It was dark. Coats brushed against my body as zippers scratched at my arms and face. It was hard to tell what was left or right. Heck, I couldn’t even tell which way was up or down in this cold, isolated place.

Trying to find my bearings, I spun around to stare at what seemed to be the back of this tiny area. Taking a step forward, I tripped on something that was either my foot or an object long forgotten in the endless gloom.

Making my way across the ocean of darkness, I felt trapped in the ninth level of the darkened inferno.

The sounds of zippers clattering and fabric rubbing together were the only noises in the confined space.

The floor whined under my feet - a sound so otherworldly. It was as though giant claws were dragging along the underside of the floor.

My heart began to thrash wildly in my chest, as fear struck the deepest pit of my trembling soul. Trying to escape the wrath of the demon, I whirled around.

What was this? A plump, hairy, many-legged, many-eyed creature was staring at me, millimeters from the tip of my nose. There was a pause, as my mind grappled for the name of the disgusting beast. Suspended on its support wire, it slowly turned and clumsily made its way back into the darkness.

With the full realization of what this creature was, I inhaled, taking in as much of the musty air as my lungs would allow, and releasing it in an earsplitting scream. I began to scramble around, hitting each wall in my attempt to find the light. Parkas, belts, Halloween and Christmas ornaments lunged at me, as if to keep me in the horrid darkness forever.

Fabric burned my skin, zippers scratched my face, and buttons tangled in my hair. With every step, pain pulsed through my foot.

I fought against my attackers with as much strength as I could muster, throwing as many as I could to the floor. Loud clinks, clanks, and thuds echoed in the chamber; metal, plastic, and fabric hit the wood as I tried to free myself from the lingering darkness.

And just as almost all my hope had diminished, there came a beam of light. The persistent evil faded as a voice rang in my ears. A voice that so many had gone to for advice and forgiveness - the voice of my father as he questioned my reasons for destroying the closet from the inside.