Nota: la presente historia tuvo sus inicios durante una plática con @pinchepacho en la que me contó de la existencia de los “backrooms” (fotos en internet de pasillos de servicio a los que la gente normalmente no tiene acceso). Luego de usar yo mismo estos espacios durante mi estadía en el hotel, comencé a imaginar qué pasaría si me quedara atrapado ahí.
-1-
Fuck, another corridor. Where am I?
I mean, a few minutes ago I was in the lobby of the hotel, laughing with a few other friends about the shenanigans normal to a convention. I told everyone I was going upstairs to my room to get my wallet. Now I’m here, wherever the fuck “here” is.
From early on I decided to avoid the hotel’s elevators. It’s a big building and having close to a thousand furries inside clogged each elevator car. It could take between 10 to 15 minutes just to get to your floor.
Luckily, my room is on the fourth floor. That means I can take the emergency stairs to and from my floor, cutting a long wait down to a couple of minutes. That is, until now…
I turn around yet another corner, just to be met with some chairs piled against a wall and more locked doors. It’s funny how these service areas are bigger than you would expect; it seems like they wouldn’t fit inside the confines of the structure that holds them. This realization doesn’t make things easier though; I am lost, inside this fucking hotel.
I can still hear the faint sounds of the convention nearby. People talking, music, a playful scream… all this makes the situation even more unnerving. Where the fuck am I?
My senses tingle. After all, being a wolf had to account for something. It’s like my ears can hear something I can’t really identify, making the hair on the back on my neck stand. I mustn’t get nervous… I must keep walking and remain calm. Surely someone should come looking for me, or I’ll run into someone from the hotel staff who can help.
The thing is, the situation is getting weirder by the moment.
Another corner. This time I turn slowly, almost afraid of what I could find on the other side.
What am I? Some kind of pup? Come on, get a hold of yourself. This is a normal hotel, stop thinking that you’re in some kind of weird movie, wolf.
A new corridor. The fluorescent lights are failing on this one, they flicker and buzz constantly. It makes it a little hard to see into the corridor.
What to do? Turn back? Retrace my steps? Follow my nose out of here? I am getting nervous despite myself. This is getting out of hand.
I decide to walk into the corridor, this new and unexplored weirdness. Suddenly, I am startled by the loud buzz from my phone. I take it out and read a message:
“Dude where are you? We’re hungry!”
At least I still have a signal. I lean against one of the walls and quickly type a response back: “You won’t believe this. I’m lost inside the service area!” I pocket my phone and keep walking into the corridor. My phone buzzes again:
“Stop fucking around. If you want some time alone with that fox, just say so. We’re leaving for dinner.” Damn.
I look for my friend’s contact and hit the call button. I press the cellphone to my ear, waiting for it to ring, but I get the no connection tones. I hit -end- on the screen and call back. Another pause, same result. I decide to turn back and head back up the corridor I came from, just a few meters away.
I can hear my steps quickening. I look at my phone as I walk, paying attention to the bars that indicate signal strength. It’s funny, it reads full signal. Why can’t I make a fucking call then?
I reach the beginning of the corridor and stop. I press -call- on the screen and wait. My eyes grow a little bigger when the signal meter changes to -no service- “Shit!” I whisper to myself. I decide to stop this madness and retrace my steps as best I can.
I look at my phone every few meters. The signal is dead. I start walking faster, I can hear my feet hitting the concrete floor as I run up another corridor. I almost drop my phone when it starts ringing.
“Hello?! Hello?!” I look at the screen and see one of my friend’s name’s on it.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” Nothing. I start walking again, phone pressed to my ear. I hear some static, as if the signal is trying to get through.
“Hey! Wolf? Where are you? Aren’t you coming to dinner?” It’s the fox, he sounds a little annoyed.
“Fox! I need help, I don’t know where I am!” I start looking around, like I can see the signal from my phone and get out of here by following it.
“Come on dude, I still have all of the special brownies we’re going to share. How come you’re lost?”
“I clipped out of bounds!” I’m using gamespeak now. I don’t even notice.
“You what? Come on, are you coming or not?” He sounds annoyed, like someone who thinks a stupid prank has gone for too long.
“I… I used the emergency stairs. I must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere…”
“For fucks sake, wolf. Stop playing games.” I hear a faint buzzing on my phone, as if the signal is going to drop soon…
“Fox! Tell someone from the hotel staff! I… I’m getting scared!” More noises. The signal is dropping.
“Wolf? Wolf! Can you hear…” The line clicks dead. I look at the phone and see -no signal- again. Fuck!
I stare at my phone for a few more seconds, hoping to see the meter change. Nothing happens. I lower the phone and look up the corridor, and start walking, barely noticing that the fluorescent lights in this corridor are starting to flicker.
Some corridors away, a steel door guards the entrance. The “Authorized Personnel Only” sign on it is a little skewed. As if by it’s own accord, it starts to close, slowly, but steadily. With a small -click- it latches closed, sealing the rest of the hotel from what is within.
A wolf just became an unwilling resident of the space between spaces…
