The Backroom and Other Short Horror Stories

The Outside World

For as long as I could remember, I never left this room. It was a large room, decorated with fake trees and ceilings painted cloudy starry sky, the floor fake grass, and the walls painted with forests and mountains. In one corner of the room was a small structure shaped like a building, where I slept, took baths, and used the bathroom. Next to my house was an arch, but it led nowhere but the wall. On the other side next to the house was a swimming pool, the temperature always cool. Across from the pool was another house, this one containing a kitchen and a room where I played with things. In front of the second house were tables and chairs, where me and those who took care of me would meet up. It was always comfortably warm in this strange place. Those who took care of me washed my clothes, cleaned the place, and cooked my food; the kitchen was only there in case I get hungry. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not find a way to escape the room, nor would they let me when I asked. They would yell at me or simply ignore me. I kept my mouth shut once I realized they weren't going to do anything to get me out of here.

I never knew where they came from either. They would only appear if I was distracted by something. I'll be playing a game, or even sleeping, and they'll be there. Once I tried to stay up and keep my focus, but I ended up falling asleep after hours of boredom. I didn't know how long I had stayed up. There are no time units, and the lighting in the room is always the same afternoon hue.

I was resting in the pool, closing my eyes and imagining a world when they came to do my laundry. I received the same pair of clothes each day, a T-shirt and long shorts. Each pair would be a different color, but no more. And they all fit perfectly. The people that took care of me made no sound when they entered. They gathered my dirty laundry and stared at me as I stared at them. I closed my eyes and drifted back into my imaginary world, knowing they won't leave until they think I'm distracted. When I opened my eyes again minutes later, they were gone.

As I grew taller, my impatience and boredom of this place grew with me. I was a lean male in his teens, with shiny black hair and fire red eyes. My skin was pale due to the lack of lighting. I looked the same as I did back then, only taller and more mature. But my thirst for adventure and someplace new stayed with me. Countless times I have wondered different ways of sneaking out, or finding out how they enter and leave this room. This will be one of the times I try a way. I was tired of being contained in the same room like some circus animal.

Walking into the kitchen house after I got out of the pool and dried off, I grabbed a bottle of vodka. There were cameras hidden all throughout this place, I knew. So I had to be extremely careful, for I may not have another chance with this. For a long time, I have been practicing controlling myself when I get drunk. Although, they might not know of it. I would get drunk on purpose and force myself to stay awake and sane as long as I possibly could before blacking out. And they knew once I black out, I'm out for good. I've been getting better with each time I practice. Now I can keep most of my focus when drunk, and I can pretend to be sleeping when I go to black out. They probably think I'm an alcoholic, but what I really am is someone that wants to be free.

Taking a swig of the vodka, I mentally prepared myself for the upcoming adventure. My heart pumped with speed, and my foot tapped impatiently. However, I acted the same on camera, pretending I was having my own little party. I took sips every few seconds as I pranced around like a jester preforming for a king. Once the bottle was empty, I slowed my prancing and messed up my performance. I then flopped to the floor in front of the pool, the vodka bottle rolling a ways from me. Covering my face with one of my arms, I pretended to black out.

An irritating ring was all I heard for a long time, for I kept very still and silent. I was starting to think my plan fell before I heard the faintest shuffling of feet. Peeking, I seen they returned with my clothes, all fresh and dry. They turned away and started to head back toward the arch. 

Now was my chance.

Before the last one left, I got up and ran close behind them. Before they could turn around, I smacked into them and fell forward. 

What I saw next was unlike anything I've ever imagined in my wildest dreams. All around me were destroyed buildings and smoke that covered the sky. Fires and disturbing noises were in the background. The air I breathed in was so dirty I immediately coughed before I could finish my breath. Now I knew why they always wore masks. 

"What are you doing here," shouted one of them with a blue mask. "You need to go back, now!"

"It's too late," replied one of them with a orange mask. "He has seen it."

"No, it's not too late. He's just taken a glimpse at it, that's all. We're wasting time as we speak. Hurry, let's throw him back into the room and forget this ever happened." They walked toward me, but I scooted away despite coughing like someone with the flu.

"Give him a mask," screamed one of them with a pink mask. The one with the orange mask ran over to me, cut off the blue masked one, and placed a white mask on my face. Instantly I could breathe again. I took the air for granted, and looked around at the scenery once more.

"Where am I," I asked. "What happened here? Is this why you kept me in that room for so long? To protect me from this?" Loud shots were heard in the distance, making me jump. They looked at each other nervously, all afraid of what to tell me.

"It is time," said the one with the orange mask. "He must know everything." Sighing, they said as plan as day, "You caused this."

I swallowed with disbelief. "I... what?"

"You posses powers unlike anyone has ever seen before. When you were young, you let your powers go out of hand because you were allowed so much freedom. Your power caused many nuclear plants to go off, forcing the entire world to go into turmoil. As a result, we were ordered to lock you away and take care of you for the rest of your life. Even if you somehow manage to control your powers and the world heals, you will not be allowed to live here again. That is why you were locked up in that room, and why you need to stay in that room."

"But..." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. No, no this was all wrong. A prank, for me pretending to be distracted. Soon, they'll start laughing and I'll wake up back in the same old room. This has got to be fake. It has to be. Yet, every nerve in my body was telling me I did this. This is all real. I'm a monster, and I deserved to be locked up for all eternity. I didn't know what to believe anymore.

I opened my mouth to say something, but shouts and bangs alerted every one of us. A group of people with odd masks and large weapons stood on a hill not far from us.

"Never thought you would show your face again," growled one of them, cocking a gun. "This'll be the last time anyone will see your face." They aimed it at me.

The one with the orange mask cursed. "The things I do for love," he sighed." He pulled a pistol out of his pocket, and cocked it at the people on the hill.