A notebook appeared on my desk. The paper looks brand new but the dates say 1990

One day the notebook just appeared on my desk.

It was spiral bound, red cover, paper fringes stuck in the spiral from when pages were ripped out. The first 14 pages were Algebra homework, handwritten in pencil solving high school level problems. The dates written on the homework assignments and journal entries indicate this was written in 1990, but the paper looks brand new. The back says it was manufactured in Appleton, WI, October, 1989.

I’m not an investigator, just an IT support lead. I don't know why it came to me.

Page 15 is the start of the journal. I will present it unedited. When the words are unclear I use brackets ([EXAMPLE]) to show what I believe the words are. Where it seems he’s forgotten a word I’ve added (word) to clarify.

It’s possible this is a hoax, but I don’t have many people in my life and am not known for my sense of humor.

The text:

3/11?/1990
I’m tracking the days with my watch and think it was the 8th when I feel (fell) in. So now it's probably the 11th.

My dad asked me to help him with the ladder while he was painting, so I stood on the bottom steps for weight. He used that blue painter tape along the edge of his big, dumb gold mirror and I caught myself staring at it. All the sudden I see him falling down on top of me.

I leaned toward the mirror and instead of crashing into the glass, it was like I fell through a window. Suddenly there was no birds chirping outside or breeze. That spring smell was gone, replaced by like no smell, or something bad. It’s hard to describe.

But inside, it’s the most boring looking office type rooms, but it all looks weird. Like no one would actually make it like that. The first room had a bunch of office chairs, but no desks. Fluorescent lights, but no power switches.

I wandered along looking for the exit, yelling out for someone, anyone to answer.

Just this electrical hum. Thank god for the lights, or maybe it’d be better without tbh. I’m losing it a little.

I tried to map it out, but there (are) rooms that seem like they should be on top of others. Like their dimensions don’t make sense. A huge room, like a church hall or something and then you go around the corner and there’s a hallway that should (be) crashing right into the hall.

I think I slipped into some other dimension, but I don’t even know what that means. For now I’m just going forward.

The exit signs don’t seem to lead anywhere or really mean anything.

Thankfully I had still my school backpack on that had this notebook, pen, some snacks. But I'm not that hungry for some reason.

I’ve tried sleeping, but the floor has this bristly [carpet] that pokes me when I try to sleep. I also can’t help but feel like I’m being watched when I close my eyes.

Surely someone made this place and would know I’m here.

3/14?/1990
I made progress mapping things out. It’s hard to feel like this matters, but I did it. Used the graphing paper from my mechanical design class to lay it out in grids.

I go back and forth on whether this will lead to an exit, but it’s the little hope I have and I’m clinging to it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad, if he got hurt bad when he fell. If he was stuck there in pain and couldn't call for help. Or he was ok, but couldn’t find me, and went crazy. Or he somehow went in after me and is stuck here too somewhere.

3/15?1990
I don’t know why I’m tracking the [days]. Does that matter? There is no sun or other indication of time passing. The lights stay, the walls stand still. And I wander around.

I decided to go back where I came in case my dad came in. I don’t know exactly how to get there, but my map should get me close.

3/16?/1990
I made a friend. Can you believe it?

Her name is Jenna and she’s in the same boat as me. She’s from Washington, the state. Says she just fell through the floor one day, doesn’t know how long she’s been there.

She’s got long brown hair and likes to joke. Tease me about my haircut, or lack of. Sometimes we’ll walk together, but I like to walk behind her a little.

She’s going to go with me to look for my dad, but first she wants to take me to the other people she found here. There’s two others and they’re working together to find a way out.

3/17?/1990
I met her friends at this big room with these balcony type things that go up vertically for around 15 floors, ceiling tiles at the top. Their names are Jason and Dan, and I’m not sure if they’re happy to see me. Or maybe they just are scared of meeting new people here.

Can’t say I blame them.

They piled up some chairs, cushions they found to make some sort of a little camp. They told me we’re going to go to this spot where they think the exit is.

I’m excited, but nervous.

[4:12pm]

They took me through endless halls and up a wall, through a tiny tunnel and across a chasm to this long ramp that slides down forever with a red light at the bottom. I hadn’t seen red light here before and neither had they.

It was steep enough that it’d be hard to climb back up, but you could probably do it. Maybe not the whole way, it looked like a mile long.

We’re taking a break to come up with a plan.

7:34pm
Might be last entry. They decided I’m going to go down. I didn't want to, but we drew straws and I lost.

Think it was rigged.

They asked for my watch, I said no. Going to bring this notebook and pen.

Not feeling glad I met them, but maybe this ramp leads (unclear).

9:22pm
I slid and scooted to the bottom and its way longer than I thought. No way I’m getting back up there. Thought about going back when I was halfway, but didn't try.

The rooms look like the others, but the fluorescents red here. Same hum, maybe a little different.

I yelled back up to them and they yelled something back, but I didn’t understand what they said. They’re waiting there for now.

9:46pm
[Found] a dead person in a plastic yellow suit holding a shotgun. They shot themselves. Don’t know how long.

Took the shotgun. Walking from room to room.

3/18?/1990
A lot has happened.

I found a door. When I opened it, I was suddenly looking from behind at Jenna and the other two as they stared down the long tunnel. They looked at me with the shotgun and we were all surprised. Then Dan ran at me to try to take my shotgun and I pulled the trigger. I didn’t even know if it had bullets, but it did. 

It was so loud my ears were ringing and my hands shaking.

Jason went down the long slide and Jenna ran down a hall.

I went to the ramp to see Jason, but he was going full speed to the bottom. I ran after Jenna and tried screaming it was an accident, but she was gone.

I went back in the doorway to the red bottom floor and walked to the slide to find Jason. He tried to hurt me too and I shot at him. It hit him in his belly and he fell down and started crying until he stopped.

______________________________(black line scratched across the page)

I threw away my watch. Was bothering me and feels useless here.

Have been looking for Jenna, think I hear. Getting closer.

______________________________

I found a man who said he was my dad but he looked nothing like him. He said he was so glad to finally see me. But he was old and I didn’t recognize him.

When he tried to [hug] me, 
I shot it.

______________________________

I found Jenna and brought her back to the throne room. That’s where I’ve been living, a big chair on top of a little carpet hill. She said she’s so glad she found (me) and I choose to believe her.

We slept next to each other.
______________________________

Jenna tried to take my shotgun when I was sleeping. She said she was trying to take it, but she was lying.

I’m sad she’s gone.

I’m going to look for more people after a nap. The carpet feels good now.

End text.

The police had a record of a boy missing from March, 1990 in Annoka, Minnesota. Never found.

His father went missing 12 years later. Never found.

His mom is still living in the same house as far as I can tell. I told my boss my brother's getting married and took a week off. Going to fly there and talk to her.

Look for the big mirror. Bring the blue painters tape.

I'm writing this all here so there's a record in case someone needs to find me.