Level 888

CONTENT WARNING

This article contains content, themes, and implications that are potentially disturbing. Use caution before choosing whether to read if you're sensitive towards the following:

Physical & Mental Trauma
Domestic Abuse & Assault
Animal Abuse
Self-Starvation

SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:

Class Deadzone

• Strictly Uninhabitable
• Sustained Entity Population
• Insurmountable Cognitive Hazards

Photo taken during mild weather.

Level 888 is the 889th level of the Backrooms. It is a massive, frigid terrain consisting of a barren forest surrounded by hillsides. This level houses several unique entities that collectively form an ecological system which, while self-sufficient, is particularly effective at entrapping humans via manipulation of the psyche. There is no known way to mitigate any of the effects instigated by these entities.

Description

The most explored and understood area of Level 888 is its wooded landscape. It is entirely comprised of deciduous trees and shrubbery which are either dead or dying. Temperatures here have been measured as low as -34°C (-29.2°F) and as high as -5°C (23°F). The day/night cycle is evenly divided within a 40 hour period, and seasonal changes are negligible to non-existent. Though it resembles snow, the white powder covering the ground is a form of diatomaceous earth with concentrations of crystalline silica considered toxic to humans. In fine enough consistencies, this dust can form a cloud that hangs in the air when disturbed. Visibility is limited by an ever-present fog made up of said powder as well as sulfuric acid, water, and trace amounts of unknown compounds. It is recommended to wear protective clothing and utilize the best respiratory apparatus available while inside this level.

Exploration teams that crossed the edge of the forest have deduced that the area has a diameter of roughly 1400 km (~850 mi). Beyond that lies a series of rolling hills and plains, the overall size of which remains undetermined. Larger deposits of faux snow and harsh winds make traversal here especially perilous. Wanderers who ventured into this region have either perished from exposure or exited the level before finding any alterations in topography or notable landmarks. For reasons unknown, none of the human remains discovered at Level 888 have displayed signs of the Wretched Cycle in any stage.

Entities

+ Siphonaps

Malnourished juvenile Siphonap.

Translucent insects that are similar in anatomy to fleas, typically growing up to 20 cm (7.8 in) in length with a maximum leaping distance of approximately 12 m (~40 ft). The barbs on their legs act as hooks to assist in keeping a firm grip on a wide variety of surfaces. They are known to submerge themselves in areas with a thick coat of faux snow and lie in wait before bursting out and directly latching onto their prey. Their bites inflict little pain due to a numbing agent secreted from their mouths.

The initial bite of a Siphonap draws a small amount of blood in proportion to its body size, as its main purpose is to carry the numbing agent into the bloodstream. Once enough is introduced, it causes a rapid onset of changes to the victim's mental state. Symptoms include an overwhelming sense of hopelessness, derealization, deterioration of self-worth, and a desire to seek the nearest source of "comfort,” namely other entities. These effects will wear off after two hours unless another dose is administered. Siphonaps prefer to gather near sources of heat and will avoid causing immediately lethal damage to exothermic lifeforms.

+ Broodweavers

Sketch done by a Track Mappers member.

Bloated, pale humanoids reaching 4.3 m (14 ft) in height, with a bundle of tendrils hanging from their face that conceals any other features. Due to their vestigial legs, they are unable to stand fully erect and possess limited mobility. Broodweavers have formed a symbiotic relationship with Siphonaps wherein they allow them to burrow shallow holes into their backs to create nests. In turn, the Siphonaps will occasionally venture out to find prey and lead it towards their hive after it has been reduced to a vulnerable state.

Once something is within suitable range, the Broodweaver will grab it and firmly cup it against its chest to ensure that it cannot escape. It then drapes its tendrils over the captive and latches onto its head with its main set of mandibles. This initiates a slow process in which a significant portion of the individual’s memory is assimilated. Memories, particularly ones from an organism's youth, provide sustenance for the Broodweaver. Based on circumstantial evidence, it is believed that those involving stress and trauma are especially nutritious.

To aid in keeping its source of food alive for as long as possible, the Broodweaver will insert a specialized tube into the victim's throat or navel that pumps out a purple-colored slurry once every 20 hours.¹ The only somewhat safe time to be near a Broodweaver is during its feeding on another person, as it will promptly discard anything with a lower level of sapience in favor of commanding its hive to attack a human.

+ Shroudstalkers

Attempted photo of a fleeing Shroudstalker.

Leech-like creatures with multiple sets of arms running down their sides and a vertical bisection along the entirety of their heads. Eyewitness accounts report them as being around 3 m (9.8 ft) in length. Photographing them has proven difficult due to anomalous streaks of light obfuscating their form, which are thought to be a self-defense mechanism that activates when threatened. These lights also persist post-mortem for an indeterminate amount of time.

While they are estimated to have a ground speed of 10 m/s (22 mi/h), Shroudstalkers are averse to direct engagement. They instead act as scavengers, opting to steal from roaming Siphonaps or wait until a Broodweaver discards its prey, as it will usually still be alive. Though these are their favored methods, they have also been inclined to ambush sleeping humans on multiple occasions. In any case, they will quickly constrict their quarry with immense force by using their appendages as anchor points before dragging it to an isolated location and initiating a series of shrill vocalizations. These serve both to deter other predators and soothe the victim, despite the fact that they are not rooted in any existing language.

Once its captive becomes calm, the Shroudstalker will inflict a severe injury upon it, usually by snapping a bone or causing blunt force trauma with its tail. This cycle of inducing pain and the subsequent nurturing of its prey back to a relative state of good health and peaceful demeanor is how the Shroudstalker feeds. It is particularly obsessed with obscuring the damage it causes from the naked eye, almost always ensuring that bones break cleanly and that bruises are hidden from view. It will simply toss its meal aside once its pain response becomes overly dulled.

+ Amicas

Drawing uploaded by an unknown Wanderer.

Stocky, bipedal mammals with numerous deformities. They superficially resemble hairless canines, except they do not possess anything below the ribcage nor a lower jaw. Aside from humans, these serve as the main source of food for other entities that dwell in the forest. They subsist on the byproducts and carcasses of others using an egregiously inefficient digestive system that absorbs nutrients through a small bladder before the remainder is regurgitated. Between this and a myriad of other health defects, their natural life cycle rarely extends beyond 10 to 20 days.

When an Amica comes into contact with a comparatively large lifeform, it will develop an immediate and inseparable attachment to it. The rest of its life will be spent in service of its bonded partner, be it human or entity. This sense of loyalty is completely unwavering, with documented cases of Amicas remaining unresistant to intentional harm up to and including the point of expiration. If any other being approaches its partner in an aggressive manner, it will attempt, however ineffectually, to defend it. Some have noted that they will engage in "play" behavior when prompted.

Upon an Amica's inevitable demise, whether by outside factors or natural causes, its chosen companion will enter a state of grief that lasts for several weeks. This only amounts to slightly dulled movements for entities. On the other hand, humans will often experience near-catatonic depression and refuse basic necessities for days at a time. In extreme cases, this will lead to loss of life via dehydration or starvation. Those who have bonded to an Amica are at risk of suffering these effects even if they have already exited Level 888. It is fairly easy to avoid them, as they move too sluggishly to catch up to any person jogging at a moderate pace.

+ Outer Being(s)

The only entity that has been observed in the lands outside of the forest. Very few Wanderers have come into contact with it, and all accounts of its appearance vary wildly. Reported inconsistencies in physical attributes are as follows:

• Its number of respective limbs, torsos, eyes, mouths, etc ranges anywhere from none to several hundred thousand.
• Its size has been described as "a bit smaller than a skyscraper", "a great, wide mountain", "stretching into the sky infinitely", "the same as me", and "he doesn't have a size because he's actually inside of your eye".
• Its skin is "scaly", "like water but darker than nothingness", "as smooth as silken sheets", "pretty normal I suppose", and "as if all of Noah's ark was made as one".
• Its movements are "blindingly fierce", "more gentle than my mother's", "on a plane that isn't for me to see", "in step with my own", and "unquestionably euphoric".

The only prevailing similarity is that no witnesses have ever described it using a pejorative. In fact, they refuse to speak negatively of it in even the slightest regard. Any human who either attempts to converse with this entity or looks directly at it for an extended period undergoes a permanent change in their psychology, adapting the following personality characteristics:

• A heightened sense of empathy.
• Above-average sociability and an outgoing demeanor.
• Willingness to trust those they meet, including strangers.
• The compulsion to hug anyone that they see.²

Based on the latest piece of testimony gathered, it may be that the Outer Being serves as the progenitor for the rest of the fauna in Level 888. As with other conflicting information, it should be considered speculation until definitive evidence can be obtained.

Bases, Outposts and Communities

There are no known bases, outposts, or communities on this level.

Entrances And Exits

Entrances

There is a chance to no-clip into Level 888 while experiencing emotional distress within the following levels:³

• Level 14
• Level 39
• Level 47
• Level 65
• Level 129
• Level 135
• Level 227
• Level 240
• Level 445
• Level 494
• Level 797
• Crimson Forest
• The Forgotten Forest

Exits

Only two methods of exiting Level 888 have been confirmed:

• Defeating and subsequently terminating a Broodweaver or Shroudstalker that has targeted you as prey can cause you to no-clip into Level 63. While it is not guaranteed, the odds are significantly bolstered by consuming its flesh within five hours of its passing.
• Interacting with an Outer Being will eventually result in being warped elsewhere. This exceedingly rare occurrence has so far resulted in being teleported to either Level 11 or Level 974.

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Open Interview Log 888-1

Interviewer: Dr. Simon Evansfield
Interviewee: Ava Alis

---

<Begin Log>

Evansfield: Before anything, I'd like to thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Alis: No thanks needed. And it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ava.

Evansfield: [Chuckle.] My name is Simon. You're very well-mannered, but I suppose you get that a lot.

Alis: It depends. I get it more now than I used to. But it honestly doesn't feel like I’ve changed that much…since I met him.

Evansfield: You're referring to the Outer Being, correct?

Alis: That's what you call him?

Evansfield: My theory is that it's a pending title until we can pull together something concrete. Between you and me, the name will stick at this rate.

Alis: [Giggle.]

Evansfield: I hope you realize that it's not often someone returns from where you have, let alone in the manner that you did. Anything we can glean from you could be of great benefit to future generations.

Alis: That's why I'm here. At least, I like to think so.

Evansfield: Excellent. Now, can you remember anything about the entity? Anything distinctive?

Alis: Just that he was creating.

Evansfield: What now?

Alis: When we ran into him, he was in the middle of creating, like, everything! He tore away his own body, and he kneaded it into the big, fat guys. Then he ripped off their legs and molded the doggies from the leftovers. His veins became snakes. Or maybe those were his arteries? I'm not very good with anatomy…um, his blood turned into all those little creepy-crawlies. And after everything was over, he scattered his bones to the wind. Like you do with ashes.

Evansfield: That…

[Silence.]

Evansfield: Why do you think it did all that?

Alis: Funnily enough, I actually asked him why. He told me that someday it might change, but that this was how it had to be. And he…he didn't seem happy about it. I got the feeling I shouldn't press any more after that.

Evansfield: Did anything else happen?

Alis: Not really. I didn't have time to stand around. Lynn was in bad shape. I asked him if we could leave, and he said he'd take us to an exit. Then we ended up here.

Evansfield: I see. I know this might be hard, Ava, but since then…your state of mind…

Alis: Do you need a hug, Simon?

Evansfield: Do I- Ava, I don't think that would exactly be-

Alis: [Chair scraping.]

Both: [Rustling.]

Evansfield: [Clearing throat.] Thank you, Ava.

Alis: No problem!

Evansfield: You know, I had a daughter just like you, once.

Alis: I had a feeling you did.

Evansfield: Well, I…I suppose that will be all, for now.

<End Log>

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Open Interview Log 888-2

Interviewer: Dr. Simon Evansfield
Interviewee: Lynn Odagrau

---

<Begin Log>

Evansfield: Please, have a seat. I'm grateful for your cooperation with us.

Odagrau: Don't thank me. I didn't want to come. Ava convinced me otherwise.

Evansfield: I'll have to give her my regards, then. Your name?

Odagrau: Lynn. Don't you already know that?

Evansfield: And your relationship with Ava would be…?

Odagrau: Excuse me? Isn't this about what happened?

Evansfield: Yes, well, this is just for the record. A formality. I'm sorry if I offended you.

Odagrau: [Sigh.] She's like a little sister to me. It's been that way ever since we met.

Evansfield: In the Backrooms, presumably?

Odagrau: What do you think?

Evansfield: Mm…so you were traveling together, prior to-

Odagrau: Yeah. We- yeah. I can't exactly place why, but I feel like it was my fault that we ended up inside that Hell. We were lucky to have face masks on us. I gave Ava most of our equipment. Shielded her when those fucking bugs came after us, too. I remember her calling out to me for a while, and then…it's hard to describe.

Evansfield: There's no rush.

Odagrau: It was like I was taken back home. I saw my mom, as clear as day. I smelled her cooking. Felt her hands. Heard the wind chimes on the back porch. And every now and then, it got muddled. There was this blank space of just…haziness. It didn't dawn on me until I had time to think about it. But now I know for sure.

Evansfield: And that is?

Odagrau: I don't remember my father.

Evansfield: I'm…sorry to hear that.

Odagrau: Yeah. That's how anyone would respond. It took something important from me, after all. And yet I don't know how to feel. It's like I'm stuck in some kind of limbo. I try to look on the bright side, that I was rescued before it could steal anything else.

Evansfield: That was a Quick Match squad, correct? Team "Liam"? We already have their report.

Odagrau: Must have been. There was more on my mind than their rank and file. All they did was piss that monster off, so we made a run for it until we met up with the rest of the team. They already had Ava, thank God. We were fixed up and given breathing devices. My lungs were burning at that point, but at least they didn't get any worse. We stuck with them until we woke up one day and they had just…vanished.

Evansfield: Our communications don't paint a good picture. They're filed as KIA.

Odagrau: Damn. Figures. After that, we tried to press forward and lay low. There was no fucking way we could have taken on anything in that place. I guess by sheer dumb luck we found the edge of the forest. We both decided there was no turning back.

Evansfield: How far did you make it into the plainlands?

Odagrau: I don't know. Not very, I think. I was weak and delirious at that point. The bandages around my stomach kept seeping. I remember that was the only warmth I could feel. And then…Ava stopped. And I knew he was in front of us.

Evansfield: Just to verify, you didn't keep your eyes on it?

Odagrau: I couldn't. He was…he was too much for me. That's it.

Evansfield: So Ava is the only one afflicted, then.

Odagrau: Don't call it that. Never call it that.

Evansfield: Apologies, that's not what I…it must be terribly dangerous, is all. She's a bright girl, but any entity poses far more of a threat if you don't recognize it as a threat in the first place.

Odagrau: No.

Evansfield: Pardon?

Odagrau: You're wrong. It's a little harder, sure, but she knows not to go running towards them. And we're at Level 11 now, anyway. You don't really have to worry about entities here. No, in the end, it's not them. It's…God…

Evansfield: Lynn?

Odagrau: It's people. People are the danger.

[Silence.]

Odagrau: I'm…I'm such a failure. I couldn't even…

Evansfield: It's alright. I'm stopping the tape. We're done here.⁴

<End Log>

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Author/Licensing

Author:
~ snailjail

Licensing:
Trees in snow and fog by Ben Griffiths is licensed under Unsplash License
Oriental rat flea by CDC is licensed under Unsplash License
Trails of Light (4) by Helmuts Rudzītis is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Drawings by ~ snailjail are licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Footnotes

1. In the case of the navel, the tube will pierce the intestinal wall with minimal damage inflicted.

2. None of the traits listed include discrimination between humans and entities.

3. No-clipping can affect individuals as well as groups, even if only one person within the group meets the criteria.

4. Shortly after conducting these interviews and filing the appropriate paperwork, Dr. Evansfield took a temporary leave of absence from his position, citing fatigue as the main reason.