Yet You can Remember Mine
He sits next to me, quietly. He gently grazes my shoulder, in a comforting manner. I've known, for quite some time what he's been doing. I've known, yet I'm not troubled by it. There is nothing frightening about what will happen to me, I think it started long ago anyways. I must have started long ago, or I wouldn't be in this place, in this time. I know, I know, and I am comforted by knowing. I am comforted by him, by me, but not my past. So, I don't need to be unhappy in this moment, I just need to be in this moment. "I'll simply be in this moment and I'll be happy." I say, albeit accidentally and quietly.
"That's all you need to do," he responds, "just be." As he says this, I think to the past. I think to where it is fussy, a blur, a little cloud of sketched outlines, slowly being erased. I struggle to look back, the memories play like an old tape, flickering and buzzing, not entirely making out an image at all, just the vague thoughts of thoughts of what I thought I've done. I look back and see my mother, her face, in focus, her silhouette breaking down like paper dissolving in water. I can make my mother's face out, but I can't recognize it, is it really familiar at all? I don't know, and I'm not sure if I should. interrupting my thoughts, he shakes me, "Hey." He sighs, "Stay with me, in this moment." I snap out of my daze, looking to me, to him, to my surroundings.
"Yeah." I sigh, "Sorry." I'm surrounded by the dark, dusty apartment room of Level 13, I'm sitting on the bed, and how I got here, not to this room, but to this level is vague in detail. I look to see his face—I've known it for a while—he smiles, a soft gentle smile. I stand up, to turn the lights on. "What should we do?" I ask, simply and concisely.
"Let's go to Level 1." They answer, just as simple and concise as my question. I can't place my finger on which level it was, I can remember it like a vague and abstract painting of a grey, bleak place. I remember the sharp angles and the friendly people, but not who they are, what they look like, or what they've done.
"Which level is that?" I ask softly, not wanting to reveal what I don't know. I can't reveal what I don't know, but I can't stop him from knowing anyways, because I know what he is doing. I look back up at him once again, and it's fussy and smudged just like my warping memories.
Description
They eat our memories like we need food to survive, they drink our thoughts like we need water to survive. But, they do not want to kill us, and they can genuinely be your companion, friend or lover. Most ask for permission to consume memories, are not malicious, and want to befriend us. They are similar to humans in looks, mind capacity, and even emotions. They never consider themselves humans, and tend to stick around one human in particular. They almost never stay in groups, following one human until the end of their lives, and they are loyal.
If you want to forget the pain, befriend one.
You will regret it.
Rev. 1
Let Me Remember my Life
He took me to level I don't recognize, I don't know why, he said we would go to Level 1. "Where are we going?" I ask, "Why are we in this level?" I feel like I should know this, a smudge of information splattered on a canvas, not to stay, it doesn't stick. My thoughts are complacent in this situation I simply cannot understand, I just cannot remember anything like this. I feel an urge to do something, but I cannot figure out where it's coming from, I don't know why I feel this way.
"Remember?" He says, "We need come here, Level 3, to get to Level 1." His words are sympathetic to my cause, like they know my exact situation. These words feel unlike the way I feel. The meaning of these simple words, feelings, and thoughts smudge together like soup, mixing together homogenously in a way I cannot make out each individually. My feelings arise and fade like the tides, but in the back of it all is the raging current that is in turbulence endlessly, a feeling that I cannot make out.
"Why?" I blurt out, loudly and as sharp as a knife. I don't know where this came from, I can't make out my choices. The turbulence in my mind has never cleared since I watched it stir oh-so long ago. I think I can remember why it's been this way, past the lightning clouds and raging seas I know. He stirred my brain up, a mixing of soup forever to suffer from this. "Why?" I say, this time with purpose, with meaning, and most importantly, remembrance.
"Why?" He repeats, quizzically with confusion, then his face turns pale. "Why!" He chuckles, manically, and turns to stare me deep into the eyes, "You remember, don't you? But you don't remember it all, huh?" His rage burns like a wildfire that singes me, and I flinch. Deep into the cavern of truth, the cave systems of the past, he's never been this way before. Is this the truth? Is this who he really is?
Description
They eat our memories like we need food to survive, they drink our thoughts like we need water to survive. But, they do not want to kill us, they will become your companion, friend or lover. We think they ask for permission to consume memories, are malicious, and want to befriend us. They are similar to humans in looks, and emotions. They never consider themselves humans, and tend to stick around one human in particular. They almost never stay in groups, following one human until the end of the human's lives.
It is important to note that they are not benevolent, they will not make the pain go away. They cannot erase the pain, they simply hide it until it's far too late for us to recover.
Rev. 2
Bring my Pain Back
Since time immemorial I've been with him, since my immemorial. I thought I knew him, of course I thought I did. I always thought I knew him but I falter now, in this moment. Lights spiral around me in a daze and I try to catch but only one, yet it flies away. "We're here." He states, plainly, with an emotion that I pick up but do not grasp.
"Where?" I ask, barely snapping out my daze, lethargic yet as fast as my mind is running. I should know this, I've been told this, but I can't picture it. I can't picture the exact moment it took place, nor what was said, but I know it happened. I don't know what happened but I know something happened. "Were we going somewhere?" I ask innocently.
"Yeah," they answer politely, yet with a hint of some deeper, more sinister emotion, "Level 1." I question these intentions in my mind, considering what might be his reasoning, but I can't put my finger on what I was thinking. But I couldn't say anything he's done is bad. He hasn't done anything. He couldn't have done anything, that's the thing.
"This was your idea, wasn't it?" I blurt out darkly, I didn't want to say this. I didn't choose to say this at all. My memories are smudged together and this one statement is the temporary relief. One singular moment of clarity. "I know what you've done to me." My mind trembles in a forbidden sort of anger, one that I've never known in my complacency.
"No, I don't think you do." He responds, coldly.
Description
These entities warp their target's mind selectively. They take, steal perse, their target's memories, and feeds off of it. It seems as though they need this to survive. The entity's goal is to make their target fall in love with them, and they do this by first getting close to their target. Then, they continually make attempts, each time erasing their target's memory of the previous attempt. As this cycle repeats, the target loses their core memories and becomes complacent in the situation.
It is vital that if you feel complacent with your partner, you question your own truth. Harsh emotions are the stimulants to regain clarity, and escape the grasp of the entity.
Rev. 3
I Will not be Complacent Any Longer
"It's okay," he tells me softly like to a child, yet darkly with some strange implications. "No need to be nervous." He gently pushes me forward, towards a group of people. I'm unsure who they are, or where we are. He whispers something strange, something that I comprehend, "I know you want this, be happy."
"What?" I gasp, as I walk towards a small group of people, three men, standing, chatting about something I can't quite make out. "Hi?" I interrupt, awkwardly, as I can't seem to find my social skills in the foggy corridors of my brain.
"Hello?" The shortest of the three respond, "Do you need something?"
"I…" I turn to look at him, he's staring deep into my soul, into my brain, into my thoughts. I can feel it, I can feel his darkness turning into reality. "I just wanted to say 'hi,' I've never been here before." I say this with wavering confidence, both unsure of what to say, and unsure of if I've been here before. I must have been here before.
One of the other men, taller, but otherwise indistinguishable with looks, asks, "That cool, new to the Backrooms?"
"No." I respond quickly, but my voice begins to choke, and I shiver as I look back at him.
"Is… Something the matter?" They ask, I can feel their concern, there safety even. I nod, then flinch simply thinking about him. "Oh." The man's face darkens, "I see."
Description
These entities warp their target's mind in its entirety. They take their target's memories, and feed off of it. They need this to survive, in a process of digesting memories. Once this process is finished for a memory, it is entirely unrecoverable. The entity's goal is to make their target fall in love with them and force their target to become complacent, and they do this by first getting close to their target. Then, they continually make attempts, each time erasing their target's memory of the previous attempt and some of the target's core memories. As this cycle repeats, the target loses their core memories and becomes complacent in the situation, and only harsh emotions can start the recovery process. This is easier said than done, as once the target becomes complacent, they lose the will and knowledge to fight back.
If you think you may be under the influence of this entity, in a relationship that is going oddly well, or you feel like you are forgetting your own identity, follow these next steps:
- Realize the situation, gather information in a timely manner.
- Confront your partner, do this before you can forget any gathered information.
- Feel the harsh emotions, at this point, you will know if your partner is an entity or not.
- After gathering clarity, convince your partner to take you to an inhabited Level (ex. Level 1, or Level 11).
- Seek an adult, or group of adults, that knows the separation procedure.
Rev. 4
Probably my final revision.
Purge the Joy
He walks up to me, I can see the anger on his face and in his stride. He grabs my hands, gives a small smile to the group of men, and quickly pulls me off. "Exactly why I shouldn't have let you." He mutters. I don't understand what I've done, for that matter, I can't seem to pinpoint where I've been.
"Excuse me." One of the men says, the only one that hasn't talked directly to me, "Can I talk to you for a moment?" They ask this question honestly, and in the bleakness of this situation I simply cannot understand what is going on.
"I'm a little busy right now." He says bluntly, and continues to stalk off, pulling me with him. Why is he so upset?
"I see how it is." The man walks up slowly, and rocks his hand back. In an instant, he shoves his fist forward, directly into his skull, and he stumbles aside, bleeding. I jump in shock, and I start to think again, remember again. I slowly back away, and as he gets walks towards the man, and punches the man directly in the stomach, taking the wind out of the man.
The shorter man steps in front of me, in between me and him. "Don't worry, we know what to do." The man says smugly, and I feel a sense of safety emanating from him. The man that looks identical to the shorter one walks up to him, and the man kicks him in the stomach. He retaliates by using his own knee, connecting it with the man's lower jaw. The man falls to the ground, bleeding from the mouth, as he gasps in pain. "We're going to take you to trusty ol' alpha." The shorter man says, grabbing my hand and fleeing the scene, dragging me along. My instincts tell me to follow but my common sense says otherwise, but I can't catch a break to think of the right choice.
"W-what are you doing?" I gasp, "I can't leave him!"
The man stops, and looks straight at me, "That guy? He's been manipulating you." He pauses, the silence broken up by the noises of punches connecting and the shock of pain. "You've forgotten whatever that guy's done to you."
"But he's never done anything!"
"Exactly. That man erases your memories." This comes both as a surprise and not so. I've had this slight feeling this entire time but my clouded vision never revealed the truth. "You need to get away from him. Fast." The man says, and continues to pull me. This time, I let him do it without thinking otherwise. I cannot remember my past. I will not remember my past. I've finally cleared my thoughts, I think I can rest tonight.
.
. .
. . .
Description
Memory Eaters look exactly like humans, and are indistinguishable at a distance. Memory Eaters warp their victim's mind in its entirety. They take their victim's memories, and feed off of it. Memory Eaters need this to survive, in a process of digesting memories. Once this process is finished for a memory, it is entirely unrecoverable. Memory Eaters' goal is to make their victim fall in love with them and force their victim to become complacent, and they do this by first getting close to their victim. Then, they continually make attempts, each time erasing their victim's memory of the previous attempt and some of the victim's core memories. As this cycle repeats, the victim loses their core memories and becomes complacent in the situation, and only harsh emotions can start the recovery process. This is easier said than done, as once the victim becomes complacent, they lose the will and knowledge to fight back.
If you think you may be under the influence of a Memory Eater, in a relationship that is going oddly well, or you feel like you are forgetting your own identity, follow these next steps:
- Realize the situation, gather information in a timely manner.
- Confront your partner, do this before you can forget any gathered information.
- Feel the harsh emotions, at this point, you will know if your partner is an entity or not.
- After gathering clarity, convince your partner to take you to an inhabited Level (ex. Level 1, or Level 11).
- Seek an adult, or group of adults, that knows the separation procedure.
The Separation Procedure
It is vital to learn this procedure if you consider making permanent residence in a highly inhabited level (ex. Level 1 or Level 11), or consider having a relationship whatsoever. Even if you do not plan to do either, read this in case of emergency.
Signs of a person under the influence of a Memory Eater are:
- Nervous around anyone, especially large groups.
- Continually looks at one specific person.
- Walks up to you, and doesn't directly ask for help.
- Looks dazed, or in a trance.
- Looks highly confused, asking questions about location.
If a person seems to follow a large portion of these signs, or gives other queues in more obvious ways, then follow these following steps:
- Ask if the person needs help, it is common that they answer subtly or not at all.
- IF someone forces them to walk away, confront that person.
- IF that person ignores you, continue to confront them.
- If that fails, commit to physical violence to free the person.
- IF that person ignores you, continue to confront them.
- IF they run off, attempt to stop them, but do not chase them.
- IF someone forces them to walk away, confront that person.
- Immediately take the person to the nearest mental rehabilitation facility.
- IF they ask about the situation, slowly explain.
- Contact the nearest personnel, and explain the situation. They will handle it from there.
Follow these steps with the utmost safety for the person under the influence of a Memory Eater, as they are prone to permanent mental trauma during this procedure. Remember this procedure with the utmost detail as doing so wrong may have unintended effects upon you.