Wandering After Home - Backrooms Novel

Emma Entry - Level 253 - The Packet

Level 253 is what appears to be a storage complex, with metal doors within a half meter away from each other. The corridors appear interconnected and the same. There's a dripping of water from somewhere. I tilt my head, trying to see the source of the noise. A sharp tap on my shoulder caused me to stop mid way. It was the Partypooper.

"Don't follow the noise. It could lead to a dangerous sublevel."

"There's sublevels here?"

"Yes. Sublevels exist on most levels. Keep focused."

"I wish I could. Focusing is hard. I'm just 15, what do you expect of me?"

"I think, I expect you to try to be a bit more mature. If for instance, do remember that in every horror movie in the Frontrooms, bad things happen when Wanderers search for sources of noise."

"I think it's just a water pipe leaking."

"There are places just like such where entities hide. You'd best not go too near them. Actually, it'd get us both killed."

A sigh from the school boy stopped my coming retort. Of course, why were we arguing with the only entity on our side when we could have been doing something majorly productive instead? I might have just wasted a good ten minutes. Ten minutes that could have been used to make my way closer to the Frontrooms. What an idiot I am. Come to think of it, in those ten minutes, we could have been in Poolrooms already. But I didn't admit my regret nor my realizations; it would have been embarrassing for me. I'm just that messed up.

Backing down from my annoyance, I decided to cut the argument, "Alright..let's find that packet first."

Now I really just wanted to say something like 'I'd finish this conversation later', but saying something so unkind and even be taken as hostile, to an entity just might bring me a bad outcome. Partypoopers as I heard don't harm Wanderers, but attacking one, they might just decide to tie you up and send you to the Partygoers.

I kept my head down, facing the floor instead of ahead. I did it because I was upset. I just don't see the big deal about following a noise and seeing where it leads. Yes, it's a horrible choice when in horror movies, but this wasn't a horror movie. It's reality. Saying that I'm not scared of whatever entity could be lurking there though, might be an understatement. I am scared to brim about those things, but this level is a storage complex. The chances of any hostile entity being here is quite low according to my personal statistics. I know it's really not factual, but sometimes emotions don't follow logic and reason. A distant sound reverted my attention back into the present and out of my headspace. A clank of metal and a click, and I finally looked up. The metal door was open. How did the Partypooper do that? The door slowly slid up and was held in place after the reassuring clank as the metal collided with the ceiling. We entered the room and it was filled to the brim with files and papers and boxes. Surprisingly, they looked new and not a single speck of dust was on them, never mind spiders. My curiosity overcame my skepticism, and I reached out my hand to touch one of the boxes, half expecting spiders to jump out at me. But the box opened smoothly and none of the pesky insects were in it, not even lurking in the dark corners of the box or behind papers. I carefully flipped through the papers and found the title I was looking for.

"Entity Infographics..", I read, "That's some title. I think this is certainly the one."

"It is. Take it out. The new Wanderer here will need to read it."

The boy looked a bit unamused and hastily replied, "My name's Austen. Here, hand over that."

I handed the infographic to him and shortly after, I realized that he didn't know my name. But before I could tell him, he said, "Thank you..."

He paused for a second and I took that as a cue to tell him my name, "It's Emma."

"Oh. Thank you, Emma."

I watched as he flipped through the packet, reading each page slowly and deliberately. His eyes followed the pages, and when he finished the packet, he gave it to the Partypooper with a silent nod. The Partypooper took it and held it tight in his hand. Then he turned his head towards them and asked, "Summarize what you read."

Austen began to complain, "Is this serious? I thought I didn't have classwork anymore, but now this man is giving me classwork. Are you for real?"

"You can call me Fable, this isn't classwork, it's essential."

"Yeah, that's what they all say. 'This is essential' and then you never need it after you finish the exam."

"This is essential. This is a matter between living and dying."

Austen didn't look very pleased but he swallowed the rage and proceeded to summarize the material. In an annoyed tone he began, "Slowly back away during a smiler encounter. Never go near a partygoer, run if you encounter one, avoid encountering skin stealers, be on the lookout for any Wanderers that are acting strangely. Keep yourself sane, well fed and get enough rest. Avoid dark places, and look behind every five minutes."

"What of skin stealers?"

"Well, skin stealers are..pretty rare and they pretend to be Wanderers.."

Fable heaved a sigh and slowly turned around, jestering us to follow. I followed close behind as he walked along the hallway, and put his hand on another metal door. As if by some divine power, the metal door opens with a clank and slides upward. We stand there in awe and amazement at what he just did, until Fable had to remind us.

"Don't just stand. Do come in."

We walked into the room, and Fable tossed a few boxes around, busily opening them. At last, he fell upon his prize. A brown tote bag. The ones that people like to use when shopping, just so they could easily carry their phones and money around, except this one was exceptionally larger. I'd say it's almost the size of a high schooler's backpack. It reminds me a bit of those square school bags you find students in anime TV shows carrying around to school. Fable stuffs the packet into the bag, zips it and walks out of the room. Instinctively, we follow close behind.

"Don't worry Austen, you'll understand the packet through time. Memory just doesn't come often to Wanderers as it seems", said Fable, then as if sensing Austen's disappointment, he added, "I'll try to help you remember it, if possible."

Surprisingly, the walk through Level 253 isn't long. I calculated it was approximately seven minutes that we walked in the corridor. A brown door was at the end of the level's hallway. Fable pushed his arm through part of the gray wall, it gave way. Blue. Pale blue. There was a distant soft sound of water, like the kind you'd expect from a quiet pool without the people in it.

"Is that the Poolrooms?"

"Yeah. Now I do warn you, follow closely behind. Don't wander off. Poolrooms are vast, have many sublevels and have hidden dangers. Don't step into the dark places alone without me."

Austen and I both nodded. We wouldn't put our lives in danger for no logical reason. Even if we were curious. Seemingly content with that, Fable reached his hands out and we held it. Then we stepped into the wall and was engulfed by the overwhelming watery sensation. Our clothes are now all wet and drippy and soggy. Oh God, soggy socks are the worst. In the near distance of the water, is vast darkness. Still holding hands, we stay basked in the light by windows whose ends are unseen.