Dark Things: A Compendium of Paranormal Experiences and Rituals

The Backrooms

{Let's Begin}-ƈɧཞıʂ

First things first: What are "The Backrooms"? The Backrooms are supposedly a sub-reality of this one, that is usually accessed by accident and by "no-clipping out of existence". The Backrooms are apparently infinite, expanding on forever. They are organized in levels.

General Appearance: The Backrooms are mainly identified by their appearance. An assortment of rooms with off-yellow wallpaper and softly buzzing fluorescent lights. The rooms are usually empty with no furniture, but may occasionally contain miscellaneous chair and tables. The carpet in most areas is a dirty tan color, often having mold on it. Now that you have a good understanding of how it looks, let's move on.

Rules of The Backrooms: Now, there are not any actual official rules, but you should follow these ones so there aren't any unfortunate accidents.

Rule 1: Keep Track: Always, always, always keep track of time. Continually check the time and count seconds in your head. Remind yourself of who you are and why you are there. Losing track of time means losing track of the real world.

Rule 2: Don't Panic: Remain calm. Panic will only make your situation worse. You could wander off and get lost, trying to find a way out. It is vital that you remain calm.

Rule 3: Reverse Psychology: The Backrooms mess with your mind. If you are panicking and looking for an exit, you won't find one. You'll only get more lost. If you calm down and just explore, you're actually more likely to exit The Backrooms.

Rule 4: Hands To Yourself: In some places, there are black or darker spots on the walls. These are ways to enter The Backrooms. They can also be used to exit, but only use the way you came through if you can. You could end up exiting into someplace far worse than The Backrooms.

Rule 5: Stay Close: Always stay close to the way you came in so you don't get lost.

Rule 6: Run: If you see other people in the backrooms with you, don't talk to them. Don't look at them. Avoid them at all costs. They may not be people. 

Rule 7: Bright Lights: Don't look at the lights. The lights distract you. 

That covers the rules. Next.

Levels: The levels of The Backrooms. 

Level 0: Level zero is the main level through which people usually travel into and out of The Backrooms. This is the level that is easiest to get out of. Encountering other beings is a lot less likely on this level than other levels. (That's a good thing)

Level 1: Progressing to level one is random, but usually happens if you have spent more than 4 hours within The Backrooms. In level 1 the lights will flicker and the sound of machinery can be heard in the background. Sometimes the lights will flicker out entirely and leave you in darkness. Rooms will shift around and you have an even less chance of getting out, let alone to get back to the place where you came in. Dark spots are more sparse. There are more creatures on this level, so be careful. You will start to see things out of the corners of your eyes and hear things.

Level 2:  The walls transition from plaster to concrete. There are pipes full of an unknown liquid running along the walls. The lights flicker and stay off. The sound of machinery is clear and loud. Your electronics stop working. Some rooms are deadly, reaching temperatures of over 150 degrees Farenheight. There are things and darker things around every corner. There is no exit. There is no escape.

Level ???: Continuing from level two, no one knows how many more levels there are, let alone if they're survivable.

End: Well there you go. Hope you enjoyed. But just think about it. How many times have you been in a building like this? Rack your memories. You probably have. Looking back at that memory you're probably like "Oh! What a silly coincidence! Ha Ha!" But the memory unnerves you. You remember those lights, always buzzing. Those walls and that carpet. The smell of mold. You remember it. You're probably frightened now. That's fine. At least you escaped. Right? After all, it's just the backroom.