The Backrooms

Floor Zero; Chapter 1

Jasper woke up, feeling dizzy to a pain in their head. Their vision is fuzzy at first and there is a ringing noise in their ear. The ambience of the quiet buzzing lights was soon audible to them. Having no clue where they are, Jasper looks around. "H-hello?" They cry into the empty room segments. Hoping that someone would answer, Jasper slowly stumbles to their feet. Looking at the pale yellow wallpaper, Jasper starts to wander into the next room. This next room appears to be identical to the one they started in. Jasper turns around, trying to find the room he just came from just to realize that any one of these rooms could be the room he started in. "Is anybody there?!" They yell, still hoping that someone would hear their cry for help. Jasper picks a random direction and starts walking, going from room to room. Their heart starts to race when they go from one identical, yellow, musty smelling room to the next. Jasper then wonders if there is even a way out, "what if I'm stuck here... forever." Jasper sits down in the corner of the room they are in. Wondering if they should give up, Jasper starts to bang on the wall, trying to break through in any way they can. They only end up tearing the wallpaper before taking a few deep breaths. Getting their thoughts together, Jasper looks around at all of the pale yellow around them. One of the rooms seems darker, more red than all of the other rooms. What if this was their way out? A feeling of hope runs through Jasper's body. They run towards the red light, relieved to be somewhere that doesn't have musty carpets or fluorescent, buzzing lights. As they got closer to this red room, Jasper could hear voices coming from the room. As they enter the room, Jasper realizes those whispers aren't in their head. In a panic, Jasper runs as fast as they can away from the red room. "Somebody! Anybody! Please help!" They cry as they continue to run from room to room. Jasper rounds a corner into another room, this one having the layout of... A diner? Confused, Jasper looks around.

A bigger man with a scraggly beard is cooking something over a fire, "Well hey there! You seem panicked, care for a bite to eat?" He says to Jasper.

Looking around, Jasper realizes that the man is talking to them. "Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" are the only things Jasper can manage to say.

"Well, My name is Tom and currently it seems you have stumbled across my makeshift diner." Tom says in a warm and cheery voice.

"How can anyone be this happy when they are trapped in this strange place" Jasper wonders.

"This is what people call, the backrooms. Lucky enough for you, you noclipped into floor 0!" Tom laughs as he grabs a seat for Jasper.

" 'No-clipped?' Is this some sort of weird dream that I am having?" They ask Tom.

"As much as I would like to say it is a dream, I cannot tell a lie. These here backrooms are very real. I know it seems like there is nobody here, but I get all sorts of people from all sorts of weird colonies." Tom said, setting a warm bowl of soup in front of Jasper.

"You said this place is called the Backrooms, right?" Jasper asked, taking the soup.

Tom dishes out his own bowl of soup, "Spot on champ!" He says in his cheery, almost fatherly tone.

Jasper looks down. "Is there a way to get out of here? Or am I trapped here?" They said, feeling homesick.

"Well, if you move up each floor there is eventually a way out. It isn't completely hopeless, but I just prefer to stay somewhat safe down here in my makeshift diner away from all the entities. You are welcome to stay down here as long as you need, or until you find a staircase to the next floor." Tom informed them.

Taking all of this in, Jasper finishes their soup. "Thank you for the soup. I'm not sure if I will ever get back home..." They tell Tom. "I'm terrified to go out alone."

Tom smiled, "you remind me of my son. Before I accidentally noclipped here, I was a chef. Living a peaceful life with my wife and son. I miss him a lot, but I know he would want to help as many people as he can. That is why I cook here now, with enough food to last another 2 years, I can help many different travellers that come my way!" Tom said as he washed the bowls.

"Am I allowed to stay here until I know where I am going?" Jasper asked.

Tom laughed, "Why of course!"

Jasper smiled, "Thank you Tom. It is nice to be interacting with another person."

"Take as much time as you need, champ! I know the Backrooms can be pretty terrifying, but just know that I will always be here!" Tom smiled as he went back to doing dishes.

Jasper smiled, they felt somewhat safe with Tom. Thinking of what to do next, they sat around the small fire. "I could try and find that staircase and hope that it takes me out of here. Or I could just stay here with Tom. But he only has enough food to last two years." Jasper thought to themselves. After about an hour of  thinking, Jasper finally decides to find the nearest staircase.

"Hey Tom, do you happen to know where the closest staircase would be?" Jasper asks.

Tom thinks to himself for a second. "Unfortunately I do not know here the staircases are. I do hope you find the staircase though. If you ever need me, I will always be here." Tom packs a bag of food for Jasper. "You're going to need food if you are ever going to make the journey out of here. There will be people you can try and trade with on the way up. Most importantly, trust your gut. If something feels off, and I can guarantee that something will, be cautious and aware. Stay safe champ." Tom said to Jasper before they leave.

Those last words echoed in Jaspers head as they carry on through the labrynth of floor zero.