Chapter 1: The Great Entrance

"Fuck." I whisper the only thought that enters my reeling mind.

My brain starts to break down into a full panic attack. I start hyperventilating, feeling sick to my stomach, realizing that this is probably very real. A real catastrophe, a blunder beyond a blunder. I knew I shouldn't have ignored the warnings of irregularity my brain was warning me of!

Struggling to slow my viciously erratic breathing, I could feel my heart beating faster and harder than it had ever before. My brain was beginning to think irrationally, and while I recognized it as being irrational, I couldn't stop it. I shot up to a standing position, feeling the wet carpet sink slightly underneath my weight as it soaked my thin running shoes.

I started running, running faster than I had in my entire life. The fear was driving me farther and farther, yellow walls with varying patterns flew past me as I ran through the winding halls that were surrounding me on all sides. Panic coursing through every part of my body was forcing me to run farther than I ever thought I could.

It never could last forever though. Soon after all the running, I collapsed, my heart was threatening to break my chest with how hard it was beating. That's not even mentioning how hard I was breathing, struggling to supply myself with enough air.

I laid on the moist carpet, finally able to think clearly as the warm moisture seeped its way into my jeans and t-shirt. I can't keep panicking, or I'm going to find myself in a much worse situation. I need to start listening to what my brain is telling me, without letting my instinct take over, because it is clearly in the wrong.

I'm hungry, having expected to eat something once I met up with my old friends. I needed to secure some food and water, as well as figure out how safe this place actually is, wherever it is. First priority should be water, as I can survive much longer without food than without water.

I stare up at the drop-ceiling, noticing that every light fixture is spaced perfectly from each other. The lights are placed in such a way that the wall is built up into the light fixture if it overlaps on the pattern. As my breathing finally calms down, I hear a noise similar to someone walking on the wet carpet, coming towards me as it increases in volume.

"Hello!" I call out while standing up, unsure if I would need to run.

Nothing answers and the noise stops. A chill goes down my spine as an unnatural curiosity takes over my body. Every fiber of my being is telling me to run, but I need to know. I heard the sound just around a corner from where I was. Just one unassuming yellow corner.

"Is someone there?" I ask cautiously as I near the corner, but there isn't a single sound now other than my own footsteps as I near the corner of the hallway.

I prepared myself by taking a deep breath, and round the corner quickly, ready to turn on my heel if I needed to… but the hallway was empty. Nothing there other than yellow walls, fluorescent lights, and damp carpet. Eerily empty.

I swear I heard the noise from here. I quickly checked everywhere around me, but not a single thing was in sight other than more of the same that is everywhere. Thoughts race through my mind as I almost slip into another panic attack. Narrowly avoiding it due to many years of practicing calming myself from severe anxiety.

The hallways all looked the same, and who is to say that I haven't been walking in circles. If I have been walking in circles, who's to say that I'm not being followed by someone. Or something, my mind screamed at me. Causing a quick flash of panic, followed by checking every corner nearby and behind me.

Suddenly, a feeling of being watched goes through me. All of the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I hear banging on the walls. My heart was starting to beat faster and faster as my anxiety peaked to new levels.

I'm not alone here.

For better or worse, I felt nothing more than sure of this fact. I was being watched from somewhere. Through the walls?

I turned around more and more as I wandered the halls.

The hum of the lights started to overwhelm my thinking. All I could hear was loud buzzing, as if the lights were inside my own head.

I could feel myself wanting to run, but I forced myself to stay walking, if only slightly faster.

Energy was important without food and water.

Stay calm.

Stay calm…

STAY

CALM.

I broke out into a sprint as I heard another knocking on the wall. Spooked so bad I completely lost my train of thought, falling back into a full panic. I struggled to think straight as I rounded corner after corner, hall after hall. It was never ending.

Torture. I was being tortured. Whatever was following me, was playing with me, and I was determined to lose it. I would run around a corner, stop to listen, then move further. I calmed my heart rate and was beginning to think more rationally again, and the hum of the fluorescent lights seemed to get quieter as I calmed myself.

Having made a considerable distance since the last I heard a noise. I stop moving, assessing the severity of the situation while trying my best to remain calm. It looked grim, beyond grim. Endless yellow hallways with wet carpet, and fluorescent lights. With all of this light, and the wet carpet, sleeping would be a struggle, if it would even be safe to sleep in one of these halls.

I have yet to find anything to drink or eat here. A thought suddenly pops into my thick skull, something that I honestly should have thought of much sooner. I pull my phone out of my pocket and check it. Almost unsurprisingly, there is no cell service here. I try to make an emergency call anyways, hoping it would connect… but it doesn't.

Not willing to give up, I checked for Bluetooth devices, nothing. I check for available Wi-Fi… Success! The was a single Wi-Fi network with an almost full connection. Network name is 'Offices_Left_Three_Right_Nine', but it's password protected. I try to connect to it with all the common passwords I could think of.

Suddenly, after four or five tries, the network disappears even though I never moved. Refusing to sink once more into panic, I move around while occasionally checking my phone to see if I can find the network, or another one. After a while of doing this though, I give up the thought of trying to connect to one of the networks even if they do appear.

I turn off my phone, hoping to save as much of the battery as I possibly could. I've yet to see an outlet on the walls, let alone a cable to charge my phone. I think I'm thankful that there aren't any wires or plugs near the ground, as I'm pretty sure the rotting, wet carpet would be a great conductor of electricity.

I start to just wander the halls, systematically of course. I would take a left turn, and then a right turn, alternating back and forth making a zig-zag through the maze of hallways. If there is an edge I could find, or even something that I could use as a landmark, it would make it easier to find something.

I feel the pangs of hunger and the scratching of my throat as my natural needs start to surface. Dreading what will happen if I become too weak to run, I look to the carpet as a source of moisture. I smell the rot without even bending down towards the carpet, so I think only as an absolute last resort will I even think about drinking from the carpet.

I've been here for at least a few hours now. The noises of things here other than me are annoying now, as no matter how many times I check. There is nothing there. No matter how close the noise, even a knocking sound from right beside me, nothing. No people are down here other than me, and I have to realize this.

I'm alone.

The thought of this made me panic at first… but isn't this what I've always wanted from life?

I wanted something unique to happen to me. I wanted to do it alone and experience greatness. I never expected greatness to be endless yellow halls and musty carpets lit by loud fluorescent lights, but here I am, experiencing it.

I take a deep breath to steady my thoughts, almost sighing. Thinking like this won't solve my issues, only make them feel worse. I could feel my thoughts become more erratic by the second under the loud humming of the lights, but calming myself would quiet the buzzing most of the time. I was probably only hearing it more when I panicked as it was one of the only noises here that I could even focus on.

After walking around a corner, I noticed the first change in scenery since I came to this hellish place. The wall had changed color from yellow to blue. It was the same pattern on the walls randomly chosen like they ran out of the same type of wallpaper constantly. However… The carpet was dry, and the smell of freshly cleaned carpet was a nice change for my nose that had almost become used to smelling rot and decay.

The lighting was different though, instead of the nice evenness, the lighting had become sporadic, leaving darker spots here and there. Wandering further into this new zone, I started to notice even some of the walls even changed in height. Some were waist high while others had only a tiny gap at the top that let some light through into darker areas.

It was nice to see something other than the monotony of the yellow zone. I think I was going to refer to them as 'zones'. Yellow zone and blue zone, as representative of the colors of the wall. I can safely say, I felt much better about the blue zone.

As I say that, I hear knocking from empty air in front of me. I can feel a chill as I look at the area where I heard the knocking from, deciding quickly to take a different path. I was not a fan of the wall sounds originating from absolutely nothing, even after becoming delirious, even I have my limits.

I was getting tired, my legs and back hurt. My feet were wet and sore, a bad combination if I had ever heard one. So I removed my shoes and socks once I got to what felt like a safe distance from the noise. It was an awful sight to say the least, blisters and sore I didn't feel before I saw them. A slow burning coming from every open wound, a sign of early infection that I knew all too well from my days in school.

Resigning myself to the pain, I kept my thin, gray socks and shoes off my feet, hoping to dry them off on the dry and what seemed like freshly cleaned carpet. I sat still, noticing that I was struggling to keep my eyes open, I had exhausted myself.

With no choice left, I let my tired eyes close while I was illuminated by bright light. It seemed I was tired enough that even this lighting with the humming wouldn't be able to keep me awake. Hunger ravaged my stomach and my throat was dry, but I would worry about it once I woke up. For now, I let myself drift off, hoping nothing would kill me in my sleep.

…

I woke up to several knocking sounds near me, all continuously knocking in harmony. I forgot the feeling of hunger and thirst as I gathered myself. Staying in one place gathered these sounds it seemed. The knocking was loud and I'd be amazed if I'd slept more than an hour with how I feel.

I put my still slightly damp socks on and my shoes were somehow almost dry. It was time to leave these knocking sounds behind, I swear I could hear a shuffling on the carpet through all the knocking and not a single part of me wanted to stick around to see if any of it meant there was a person or a monster.

The blue zone, overall, was much more pleasant than the yellow zone. The soft and clean carpet was much nicer on my feet, and after escaping the insanely loud noises, I took my shoes and socks off again to let the soft carpet soothe my sore feet.

I was in a bit of a predicament though, I needed to find food and water, mostly water. I needed to find it fast. My throat was so dry it hurt to breathe, saliva was no longer being produced and my mouth was dry, and even after moving for a little bit, I was no longer sweating. I knew that meant danger.

My head was also starting to hurt as the lights were beginning to blur. I was starting to get dehydrated, a super dangerous condition, and at this point even if I found water, I would probably suffer for a while after drinking it.

As if to answer my prayers to any of the gods that might exist, I see a door in the distance. I hesitantly walked up to the door, my heart rate was increasing with each step closer I got to the plain wooden door. A simple silver handle was all that kept me out of this room behind the door.

I reached for the handle and felt the cool metal touch my skin, it was unnaturally cold, but that didn't stop me. I wanted into whatever was behind this door, a feeling deep within me that I knew I could trust was telling me I needed to go into this room no matter what.

Turning the handle did nothing, the handle spun pointlessly. The door didn't open no matter what direction I turned the handle, and that's when it hit me. An unnatural burst of rage came from somewhere deep inside of me. I deserved whatever was in this room, and by god a simple wooden door could not satisfy my bottled rage from my current situation.

I took a step back, with my shoulders to the wall behind me. I used all of my strength to push off the wall while I raised my right leg for my foot to hit just below the useless handle. I hit the door with everything I have, even letting out a shout to feel more powerful.

The door splinters as it opens, having been bone dry and brittle. Half the door breaks off and flies slightly into the room, colliding with a desk and chair, making more noise than I was expecting. I looked up and down the hall, to see if anything was coming for me, but as per usual, there was nothing to see.

Entering the room, I see something I never could have imagined, a bottle of water rolling on the floor. It had fallen off the large round desk when I kicked the door in. The black office chair had rolled halfway across the large office space. The walls were slightly different from the rest of the blue zone, despite being the first closed room I had seen. The walls were gray with just a single stripe running horizontally halfway up the wall.

I carefully grabbed the water off the ground. I knew I had to check it first, there would be nothing worse than dying from a preventable infection thinking I was safe from dehydration. I couldn't see any issues with the water, it was still sealed and there was nothing floating in it, as clear as the brand 'Clear Water' could ever be.

Thanking my luck, I carefully took small sips of the water. It hurt to swallow, but I knew it would only be temporary, as I now had something to get by with. I knew what to look for, I had to find doors, and there might be something like this in them. I sat down in the office chair while I faced the door, watching to see if something was going to come and get me.

Nothing was coming, and unlike the blue zone, the knocking hadn't started yet. Even though I had been resting here for a while now. I was thankful, but I knew it would probably start happening sooner or later, so I started to look around the office for something else. There were only splinters from the door, an empty round desk, and an office chair. I checked under and on everything I could, but there was nothing else. I only had half a bottle of water, and I needed to find more.

Sitting around is going to get me killed, even if there is nothing here that can cause me physical harm. Even though dehydration and starvation are certainly physical harm as well. Shaking my head I stand up from the office chair and head on my way through the blue zone using the same zig zag idea. I felt I was making progress, but it's slow, as nothing seems to change for a while.

Endless halls of the same go by. Endless blue zone, every time I stop moving in the blue zone, the knocking starts within a few minutes, sometimes less. I hear shuffling as if something is following me, and I think I'm starting to go insane, seeing things move in the corners of my vision. It might be dehydration and hunger causing me to hallucinate, but I can't be sure so I keep moving to stay safe.

Everything soon begins to blur around me, my vision goes dark in random spots as I start to stumble over my own feet. I take it as a sign that I need to sit down, so I do just that. Leaning my back against the blue walls, the knocking begins almost immediately, but I ignore it.

I noticed I was breathing heavily and my throat was dry again. I looked at the bottle in my hand, seeing it was already empty. I do not remember drinking any water after leaving the office, as my intention was to ration it until I could find more.

Was there even water to begin with? Did the office even exist at all?

I couldn't answer my own question as I let the empty bottle fall to the ground. I wasn't a fan of littering, but I haven't seen a trash can down here yet so please forgive me. I guess littering a single bottle was the least of my worries down here though. I need a solution to the lack of water and food.

I struggle to stand as my motivation fades nearly to dust. I've been wandering for who knows how long, I need to save my phone battery for more important situations than checking the time to see how close I am to dying of starvation and thirst. Everything hurts, including my feet, which I had at some point put my socks and shoes back on.

I grunt in pure anguish as I force myself to stand. I need to keep going, I need to find something. There has to be something. I can't just be wandering down here until I die. No matter why I am here, there has to be escape, or some way to survive until help comes for me.

I force myself to walk, but my zig zag clearly isn't getting me anywhere quickly. I can feel it. I Feel It. Something has changed in me, and I know it. I know that what I am doing currently is the wrong answer, and that I should be able to work out what to do based on what keeps not working.

One foot falls after another on the soft carpet as I push myself forward down the blue halls. The erratic knocking almost becoming indistinguishable from white noise in the back of my mind as I push onward. I try taking different turns around corners, I try walking backwards, and on one attempt of doubling back, I notice a truly awful fact.

I can't retrace my steps as the maze of hallways seems to change and shift after I walk through it. No matter what way I go, it is all new. Even retracing my steps, I was unable to find the bottle I had dropped on the ground not too long ago. Either due to renewed mental fortitude, or just a lack of energy, I manage to stop myself from panicking like an idiot once more.

Gathering myself I start to think of anything that could help me. The lights of the blue zone were erratic, so keeping a constant direction was challenging. I suddenly remembered the name of the Wi-Fi network I found; 'Left three, right nine.' Honestly, at this point I have nothing left to lose from trying. It could be a trap, or I could wish to bang my head on a wall if it actually leads to an office.

With nothing to lose, I follow the directions from the name of the Wi-Fi network. I take three left turns when I can, then nine right turns when I can. Reasonably, I would end up just turned around and confused, but here I stood, with tears in my eyes.

Before me was a long hallway with many different sizes and types of doors. The walls were gray with a single horizontal stripe near the floor. It was slightly different from the single office I encountered, but I was hopeful. With this many doors, there was bound to be plentiful resources here.

One door in particular caught my attention. It was a large metal door with rivets lining the outside edge of the door, reinforcing itself against the metal frame that was heavily bolted to the wall. Above the door was a dimly lit green sign with the classic stickman walking out a door with the words 'EXIT' in large text.

I cautiously opened the door, all my pain and worries hitting me in full as I stared through the now wide open door. I was hoping it would be somewhere outside, somewhere out of here. What I saw made me shut the door. I was going to need to find resources before I entered what lay behind there.

I went through every office that had an unlocked door. Finding computers and other various electronics. Some turned on, while others didn't, but none of them had any connection to the internet, and everything that turned on was password protected. I gave up trying to access them, as I was able to find an abundant amount of water and snacks laying around every office.

I spent a while here, designating one of the more run down offices as a restroom, and one as a sleeping area. This was the only hallway I had encountered that never changed no matter how many of the different ways I took. It seemed like the exit area was stationary.

I rested, and I recovered. It was time to continue, I could feel the stubble growing into short hairs on my face. Staying here was draining my sanity, and I now had somewhere else to go. I turn on my phone to check the date. Two weeks. I turn off my phone, almost regretting my choice to check. How much time did I actually go without food and water… I couldn't say.

I walk towards the metal door marked 'EXIT'. Calming myself with some deep breaths, I opened the metal door. It felt heavier than before, as if my anxiety was adding weight to the door. I creaked open, the hinges screeching as the door finally opened fully. The door was barely able to support its own weight.

It was time. One last look at the offices, I walked down the stairs that lay behind the door, descending down into the darkness below.