Parallel – Part 1

The void between, The great gulf, it is known by many names. Infinite and eternal, it sits an eternity away but closer than your skin. It is the place from which everything is born and everything returns. The space between spaces.

It is the utter absence of anything, no light, no energy, no matter. Yet in this place, things exist, creatures of pure probability. Things that cannot and should never be, alive and dead. Constantly being born and constantly dying. They slither and tear at each other, feeding and being fed upon. This place moves in convulsing pulsations like a maggot riddled corpse.

Through the Void all things are linked, layer upon layer level upon level. World upon world. Room upon room. An infinity of places all linked by the spaces between.

-The Seeker

Chapter 1

My first impression was yellow, a sickly almost radioactive color, dim and hazy it lacked the sharpness I expected from the glaringly bright fluorescent lights above. As my eyes adjusted I could make out strange patterns in the aging wallpaper, each repetition seemed slightly different than those around it. The longer I stared the more it felt like they were moving and changing, I looked away quickly. Slowly an oppressive buzz made itself known, the sound was everywhere and it took a moment to realize it was coming from the lights.

How did I get here? The thought came out of nowhere. I blinked, at first not understanding the question. Where was I before this? Another question, this time realization dawned. I looked around quickly but there was nothing but empty room and me.

“Wh-at?” I rasped out, my voice felt raw, unused to speech.

Why was that unusual? I’d just been talking… had I? What's happening to me? I tried to think through the sudden molasses that my brain was insisting it become. I closed my eyes and tried to summon the past, what was my first memory? The room, yellow, buzzing. No, that wasn’t possible. My hands! I looked down to see my adult hands. There, a scar, thick and ridged running from my right thumb base to my wrist. Remember, when did I get the scar? Nothing. FUCK.

I shoved shaking hands into my pockets and felt around, a piece of paper. I pulled it out, blank. FUCK. More pocket searching, a wallet, thank god. I pulled it out, opened it and just stared at the empty white cards. The money was different, same colors I remembered only all the text was twisted into nonsense symbols, the faces and graphics were likewise warped and hauntingly familiar, almost like it was the idea of money. I almost threw the wallet away right then but thought better of it, I might after all just be what, dreaming, drugs, dead? Like I fucking know.

Gritting my teeth I searched for a name, address, phone number, faces. Nothing It was all gone. Oddly it was easy enough to remember what things were and how they worked, there were mental images of objects and things but it was like all identifying information was just, gone. I considered my symptoms for a while. Amnesia, I could remember day to day things but important stuff was missing. Shit.

I looked around the room, maybe there would be a message for me or something to help me remember. It was just the same small empty room I’d seen earlier. Only, only there was a wrongness, something told me with a hundred percent clarity that this place was wrong. It seemed familiar, like I’d seen it before and yet not. Coming to the conclusion that the empty room would not just vomit out a clue for me, I headed for the only exit.

Poking my head out into the corridor I looked both ways up the corridor that ran parallel to my room, one to the left ended after a few feet in a solid wall, odd. The right hand however seemed to enter a larger room, I was a little surprised to see no lights on the ceiling in the corridor leaving it permanently unlit. With no signs of any people I fought a quick mental battle but in the end I had to find out what was going on so I cautiously made my way to the right.

The room I found at the end of the corridor was, well it was impossible. There was no way such a thing should exist, my generalized memories said this is WRONG, screamed it actually. So much so that instantly tingles of fear ran through me, I was not in my world, wherever that was.

Stretching out before me was a titanic space, like a vast cavern through stratified levels of… rooms. An image struck me of an ant farm as I stared at the distant lights peeking from corridors, windows and half open rooms. It was like a huge rectangular hole had been extracted leaving no damage just exposed strata behind. Everything was that same aged yellow wallpaper. My mind rebelled at the idea of it, then stupidly I looked down.

Below stretched level after level, down, down and down. So far that it vanished into darkness with only the odd twinkle of pinprick light from far below. A wave of dizziness fell over me and I stumbled back against the wall as the world seemed to tilt unsteadily around me. So many floors, hundreds? Thousands?

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“what the fuck, th-thats impossible, its too far… where In the fuck am I?” The words came in a raspy whisper.

The sheer insanity of the place told me one thing, I was dreaming. It was the only possibility and yet, it felt real. There was simply too much detail, too much consistency. I pinched my hand, hard. Yep, fucking hurts, shit. I tried willing myself awake to no avail. Dead then? The idea didn’t really work for me, I was breathing after all. Shit, how do you know if your dead, mad or on drugs if all your senses are effected?

I took one last look into the cavern and quickly averted my eyes, instead I shuffled down the half exposed corridor that followed the cavernous wall. Assuming that the strata continued above and below me in a similar way, then I was surrounded by the oddly chaotic room system so I should be able to find another, ah there it was. Ahead I found a wide corridor somewhat recessed into the wall, peeking in I found myself in a long corridor that vanished around a curve far ahead. On each wall however was a series of wooden doors.

I approached the first door carefully, putting my ear to it I tried to listen above the hum of fluorescent lights for any sounds, nothing. Reaching out I grabbed the handle then carefully turned the handle, still nothing. After a moments hesitation I opened the door to find a wooden stairwell leading up. Stepping forwards I looked up the stairs, flickering white lights dimly lit the way up and to the right. Slowly I began climbing the stairs, each creaked a little as I passed. The stairs seemed to continue the trend of up and to the right although on each landing there were no doors.

As I climbed I noticed an echo, it sounded like footsteps on the stairs ahead so I stopped, the sounds of shuffling and movement continued up ahead but I could see nothing. Looking back down to the previous flight I grimly turned back up and started up again. If I was lucky maybe someone else was ahead.

I took one step and suddenly the walls around me flickered, the lights went out and flicked back on, a different color. That yellow wallpaper now a stained white paint, the world seemed to stretch and wobble around me as though space were heaving with living things trying to push through the walls. I let out a belated gasp as a squat figure appeared ahead of me on the stairs. The lights flickered once more to solid black.

“Dammit, Kaylee!” I heard a thickly accented voice yell from ahead.

“Sorry, sorry I forgot. One sec.” Came from below, echoing a little in the stairwell.

“God damn microwave, every time.” The voice from above said.

“Don’t worry, no problem with electrics, just faulty microwave, same circuit as lights. Is old building.” He added.

A moment later and the lights flickered back on. Above stood the stocky balding man I’d seen above me on the stairs… and below at the front desk. Huh? My mind whirled in confusion, cold sweat ran down my back. I felt dizzy, what had that been, those rooms, that place?

"Rent is due, every two week. You no pay, I change locks, yes?" The gravelly voice of the old man jerked my eyes open, I didn’t realize I’d closed them.

"Y-yes?." I stuttered, disoriented, trying to play back the last few moments desperately to see what I missed but the old man walking up the stairs ahead of me continued on talking.

"Bike locker and laundry in basement, Lock when not using."

We reached the landing and I followed him up the dingy hallway, brown wooden doors lined one wall, windows let in the weak sunlight. A skinny bearded guy passed us by, nodding to the old man as he did and glancing at me.

“Sup new guy” he said.

“Uh hi.” I said lamely.

My mind still moving through treacle as I tried to work out what was happening. Ahead the old man continued on and I followed numbly up the next flight of stairs.

"Post goes in your box, packages at office. Food delivery and visitors your responsibility, you wait at door." said the old man as we stepped onto the next landing.

Oddly this floor had a large open area connected to the landing where the stairs came to a stop. A couch sat in one corner and a potted plant sat by the top of the stairs against the wall. Continuing on across the landing we entered a short hallway and turned a corner to follow the hallway to another set of stairs and started up.

The old man moved well, I recalled his firm handshake and thick forearms, the man worked for a living although he had to be in his 80’s. I thought for a moment, Alexei, that had been the name, although he said it with a J or Y sound on the end in that typical Russian accent.

"No loud music, no fighting, no vandalism. I get complaints, You out, i get men and change locks. You have trouble making rent, call me 24 hour before, 9 to 4. I'm nice guy, we work something out."

“Right, shouldn’t be a problem.” I replied.

The old man, Alexei turned and squinted at me appraisingly as we reached a door. Unit 43 proclaimed the brass plaque on the door which looked to be made of a solid wood with a heavy duty master lock on it.

"Stuff left in room after I change locks I keep one month, then into the alleyway." He continued, his eyes not leaving mine, I felt the challenge, and looked away. He snorted quietly and unlocked the door.

"Questions?" he asked as the door swung open on my new apartment.

I’d already seen it a week ago when my friend first offered me to take over his lease, the only difference now was the lack of furniture. I shook my head.

“No questions sir.”

"Good, here." The keys were roughly shoved into my hands.

The man turned to go then paused and turned back. He seemed to search for a word for a moment before nodding and met my eyes again.

"Common room on first floor opposite office, Clean before you leave. Can be booked for small fee."

I nodded dumbly and watched as he shuffled off and went down the stairs. After a moment I closed the door, my shoulders sagged.

“What the fuck just happened?” I muttered into the empty room.