Madness

There is a hallway. There is a hallway and it is dark. I cannot see the end.

I proceed to walk, becoming ever more enveloped in the darkness.  The sense of dread is rising up inside me, choking me.

The smell is foul. Mold, humidity, rot- all of these smells bombard my very being and yet I continue. 

Farther and farther I tread. I begin to feel a sudden coolness.  A breeze tickles my skin sending a shiver down my spine.  The fluttering breeze means one thing- a way out.

Faster and faster I go, searching for the source.  A creak, a groan I hear around me.  Is something behind me?  No, it's something ahead.

I see a dim, flickering light in front of me.  I slow my pace.  I approach with caution.  A door at the end of this hall, wooden and heavy, swings slightly open and nearly closes.  The hinges squeak ever so softly. 

I reach for the doorknob, and fear grips my heart with a cold and ever tightening fist.  I'm terrified. 

I finally grasp the knob, it is cool under my sweaty palm.  I push it forward.  Light blinds me and I stumble into the next room.

My eyes adjust and I look around.  My jaw drops, and my eyes widen. 

I see madness and then I become it.

~Zoo