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Made by Red-eyes Dragoon. Check out my Author Page.
Critiqued by these lovely people: PrinceBun,
Iqloose,
Uncle Nicolini,
centurys lute,
Hylius
The Sun Gives
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Before everything occurred-before I even fell into the Backrooms-I often watched the stars
What could 'alien life' be like on another planet? I pondered existence itself with my family—happy just to be around them. During the day, I felt the warmth of the sun embracing and coddling me as if it were a gentle father. I'm glad I didn't take it for granted, because those memories keep me moving, even now, in a place where solace is eradicated. A literal hell that offers peace.
You know how these stories begin—starting with an ordinary day overfilled with responsibilities. Level 29—the small, yet safe island—was where I decided to call home. I made a tiny hut for myself near the village, and in exchange for living there, I helped sow.
That day, I was picking up wood near a small forest—one located near a "giant's home." I hadn't even been gone an hour. I should've noticed it at the time, but there was an eerie lack of sound. For people on other levels, that might be normal, but you often notice rumbling from the gigantic entities trampling about aimlessly.
As I was walking, I brooded on how my family in the Frontrooms was possibly doing. Call it a coping mechanism if you will, but this helped me move forward in this place. I eventually reached Hyperia, muttering to myself how much I missed them. I went into town, noticing people mumbling in the streets—as was pretty usual inside this level. Supposedly, blackout on had occurred on some levels. I was kind of surprised, if I'm being entirely honest. Most people in Hyperia aren't particularly known for their gossip about other levels since they like to only talk about themselves.
I do feel bad for them. Not having any light would suck beyond any measure I can think of. The light has always been for me, giving me good memories to look back on. It would give me hope; it gives all hope. I went to the firewood shop and placed my items down. They thanked me before asking me if I knew about 'the light situation,' whatever that meant. Most people sought the sun—I don't blame them. If I had no light and no warm sun, I'd do everything I could to find it again.
As the sun faded into view, many headed indoors, including myself. Tomorrow will be another day. As I lay there in bed, staring at the ceiling, I entertained the thought that all life had ceased.
I guess even if people's unnatural light went out, I'd still have the sun's warm embrace.
The Sun Takes
I woke up feeling groggy in a dark room, lit only by the sunlight peeking through my shades. In all honesty, I knew it would only be some time before it hit here. I just wanted to stay in bed, but I knew I had to pay my dues for the day. I reluctantly hopped out of bed, slipped on my shoes, and headed to the great outdoors.
The light, in all its glory, greeted me first thing out the door. Not just the illumination, but the extreme warmth. It was like we were hit with a heatwave like no other, like the sun sent ten solar flares at us just for the fun of it. Despite the intensity of it, there was this inexplicable draw to it that I couldn't explain.
I got to Hyperia—half-dead—and instantly noticed people on the ground. I was worried at first, but then I looked closer—smiles? They were all sitting there, bathing in the sunlight, delighted to be in its presence. I guess they didn't mind the heat as much as I did. I went to the fishing market, telling them I'd voluntarily take the position—one most didn't want to do on account of the kaiju-sized octopus. I grabbed their spare fishing rod and headed out.
Hot—almost hot enough to boil the infinite ocean. The only thing stopping me from melting on the spot was the shade of the dingy, molded boat house and the ocean spraying on my skin. I sat there, occasionally getting a bite, but catching nothing in the end. Eventually, the bites stopped altogether. Trying the same thing over and over wouldn't get me anywhere, forcing me to return to Hyperia until I saw the steam. Water boiled beneath the boat, causing it to quickly boil away. I pushed all the settings to the maximum they could go and hoped for the best.
As I got closer to land, I noticed a smell in the air: smoke. At first, I thought it was just a wildfire. Looking back, none of the previous fires have affected the water. I got to Hyperia, only stopping briefly to catch my breath. I could only see congriflation and panic. It was like they were a hivemind and I didn't even know what they were running from… until I saw the others.
Glowing and on fire, civilians were running and screaming at the top of their lungs—a pain I can only imagine. John—the best fisherman in town—ran towards me, torched. I could only think to do what everyone else did; I wanted to flee, to run somewhere, but I froze in place as he touched me. I expected to be ignited right then and there, damned to the fate of burning alive. To my immediate surprise, nothing happened.
I was fine. I am fine. I thought I was fine.
It didn't take long before I noticed the glow. The bioluminescence illuminated my skin, turning me into a living glowstick. My heart raced, and my mind scrambled, trying to find some sort of logical explanation. I never did.
Instead, I took that as my sign to run away; he didn't chase me at all after he'd touched me, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to flee to the safety and comfort of my home. But I ran into the wilderness, almost as if my body—or something else—had taken over. Not a single part of me moved in the fashion I wanted to—I'd been possessed; I had to have been possessed.
I had this inexplicable desire to go to the mountains and find solace in a dark cavern. The cold, lonely darkness that offers fear and sadness is unlike the warmth and comfort of the light. I flew to the mountains, not even caring about the giant's presence. I saw it—a small, cramped crevice in the rock. I sprinted so fast that most might have mistaken me for an entity, landing on the spiky, rocky surface.
A wave of relief washed over me as I layed there, trying to understand what had all transpired. How? What? Why? Swarms of conspiracies plagued my mind until I turned my head to make myself more comfortable. I could see deep within the cavern, and something was peeking at me within the darkness, moving backward slowly.
I wasn't alone, and whatever it was, it wasn't human. My body, as if I had been puppeteered again, took control. It did everything it could to fight its way out of the mouth—wanting to or not, I didn't have a choice.
The cold of the dark quickly transitioned into that warm, comfortable light I knew.
No, not the comfortable light I knew. It was a harsh, bright light that gave me a headache. The sun. The light. It had betrayed me somehow. The pain worsened, stunning me briefly and causing me to topple onto the sizzling grass. I squirmed, kicked, and screamed.
That was when I heard a familiar sound: thumping. The giants were here to finish the job, apparently. I was ready for it. For death to take me. For the grim reaper to lead my soul to the afterlife. Instead, I was met with a piercing shriek. I used what little energy I could muster to look up and see a giant.
It was clearly in immense pain—maybe even worse than the pain I was in. It was yelling. I couldn't tell what it was yelling, but I could understand it in some sense. It was scratching at its neck, tearing its fingernails apart in the constant grinding before falling silent. It was the first entity I had seen on the island, yet was in more pain than any person here.
I crawled my way back to the mouth of the cave, hoping my fate wouldn't be as terrible. No matter the monster, anything had to be better than this, right? I pushed and pushed, despite my body fighting to stay in the sun. I got there, eventually. I looked at my skin and realized a giant blister formed on my arm. I knew I couldn't itch, despite everything else in my body telling me to do so.
I sat there, looking at the enclosed space, hoping that whatever was deep within the cave didn't come back. It did. It was faint at first, which had me thinking it was just a trick of the mind. It got closer and closer until the creature came into view. It was shining a brilliant yellow, contrasting with the dark cave. A human skeleton—staring directly into my soul. It started wobbling towards me, staring into my eyes the whole time until its face was mere inches from mine.
It spoke in a monotone male voice. Despite its skeletal exterior, it breathed a musty breath right onto my bare skin, causing me to mentally scream in anguish. It spoke right to me: "You're next."
The being glowed brighter and brighter, blinding me in its presence until it vanished into thin air, popping out of existence without a trace. I was all alone again. That was when I realized the same would happen to me.
I was going to perish and had no choice. The sun, the light—everything I relied on to get me through —took everything from me. My life, the chance to see my family, and even every entity that could've finished me fast.
The sun had taken away everything from me.
I made a decision: If I were going out, I'd do it on my own terms. Maybe the light would kill me, but it'd be because I allowed it to happen.
I wobbled my way towards the cave's mouth. This was it—my end. I fell onto the dirt, wounding my already bare skin. I closed my eyes, but didn't even get the ephemeral darkness. The light shone through my closed eyes until I had no eyelids left.
I had no eyes with which to see. I had no skin with which to feel. I had no tongue to taste, no heart to beat, no lungs to breathe, no brain to think.
I had nothing.
I should have passed. I should have been nothing more than a memory, drifting in the ethereal energies of the universe. But I was alive. I had no heart to beat, yet my body still runs, I have no lungs to breathe, yet I can feel the hot air, I have no brain to think, yet I can still think of the sun.
I have the light.
I sat there, a glowing skeleton, gazing at the star in the sky, knowing the sun gave, then took. Now all there is is what the sun replaced.
