Kayla blew out the candles of her birthday cake, flames fizzing out as people cheered behind her. Today was her 16th birthday, and surprisingly, people came to witness her become another year older. Her hair was black, with a line of light blue streaking down. Many people called her a freak, due to her obsession with horror movies and horror games. Her best friend, Gregory, found nothing wrong with it. 

“Happy birthday, you crazy psychopath!” Gregory called from behind her, patting her on the back. Gregory was tall and resembled a pro-league football player, with big muscles, shining blonde hair, and blue eyes that practically made all the girls in his grade level faint. But he never cared what they thought because Kayla was the only girl he needed, even if they weren't dating. He grabbed a box off the table behind him and handed it to Kayla. 

Kayla held the box, feeling the silky ribbon before taking it off. She tore the wrapping paper off to reveal something: a tape recorder. Kayla gasped, “Gregory! I told you that I didn’t need this!” She put the recorder down and hugged Gregory. “Thank you, I’ve never been so happy in my life!” A tear rolled down her cheek, making her mascara smudge. “I’m going to put this up, and then we can cut the cake.” She smiled, and Gregory smiled back.

She walked through the house and headed to her room. Something caught her eye outside, and she turned to walk toward the deck. She opened the door to head outside, and noticed something: One of the chairs for their patio table had disappeared, and one of the other chairs was leaning… into the ground? Kayla stepped outside, expecting it to be some sort of cruel joke. “Ha ha, but whoever screwed up our chair is gonna have some serious punishment.” She said aloud, expecting the culprit to show up. Kayla grew nervous, and she stepped forward and flew down into the deck’s floor. She screamed, trying to grab ahold of something, anything, but to no avail. She closed her eyes as she fell, and hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Kayla groaned, and her head throbbed. She was laying on her side but didn’t open her eyes. It hurt to breathe, everywhere and everything hurt in her body. The worst part was, she was wet, not soaked in a rainstorm wet, but just got sprayed with a water bottle wet. She finally opened her eyes and sat up. Her ankle was purple, but Kayla just assumed it was a trick of the light. Then she looked up, everything around her was yellow. The wallpaper was striped with an old pattern rippling from top to bottom. The ceiling was a light yellow, with large fluorescent lights that buzzed along to the throbbing in her head. And then there was the carpet, which was old and stained every few feet or so, and made a squeaking noise every time Kayla moved. 

“This… this is just a dream, right? All I gotta do is smack myself hard enough into something, and I’ll wake up!” Kayla tried standing up but to no avail. She had twisted her ankle in the fall. Kayla gasped at the pain that jolted through her and fell back down. She looked around, seeing two carved wooden chairs and a tape recorder. The deck chairs and her tape recorder. It didn’t make sense, nor did it add up in any way. She crawled over to one of the chairs and climbed on top of it. She looked over to her tape recorder and picked it up. Surprisingly, it had less damage than she did, with only one dent on the corner of it.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Hello, if you’re listening to this, either I made it out alive and this is proof that I’m not crazy, or I’m dead. My name is Kayla Zen, I’m 16, and… I don’t know how I got here. All I remember is… falling through the floor of my deck.

Kayla stopped recording and tried to calm down, but she couldn’t. Her breathing was shaky, and her hands were shaking as well. It felt like she was dead. Everything hurt, and from what she could see, the yellow walls and rooms stretched on as far as she could see. She sprang up from the chair, throwing herself at one of the walls for balance.

“Hellooooo?” She called out weakly, hopping into the next room. It looked the same as the first room, but minus the chairs. “Hellooo-” She started coughing violently as she spilt her lunch onto the floor. She gagged again and continued making her way through the rooms. 

For most rooms, each one was the same as the last, with the occasional room having some sort of random items, such as a rubber duck, or a chair. If I go in the same direction, these rooms have got to stop eventually. Nothing lasts forever. Kayla repeated that for hours in her head, trying not to lose her mind.

Eventually, she collapsed on the floor, propped herself against the wall and started to record herself again.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Hey there, Kayla still here. I don’t know how long I’ve been down here. Maybe four hours, five if I’m unlucky. These stupid rooms just keep going on and on and on. I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I haven’t found any food… or even water… And I think I might pass out. The only reason that I’m recording this is that my legs just couldn’t take the flipping pressure. Am I dead? Is this Hell? Is this what I deserve for disobeying my parents and not praying? I-I don’t know what I’ve done… but- What was that?! What the heck was that-

Kayla shut off the recorder, pulling it close to her chest and holding her breath. A roar was heard a few rooms over, and she started hyperventilating. Another roar was heard, and loud, thudding steps could be heard. Kayla pressed the record button again.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

There’s something else here, I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die. There’s a monster I think. I’m talking as quietly as I can right now, and I’m trying to get away as quickly as I can. Holy-! There’s a ladder here! I-I think I might be able to escape!

THUD!

I’m gonna make it!

THUD! 

I just need to get to this ladder!

THUD! 

Just a few more steps!

Wait! No! Someone, anyone! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP-