The Backrooms

Tristan E., Cedar Grove Middle - 7th grade

The Backrooms is known for its yellow wallpaper, damp carpets, and fluorescent lights. The Backrooms was created from ASYNC, a facility that plans on trapping people. There is a theory that the Back Rooms go on forever, but if you know a lot about the backrooms, you will strongly disagree. 

Firstly, we have level zero, the first Backroom level, also known as the tutorial level. Level zero is an expansive non-Euclidean space, resembling the back rooms of a retail outlet. All rooms in Level zero share the same superficial features, such as worn mono-yellow wallpaper, old moist carpet, scattered electrical outlets, and inconsistently-placed fluorescent lighting. Aside from these common features, no two rooms within the level are identical.

The fluorescent lighting present in Level zero hums at a constant frequency. This buzzing is notably louder and more obtrusive than ordinary fluorescent lights. Examination of the fixtures to determine the source has been inconclusive thus far. Secondly, the substance lightly saturating the carpet cannot be consistently identified; it is not water, nor is it safe to consume. 

Linear space in Level zero is altered drastically; it is possible to walk in a straight line, return to the starting point, and end up in a completely different set of rooms than the ones previously passed through. Due to this phenomenon, and the visual similarity between each room, consistent navigation of Level zero has proven very difficult. Devices such as GPS locators and compasses fail to function within the level, and radio communications are audibly distorted and often prove unreliable.

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