Safe And Sound (Backrooms)

Wet Socks

(If you have not read the description, I recommend you do so before continuing!)

The sound of flowing water gently reverberated off the white tiles. Everything seemed as if it had recently been bleached, yet not a single scent of any kind of cleaning product was in the air. Not even chlorine. Every tile was pearly white as if it had never even become acquainted with the idea of dirt. Not even water stains.
You walked along the side of one large pool, enjoying the sunlight you were finally able to see. If it was sunlight. You sighed as you decided to stop and look around. Remembering that this level was clear of entities was comforting, but you had to keep moving. You knew there was no escape, but you didn't want to just give up. You had heard stories of people escaping. Yes, they were made up, but you thought the Backrooms were made up, too, yet, here you are, in the middle of the pool rooms, breathing the stale air. The water seemed perfectly clean, but you knew better than to drink it. You knew better than to touch it, if you could help it. Especially darker pools of water. You simply decided to push on and try to find a way to the next level. You figured dying to an entity would be better than dying by your own sanity. Just the idea made you want to jump into the pool and never swim up. You shook the thought away and took off your backpack you had collected from a previous level. You had gotten so lucky to find it. It even had a few supplies inside. You took out a bottle of almond water and took a small sip. You would need to save it for when you needed it most. Supplies were not easy to come by in the Backrooms, you knew. As you placed the bottle back, you noticed something at the bottom. You carefully pulled it out to examine it.
"Why would someone hold onto you?" You scoffed as you examined the small, pink bear plush. It was cute, you had to admit, but strange. Not only was this the opposite of your style, but you didn't understand why someone would need to hold onto this. Perhaps to keep calm? A plush friend? As you put it back in your bag, deciding you might as well keep it, you felt a churn in your stomach as a thought tickled your mind.
"Oh, god.." you mutter. What if this belonged to a kid? A kid who clipped here. The very idea made tears tug at your eyelids. No kid should ever have to endure such a hellish place, not even an adult. A world with no mercy.
You closed your backpack and placed it back on your shoulders as you continued wandering. You tried to remember if there was a door on this level. You had seen fan created videos of this level, seeming pretty accurate, but none matched to what you were seeing. You supposed that was the point of the Backrooms. That way, less victims can survive. How cruel.
You stumbled upon a pool in the shape of a star. You furrowed your eyebrows. You hadn't seen this before. The sight made you feel somewhat better for a reason you did not know. Perhaps it was seeing the familiarity of a simple shape in such a cruel and non-conforming place. You walked around it, being careful not to get too close to the edge.
Walking around different pools made you think back to your days with your friends. You and your friend group would often go to the pool during the summer. That's where most of your summer memories came from. You remembered the music, the laughter, the splashes, even the chatter of those who felt you all were way too loud. It didn't bother you guys. You simply had fun and made memories. You wondered where they were right now. Were they in the pool now? Were they wondering what happened to you? Did they completely forget you and move on this quickly? Part of you hoped they did. They didn't deserve to feel sad for the loss of a friend. You knew you couldn't escape, so what was the point in hoping for your return? Then you wondered if they even knew you were gone.
As you turned a corner and squeezed through a very narrow hall, you came across a spiral staircase. You could see a platform not too far above. A good few minute walk was all. The only problem was that it spiraled from the middle of a deep pool. You couldn't see the bottom. In fact, it was so murky, you could only see about six stairs down. You backed up as far as you could to see on top of the platform. You could see a sliver of something. A walkway lead to the nearby wall. It lead to a white door. You smiled as you now knew the exit, but frowned as you remembered your way up.
"Shit," you sighed. If you were going to climb these stairs to your freedom from this level, you would need to cross the water. You took careful note of how far the water was from the stairs to the floor you stood on.
"I can jump.." you convinced yourself. Jumping on stairs would be no cakewalk, you knew. Your childhood had taught you well. Knowing there was no other choice, you decided to take a deep breath, run, and jump, allowing your upper body to carry more weight so you wouldn't fall backwards. Having a backpack made the weight more difficult to balance. Luckily, a few bruises later, you had gained balance on the stairs, quickly climbing a few steps to get out of the water. How had all this running and jumping in previous levels not helped? Your socks and shoes had gotten wet, along with a bit of your pant legs, about mid calf.
"Damnit," you cursed. You shook off what you could and continued up the stairs, making sure to go slow and steady. These stairs had no railing and you didn't want to slip since your shoes were now wet. The water felt sticky and almost slimy. You hated that this was what you had to deal with now. You already had sweat dried on your body from previous levels, and the humidity in this level absolutely did not help. You would kill for a shower and clean clothes. Your white shirt had turned almost a brown-gray.
You weren't sure how long you had been in this world. It felt like days. Maybe months. This was the sixth level you had made it to. You were impressed with yourself, but you didn't celebrate quite yet. Your journey was far from over.
As you finally reached the door, you carefully put your hand on the knob, taking a deep breath. You can do this. Just.. please be another easy level, you prayed. You quietly opened the door to see on the other side. What lied before you was a breath of relief. You were greeted by wonderful sunshine, which was all you cared about.
"Water World," you sighed with a smile. You decided to head inside the park area, ready to feel the sun on your face. The door closed behind you, leaving the pool rooms in the past. Now, you found your new temporary home. You knew you would be here for a few days, so you decided to have a look around. The first place you went to was the first food stand you saw. Food was not very present in the Backrooms. You weren't sure if there would be food on this level, as you hadn't read too much about it, just the basics, but you hoped there would be something.
Just as you opened the door to the food stand, you began to feel pins and needles through your legs before finally falling through the floor.