DSMP Backrooms AU

Chapter 7

Level '   :  Liminal Neighborhood

Karl, Sapnap, Ant, and Sam had somehow found themselves here. They weren't quite sure how. The last level they were in was Level 11, looking for any possible way out. Karl looked around with amazement. "We aren't out, I feel it. This is still the Backrooms. It's too perfect to be in the Frontrooms." Sam hissed, looking around warily, trident tight in his hand. "I didn't know there were outdoorsy levels!" Karl giggled, walking around. Sapnap followed swiftly. "Karl, wait! There could be an entity! We don't know what this level is!"

Ant chimed in, "True, we don't want to go running off and get ourselves killed. That wouldn't benefit anyone." He shook his head, yanking his hood up. "All we know, is this is the Backrooms still? Am I getting this right?" Quackity groaned.

Sam nodded. "It appears so. I'd recommend we stick together or remain in some form of grouping. It's a smart decision with our little knowledge.". Sapnap spoke up quickly, "I bet Dream would know! We should've brought him with us in case something like this happened."

"No. He's still recovering from his little... incident." Ant sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. Sam nodded in response. The group's small conversation got interrupted by someone walking up to them. Sam seemed on edge by this new person. "Hey! I need help. Please follow me!" The person said, but it seemed off. Sam signaled for everyone to stay back as he walked up, his trident and machete held tightly. The "person" stood there, showing no clear indication that it was planning on moving. As Sam walked up to it, it moved quickly towards him. Sam swung his machete, slicing the creature's neck wide open. "Sam what the fuck! Ant go help them!" Karl yelled. Ant shook his head, "Wish I could. But their injuries are too severe for what I can do.". "It's not human." Sam hissed through gritted teeth, plunging his trident into the creature's chest.

"I've heard of what this is. If I'm not mistaken, it's an Optical Illusion. It's an entity." He explained. "And even if it was human, we can't take any chances.". "From what Dream has told me about them, if they kill you, you can be sent to the Hub, but we aren't doing that quite yet." Sapnap mentioned, shrugging like it was no big deal. Karl sighed, he knew deep down if he wanted to survive in the Backrooms, he had to ignore his moral compass and listen solely to his instinct. The group wandered around before Sam eventually ended up splitting the group up into Him, Quackity, and Ant as one group and left Karl and Sapnap as the other. Karl and Sapnap walked the mostly desolate streets, the time never changing. They walked in a tense silence. "Hey Karl?" Sapnap piped up after a while. "Yeah Sap?"

"You seem distracted lately, what's on your mind?" Sapnap's voice was softer than normal. Karl sighed, and looked away. "I don't know. Kind of?" He didn't quite know how to start. "I've just been thinking about how different the Frontrooms and Backrooms are and always will be. In the Frontrooms, I can be soft and giggly. Be myself I guess. I can be friendly and care-free. But here I have to be tough and harsh. I can't be myself or I'll get killed. That point has been drilled in my head by everything I've seen here. I have to be heartless and kill with no remorse. It's literally life or death. Do I be myself and die or adjust to the Backrooms and live heartlessly?" Karl felt like he was on the verge of tears. Sapnap stopped walking and placed a hand on Karl's shoulder. "No one said you had to change. You can live and still be yourself. Killing is just something that happens here but you can still be yourself. Karl, I like it better when you are yourself." Sapnap's expression was overly caring, Karl didn't quite understand it.

"Sapnap..." Karl started but trailed off. "Listen to me Karl. You don't need to change. Please just be yourself. Trust me, it's hard but it's worth it." Sapnap pulled Karl into a hug. Karl couldn't help but hug back. "Please just be yourself. Even if it's only around me." Sapnap muttered, clearly on the verge of tears. Karl felt Sapnap's grip tighten, he found himself unable to pull away to his own volition. Karl subconsciously tightened his grip around the half blind raven. "Okay Sapnap.." Karl hummed, burying his head into Sapnap's shoulder. A text-to-speech voice caught their attention.

'Hey. I know what level this is and I promise, I'm not an entity. I just need someone's help getting out.'

The voice said. They looked over and saw someone with a phone in one hand and a toy reindeer in the other. Sapnap grabbed his machete and was about to plunge it into the person but Karl was quicker. "Hey! We can take you to our friends if that'd be any help." Karl said. It was the first time he'd really been himself here. The person nodded and began typing, much to Sapnap and Karl's confusion. Why wouldn't they talk

'That would be great, thanks! I'm Callahan by the way! I go by they/them pronouns by the way. I've been misgendered a lot in the Frontrooms, might as well avoid that here lol'

Sapnap hummed. "Well hello Callahan, I'm Sapnap, this is Karl." the raven introduced. Karl nodded and started to lead Callahan to where Sam, Ant, and Quackity had gone. "So why don't you speak? Like with your voice, why use text-to-speech?" Sapnap questioned. Callahan began typing away.

'I'm mute.'

Callahan pulled down a bandana they were wearing around their neck, revealing a scar on their throat, before typing again.

'I got attacked by an entity and it destroyed my vocal cords. I tried talking after it healed, but it didn't work. Some dude dressed in green saved me. I kinda wish I caught his name though.'

"I'm sorry." Karl hummed, much to Callahan's confusion.

'Why are you apologizing lol?'

Karl shrugged, "I... don't... know?" He answered after a while. Much to Callahan's silent amusement before they began typing once again.

'Don't apologize to me about that. I was being stupid anyways'

'Kinda had it coming to be honest'

'Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.'

Karl and Sapnap smiled. Callahan was fun.