<3/3>

It was a long mint-green corridor that evoked the feeling of a hospital. She hesitated.

"You'll regret it," the voice said gleefully.

"Piss off," she muttered before stepping out. Anywhere away from that... thing.

She started walking, her footsteps echoing down the corridor. The light fixtures above flickered. There were no doors, no windows. No way but forward.

She wasn't sure how long she walked down the seemingly endless corridor, but at some point she heard a thud ahead. She paused and squinted.

"Hello?"

The thud repeated, and a segment of the corridor ahead plunged into darkness. Then another, the darkness reaching for her like a living thing.

Amelia squeaked and raced back. Some primal part of her knew that she mustn't find herself outside the light.

She jumped into the elevator and jabbed the button for the 15th floor.

"Look at you, Amelia," the voice jeered. "You rejected my goodwill, and where has that brought you? Back to me."

"Move, please, move!"

"Tell me you're sorry."

She cast a frantic glance at the encroaching darkness. "I'm sorry, please, get me out of here!"

"Of course, Amelia. You needed but ask."

She sobbed with relief when the doors closed, shutting off the darkness. The cheap elevator music sounded sweet.

"I did well, didn't I?" A petulant note entered the voice. "The polite thing would be to thank me."

"Thank you," she said, her pulse racing. "Thanks so much."

"That's right," the voice said, breathing heavily. "No reason we can't be friends."

She shivered and closed her eyes, feeling as if it was lurking right behind her. The elevator mercifully stopped, and the doors opened to her floor. Hardly believing her luck, she stormed out.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Amelia," the voice said.

"Over my dead body," she muttered.