Across The Backrooms

Level - Press Start

So... You survived past the 60 minute mark? We gave you a chance to accept fate, but you prevailed. Take this second chance and boot up another game.

"I hope this works..."

I prepare myself then quickly walk through the arcade machine, awaiting for whatever I'm greeted to.

I thought my eyes were closed, so I blinked to open them. But they weren't. I was standing in a pitch-black room.

"Where am I? Am I in Hell?"

To be honest, I really didn't know. I couldn't even see my hands until I put them on my face, and even then they were very dark in this room. I had all limbs intact though. I felt the wall.

"So I'm in a pitch-black room, with no windows, ok, I can do this."

Maybe if I just run against the wall I can find the door or exit to this room. I thought.

30 minutes later

Ok long story short, I don't think there's a door in this room. I've been walking with my hand running across the wall for like 30 minutes straight and I've found 0 doors in this room. Is this like an apartment complex? Is it just a massive mansion? I don't know, but I don't think there are any doors within this place.

Good news though, the walls aren't pitch-black like the room. The walls are actually a very dark purple color, and as I continued to walk around the room I saw glow-in-the-dark stars implanted on the walls. I managed to pull off one that somehow still works even off the wall. So these stars are my only source of light. But I can't just carry this glow-in-the-dark star forever, my left arm and leg are still in a lot of pain, and I've been struggling to walk and carry the star every since I got here. Not to mention I got a few burns on my other arm and leg. So I'm in bad condition. I need to find some Almond Water. I vaguely remember the Almond Water section in the notebook I had saying that Almond Water can be used to heal wounds or something like that. So it would be pretty good if I found some. I don't want to get an infection from these open wounds.

10 minutes later

So I ran into an arcade machine.

I was still walking around the place until the trail of glow in the dark stars kinda ended. So using the star I had in-hand, I started walking around the place, until I accidentally walked into an arcade machine. When I got up to it it had the words "Press Start!" written on the top of it, and a PS4 controller layout on it. Like literally, instead of normal arcade machine buttons on it, it literally had a PS4 layout, weird since I was very good at PS4 and it was my main console I played with the most. The moment I got in front of it, it had turned on and had that booting up sound an iMac desktop computer had. Weird for an arcade machine. Was there an iMac powering it? I don't know.

It took like a minute for the thing the fully turn on, then it proceeded to give me some basic information, (I'm guessing about it.) It read this:

 Welcome to Press Start!

This game, created by [some weird name], will give you the time of your life! And winning this easy game comes with a reward, too: an exit back to your normal reality! But if you choose to play, be careful not to lose all your lives! And remember...there is a special punishment for those who cheat. If you wish not to play, we will bring you to another level. But if you want to reconsider, you can come back anytime!
© Game Creators for all time. All rights reserved.

"..."

What's weirder is how I actually believed this. But I couldn't possibly accept the offer... Could I?

If I'm being honest, this was sort of a tempting offer. I mean... Who would reject this kind of offer? Everybody's dream in the Backrooms is to escape it. But I can't leave. I can't leave until I find everybody and make sure their safe.

I very reluctantly reply: "I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I won't leave the Backrooms until I find my friends."

This was probably one of the hardest choices I've made in my life. Freedom? Or save your friends? I'm already regretting my choice, and I'm mad at myself for regretting my choice. But I don't think there's any going back now.

"So uhh, I'll see whoever you are later I guess, (I don't want to see you ever again.)"

40 minutes later

I don't know what to do at this point.

I've been walking around the place for like 40 minutes now. I haven't eaten in hours so I'm pretty hungry. My wounds are still stinging.

I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?

I have to play the game.

But you would be leaving your friends. Everybody here. All alone. Don't do this.

"I don't have a choice. Either way we'll all die. It's only a matter of time before we die of hunger or from an entity. Maybe they'll find The Hub or like a M.E.G base or something. But I'm done fighting."

I head over to the Arcade Machine, and it's still on.

Dude. Don't do this. You'll lose everybody's respect and will practically be a traitor please rethink this.

I've sort of always hated my inner conscience. He always had me rethinking my situations. Convincing me to stop doing whatever I was doing. But at the same time. He has saved me from multiple situations on multiple occasions. Maybe he's right? But I don't want to do this anymore. I'm wounded, hungry, thirsty, I don't know what to do anymore.

Don't do this. I'm warning you. I'll even hate you. You'll lose everyone and yourself. We can find another way out. Like we always have.

"Well what else do we have? Maybe this'll just noclip us to another level, it may not even noclip us back into reality. You don't know until you try? Right?"

...

It gives me the same information screen as before.

This game, created by [once again some weird name], will give you the time of your life! And winning this easy game comes with a reward, too:  an exit back to your normal reality! But if you choose to play, be careful not to lose all your lives! And remember... there is a special punishment for those who cheat. If you wish not  to play, we will bring you to another level. But if you want to reconsider, you can come back anytime.

I then speak up,

"I, the player, agree to play this game to the best of my ability. I acknowledge there is risk involved, and acknowledge any harm, loss of life, or punishment is not the fault of Press Start. I agree to not attempt to escape this level while the game is in session through any means, and to not attempt to cheat in any way."

I then go towards what games I could play.

"Bro what is this? "BuildMake 2.0" and "Duty Calls", this is cheap bruh."

I click on the "BigLittleMoon" game. Since I was familiar with its original game; LittleBigPlanet.

I click on the game and start it up. If I'm being honest, the game was pretty high-quality for a knockoff. But eventually after like an hour or two, I beat the game.

"Ok I beat your crappy excuse of a videogame what NowAAA-