Trapped in JetPunk - Chapter 2

If you didn't read chapter 1, you probably should, for obvious reasons. No intro this time, just story!

Looking at the continuous stretch of blue wall, I started to worry. If it really was endless, my journey would end here. This thought makes me lose my appetite, even though I know I'm still hungry. So I pick myself up off the shining white floor and start walking again, hoping to find anything at all besides large letters that stare down at me like gods from the heavens, watching every step I take.

I keep moving, trying not to think about the possibility of being trapped in this place. Scanning the wall to my left, I don't see anything new. Far away on my right are letters which I can't read, but I still think they're part of the Welcome sign from the very beginning. Goosebumps poke at my back.

"There's no point in going back," I tell myself. Sticking to the blue wall is the only guidance I have here, which scares me more than I realize at times. If I decide to run off into the unknown, maybe towards the faint letters in the distance on my right, I have no idea where I'll end up. It could be better, yes, but it could be worse than the wall.

I drag my hand along the fineness of the wall. No grooves, no bumps, just flat and endless. It comforts me to be able to touch something. When my hand is connected with the wall, all my thoughts seem to go away someplace. I wish I knew where, because if my thoughts can get out, then shouldn't I be able to? I look directly up for the first time, and see a clear haze-like ceiling, almost like Plexiglass. If there was any way to get up there, I would, just to get a better look. The ceiling isn't too far up, but with nothing to climb, I move on from this thought as well and let it leave my mind like all the others. My mind then goes back to the big fish from before, and how its fin popped out from its body. Unfortunately, the fin was way too big to climb, and I tell myself that going back isn't an option. I bring my head back down from its gaze at the foggy ceiling, and stop walking.

Ahead of me on the wall are letters which are much higher up than the previous ones. They're smaller too, so I take some steps away from the wall. I can make out an "M" just fine, so I start running forward, and slowly, more letters become visible from my position way down below them. An "e" follows the "M", and an "n" follows the "e". The last letter of this word is a "u".

"Menu?" I huff out, trying to catch my breath. I'd never run so fast, and my side begins to cramp.

"Ugh, not my side too," I say to nobody besides myself. My stomach growls again, longer this time than before.

Next to the "u" I notice another letter. It looks like a "v", but not exactly. The "v" isn't very close to the other letters in the word, and it's longer than I think it should be. My neck hurts from looking up so much, but upon deeper inspection, I come to the conclusion that this isn't a "v", but an arrow. AN ARROW? This is the first arrow I've seen, and immediately look down to where the arrow is pointing. Nothing. Nothing at all. I walk closer to where the arrow seems to indicate, but don't find anything besides more blue wall and white floor. Distress courses through my veins, and my hands go numb. The thought of something - anything at all - got me worked up. I sit against the wall under the large arrow. What now? Is it all over? Is my journey finished? I should have let my thoughts run away. No thoughts at all are better than thoughts I wish could come true.

"What am I doing?" Another thought but this time, I come to my senses. I quickly stand up and run along the wall, keeping my hand on it, not letting any thoughts cross my mind. I need to find more words, or something else. Thankfully, I see more letters, similar in size to the ones I just read. I get to these and sound each letter out as they come. This word is "Create", and there's no arrow this time.

"Menu and Create, what are these random words?" I wonder. "Am I in a simulation?"

This is the first time I've thought about being in a simulation. The lack of colors, the hazy ceiling, the endless stretch of nothingness. Could I be...

"Another thought," I groan. These thoughts are getting crazier by the second. I continue my run, but the pain in my body from hunger and cramps persists. I fight this off and keep a steady pace. More letters appear on the wall in the distance, and when I reach them, the letters make the word "Random".

"That really is random, huh?" I thought. Another seemingly meaningless word, just for me.

I think back to everything I've read. "Okay, I've seen Welcome, quizzes, JetPunk, Menu, Create, and Random. How can these words possibly connect?"

The word "quizzes" stands out the most, and I get another thought. "Am I inside... a website?"

In retrospect, this makes sense. I practically dropped in here, just like you do with a website. The white floor, could it be the background? The hazy ceiling, could it be the screen? It all begins to add up, but not in the way I hoped it would. Now I'm standing here more confused than ever, looking around, picking up on the details I missed before.

"If this place is a website, then there has to be a search bar somewhere" I told myself with newfound confidence. If I can find a search bar, I can find anything. So, I set off again, dragging my hand along the blue wall which seems to never end. The only thought on my mind is finding something new, something that can help me.

To be continued...