"Valentina and Sebastian, inseparable friends since 7th grade, find themselves in an unimaginable and haunting adventure after an innocent hangout. As they accidentally noclip into the eerie realm known as the Backrooms, they're greeted by flickering lights and a putrid scent, instilling fear and curiosity within them.
In this disorienting labyrinth, they encounter a terrifying entity with pipe-like arms and an unsettling presence. As panic ensues, they race through the corridors, guided by arrows pointing in different directions. Discovering survival supplies, they brace themselves for the unknown danger.
In a terrifying encounter with the entity, Valentina valiantly tries to protect Sebastian but ends up sacrificing herself to save him. Filled with grief and survivor's guilt, Sebastian flees, leaving behind the haunting echoes of Valentina's cries.
Days pass, and Sebastian's anxiety cripples him, but he eventually summons the courage to return to the scene of tragedy. Overwhelmed with despair, he contemplates ending his own life but hears the entity's dreaded alarms once more. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, he manages to slay the creature, but his own injuries prove fatal.
In his final moments, Sebastian's thoughts turn to the memories of his friends, including Valentina, who bravely faced the darkness for him. With a bittersweet smile, he succumbs to the darkness, hoping to find solace in their memories forever."
(Note: The story presented here contains dark and sensitive themes. Reader discretion is advised.)
Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son.
*****
Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice.
[[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]]
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]