We stayed silent for a while. Austen stared at the distance and seemed to just be taking in the situation. I took the opportunity to ask him, "Where are you from?"
He didn't reply for a moment and then closed his eyes and said, "America."
"How long have you been here?", I asked.
"Around a few years."
Fable turned to us and seemingly looked him at the eye through his mask. His gloved hands gripped the edge of his jeans, and the serious tone caught me off guard when he said, "How could you not know the basics of what entities lurked around The Backrooms if you had been here for years?"
Austen looked away and replied, "I was trapped in a room in Level 0 when trying to avoid a black entity made of metal. When I escaped months later, I got chased by entities in every level I went to. I didn't have the time to discover what they were."
Fable shrugged his shoulders and said, "I see."
I didn't bother to say anything to either of them. The calming waters washed around my feet and I recalled some of the swimming lessons I took as a kid. I imagined how it'd feel if I took a swim in this so-called "pool". Without warning, I dropped myself into the seemingly never ending pool and pulled myself away from the edge. I remembered the voice of my mother. Her normal voice is now ghastly.."How could you? Why are you forgetting about us? We're worried SICK..!".."I didn't..this isn't what it seems like. I was gone for that time because I wandered off..lost track of time..needed to do something..something important..!".."You never think of me. How could I have given birth to something like you? You shame us all. Make it right. Come back HOME.." "This is my home now..".."What is that?".."This IS my HOME now." "I raised you for..!"
....
..
.
!!
I stopped. I was no longer in the light. I stood there for a moment, basked in the shade, the eerie darkness laying just inches beyond my face beckoning me with cold familiarity. I shivered as the cool air hit my clothes and turned to swim back. The wet hallways twisted and turned and doubled back on themselves, turning this way and that. The shadows with their patterns and hollow cries echoing throughout the chasm. My head began to spin along with the walls and I began to question if I was ever even with Fable in the first place. I made a helpless grab at the air in front of me in vain attempt to get out of the darkness as my feet collapsed beneath me.
A whir of black. Darker than the shadows. Then..nothing...
...
"What were you thinking?!"
A male voice.
"Fable?"
"It's been 12 hours. Why did you wander off so far? And into the dark? You could have died! We could have lost you!"
It was Fable. His mask was now wet, and his jeans were a darker shade of blue from the water.
"Sorry...I ... I didn't think I'd be gone for so long. I lost track."
"Just don't go off into the shadows again. These darker places here have certain dangers. Things can kill you here. And it's not everyday that you get so lucky to be alive after such a stunt."
He holds my hand and Austen stands behind him..and his voice drifts off with the wind...
YOU ARE READING
Wandering After Home - Backrooms Novel
FanfictionA Wanderer attempts to find her way to The Promised Land, in the process discovering that Partypoopers aren't all extinct and are in fact making a return. Encountering other Wanderers and a Partypooper trapped in Level Fun, they journey through diff...
