The Backrooms: How Does it Work?

 

In my recent book, The Maze from Hell: A Backrooms Tale, when one person escapes, another must fill their void. Aleena and Eli finally find their way out, but they discover that their destination is not what they had anticipated. 

Aleena's sister recalls how they kept in touch for a whole year after she left for Europe with her boyfriend. However, she then reveals to Aleena that her messages suddenly stopped coming. 

When Aleena and Eli entered an alternate reality, it’s likely that their counterparts inadvertently found their way into the Backrooms. Interestingly, Eli and Aleena were strangers in that world, and Eli didn’t even exist there, which brings the focus back to Aleena, who did have a double in that reality. 

Eli was merely an accidental crossover, an extra soul who wandered in. I think of the Backrooms as being quite like the Land of the Lost. 

How, you ask? Well, think back to the 1970s when you might have caught the show as a child. 

In "Land of the Lost," one of the characters, Enik, explains that for someone to escape the Land of the Lost, an equal number of newcomers must enter. 

Could there be a similar concept in the Backrooms? It seems that Aleena had a double who likely stumbled into the Backrooms while Aleena made her exit. 

This concept is quite intriguing, and other writers can definitely incorporate it into their own stories. It's important to note that the Backrooms are not subject to copyright and are free for anyone to use.

NOTE: A24 has the copyright to their movie, but not the actual word, The Backrooms since the word and the concept of the Backrooms is an internet creepy pasta and it's origin is unknown. Thousands of people have created videos, literature and other media involving the Backrooms. If A24 suddenly started asking social media platforms to remove everything related to the backrooms, they would be alienating half of the Backrooms fans. The fans are what made the whole concept popular!

The Maze from Hell: A Backrooms Tale

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Lost in the Backrooms: Chapter 3 The Site (excerpt)

 

Chapter 3: The Site (an excerpt)

When they walked in, Jane looked around. The house has an open floor plan so the kitchen can be seen from the Livingroom. The house is quite spacey and luxurious. There is no furniture in the Livingroom, except two chairs and a corner table set neatly at one corner of the room. A security guard was posted outside to keep curious people away and a cop car parked by the driveway as well. Two of the men in the suits looked at Jane and MK.

 “Hunters, we will give you necessary weapons that you’ll need for your mission,” the taller man said.

 “Okay,” Jane nodded. “While in the Backrooms, you will randomly find wooden box crates that might be filled with almond water and energy bars, you should

pack those in your backpacks when you can. It’s important,” the other man chimed in.

“Why?” asked MK.

 “It is believed that the almond water has healing properties,” said Father Patrick.

“How do you know this?” Jane asked.

“One of the Hunters that was sent into the Backrooms; hurt his hand pretty bad and when he drank the almond water, his wound seemed to have healed quickly.”

“What happened to the Hunter?” MK asked.

The priest hesitated, “He did not make it out but through the bodycam he wore, we got the information we needed.”

 “By the way, the bodycams might glitch and we honestly don’t know how long they will continue sending information back to the base so good luck,” one of the men in the hazmat suits chimed in.

Jane nodded, “Okay, understood.” Another man walked toward them and gave the priest a metal box, containing new weapons. He gave the Father a nod and walked away. Father Patrick set it down on the kitchen counter and keyed a combination number to open the box.

  “Here are weapons that you must carry. Our scientists created these weapons for special assignments like yours. You’ll be the first to handle them.” He handed MK and Jane a retractable silver sword, with a holster and sheath for it. He handed Jane a self-cocking tactical crossbow, and a handgun with pure silver bullets.

 “All items are Blessed. It is unknown if any of these items will be useful against the entities that reside within the Backrooms but through the experiences that other Hunters have had, some of these items do help to deter the creatures in that place.”

“So, the other hunters that went in, never returned?” asked MK. 

The priest closed the box. “We’ve sent other Hunters in the past and only one came back. He is the one who took the infamous picture and posted it anonymously online, against our wishes,” he sighed.

  “Is he still with us?” Jane asked.

  “No, he was let go, sent away for betraying confidentiality.”

Jane gave MK a look, “Well, that’s something we won’t do, we’ll keep everything confidential,” she said.

 “The Hunter’s bodycam went out after two weeks, so it did not send us video footage of the rest of his trip, only when he entered and up to the point when he went into the library.”

  “Library?” asked Jane.

  “Yes, you’ll see it if you come across it. I pray that both of you make it out,” he said with a worried tone, he gulped. MK smiled at him and gave him a hug. 

“We will, I have Jane, and I have Faith,” she said. MK watched the men in the hazmat suits going in and out of the house, then the last one brought in another box, and they begin to set up the equipment, a few feet away from the door to the storage room.

 “So, the hunters that went in had bodycams?” Jane asked.

  “All of them were equipped with bodycams, and yes, they had tracking chips too. The footage that the bodycams showed while in the Backrooms is intriguing and frightening. A Hunter engaged with an entity, used iron which fatally wounded the creature so, I imagine that some of the items you have in your backpacks will help, but it won’t work on the Hounds,” he said.

“The Hounds?” Jane asked.

 “According to the footage that one of our Hunters took, these creatures can be found in all levels of the Backrooms, they have filthy matted hair that obscures a twisted semi canine deformed face, it has human skin, but their bodies look like a jigsaw puzzle made up of human parts, formed and twisted into a monstrosity,” Father Patrick elaborated.

“When you see one, run or fight, either way those creatures will kill you. They have an insatiable hunger for human flesh. It is rumored that if they attack and bite you, you will slowly become one. Your body will reconstruct itself to adapt to the environment of the Backrooms,” one of the men in the hazmat suits informed her.

Jane sighed and looked at MK who was standing a few feet away from them watching as the men started to set up the equipment around the door. 

“So, I guess something like werewolves then.” Father Patrick nodded.

“What else should I look out for?” asked Jane. Father 

Patrick let out a sigh, “I’m not sure but you must use your instincts, and MK can guide you since she has psychic abilities. Use everything to your advantage. God did not create the Backrooms, but we can try to find the people that are lost and bring them back,” he said.

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Update on Audiobooks

 

 I've just released two new audiobooks on Google Play: A Time Traveler's Companion, Vol. 1 and 2. However, I haven't published the full-length novel yet. The book will be available as an eBook and paperback on Amazon KDP in the near future. Please visit link below to view details. Trigger warnings: Adult content--18 & over.

Lost in the Backrooms: The Phoenix Files vol.1 is seeing a surge in downloads on both GooglePlay and Amazon, largely due to its appeal among readers who are drawn to supernatural and paranormal tales with a creepypasta twist. A thank you to the readers who find my book interesting enough to read. 

Recommended age: 14 & over)

Having just finished the audio version of A Time Traveler's Companion, I'm now shifting my focus to A Path Less Taken: The Phoenix Files vol. 2. I'm aiming to release this book in the Fall of 2026, but if I wrap it up sooner, I'll definitely get it out earlier. Please visit links to my books. thank you.

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Lost in the Backrooms: Author's Notes

 

(At the end of the book, you will find a section titled Author's Notes, which delves into the story, the characters, and the inspiration behind this story. Below are the Author's Notes for Lost in the Backrooms.)

This book is part of an anthology/book series related to supernatural/ paranormal stories, the first book in this series is, Lost in the Backrooms Vol. 1. This is the main character’s first encounter with the non-Euclidean dimensional realm. When I began working on this book, I checked out videos and read various writings to gather more insights on the subject. Most of my research happened online, and since the Backrooms concept isn’t copyrighted and is open to interpretation, anyone can use it for videos, books, art, and other creative projects. 

Not all the books on the Phoenix Files will be related to the Backrooms, in fact the next time the Backrooms are mentioned it will be in Volume 4 and that's several years away from publishing. 

The main characters in this book only skimmed the surface of the Backrooms. They did not go through all the levels. I place them mostly in level 0. According to the lore of the Backrooms, it starts like this: If you’re not careful and no-clip out of reality in the wrong areas, you’ll end up in the Backrooms, where it’s nothing but the stink of old moist carpet, the madness of mono yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum-buzz, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in. God save you if you hear something wandering around nearby because it sure as hell heard you. 

I found this very intriguing and somewhat scary, but it gave me inspiration for this book. According to some people, most wanderers don’t meet each other in the Backrooms, it’s rare but in my story, I chose to have the characters meet each other so they can fight together and find a way out.

About the main characters: Jane is 28 years old; Father Patrick is in his early 50’s and John, her mentor, is five years older than her. Jane’s sexual preference is loosely mentioned in this book. The relationship between Mary Kate and Jane will grow throughout the book series. I feel that being diverse in character is important to go with the flow of today’s society, despite what certain groups think. As a writer, I feel that it’s important to represent certain groups in society in my writing. Jane is also half Scottish/Irish and native American. Her parents were Hunters but died during one of their assignments. Jane was raised at one of the orphanages that the Church owns and trained to be a Hunter.

 What about the subtle connotation of religion in the story? I grew up Catholic, so I included some religious themes in the story. Jane and MK's faith, bravery, and trust in God really helped them as they looked for a way out. In the narrative, they belong to a church-related group that tackles paranormal and supernatural cases that the authorities shy away from because they can't solve them. Jane and MK were changed by their experiences in the Backrooms. It left a scar and for months they’ve experienced restless nights as any person would if the Backrooms were real and he or she ended up there and came back. They would have PTSD and would suffer some inner turmoil. Unlike Jane’s nightmares, MK’s dreams take her into the BACKROOMS. She is in astral form when she enters, and she can go further into the Backrooms, visiting other levels. There she finds people who have set up small colonies and are living a life there unbeknownst to the outside world.

On occasion, Reyna experiences similar dreams but cannot astral project. Reyna and others who have been thrown into the Backrooms by accident, they were unprepared unlike Jane and MK. Jane and MK are Hunters and have dealt with entities and cryptids in the past, so they were prepared but the Backrooms was something else entirely different. MK found new powers hidden within herself but once they crossed over, she was back to normal, or she thought. Jane and MK ventured through three or four levels before ending up back at level 0. They may have been prepared with weapons and other necessities, but they had no knowledge of what they would find and what to expect while looking for Talia. John arrives at the Backrooms searching for all three of them. I felt that the characters stood a better chance of escaping the Backrooms together. Together they fought monsters and together they found a way out. John and Talia were the first to exit the Backrooms and after some tribulation, Jane and MK found their way out too. The exit may appear anywhere. Portals can appear anywhere at any time. However, in the Backrooms lore, it’s probably not that way. Mary Kate’s connection to the Backrooms will not be addressed until volume 4, when she ends up entering the Backrooms once again. The gentle voice she hears in her dreams is an unknown person who lives in one of the Human based communities in one of the levels of the Backrooms. The next book in the series is called, Path Less Taken vol. 2.

NOTE: For those who need to know, A24 has the copyright to their movie, but not the actual word, The Backrooms since the word and the concept of the Backrooms is an internet creepy pasta and it's origin is unknown. Thousands of people have created videos, literature and other media involving the Backrooms. If A24 suddenly started asking social media platforms to remove everything related to the backrooms, they would be alienating half of the Backrooms fans. The fans are what made the whole concept popular!

(Images in this blog are for the reader' entertainment only)

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Excerpt from: Lost in the Backrooms Chapter 5

 

(Excerpt from Chapter 5: Talia)

“Talia we are with the Church, we’re here to bring you home,” said MK. They could hear the girl breathing heavily, she was scared and hungry. Talia feels defeated and afraid. MK extended her hand into the darkness of the small space; Talia slowly reached out her hand to meet MK’s. MK brought her out. The girl’s dark brown hair is disheveled, her slender frame was crouched tightly within the space. Her clothes are dirty and torn, and her face shows some light bruising; her big brown eyes show fear and distrust.

When she stepped out, in her hand was almond water. “Where did you get that?” asked MK.

“I found it,” she whispered. MK looked at Jane, perplexed. “Come, let’s go, we can’t remain in one place for too long. When we find a good place to rest, you’re going to tell me how you survived and how you accidentally slipped into this place,” said Jane. Talia nodded. They continued onward until they came across what looked like a library, an empty library. “Look at this place Jane,” MK said. Jane looked around, the shelves were empty, no books, only a computer table and some chairs situated at the center. Jane, MK, and Talia quickly walked in and found a secluded corner and sat down. Jane took off her backpack and MK did the same. “I have an uneasy feeling about this place, even though it’s just a library, there’s something about it that gives off a hollowness of darkness and despair,” said Jane, looking around nervously. “Here,” Jane handed Talia an energy bar. “This should help with your hunger.”

“Talia, how did you get that almond water?” Jane asked. Talia gulped, “I found it in a crate. The wooden crate was open, and one bottle was in there.” “You must’ve come across the wooden crate we opened earlier but how? You could’ve been behind us somehow, but we did not see you,” Jane said and pondered. The structure of the Backrooms changes once every hour, so Talia was randomly thrown into different areas of the Backrooms. 

“Did you come across anything unusual while you journeyed through the Backrooms?” asked MK, she could sense Talia’s angst and the trauma she has experienced. MK looked into her brown eyes. She can see Talia’s memories and her experiences in the Backrooms. “Don’t worry we really are from the other side. We were sent here to bring you back. Father Patrick sent us,” MK reassured her. Talia gulped then spoke, “A werewolf or something like it, tried to grab me, but I ran away, and a Hunter shot at it with a gun. I should have stopped but I just kept running. He called out to me; I hesitated but I didn’t trust anything or anyone in here, so I kept on running,” she paused, “Some of these creatures can mimic your voice or someone else’s voice to lure you toward them. I found a crate with one almond water; I drank the water and suddenly I got a boost of energy, and I ran and kept on running.”

“That other Hunter, did he say his name?” Jane asked.

“No, I wasn’t sure if I should trust him. When I ran, he came after me but the walls in here sometimes shift, I think we were cut off from each other. I found the crawl space and hid in it, I don’t know how long I’ve been in there, I don’t know how long I’ve been in this place either.” A tear ran down her cheek, she wiped it off. MK hugged her, “It’s okay, we’re here and we will help you get out.” Jane sighed and gave her a nod. “Don’t worry little one, we’ll get you out,” she said. “So, it’s true, the almond water in here has healing properties," said MK. Jane nodded, “It’s best to keep some around then.”

“Do you remember how you came into the Backrooms?” Jane asked.

“I was angry with my mother for grounding me, so I decided to slip out at night to go with my friends to a party. I climbed down the sturdy vine trellis on the side of the house where my window is, then I jumped down, it was then that I ended up here. It’s as though I fell through the ground. Am I in hell?” she asked. “No dear, but it does come close,” Jane responded, grimly. They remained quiet for a brief moment, before MK's expression shifted dramatically. "I feel something approaching," she exclaimed, her voice tinged with urgency as she rose to her feet. "What do you mean?" Jane also stood, clutching her crossbow tightly.

"It feels like a creature is near," MK replied, taking a moment to focus. She attempted to delve into its thoughts to pinpoint its hiding place, then MK’s eyes looked up.

“It’s in the ceiling,” she whispered. “Talia, go hide under that table and don’t come out until it’s clear,” said Jane. Talia nodded and scurried under the librarian’s desk. Jane looked at the ceiling and noticed that some of the panels were punched out. “The ceiling has some missing panels,” she pointed up. “I can feel it coming closer it will be appearing soon,” MK warned. A strange long dark insect leg stretched downward from one of the missing panels, it looked like spider legs. “There’s nowhere to hide for us, we’re just going to have to face it. Be prepared,” said Jane. MK took out the taser that was in her backpack, the new weapon that the scientist created. The creature managed to squeeze down from the hole, emerging in full view. Talia screamed. “Jane it’s a very large spider or,” she paused, “Well, something like it I guess,” she said, with a shaky voice. Jane gulped. She can see that the creature looks like a spider by all respects, but there are indiscernible features she can’t make out. When they kill it, she will examine it. It lifted itself using its back legs, exposing what looks like a vertical maw, wide open revealing jagged teeth.

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Excerpt from A Path Less Taken Vol. 2

Excerpt from Chapter 4

Path Less Taken Excerpt: The Phoenix Files Vol. 2 Chapter 1

 

Path Less Taken

excerpt from Chapter 1: Dreams

Jane is in her office, reading through case files on her laptop. “Hmm, most are short and solvable. I guess others can take care of them,” she said and took a sip from her coffee. MK finished her last class and headed straight to the office.

 "Hey Jane, has Father Patrick given you any updates on the next assignment?" she inquired, entering with her brown leather messenger bag slung over her shoulder. Dressed in a red tee featuring a black Infinity Symbol on the front of it, faded jeans, and sporting playful ponytails, she looked ready for anything. Jane replied, "Actually, he dropped off a file yesterday while I was in the teacher’s lounge." Curious, MK pressed, "So, where are we headed?" Jane raised an eyebrow, a hint of caution in her voice. "You seem eager to dive into this assignment. Are you sure you're prepared? It involves potential portals and other dimensions," she said, rising from her desk to refill her water cup. MK pondered. She let out a sigh and sat down on the chair in front of Jane’s desk. Jane walked back to her desk and sat down, placing her stainless-steel water bottle next to her.

“I see why you're bringing this up, but you can be confident that I'm prepared. We've been delaying significant tasks for several months now.”

 Jane gazed into those striking blue eyes, which seemed to perceive more than she could. She nodded and said, "MK, we need to discuss this,

especially the dreams you’ve been having." MK paused, her expression thoughtful. "My dreams are complex," she replied.

“I once overheard you murmuring in your sleep during your stay at my apartment, and I can't shake the worry that you're still haunted by nightmares of the Backrooms. Please, share with me what's on your mind.”

 MK rose and approached the coffee maker, grateful for the warm brew Jane had prepared earlier. With a sigh, she admitted, “I do find myself dreaming of that endless yellow maze, but there’s more to it.” As she added two sugar cubes and a splash of cream to her coffee, she stirred it thoughtfully before returning to her chair.

She set the coffee down on a ceramic coaster adorned with a vibrant South of the Border design, a set Jane had purchased during their trip to Baja last year, prior to the Backrooms assignment.

“I’ve been experiencing some strange dreams, almost like they’re real,” she confessed. Jane’s expression shifted to one of concern as she asked for clarification.

“Sometimes, I find myself dreaming about various sections of the Backrooms.” A frown creased Jane’s forehead as she processed this revelation. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t explain it, but I feel a connection to the dark energy that permeates the Backrooms. It’s as if there are people trapped there, not just within the yellow labyrinth.”

“Explain, I want to hear more.” Jane threw a concerned look at her. MK’s connection to that other dimension is disturbing; she fears that the darkness of that place will find her and lure her back in.“In my dreams, I wander through quiet suburbs, expansive farms, and a sprawling city that feels eerily deserted. The fields we traversed linger in my mind, accompanied by the unsettling presence of a man.” MK shivered, as if a specter had brushed past her, she continues, “This man, with pointed ears and skin tinged with gray, remains elusive; his face hidden as he gazes out from a skyscraper overlooking the vast city below. Clad in a muted blue-gray suit, he speaks to me, his words echoing in the silence of the dream.”

“What does he say,” asked Jane, as she is perturbed by MK’s revelation.

MK hesitated before continuing, describing a chilling scene where she witnessed a figure conducting experiments on unfortunate souls who had wandered into his domain. Clad in a white lab coat reminiscent of a doctor, the figure's face remains obscured, leaving only a sense of malevolence in its wake. MK recalled a moment when she felt the figure's gaze upon her, as it acknowledged her with a sinister greeting, "Ah, princess you’re here," causing her to awaken abruptly. Jane reflected on this revelation, her heart heavy with concern for MK's tormentor. She expressed her frustration at being unable to confront this menace, trapped within the confines of MK's dreams. As she contemplated the situation, a nagging feeling suggested that someone within the Backrooms might be attempting to reach out to MK. Jane feels helpless and wants nothing more but to cut that person’s ties to MK, but MK must do it herself. Jane sighed and gulped. “I think that if you find out what his name is, maybe I can have Father Patrick look him up. He might be one of the scientists that became trapped in the Backrooms when the accident happened. Maybe he lives somewhere within that Hellish place and developed psychic powers and can somehow use them to communicate outside of his realm.” 

A look of concern crossed MK's face. Jane quickly reassured her, promising, "We'll figure this out and sever the connection." As she gently took MK's smooth hand, Jane savored every second spent with her. Deep down, she cherished her feelings for MK but lacked the courage to express them. MK responded by clasping Jane's hands with both of hers, a soft smile illuminating her features. MK shifted the conversation, asking, “So, where are we headed next?” Jane opened the file, her face serious. "Katy Lois Tyler has gone missing in Yosemite Park. Here’s her picture," she said, passing it to MK. "She’s beautiful, those green eyes are stunning," MK commented, to which Jane replied, "She’s half Caucasian, I think."

Curious, MK asked how she got lost. Jane explained, "She’s been missing for three months, leaving behind two sons and a loving husband." With a sense of urgency, MK asked, "When are we leaving?"

“I’m waiting for Father Patrick to call with more details,” Jane said, as she stood to grab a donut from the table, MK remained lost in thought, barely noticing Jane’s return. Jane observed the distant look in MK’s eyes, sensing her friend’s preoccupation.

 “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” responded MK.
“Look don’t let it bother you. I will take care of you. I’ll have your back. This assignment won’t be any different than the others.” She tried to reassure her. MK nodded. “I know you’re right. Thanks for your concern.”

“Not at all, you are very special to me, you’re my partner, we fight the good fight together.” MK smiled, brushed off the aphotic thoughts of her dreams and exhaled. Jane did not want to dwell on the dreams that still haunt MK, but she too has had them, and not good ones either. Her dreams take her into the Backrooms, and in them she is searching for MK but is attacked by a Hound. She slowly starts to turn into one. She can feel her body morphing into the grotesque, repulsive creature. The pain of each bone in her body twisting, contorting into something vile and supernatural, haunts her. The man MK speaks of is in fact, an entity that resides deep within the Backrooms. He once was a Human; he is connected to MK in ways she has yet to find out. MK noticed a flier on the desk.

“One of the local churches is setting up for a festival to raise money for the poor?” said MK.

“Yes, and we are supposed to attend and help with some of the festivities. It will be fun,” Jane said, swaying away from the grim conversation they had earlier. 

 “Good, this is what we need before we go off again. I can’t wait,” MK said with a cheerful smile. 

“The festivities will involve rides, game booths and food venders,” Jane added with a smile. MK nodded and asked, “Great so where do you want to have dinner tonight?” 

“I guess we can go to Manuel’s Mexican food restaurant. I’m feeling Mexican today,” said Jane with a chuckle. Later in the evening, Jane and MK were at the restaurant enjoying a pleasant dinner.

“Hey Jane, fancy meeting you two here” said John as he pulled up a chair and sat at their table. Jane was surprised to see John, but it was a welcome sight. MK, sipping her margarita, turned to John with a curious expression.

“So, what brings you here?” Jane asked. He explained that he had been at the bar already and noticed them walking in. After finishing his drink, he decided to join them, hinting that he had something important to discuss.  His serious demeanor caught Jane's attention, and her brow furrowed in concern, “What’s wrong?” she asked, sensing the weight of his words.

“Have you been having strange dreams?” he asked. Jane suspects that he too has been experiencing similar dreams like her and MK.

 Jane felt a twinge of unease and said, “John, I don’t think this is the place to talk about this.” He acknowledged her concern with a nod, then shifted the conversation slightly, asking if they would be attending the festival.

“Yeah, we are,” MK paused and took a sip from her drink, “before we head to Yosemite,” she said, casting a glance at Jane who hinted that John didn’t know about their assignment.

 “I assumed he was aware,” she said. Curiosity flickered in his eyes as John asked, “So, what’s the good Father’s reason for sending you to Yosemite?” Jane swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the moment, and let out a soft sigh. John casually grabbed a tortilla chip from the bowl beside Jane’s plate, dipped it into the creamy guacamole, and savored the bite.

“We’re on a mission to locate a missing person. She’s been unaccounted for over three months, and due to the supernatural and paranormal elements tied to her disappearance, our organization has stepped in,” Jane replied, as she swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the moment, she took a sip from her drink.

He nodded thoughtfully, processing the gravity of their task. “Are you both prepared to tackle this assignment?” he asked.

MK affirmed with a determined nod, glancing at Jane for support. She returned the look with a reassuring smile, signaling her agreement and readiness to embark on this challenging journey together.

“Okay, well if you need my help, you know where to find me then,” he said. After Jane dropped off MK at her apartment, she went home. John was waiting outside her door. As they entered her apartment, Jane secured the door with a click.

“Would you like something to drink besides alcohol?” she asked, her voice light yet tinged with an underlying weariness. She moved toward the kitchen, filling a glass with water while discreetly grabbing a sleeping pill from the counter. John observed her actions with concern, his brow furrowing slightly. “You never used to rely on anything to help you sleep. Are you having trouble sleeping?” he asked, his tone laced with genuine worry. Jane sighed softly, settling onto the sofa beside him, her gaze drifting over his features. It was then she realized that he, too, bore the marks of sleepless nights.

“I think we’ve all been experiencing some strange dreams lately,” she remarked, her voice barely above a whisper. John chuckled dryly, shaking his head as he removed his boots and set them down on the floor.

 “Strange is an understatement,” he replied, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice, as they both grappled with the unsettling thoughts that had invaded their sleep.

“John, would you like to spend the night here?” He nodded in response, a silent agreement that spoke volumes. “I’m not sure if you or MK have been experiencing nightmares about the Backrooms, but sometimes they feel so real that I find myself back in that unsettling place,” he confessed, his voice tinged with unease. As he rested his head on her lap, he resembled a child seeking solace, a gesture that revealed his vulnerability. “I too have had dreams of that horrific place,” Jane responded softly. 

“What kind of dreams do you have,” he asked her. “Well, I am back inside the Backrooms and,” she paused.

“And what?” he pressed. “Well, I am searching for MK and a Hound attacks me, I then go through the agonizing trial of turning into one.” There was silence for a moment. John gulped and took a deep breath. Jane stood up and moved toward the closet, retrieving a blanket and an extra pillow before settling beside him again. A heavy silence enveloped them, and John swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “What is it?” Jane asked, sensing his unease.

 “In my dream, I’m in the Backrooms too, but I’m hunting you, driven by a chilling intent to kill because you’ve become one of those monsters. It felt like a dark shadow looming over my very existence.” Jane gasped, her expression shifting to one of deep concern as she regarded him, the gravity of their shared nightmares weighing heavily between them.

“It’s not gonna happen John, these dreams are not real. I feel they are being sent to us from the Backrooms, but we should ignore them. We have a connection, you trained me.”

 She smiled and added, “I am your Apprentice, and you are my Master,” she joked as she threw a Star Wars reference in.

“I don’t ever want to go back into the Backrooms but if you end up there again, I will ask Father Patrick to send me in.” John said. Jane nodded. She knew that if she did become one of those hounds, John would have to do what he must do--give her mercy. John slept on the couch and Jane slept in her room. Oddly enough they slept well that night and so did MK. No dark dreams haunted their minds that night, but Father Patrick was another matter. 

His dreams are plagued by a desire, a forbidden desire that haunts him, a secret that burrows deep within and hides from the light. “The Light,” he softly mumbled. “She comes into my dreams.” He tossed and turned in bed, restless and unable to find comfort. Finally, he sat up, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He got up from his bed and walked to the bathroom.  “I don’t know how strong I will be God.” He took a Dixie cup from the dispenser and poured water into it. His eyes glanced at the mirror and a woman with raven colored hair and deep greyish blue eyes materialized in the mirror. He gasped and dropped the cup. She smiled and blew him a kiss before she disappeared. He closed his eyes and sighed then went back to bed. 

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The Backrooms: Who Really Owns the Rights to it?

 

As far as I’m concerned it is an urban legend, created by various unknown people. It was based on a picture posted on 4Chan a few years ago, before the pandemic but the picture that started it all appeared online as far back as 2012, or so it is rumored. Writers have written stories about the Backrooms and people have written Fanfiction & made indie games related to the Backrooms. 

Someone had posted on an anonymous site, asking if Kane Pixel owns the rights to the Backrooms because he created videos on YouTube. He has created his own mini mythology through a highly successful YouTube series. The key words are, created his OWN mini mythology, much like everyone else who has created their own stories based on the Backrooms.

 I'm an author and I’ve written two books loosely based on the Backrooms and so have other authors. The Backrooms is open for interpretation & can be used to create stories and videos by anyone. A24 has the copyright to their movie, but not the actual word, The Backrooms since the word and the concept of the Backrooms is an internet creepy pasta and it's origin is unknown. Thousands of people have created videos, literature and other media involving the Backrooms. If A24 suddenly started asking social media platforms to remove everything related to the backrooms, they would be alienating half of the Backrooms fans. The fans are what made the whole concept popular!

Where did the picture of the Backrooms come from?

No one knows but that’s the part of it, a mystery that will never be solved. 

MY Website

Lost in the Backrooms: The Phoenix Files vol. 1

(Images in this blog are for the readers' entertainment only)

The Backrooms and the Homeless Crisis

 

In my book, Lost in the Backrooms: The Phoenix Files Vol. 1, I explained that the Backrooms were originally created by the government to house the homeless, during the homeless crisis, it was a better solution and cost effective. It was a project that was supposed to help many people, a place where they can live comfortably and receive healthcare, mental health care, etcetera. 

As mentioned in the book, the government created the Backrooms. They used a high tech quantum generator, that created living quarters inside a 4.1milluon square foot warehouse. The first few years, the program worked, people received the care they needed and a safe and clean place to live, then for reasons unknown, the device used to create the rooms, offices, classrooms etcetera, malfunctioned and it punched a hole into another dimension. Unbeknownst to the crew and everyone else living inside the warehouse, which was called, West of Eden, something was happening, something was warping reality around them. It was too late when it was discovered and many people died or were warped into Eldritch horror looking creatures. 

When the quantum generator was shutdown, it did not stop the dimensions from merging. In fact, more levels were created, randomly. Those who did not mutate into creatures, either died or band together in colonies throughout the Backroom levels. The warehouse was shutdown & sealed, never to be opened again. Some have asked why didn't the Church use the portal within the warehouse to send hunters into the Backrooms, well, the entrance to the portal from the warehouse has been sealed with a large metal door and religious symbols are carved on the door. In my book I added a supernatural countenance to the Backrooms. A question was asked where in my story is the warehouse located, I would have to say in central California. The warehouse was the first low housing experiment for the homeless. 

Second question was:

Will this ever happen in real life considering that we do have a real life homeless crisis? 

I don’t know, maybe the part about building a large warehouse, creating clean & reasonable housing within it, can be a possibility, but as for the Backrooms coming to life, well it is fiction. 

I would like to note that In the Phoenix Files, Jane is a lesbian and even though that is not a big deal, unfortunately  nowadays, it can be an 'issue' for some parents. I just wanted to bring it to the reader's attention. I focus on the growth of the characters as the story progresses. They  fight against the  supernatural/paranormal. Think of  it like the tv series Supernatural.

The Backrooms is open for interpretation, any author can create a story around the lore and the story doesn’t have to always follow the Backrooms videos. My advice to other authors:

Create your own monsters that roam the endless halls of the Backrooms, be original. Remember, no one owns the Backrooms, it is not copyrighted material and that is why you see many books & other related content created around the Backrooms. 

(About the quantum generator: In my book, it is a device that generates rooms almost like magic, but it is a high tech way of doing it, however the scientist that created the device, added something different into the mix; he created an experimental device that can punch through another dimension. The scientist used it while the quantum generator was in use and that is what happened and how the Backrooms were created. He continues to live within the Backrooms, and has become the entity that some in the Backrooms know as the Care Giver. He sees himself as the creator of his own world. All of this will be explained in Vol. 6 There and Back Again. )

I had fun writing the first book of the Phoenix Files series. As I stated in the Author’s Notes in the back pages of my book, The Backrooms will return in volume 6, There and Back Again.

Website

Chandra's Quest: The Birth of a Trilogy

Chandra's Quest was one of my first full length novels that I wrote back in the mid to late 90's and self-published it in the early 2000's. It is part of a trilogy.

              First copy

The story was originally adult scifi but when I revised it, I made some changes. I republish it in 2013 through Kindle Direct Publishing, a very different self-publishing company than the previous one I used before. 

 I am pleased with both versions of Chandra's Quest, however I want to let everyone know that when you visit Amazon and find the book, I encourage you to download or buy the paperback of the revised version (2013). The older version is no longer available by the third party seller that was selling it. Even though it is unavailable, the seller still has it listed. Anyways, this entry is to inform interested readers to buy the current book and enjoy it. 

Please Read, Rate & Review. TY. 

Author's Website