17 - Assault of the senses

This room is completely empty except for a corrugated structure in the middle of the room. It seems to be some sort of air raid shelter or shed.

You open the door and go inside. There is a corridor leading to a small space in the middle in which you go and stand in. The doors shut behind you.

The lights switch off and you are left to contemplate your life in complete silence and in the pitch black nothingness. After a few moments you begin to feel yourself acclimatise to this new environment but the lack of sensory input is making you feel tense.

A bad smell envelops you. It is best described as a mixture of rotten fish, vomit and excrement. You try to hold your breath in order to stop the stench from penetrating your body any further. The air starts to sting your eyes, and when you can hold your breath no longer you are shocked to discover that the revolting aroma has only intensified further. You also notice that your brow is covered in beads of sweat; the temperature of the room has increased substantially and you feel like you are in a microwave oven.

Strobe lighting explodes into a frenzy; lightning bolts engage the air around you; flashing white orbs permeate the air. Proceedings are now accompanied by the sound of loud explosions and babies crying.

The whole event builds up to a crescendo with the intensity and frequency of each sensory input being increased. Just as you feel like you are going to pass out everything stops and you are released back into the real world.