fill you in a bit before you face him again.” I looked at her wondering if I
had done something horrific. As she began to recount the bizarre events that
led to my unexpected stay in a high-tech alien medical facility, her eyes
widened with urgency.
"Did we make it back home?" I asked,
and she confirmed with a nod. With a heavy breath, she elaborated, "We
were unaware that something had been injected into you by that creature. Just a
day after he left us, you began to express that you felt unusually cold. Upon
our return, he instructed me to reach out if you started behaving
strangely." I gazed at her, bracing myself for an unsettling revelation. A
sense of dread washed over me. She swallowed hard, "You spent two days resting;
your mother assumed you had caught the flu or something similar. You did run a
fever, but by the third day, you seemed to improve. I came to see you, and we
shared everything we had gone through, except that you didn’t remember the
star-fish creature,” she paused. “I must say, I never want to travel with him
again,” she added.
Then I asked, “Tell me what else happened.”
She took a deep breath and continued, “So, you
were changing. It was clear that something was happening. You mentioned
migraine, and your demeanor shifted dramatically. During our chat, you abruptly
froze, turning to me with an unsettling blank stare that sent chills down my
spine. Your eyes held an eerie quality as you stood up and approached the
mirror, gazing at your reflection as if it were a novel sight. I couldn't help
but joke, “Take a picture, it will last you longer,” and laughed lightly.”
“I do remember that. There was a voice in my head, something odd that seemed to speak for me,” I said. A worried look shadowed her face.
“Well, um, you sat next to me on the bed. You then said you felt cold, and I looked at you and wondered if you were feeling well, I touched your forehead to see if you were running a temp. "You might want to rest a bit more," I suggested. Then you embraced me tightly.
“What’s wrong with you?' I asked. You replied, "I need your warmth; I feel so cold." It struck me as strange since it was a sweltering summer day, with temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees. considered calling Mr. Smith, as he had requested updates on any unusual behavior from you. Just as I reached for the phone he provided, you knocked it from my hand and kissed me with urgency. Something strange flickered in my mouth. I quickly pushed you away and dashed out of the room, escaping what felt like an imminent assault.” I expressed my sincere apologies, unable to articulate the reasons behind my unusual behavior. It felt completely out of character for me, and I couldn't shake the guilt that lingered from actions I couldn't even recall. She responded with a nod, her understanding reflecting the oddity of the circumstances we found ourselves in. She continued, "It seems that whatever you went through on that planet, the only one who can truly help you is Mr. Smith," she remarked, emphasizing the necessity of his expertise in this perplexing matter.
“Unfortunately, when I ran out of your room, I
left the phone behind, and I did not want to go back in there, so I hid
downstairs. Your parents weren’t home, and your brother is always out
somewhere.”
“When
did you go back and pick it up?”
“After
you left.”
“What?
You let me leave?”
“Well, I waited to see when or if you’d leave your house, it took you a while too. I hid in the closet next to the front door.” Leila shifted in her chair. Flashes of that event came to me and now I understood what was going on. The parasite invaded my body and possessed my mind. I was still there inside but dormant I couldn’t stop what it was making me do, I had no control of my motor skills and my body’s movements. I remember that after Leila ran out of my room, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I took off my clothes and I heard myself say, “Perfect body, I like this species. The body is easy to repair.”
My voice sounded strange; it wasn’t me. I went to the closet and looked through my clothes. I picked out an adorable red crop-top with black lace detailing, paired it with a black lace shrug and a black velvet choker and some cute earrings. To complete the look, I threw on a denim mini skirt and slipped into my black closed-toe sandals. Feeling good about my outfit, I headed downstairs and stepped outside. I was fighting every step of the way, until I gave into the parasite. Leila continued her story: “So, after you left, I ran upstairs and grabbed the phone and called Mr. Smith. He arrived quickly but you were nowhere to be found. But you did leave a trail of breadcrumbs,” Leila said.
“What
do you mean?” She was reluctant to tell me. “Come on, is it that bad?”
“Well, when Mr. Smith came back, we took your car and drove around looking for you. We spotted you walking down a sidewalk in town. A man walked past, and you stopped and started following him. We called out your name, you glanced but did not acknowledge us. Mr. Smith mentioned that he returned to that planet to collect water samples, revealing that the parasites inhabit and reproduce in the hot spring located at the pond's depths. Apparently, the parasites in that region, only had the warm-blooded local animals to attach themselves to and they would consume the insides and leave the host, but they’ve never been inside an intelligent being before.”
I then chimed in, “That’s why I felt cold because it needs heat. That thing needed body heat.” She gave a nod and continued, “While we trailed behind you in the car, the man made his way into 21 Fitness, and you decided to follow him inside. Once we managed to secure a parking spot, we entered the gym, but since we weren’t members, we had to approach the receptionist for assistance. Mr. Smith presented her with a blank card, and for some inexplicable reason, she assumed we were some sort of investigators. He was in a panic, worried that you might have harmed someone, and unfortunately, his fears were confirmed. We discovered a man sprawled on the floor of one of the sauna rooms, a peculiar greenish-yellow foam seeping from his mouth.
"She must have just left," I told
him. He gazed at the lifeless body and his expression somber,” Leila paused and
asked me if I wanted something to drink, I smiled and nodded. She stood up and
went to a table where there was a pitcher of water and a cup next to it. She
poured the water and brought the cup to me. I took a sip. "What else
happened?" I asked her.
He nodded and replied, “Yes, but they might
throw it off as food poisoning or something. Right now, our main concern is
Remi.” We got back in the car and drove around.”
“I can’t believe I killed someone,” I
muttered. Leila put her hand on my hand to comfort me. “It wasn’t your fault,”
she said.
“What else happened,” I asked, fearing the
worse. “Well, I suggested going back home, maybe you had returned to your
house. But instead, we found you entering Mr. Leon’s house.” She fell silent.
“Well, what?” I asked.
NOTE: Images used in this blog are for the reader's visual entertainment, enjoy.
They lounged together, savoring the last
bottle of wine, the dim light casting a warm glow around them. Aleena took a
deep breath, her mind racing as she contemplated how to broach a sensitive
topic.
“Syra, I’ve been meaning to ask you
something,” she began, her voice tinged with hesitation. “Ever since I ended up
in the Backrooms, I’ve noticed that my period has completely stopped. Do you
have any idea why that might be happening?”
Syra, seemingly unfazed, shrugged her
shoulders and let out a dismissive scoff, as if the question was trivial in the
grand scheme of their bizarre reality.
“I'm
not entirely sure, but I've heard other women here are going through the same
thing.”
Molly said, “My periods have stopped too, and the concept of aging is a thing of the past here. I’m 30 years old, but I appear somewhat younger than my actual age because this weird dimension seems to cancel aging.”
Aleena looked at her
perplexed. “How old were you when you came to the Backrooms?” she asked.
“I
was 23,” Molly responded.
“Oh, wow, time is different here,” Aleena said. Molly continued talking. Aleena listened intently, as she processed Molly's words, perhaps reflecting on her own perceptions of age, the changes that come with it and how she too will not age at all, so long as she is in the Backrooms.
Honestly, all she wanted was to unwind, be alone for a while. She quickly changed out of her clothes and put on a nightgown she had found in the lost and found box. It was made of delicate lace and smooth satin, featuring a soft pastel mauve hue reminiscent of styles from the 1950s and early 60s. After brushing her hair and washing her face, she collapsed onto the bed, letting her eyes flutter shut. A haunting silence surrounded the building, with the streets outside devoid of any sound, no birds, no sounds of cars, etcetera, it seemed eerie to her. Soon, she would venture to the seemingly endless grocery level, hoping to discover a door that might lead her back home.
