Crap, I thought to myself when I realized what had happened.
The void between levels of the Backrooms was something I had known about ever since I started interacting with other wanderers. That out-of-bounds space where you might veer off into if a no-clip went awry. It was like a myth — a cautionary tale with no cautions to actually take; it was something nearly hypothetical, something that happened to other people, nothing that would enter my life. Nobody talked about those close they had lost, and nobody could be sure who was really lost anyway. It wasn't the sort of thing that happened to regular, everyday folks like me.
I was just in Level 2. I had finally outrun that smiling thing and decided to get away as fast as I could. I didn't care where, but this was not the place I was hoping for. It was embarrassing for me — no-clipping was such a basic thing; failing at it was… it made me feel really worthless.
I took a deep breath. Hmm, I thought, air to breathe.
So, with air to carry it to the farthest reaches of this place, I shouted: "Hello?"
No answer.
***
14 calls of "Hello?" so far. It beat silence by far.
Again, I cried:
"Hello?"
"Hello??"
I didn't expect an answer.
"Hey, can you hear me?"
"Yes! Yes… yes I can."
"Oh thank God. I was so worried."
"Me too…"
"So… what's your name?"
"David."
"Amelia."
"Well, hello then, Amelia."
***
"You know, it's pretty peaceful in here."
"I guess."
"Yeah, it's a calm place."
"I guess so, yeah."
"Mhmm…"
"So…"
"Yeah. Uh."
"So, where were you before you fell in here?"
Level 8. I hate that place."
"Oh."
"Yeah, it's too cramped for me. I never liked caving back home."
"Me neither."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I only played hurling."
"Hurling?"
"It's Irish."
"Oh, cool. I used to play football, but nobody ever takes time out to do that sorta thing here."
"Heh, yeah. I guess not."
***
"I wonder how far we've fallen by now."
"Oh, yeah. I had forgotten we were falling… after a while, you can't really feel it."
"Hmm. Yeah, I guess so. But if I think about it, I can kinda feel it again."
"Hmm. I guess we've fallen a hundred kilometers by now."
"How many miles is that?"
"Fuck if I know."
***
"So who were you back home?"
"Oh, nobody really. Wasted it."
"Yeah, I hear that."
"I never thought it would be taken away from me…"
"Nobody did."
"Yeah. It was a bit like this, I guess."
"It's a lot like this."
"I guess so."
"It's weird! I always thought I wanted to leave the Backrooms."
"I guess if you stay somewhere, you get attached."
"I guess that's true - it's not like the Frontrooms were perfect either."
"Yeah, some levels are probably nicer places to live."
"But it doesn't have what we grew up with."
"Yeah, it doesn't… And now we're like that all over again."
"I wonder how long until this feels like home."
"Hmm. I wonder."
"Yeah…"
"Yeah…"
"Hmm."
***
"So, what was your family like back home?"
"My father died when I was three."
"Oh."
"Uh, yeah."
awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward
"Uhm…"
"Yeah, my dad died too." why am i making things up
"Oh? I- I mean I'm sorry to hear that." aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
"Y-yeah." oh god can we stop talking about this
"Uh. My mum was nice though."
"Y-yeah. Mine was nice too." i've never met my mom what am i saying
"Yeah her name was Lucy."
"M-mine too." what a horrible lie
"Oh. We have a lot in common, I guess."
"Yeah. I guess we do… heh." i think he bought it
"I wish I could see you."
"Same."
"If we had light, I bet you'd be right in front of me."
"I bet we're a thousand… kilometers apart."
"Heh. Well I'd go a thousand miles to reach you."
"Oh?"
"Eheheh…" i think i came off too strong
"Heh."
"Hmm."
***
"So… what's your favourite food."
"Ugh. You've made me hungry."
"Oh, c'mon. Mine's chicken curry."
"I like baked potato."
"Heheheh. Irish."
"…yeah. I guess it is."
"I wonder if I've gone blind."
"Hmm?"
"I mean, there's no light in here; if we went blind, how would we know?"
"Oh."
"Yeah…"
"Well, I hope I haven't." time to steer the conversation
"Well, yeah, same."
say something interesting "I once had a dog who ate two pairs of shoes in the middle of the night."
what the hell
"Uh, did you ever h-have a dog?"
"Oh… yeah."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I miss him. He was a chocolate lab. He came in with me to the Lobby… until I looked back one time and he was just… gone. A wall in his place. I think about going back there and smashing the wall open and finding him a lot."
"Oh…"
"Yeah."
"I kinda like you."
"Hmm. I guess I can't afford standards here, so I'll agree."
"Hey!!"
"Heheheh, I'm kidding. You're nice."
"Heh." maybe it's a good thing she can't see me. i'm probably blushing like a mad lad.
***
"Hey, did I ever tell you about that time I was almost killed by a Smiler?"
"Hmm."
"Oh, yeah… I forgot. Before you were here you were—"
"Shut up."
"Alright." i should be more careful.
i shouldn't be so mean.
***
"Hey, what's your favourite level?"
"Oh, uh, probably Level 4."
"Oh, how come?"
"Back in the Frontrooms, when I was really young, I went to this old school with a really low, flat roof on its one small floor. We only had a few rooms — different years had to share. It was… cozy."
"Oh, I went to a place like that too."
"The rain would bash down on the roof, and you could hear it really strongly. The teachers would complain, but it helped me do my work a lot. Sometimes, I go to Level 4 and read out my times tables, and pretend I'm a kid again."
"I don't know if that's really sad, or really poetic."
"I'll go with poetic."
"I'll go with sad."
"Heh."
"Heh."
"You know, we've probably fallen far enough to circle the Earth by now."
"Really? That's 40 million kilometers."
"25 million miles."
"Something like that."
"I guess."
***
"You know, it's strange. It's been so long that if I could go back, I probably wouldn't."
"Heh, I guess I wouldn't either. Not without you, at least."
""Wait, I see something below me!"
"What?"
"Yes, I think it's… it's the Lobby! Come on!"
"No— What?? I don't see it."
"You don't?"
"No, it's pitch black over here…"
"No, look, it's right there! It's right below us!"
"I'm sorry, David. I love you."
Thud.
***
That's all I remember of her. Every year that goes by, my memories get less distinct. My time with her is mostly a vague feeling now…
I gave up searching for her years ago. I don't think she ever left the Void…
It was the best experience of my life…
Amelia, wherever you are…
I love you too.