Imagination

Plunging.

Under no circumstances would I have ever prepared for such moment. As the numbers in the elevator shot down, I desperately punched the buttons on the elevator panel. 12...11...10...9876543... my heart got caught in my throat as I let out a strangled scream. The elevator was going down way too fast! Giving up on the button panel as it wasn't of any use, I shakily sat down in the centre of the elevator and curled up into a ball, too paralyzed to move any further. It was only until the lights in the elevator flickered off that I jerked my head up to look at the floor I stopped on. Yet, not a number could be seen in sight. All I could see was the eerie red light that showed the floor number in the out-of-control metal box. 

  "Next floor," A sudden robotic female voice rung out in the quiet darkness. 

  "HELL" She shrieked as she let our a shrill laugh. 

  No, nononono, what the hell is going on?? I thought as my eyes slid shut. I was far too petrified to even think anymore, let alone stand up to investigate where the voice came from. The elevator picked up its speed once more as it jerked downwards. I could hear the cables screeching and whining as the elevator plunged down. Crap, this isn't how I should be positioned as if the elevator was falling. I thought as I unwrapped my rigid limbs from my legs. 

  By spreading each limb out, it reminded me of the time where I was suspended mid-air completing this rope course when I was small. With nothing to prevent me from falling off the two sides, I was asked to walk across the rope bridge with only strands of hemp rope trailing down from above. I thought the ropes were useless, but held onto them dearly as I shuffled from plank to plank. That feeling of when you're too scared to let go of the previous rope but you have to in order to cross to the other side? That's exactly how I am feeling now. Gingerly   spreading all fours as I lay down, face first onto the floor, the sudden change in temperature shocked me. The marble floor was far colder than I have imagined. With my face turned to the side, I waited with bated breath as the elevator continued to descend at rapid speed. My heart squeezed from the speed while I felt the elevator close up on me this whole time. It made me claustrophobic. 

  Rattling, the elevator finally came to a stop. The cables hissed and shook, causing the elevator to sway from side to side. For a moment, I imagined the elevator teeter-tottering like an infant walking his first few steps. Only, he was testing his steps on a tight rope.  That's exactly the feeling such motion was giving me. The elevator still pitch black and eerie silent, I felt around for my glasses while waiting for the next thing to happen. At least I was able to transform back to my normal self when the elevator stopped. I let out an unsteady, maniac laugh as I groped around for my glasses. 

  I've already plunged into Hell, what could go wrong or become worse from here? Right that instant, I could feel the temperature in the elevator rising. No, more like sky-rocketing. Soon, all four sides of the elevator was burning. The buttons on the panel started melting and everything looked like it was about to deform. The floor scorched my face as I scrambled into a standing position. Lord bless my shoes for separating my feet and the unbearable heat. It sounds like Hell heard my thoughts, which isn't the best thing, I'd say. 

  When I finally found my glasses, I quickly forced them on, glad that they haven't melted yet. Something above the elevator glimmered, attracting my eyes. I looked up, and saw a flame licking its way around the outside of the elevator. All else was black, besides that flame. But I knew I had to at least call for help, I can't just die off in this box because of the flame!

  'HELP!" I screamed. "ANYONE THERE TO HELP?" I yelled more urgently this time. The heat was getting to the point of suffocating me, and I don't think I could stand it any longer. With one last shout, a miracle seemed to happen. The four silver sides of the elevator seemed to be peeling away thanks to the flame. The flame slithered across the four silver walls, revealing transparent glass in the places of used-to-be silver sheets. Just when I started to feel grateful that the temperature has seemingly cool down, the most unimaginable thing happened right in front of my eyes. 

  The transparent walls showed mobs and mobs of naked creatures. Veins bulging from their translucent, pale orange skin. They varied in height, some as tall as a door, some as short as a newborn baby. They had not a single piece of hair on their bodies, and all stared in my direction; their large vacant eyes stared at where I was standing in unison. Veins throbbed hard against their temples, their eyes looking like they were about to pop out anytime as they advanced on me. I couldn't do anything but watch them, totally incapacitated as I was utterly terrified. Literally no words could explain how I was feeling at that time. I was scared witless. 

  Shaking like a leaf hanging on for dear life when the strongest wind blew, I involuntarily let out a choked sob. Tears, however, didn't quite reach my eyes as my tear glands must have been dried up from all the horror. I watched them stumble over each other, moving faster and faster until they surrounded the elevator. They clambered onto each other and fought to climb to the top of the elevator, like toads clambering up each other just to get a breath of air in their cages. I retched at the sight of them. They looked absolutely disgusting. And now they were fighting over each other, trying to communicate non-existently on who was going to be the one to crack open the elevator. 

  Their pale gangly hands, or short stub-like ones clawed the elevator, producing nail on the chalkboard sounds as they scratched the sides. I covered my ears and quivered in the centre of the elevator, not knowing what to do. I was wrong when I thought there could be nothing worse than descending into Hell, and yet, Hell itself has proved me wrong. This was a lot worse than things I have ever imagined. I braced myself as I heard them gnarl, ripping each other off as they tried to pry open the elevator from any corner possible.

  A bell sounded in the distance. The translucent creatures froze, mouth agape as they trained their heads at the direction were the bell has just sounded. And as fast as they have gathered around the elevator, they all slinked and dragged their feet away from where I was, leaving me once again isolated and trembling from fear. God knows what's going to happen next.