Something changed... the walls seemed to shimmer. The picture, box top and whatever else had been laying on the floor became hazy, as if turning to sparkling particles, and disappeared falling through the concrete floor. His breathing had changed as well, now coming in shallow fast gasps as the walls began to do the same thing, revealing a darkness behind them. No, it was more than darkness, it was a nothingness. He could feel the void that filled the blackness there and it terrified him in a primal way that he had never felt before. It was as if a gaping maw had opened and wanted no more than to devour him completely. Jumping to his feet, Deschain backed away from the encroaching shadow. He stopped only when he felt the cool cement wall against his back.. he was trembling as he slowly turned, hoping the wall behind him was still intact and the door remained where he had entered. The wall indeed was there, but it too had changed. To his amazement what had been a simple cement wall and rusty door had been replaced. There in that place was a set of shiny metal elevator doors. The wall now marbled stone was ultra-modern and polished to perfection. He stood, dumbfounded for a moment, not daring to look behind him, fearing the impending doom would swallow him whole at any moment. He had no time to think, only to react. He reached his right hand out and pressed the up button on the chrome panel. The recorded female was pleasant "Going up Mr. Deschain"... the sound was sweet, but out of place here in the growing void. He could feel the darkness coming nearer, the floor falling into nothingness just behind his feet. He leaped though the opening before the doors had fully slid apart, falling against the back wall and to the carpeted floor. There was nothing outside the small elevator, nothing but black, yet there was a dread that permeated that emptiness that scared him to his core. The silence was broken by the "ding" as the door glided shut, followed by the same disembodied voice as outside.. "What floor today Mr. Deschain"? "What floor...floor, what the hell was happening", his mind was screaming. The word blurted out before he thought about it. "The top" he yelled. Instantly the car jerked into motion. He rose, shaking to his feet, trying to make any sense of this nonsensical situation. With the passing of each floor, a small red light was emitted onto the car's steel surface followed by a faint "ding"... "two, three...four. " the voice chimed until reaching the tenth landing.. The movement slowed and stopped. "Tenth floor Mr. Deschain, all out and thank you for visiting, come again". This time the voice was different, deeper almost menacing in it's tone. He could feel the snicker behind that voice... and it made his knees weak. The doors began to open, the light poured in, bright white it hurt his eyes to look into it.. he could only stand there waiting for his vision to return to normal. He gripped the edges of the doors, steadying himself, bracing for whatever was hidden in the haze of that damned light. "Hey, hurry up", the words boomed in the mechanics ears... "he's coming around, look his eyes are moving" The sounds came from above him, but his eyes couldn't make out anything except the hazy gray shadows within the brilliance. He flinched and gripped the doors tighter, waiting for the unknown...