//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: The Back Rooms 
// by cerealkiller78 
//------------------------------//

Sunset stared. She could swear that she had entered this room from this very doorway. But beyond the threshold, was simply more empty office space.

"What?..." Sunset wondered, perplexed.

"I get that this theme park is supposed to be all about not making any sense...but, how did they do this?" She wondered.

"...Pinkie?" She called, but her only answer was the humming of the fluorescent lights.

"Dash?..." Still no answer.

"...anybody?" Nothing. "I...think I may have lost my way out of the maze of mirrors, and stumbled upon...this place." She said to nobody.

"I'm thinking this is probably like some kind of "employees only" area, and I don't mean to be trespassing, so...can I get some directions back to the park?"

Silence.

Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to try and find somebody herself. 

She took a left, and walked for  awhile, before turning right.

More halls, more walls.

She continued on, peering through doorways and halls. They only led to more halls and walls that all began to look the same.

This was beginning to feel like a maze itself. Was she simply going in circles? She couldn't even tell where she had or hadn't already been anymore.

Soon, it felt like an hour had passed, and she wasn't any closer to finding any way out of this place.

"Hellooo???" She called loudly. "This is getting old! I'd like to get back to the park now!"

She might as well have been yelling at the walls for all the good it did.

She continued wandering for what felt like another hour, before frustration took hold, and she slammed her fist into the wall.

Suddenly, the entire environment changed. Instead of endless office space, she was now beholding a room that appeared to be set up for a party...a birthday to be exact.

There was a hanging banner on the wall that read "Happy Birthday" in bright bold letters. Before the banner, was a large table with many places set.

The room was decorated with cartoon characters on the walls. There was even a table to the side containing gifts.

It was clear from the overall appearance and decorations, that this was a room that a child's birthday was supposed to be held in.

Maybe the park hosts birthday parties? Sunset thought.

But, despite all the preparations being in place, there was not a soul in sight.

But, even if it does host birthdays...how did I even get here, from all that empty office space? Did I enter a room that led me here?

The last Sunset could recall, was that she had punched a wall in frustration. But, that couldn't be right. She couldn't have gotten here simply by punching a wall. It made no sense. Even for a theme park that was built upon not making sense.

Suddenly, her eyes landed on something new.

Up on the wall, near the ceiling, four words were written. Four very unsettling words that caused Sunset to shiver.

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE"

Sunset stared at the words.

Who would write that on the wall of a children's birthday party room?...

The thought occured to her that the "You" was referring to Sunset, herself. But, she refused to entertain a creepy thought like that.

Just then, an unbidden memory came to mind, of what Applejack had said about people reportedly going missing at this park, and the maze of mirrors supposedly being haunted.

But...what if it isn't actually haunted at all? What if...the maze of mirrors attraction had chaotic magic inside it, waiting for an unsuspecting visitor like me to stumble upon it? She thought. What if this is what happened to the other people who went missing at Days of Discord?

If there were other people here, it would stand to reason that all she had to do was find them.