"How much of the world is actually real?" A message board read.


    Theories like this floated around on the internet all the time. "Australia isn''t real", "a secret ice wall surrounds the world", "A subterranean kingdom threatens all of us".


    Some people need a fantasy world to live in. There''s plenty of reasons to want to escape reality.


    So just like usual, I clicked on it.


    "I know you''ve all heard the rumours. The stories about birds being fake, and countries not really being real. I get it. It''s easy to dismiss this as just another crazy conspiracy theory. So unlike them, I''m not going to tell you the theory. I''m going to give you the opportunity to experience the truth."


    Reading this, something primal inside me awakened; a fear I hadn''t felt since I was a child. That feeling of the shadows hiding something sinister just beyond your perception; watching, waiting, for the perfect moment to drag you away and devour you. That eery feeling that makes you tuck your toes under the blanket. That feeling that makes you wonder for more, despite fearing the more that is to come.


    "Before you skip this next part, downvote, and write a comment about how much of a dumbass I am, I want to thank you. Those of you who read no further, thank you."


    For a little while, I hesitated to read on. I thought about taking a break, having a tea, and maybe getting on with my life. I could close the tab and forget about it. However, did I read all those other theories just to give up half way? I need to know. Bullshit or not, what if one day, one of them is right?


    "Now that that''s been said, let me begin. Have any of you ever seen an alley way, a side street, a corner where most never go except the occasional bum, or drug addict to shoot themselves up on some heroine? Have you ever, even once, walked down one of those?"


    To be honest, I guess I haven''t. But I''m sure many people have. I quickly checked the comments before reading on.


    "My mate who was homeless used to live in one."


    A commenter by the name of KidneyShot said.


    "Used to?"


    A commenter named BlueBalls69 replied.


    "Yeah, he died a few years ago."


    BlueBalls69 replies, "Of what?"


    "Dunno, I attended his funeral, but only me and a couple others were there. Nobody really knows what happened."


    A commenter named Anarkiss replies, "I was homeless for a few years. Shit''s fucked. You never know when someone''s gonna beat the shit outta ya for the fun of it, or even drug you up and take you who the fuck knows where."


    Reading the comments was like entering a completely different world. An underbelly of darkness. The unfeeling abyss hidden from the face of society. This was one of the gems of forums like these. But god damn is it also so fucking tragic. I have no idea what I''d do if I were in their situation.


    "One day I was walking past a street, and I saw an alley with a glowing square on a wall. I think it was just a neon light shaped like a square. It scared the shit out of me though. I know it might seem silly, but I never once saw anyone walk down that way, ever."


    Some commenters shared of what they believed to be corroboratory evidence. Others of real life experiences. At some point, I yearned to read on the main thread.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "If you have, you might not have noticed anything strange. However, if you haven''t, you might have at least once in your life, felt a strange, primal fear, telling you to not go near."


    At the time of reading this, I thought, "yeah, that seems pretty obvious". I mean, a predator could be waiting to eat you. Some shitbag could be waiting to kidnap you. A mugger could be there. A dangerous homeless person. A mentally ill person. Gang members. The list goes on really.


    "These back alleys, these places where no store back is. Where no house doors lead. Where no rubbish bins sleep. Have you seen them? The ones seemingly devoid of purpose? Seemingly filling the gaps of meaning?"


    That''s a really interesting way to put it. It''s almost like they''re framing them as liminal spaces that naturally arise amongst us rather than being created by something.


    "These spaces, these forgotten, untrodden places of undisturbed rest, these are where I want you to take a step into. If, and only IF, you want to know the truth."


    The thread ended there.


    17th of October, 2025, 17:58


    "Many sightings of people entering alleyways of late have been freaking people out. What seems to have started as an internet craze, is quickly becoming like the clown sightings of 2016. Some people are wondering if the police should start doing something about it. So far, 27 people have gone missing. Some people are even going so far as to hold human blockades at local alleyway-"


    "What the fuck is this shit, seriously? Are these people fucking stupid or what?"


    "It''s easy to say that. Why don''t you go to an alleyway and see if you''ll still say the same thing."


    "Alleywalkers are fucking creeps"


    "Get the fuck off our thread creep"


    Damn, the internet''s blowing up with this shit. I''m a bit worried about the missing people though. Some people take this shit too far and use it as an excuse to hurt people..


    23rd of October, 2025, 19:42


    Holy shit, the original post has 16 million upvotes???


    "Sir, I''ve seen the truth with my own eyes. Are you some kind of alien?", a commenter by the name of Jonas08625 says.


    "Nah. I''m just like you. Someone who experienced the truth, and felt the need to share it", the original poster replies.


    "What a load of shit u guys belong in a mental institution, the worst thing we ever did was shut them down, now forums like these are your new wards fk sake", a commenter named JesusChristRealist said.


    "I don''t know about you, but all the disappearances say otherwise @JesusChristRealist", replied WinnieThePing


    "Right, a bunch of psychopaths go and fuck some ppl up and its evidence for this shit, jesus christ", replies JesusChristRealist


    "bro using your own name''s a bit cringe ain''t it?", replies WinnieThePing


    "Oh man, we''re getting so much content outta this guys. Look at them go crazy over this shit. I''m so fucking glad I''m alive to see this", says streamer Harambooty


    I can''t believe how fast this shit blew up. Still, I kinda feel like a bitch for not going and checking it out myself..


    A tiny compartment inside of me, carefully locked away, as to not gather dust, nor to be opened, felt a slight tingle of pain, ...and nostalgia.


    25th of October, 2025, 09:18


    "Just in, footage shown from Slap streamer WetForGeorge, yes, that''s their real name.."


    "Are you serious?" (laughter and confusion can be heard in the news room)


    "That''s disgusting"


    "We''re on air.. Come on guys"


    "Footage showing them entering one of these so called ''Gates to the end of what''s real'', popularised by the anonymous poster of the alleywalkers story, has now been viewed over 10 million times, and was shown live on-air earlier today. What many are claiming to be live special effects, have shocked the nation. Some proponents of simulation theory have stated that this aligns with their predictions of seams, or artifacts as some like to call them, which are supposedly predicted to appear between densely populated regions. Others claim it is aliens creating abduction chambers to harvest human organs. While a new sect of religious believers attribute it to the work of the devil, trying to deceive people into believing such things are real to dissuade belief in God."


    Well, I suppose there''s no end to human creativity..


    "One theory even proposes that it''s evidence of an occultist''s application of manifestation theory"