\[HR]\ TEXT MESSAGES

From: Jake to MarcusMarch 15, 2026

11:47 PM

Jake: duuuude im so drunk right now

Jake: like SO drunk

Jake: rememmber that bar we found??? the one down the alley???

Marcus: Jake it’s midnight. Go home.

Jake: NO LISTN

Jake: this place is WEIRD man

Jake: like really weird

Jake: but the drinks are cheap!!!

Jake: $2 wells all night

Jake: TWO DOLLARS MARCUS

Marcus: What bar? Where are you?

Jake: i dunno the name

Jake: theres no sign

Jake: you go down the alley behind that pizza place

Jake: then theres another alley

Jake: then theres like a door

Jake: red door

Jake: wait no

Jake: purple?

Jake: its definitely a color

Marcus: Jake seriously where are you? Send me your location.

Jake: the bartender is SUPER tall

Jake: like basketball player tall

Jake: but like TOO tall you know???

Jake: his head almost touches the ceiling

Jake: ceiling is pretty low tho

Jake: or maybe im just drunk

Jake: definitely drunk

Jake: ordered another whiskey

Marcus: How many have you had?

Jake: i dunno like

Jake: seven?

Jake: eight?

Jake: the bartender keeps refilling my glass when im not looking

Jake: FREE REFILLS MARCUS

Jake: this place is AMAZING

12:03 AM

Jake: okay so theres only like 5 other people here

Jake: but they been here the WHOLE TIME

Jake: like they havent moved

Jake: ones been staring at the wall for like an hour

Jake: dedication

Jake: respect

Marcus: Jake I’m getting worried. Send me your location RIGHT NOW.

Jake: cant

Jake: phone says im in the middle of the ocean???

Jake: GPS is broken

Jake: stupid phone

Jake: anyway the music here is weird

Jake: its like

Jake: jazz? but wrong jazz

Jake: the notes dont go right

Jake: but it slaps tho

Marcus: JAKE.

Jake: MARCUS.

Jake: chill dude

Jake: im fine

Jake: having a great time

Jake: met a guy named carl

Jake: carls been sitting in the same chair since 1987

Jake: he told me that

Jake: i said “thats a long time carl”

Jake: he said “you have no idea”

Jake: carls weird

Jake: i like carl

12:31 AM

Jake: the bathroom is INSANE

Jake: theres like

Jake: so many doors

Jake: i counted twelve doors

Jake: ITS A BATHROOM

Jake: why does a bathroom need twelve doors

Jake: i opened one and it was just

Jake: another bathroom

Jake: smaller bathroom

Jake: with more doors

Jake: DOORS ALL THE WAY DOWN MARCUS

Jake: fractals

Jake: bathroom fractals

Marcus: I’m calling you.

Jake: dont bother

Jake: no service in here

Jake: texting works tho

Jake: dont ask me why

Jake: actually the bartender explained it

Jake: something about “liminal frequencies”

Jake: i nodded like i understood

Jake: i did not understand

Jake: but he gave me a free shot

Jake: it tasted like pennies

Jake: but FREE

12:52 AM

Jake: marcus

Jake: MARCUS

Jake: i just realized something

Marcus: WHAT

Jake: i been here for like

Jake: 3 hours right

Marcus: You texted me at 11:47. It’s been an hour.

Jake: no dude

Jake: i got here at like 9pm

Jake: ive been drinking since 9

Jake: its definitely been like 3 hours

Jake: maybe 4

Marcus: Jake it’s 12:52 AM. That’s less than 4 hours.

Jake: yeah but

Jake: my watch says 4:17

Jake: AM

Jake: but thats not right

Jake: is it???

Jake: time is weird in here

Jake: or im REALLY drunk

Jake: probably really drunk

Jake: ordered another drink to think about it

1:14 AM

Jake: the guy in the corner finally moved

Jake: he turned his head

Jake: looked right at me

Jake: smiled

Jake: too many teeth marcus

Jake: like WAY too many teeth

Jake: how many teeth do people have???

Jake: thirty something right???

Jake: this guy has like

Jake: fifty

Jake: maybe sixty

Jake: hard to count when youre drunk

Jake: and when they keep moving

Jake: teeth shouldnt move like that

Marcus: GET OUT OF THERE

Jake: why???

Jake: drinks are cheap!

Jake: and carl is telling me about the old days

Jake: apparently this bar used to be different

Jake: used to be “in sync” whatever that means

Jake: now its “drifting”

Jake: carls very philosophical when hes drunk

Jake: wait

Jake: is carl drunk???

Jake: hes been drinking the same beer for 40 years

Jake: thats gotta do something

1:33 AM

Jake: asked the bartender what this place is called

Jake: he said “it doesnt have a name”

Jake: i said “every bar has a name”

Jake: he said “not this one”

Jake: i said “why not”

Jake: he said “because if it had a name youd remember how to find it”

Jake: i said “i found it tonight”

Jake: he said “did you?”

Jake: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN MARCUS

Jake: philosophy bartender

Jake: im too drunk for philosophy

Jake: ordered another drink

Jake: he poured it from a bottle with no label

Jake: probably whiskey

Jake: tastes like whiskey

Jake: if whiskey tasted like static

Jake: electric whiskey

Jake: FUTURE WHISKEY

1:51 AM

Jake: theres a clock on the wall

Jake: its going backwards

Jake: not like

Jake: broken backwards

Jake: like ACTIVELY backwards

Jake: the second hand is going counterclockwise

Jake: i watched it for like 10 minutes

Jake: definitely backwards

Jake: i pointed it out to the bartender

Jake: he said “time works different here”

Jake: i said “thats not how time works”

Jake: he said “sure it is”

Jake: cant argue with that logic

Jake: mostly because im very drunk

Marcus: JAKE PLEASE LEAVE

Marcus: This doesn’t sound like a normal bar

Marcus: I’m coming to find you

Jake: good luck buddy

Jake: i couldnt find this place again if i tried

Jake: even though im IN IT RIGHT NOW

Jake: geography is weird

2:09 AM

Jake: carl just told me something

Jake: he said “you should probably leave soon”

Jake: i said “why”

Jake: he said “because people who stay too long become part of the place”

Jake: i said “what does that mean”

Jake: he pointed at the guy in the corner

Jake: the teeth guy

Jake: carl said “he used to be the bartender”

Jake: i said “whats he now”

Jake: carl said “furniture”

Jake: FURNITURE MARCUS

Jake: what does that MEAN

Jake: carl wont explain

Jake: hes gone back to staring at his beer

Jake: been staring for 40 years

Jake: maybe ill ask him again in another 40

Jake: jk ill probably leave soon

Jake: after this drink

2:28 AM

Jake: tried to leave

Jake: cant find the door

Jake: like i KNOW where the door is

Jake: i came in through it

Jake: but now theres just

Jake: wall

Jake: asked the bartender where the door went

Jake: he said “it left”

Jake: i said “doors dont leave”

Jake: he said “this one does”

Jake: i said “when will it come back”

Jake: he said “depends”

Jake: i said “on what”

Jake: he said “on whether it likes you”

Jake: DOORS DONT HAVE OPINIONS MARCUS

Jake: this is ridiculous

Jake: im gonna sit down and wait

Jake: ordered another drink while i wait

2:47 AM

Jake: marcus

Jake: i think ive been here before

Jake: like a long time ago

Jake: i have memories of this place

Jake: but i KNOW ive never been here

Jake: but i remember sitting at this exact barstool

Jake: i remember talking to carl

Jake: i remember the backwards clock

Jake: but this is my first time here

Jake: isnt it???

Jake: im too drunk for this

Jake: existential crisis whiskey

Jake: worst kind of whiskey

Marcus: Jake your messages are scaring me

Jake: im scaring ME dude

Jake: but also

Jake: this is the best drunk ive ever been

Jake: like REALLY good drunk

Jake: everything is funny

Jake: even the creepy stuff

Jake: especially the creepy stuff

3:03 AM

Jake: UPDATE

Jake: the door came back

Jake: its in a different place now

Jake: its on the ceiling

Jake: ceiling door

Jake: advanced architecture

Jake: bartender said i can leave if i want

Jake: but i gotta climb

Jake: im too drunk to climb marcus

Jake: what if i fall

Jake: what if i fall UP

Jake: can you fall up???

Jake: probably not

Jake: but this place is weird so maybe

Jake: gonna try it

Jake: wish me luck

Marcus: JAKE DONT CLIMB TO A CEILING DOOR

Marcus: THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE

Marcus: STAY ON THE GROUND

Jake: too late

Jake: already climbing

Jake: theres a ladder now

Jake: wasnt there before

Jake: but its here now

Jake: helpful ladder

Jake: good ladder

3:17 AM

Jake: made it to the door

Jake: opened it

Jake: its not outside

Jake: its another room

Jake: smaller room

Jake: with another bar

Jake: and another bartender

Jake: also very tall

Jake: maybe the same bartender???

Jake: hard to tell

Jake: all tall people look the same when youre drunk

Jake: he offered me a drink

Jake: i said “im trying to leave”

Jake: he said “this IS leaving”

Jake: i said “no its another bar”

Jake: he said “exactly”

Jake: poured me a drink anyway

Jake: rude to refuse

Jake: so i drank it

Jake: tasted like goodbye

Jake: nostalgic whiskey

3:31 AM

Jake: marcus i think im in trouble

Jake: ive been through like six rooms

Jake: all bars

Jake: all different

Jake: but all the same

Jake: each one has a bartender

Jake: each one has carl

Jake: wait

Jake: is it the same carl???

Jake: or different carls???

Jake: i asked carl

Jake: he said “yes”

Jake: NOT HELPFUL CARL

Jake: im very drunk

Jake: and very lost

Jake: but the drinks keep getting better

Jake: so thats something

Marcus: Jake this is insane

Marcus: How are you even texting me from different rooms

Jake: i dunno man

Jake: magic???

Jake: drunk magic

Jake: the best kind

3:52 AM

Jake: found a room with windows

Jake: finally

Jake: looked outside

Jake: marcus

Jake: MARCUS

Jake: theres nothing out there

Jake: not like “empty street” nothing

Jake: like NOTHING nothing

Jake: just

Jake: void

Jake: black void

Jake: with stars? maybe?

Jake: or theyre holes

Jake: holes in the nothing

Jake: asked the bartender “where are we”

Jake: he said “between”

Jake: i said “between what”

Jake: he said “everything”

Jake: cool cool cool

Jake: totally normal

Jake: ordered a double

4:17 AM

Jake: i give up

Jake: im just gonna stay here

Jake: the drinks are good

Jake: carls good company

Jake: even though he hasnt moved in 40 years

Jake: wait

Jake: carl just moved

Jake: he looked at me

Jake: he said “youre doing great”

Jake: i said “at what”

Jake: he said “staying”

Jake: i said “im not staying im just resting”

Jake: he said “thats what i said in 1987”

Jake: carl is ominous when he wants to be

Marcus: JAKE GET OUT

Marcus: FIND AN EXIT

Marcus: ANY EXIT

Jake: exits are overrated marcus

Jake: this place grows on you

Jake: literally

Jake: i think the barstool is growing on me

Jake: or im growing on it

Jake: symbiosis

Jake: bar symbiosis

4:47 AM

Jake: good news

Jake: found the original door

Jake: the one i came in through

Jake: its back on the wall where it should be

Jake: bad news

Jake: i dont wanna leave anymore

Jake: i like it here

Jake: its quiet

Jake: peaceful

Jake: the bartender knows my drink

Jake: carl and i are friends now

Jake: best friends

Jake: 40 year friends

Jake: wait no

Jake: 40 minutes

Jake: time is still weird

Marcus: If you can leave YOU NEED TO LEAVE

Jake: but why tho

Jake: its nice here

Jake: safe

Jake: the outside world is too loud

Jake: too fast

Jake: too many doors that go places

Jake: here the doors go nowhere

Jake: and thats fine

Jake: thats better actually

Jake: nowhere is underrated

5:03 AM

Jake: marcus

Jake: i walked through the door

Jake: im outside

Jake: i think

Jake: its the alley

Jake: the same alley

Jake: but everything looks wrong

Jake: the buildings are different

Jake: the signs are different

Jake: theres a pizza place but its called something else

Jake: asked a guy for the time

Jake: he said “2026”

Jake: i said “no the TIME”

Jake: he said “march 2026”

Jake: i said “WHAT TIME IS IT”

Jake: he walked away

Jake: rude

Jake: checked my phone

Jake: says 5:03 AM

Jake: march 16th 2026

Jake: i went in march 15th

Jake: its been ONE NIGHT

Jake: feels like weeks

Marcus: WHERE ARE YOU

Marcus: ILL COME GET YOU

Jake: im at that pizza place

Jake: the one near your apartment

Jake: except its not the same

Jake: the name is different

Jake: everything is slightly wrong

Jake: like someone moved the world 3 inches to the left

Jake: im gonna walk home

Jake: its only a few blocks

Jake: probably

5:24 AM

Jake: marcus

Jake: i cant find my apartment

Jake: im on my street

Jake: but my building isnt here

Jake: theres a different building

Jake: same address

Jake: different building

Jake: what the FUCK

Marcus: What’s the address

Jake: 2847 pine street

Jake: apartment 4B

Jake: its my address

Jake: but the building is wrong

Jake: there are trees out front i dont recognize

Jake: the door is painted blue

Jake: my door was red

Marcus: Jake

Marcus: I need to tell you something

Jake: what

Marcus: There’s no apartment 4B at 2847 Pine Street

Marcus: That building only has 3 floors

Jake: what are you talking about

Jake: i live on the 4th floor

Jake: apartment 4B

Jake: ive lived there for 2 years

Marcus: Jake

Marcus: I’ve never been to your apartment

Marcus: You always come to my place

Marcus: Every time I ask where you live, you change the subject

Jake: no i dont

Jake: you came over for the super bowl

Marcus: No I didn’t

Marcus: We watched at a bar

Marcus: You said you were “between places”

Jake: thats not

Jake: that doesnt

Jake: marcus im scared

Marcus: Where are you RIGHT NOW

Jake: im standing outside 2847 pine street

Jake: but its not my building

Jake: nothing is right

Jake: i think

Jake: i think i stayed too long

Jake: in the bar

Jake: carl warned me

Jake: he said people who stay too long become part of the place

Jake: but i didnt stay

Jake: i left

Jake: didnt i???

5:47 AM

Jake: marcus

Jake: i looked behind me

Jake: the alley is there

Jake: the one with the bar

Jake: i can see the door

Jake: red door

Jake: purple door

Jake: SOME color

Jake: its open

Jake: theres light coming from inside

Jake: warm light

Jake: inviting

Jake: i can hear music

Jake: wrong jazz

Jake: beautiful wrong jazz

Marcus: JAKE DONT GO BACK IN

Jake: i dont think i ever left marcus

Jake: i think im still in there

Jake: i think this

Jake: all of this

Jake: the alley the street the wrong building

Jake: i think its all still the bar

Jake: just a different room

Jake: another room in an infinite bar

Jake: carl was right

Jake: i stayed too long

Jake: now im part of it

Marcus: That doesn’t make sense

Marcus: You’re texting me

Marcus: You’re outside

Marcus: You’re REAL

Jake: am i tho???

Jake: carl seemed real

Jake: the teeth guy seemed real

Jake: the bartender seemed real

Jake: but they were all part of it

Jake: maybe im part of it now too

Jake: maybe i always was

Jake: maybe thats why i could find it

Marcus: JAKE STOP

Jake: the door is still open

Jake: i can see the bar

Jake: i can see carl

Jake: hes waving at me

Jake: welcoming me back

Jake: i think ill go have one more drink

Jake: one for the road

Jake: or one for staying

Jake: havent decided yet

Jake: see you around marcus

Jake: or not

Jake: time is weird here

Marcus: JAKE

Marcus: JAKE ANSWER ME

Marcus: JAKE

[Message failed to deliver]

6:03 AM

Marcus: Jake?

Marcus: Are you there?

Marcus: Please answer

[Message failed to deliver]

MARCH 20, 2026

Marcus: I went to 2847 Pine Street

Marcus: There’s no apartment 4B

Marcus: You were right

Marcus: I searched the whole neighborhood

Marcus: I can’t find the alley

Marcus: I can’t find the bar

Marcus: I can’t find you

Marcus: Jake if you get this, please respond

Marcus: I’m worried about you

Marcus: Please be okay

[Message failed to deliver]

APRIL 3, 2026 - 2:47 AM

New Message from Unknown Number:

Unknown: hey marcus

Unknown: its jake

Unknown: sorry i havent texted

Unknown: been busy

Unknown: working at this bar

Unknown: you should come by sometime

Unknown: drinks are cheap

Unknown: $2 wells all night

Unknown: theres this guy carl

Unknown: youll like him

Unknown: been here since 1987

Unknown: or was it 2026

Unknown: time is weird here

Unknown: anyway

Unknown: come visit

Unknown: ill be here

Unknown: always here

Unknown: cant leave even if i wanted to

Unknown: which i dont

Unknown: the drinks are too good

Unknown: see you soon marcus

Unknown: or see you 40 years ago

Unknown: or see you never

Unknown: time is weird here

Unknown: did i mention that already

Unknown: everything is

Unknown: seven minutes and forty seven seconds

Unknown: thats how long it takes

Unknown: to become part of the place

Unknown: to become furniture

Unknown: to become the bar

Unknown: carl says hi

Unknown: or maybe i say hi

Unknown: im carl now

Unknown: or carl is me

Unknown: we all become carl eventually

Unknown: see you soon

Unknown: or not

Unknown: time is

Unknown: weird

Unknown: here

[Marcus has blocked this number]

[Three months later - Marcus walking home from work]

[Passes an alley he’s never noticed before]

[Sees a door]

[Red? Purple? Some color]

[Hears music]

[Wrong jazz]

[Beautiful wrong jazz]

[A sign on the door:]

”$2 WELLS ALL NIGHT”

[Marcus hesitates]

[Reaches for the handle]

[The door opens]

[Inside, a tall bartender smiles]

[In the corner, someone who might be Jake waves]

[Or maybe it’s Carl]

[Hard to tell]

[They all look the same]

[After 40 years]

[Or 40 minutes]

[Time is weird here]

THE END

(Or the beginning)

(Hard to tell)

(Seven minutes and forty-seven seconds)

(That’s all it takes)