It began in the hotel elevator. I don't know how I got there, or which floor I was on when I boarded. The first thing I remember was staring at the button panel on the side of the elevator.

Unlike most elevators I've been in, the buttons weren't beside the doors. There were no panels on either side of the doors, the doors were all there were. The whole wall in front of me was the elevator doors. The button panel was situated on the left wall.

There were no numbers on the buttons, so I don't remember how many floors there were. Somehow I had a preview of what each floor was like; each button was like a video, showing me what I would see if I entered that floor.

I scanned all the buttons, debating which floor I wanted to go to. My eyes wandered to the bottom of the panel, and to my horror, I discovered that there was no lobby button. Just floor 1 through probably about 20 or so. The buttons progressed; floor 1 was at the bottom of the long list of options, then above that was the second floor, then the third above that, and so on. The first level was the one that frightened me even more than the lack of the lobby button, however.

Floor 1 was black, the only figures to be seen were these black Balrog-type looking creatures with glowing orange eyes and ram's horns. They seemed to be staring straight at me, right into my soul, and it frightened me so much that I snapped up to see what the top level looked like.

The topmost floor didn't seem so bad, the video showed a bright room that looked like it would've been in a penthouse. I could see a man and a child together, so I assumed it was just a happy family, and I should be safe there. I eagerly pressed the bright button, and I could soon feel the carriage begin to move upwards.

The eeriest thing about the slow elevator ride was not the creepy visions the buttons showed me, the demon creatures on the first floor, nor the fact that there was no button for the lobby. It was the silence. Stifling, ear-piercing silence. There was no music, no sappy Kenny G or classic Frank Sinatra. Not even a top 40 station. It was so quiet that I could hear my heartbeat echo inside the metal box I was in.

The elevator finally shuddered to a stop at the top floor, a little 'ding' sounded, the doors rolled open, and I stepped into the room. What I saw immediately set me on edge. Something was wrong. The problem was, it shouldn't have been. Everything should've been okay. I could see the man and boy that I had seen from the button's preview, and I assumed the boy was his son. I even saw who I figured was the man's wife, the boy's mother. She was reading a book by the huge bay window, the bright light illuminating her face and shining off of her dark brown hair. The father was standing to my perpendicular left, facing the right side of the room, so I looked in that direction to see what he was staring at. It was his son.

That's when I realized it. The odd, stomach-dropping feeling I had had had been caused by the boy. I couldn't quite see everyone's faces; everything looked like that oil painting filter you can use on your phone. Everything looked like it had been wiped by a paintbrush. Beautiful, yet eerie. 

Even with the distortion, I could tell something was wrong with the boy. His gaze was slightly off, not focused on me, but I dismissed that, since he and his father were the ones having the staring contest. But his eyes were trained on something behind his father, and they looked dark, like something you would see in a horror movie where those little kids get possessed. I've heard a lot about black-eyed children and all those theories, and I know that they can give off a terrifying vibe. 

Before I could think about anything else, the boy began to walk past me and towards his father. His gait was slow and staggering, like a zombie. He said something indiscernible, mumbling incoherently. His father reacted rather poorly to this, and pounced on his son. He had grabbed a knife out of nowhere, and started to stab his son violently.

I didn't say anything, but in my head I was freaking out. Why the heck was this dude hurting his kid?! I mean, yeah he's creepy and all, but he's your child, you don't just kill him! I ran back into the elevator, and frantically pushed the door close button. 

Oh, come on! I thought to myself. They have the one button that never works, but not a freaking lobby button?!

The doors eventually, and very VERY slowly closed. I sighed a breath of relief, looking at the button for the floor right below the topmost one. Before studying the video, I just pressed the button; I wanted the heck out of there. 

The next floor was something like the set of the Titanic, only it was a brass-colored submarine. It was sinking, and there was an enormous squid/octopus creature chasing me. Now understand, I am terrified of being submerged in water. I like the beach, the ocean, a cruise, a dip in the pool, but if I try to swim, I freak out.

That's when I realized: this elevator, these floors, this entire hotel, was targeting my biggest fears.

I don't remember a lot about the different floors I visited, but I do recall the better ones, the ones that calmed my nerves a bit.

The doors opened to yet another level, even though I don't remember pushing a button, so I didn't know which floor I was on. But it seemed like this would've been the lobby, except I remember something about the 15th floor, so maybe that's where I was.

There were comfy looking couches, a vending machine, a water fountain, doors that led to bathrooms, and one that had no sign on or above it to tell me where it went. Other people walked by, to elevators or couches to sit with others. Then I saw something that made my heart leap with hope: a young man, one who obviously worked at the hotel, standing behind a desk. 

I grinned and walked briskly, almost desperately, towards the man and the desk. "Excuse me," I started, turning the man's attention to me, "I uh, I think your elevator is broken or something. There's no button for the lobby, and the floors are kind of freaking me out. Um...Is there any way I can like, use another elevator, or can you escort me to the lobby safely or something? I don't like riding alone."

The employee smiled at me, but it didn't look like he was about to help me. He looked like he found my anxiety and distress funny. "You must just be overlooking it. The lobby button's there."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I've been raised to be polite to others. "Well could you at least take the elevator with me or something? I get really scared when I have to ride alone."

He shook his head. "Sorry," he apologized insincerely, "I can't. But if you don't want to take the elevator, you can use the staircase."

Really, dude? Seriously? The staircase??

I hate staircases because 1) it involves exercise, something I've always hated, 2) being alone in an elevator, or worse, A STAIRCASE, is one of my worst fears, 3) using a staircase in a screwed up place like this (ALONE) is definitely a bad idea, and 4) any staircase in this freaking hotel would be like that staircase that SCP took care of, the one that would turn into an everlasting set of stairs, one where you would start to go down, and then hear a child's voice calling out in distress, begging for help, so of course you go to help, only to discover that the voice is disembodied and always just out of sight and reach, and then when you turn back to head upstairs there's just more and more stairs. Ain't no way in heck I'm using a staircase in this twisted hell-hole of a hotel.

So I ignored the employee and headed back to my elevator. I don't remember much after that; I was seemingly transported to the hotel room my parents and I were staying in (for some reason my little brother wasn't with us). I saw my mom cooking something on the stove, and my dad was standing next to her, looking at his cellphone.

"Mom!" I cried in relief, "Mom, please help me! The elevator is scaring me, and all the floors are really creepy, and there's no lobby button! Please go with me Mom, I just want to get to the lobby!"

My mom looked at me with a skeptical scowl. "Oh my gosh, Melanie! You're being absolutely ridiculous right now. Why wouldn't the elevator have a lobby button? Your imagination is running away with you again; you gotta stop watching all that scary junk on YouTube!"

At my mom's rejection and abandonment, I simply sunk to the floor sobbing, begging her to help me.

After this, I was back in the elevator, debating one more time where I would go. I was so tired, tired of being scared, tired of being rejected, and tired of having to make choices that would eventually lead to my demise.

I looked down at the button for the first floor, and even though the image of the demons terrified me, it somehow pulled me in. I found myself pushing the button without telling my arm to move, and immediately the carriage dropped to the bottom.

I felt scared the entire time, dreading what I would see when the doors opened.

With that same, annoying, loud 'DING' the doors slowly rolled open, and what I saw chilled me to the bone.

It was all dark, except for the candles. The demon creatures were holding the flaming candles, all of them standing around in a perfectly formed circle. In the middle of the circle was a huge Satanic star. They all looked like they were performing some sort of silent ritual, and it sent shivers down my spine, especially considering I'm a devout Christian.

As soon as the doors opened (loudly), every single one of the creatures turned to look straight in my direction.

I couldn't move, I couldn't scream, I couldn't even think. I slammed my hand on the close door button, and any other button in reach, frantic to get away from them.

After that, all I saw was black, and then I woke up.

I turned over to see my alarm clock read 3:30, and I sighed in sweet relief, from the dream all being just a dream and having more time to sleep, where hopefully no more horrors would be waiting for me.