In House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Navidson and his wife Karen make separate, private journal entries on their stay in the house. In these private journal entries, they tend to talk about their thoughts and opinions alone in a room. Later, Navidson finds an endless, dark hallway in their house, which triggers two journal entries; Karen saying she will leave with the kids if Navidson goes into the hallway, and Navidson who says Karen is overreacting and needs to understand his curiosity. This hallways appearing causes a chain of events: The journal entries, the kids venturing into the endless hallway (which, due to their lack of fear, easily find their way out), and Navidson entering the hallway. During nighttime, Navidson enters the mysterious hallway and finds himself helplessly lost in the disturbing, infinite winds and directions.
By shouting “I’m here” and following the add-ee’s singing off the walls, Navidson slowly begins to make his way through an incredibly complex and frequently disorientating series of turns. Eventually after backtracking several times and making numerous wrong choices, occasionally descending into disturbing territories of silence, the voice begins to grow noticeably louder, until finally Navidson slips around a corner, certain he has found his way out. Instead though, he encounters only more darkness and this time greater quiet. His breathing quickens. He is uncertain which way to go. Obviously he is afraid. And then quite abruptly he steps to the right through a low passageway and discovers a corridor terminating in low yellow light, low light, with a tiny silhouette standing in the doorway, tugging her daddy home with a cry.
I like this quote because the fast, brief descriptions alone tell us how scared Navidson is. Though the quote tells us he is afraid, it doesn’t really need to. The fast pace with no room for mental descriptions give us a vibe of sheer terror without needing to outright say it. What makes it better is just the facts it’s his mind freaking out, and there is nothing in the constantly changing hallways with him. Imagine going camping, and at night you’re thinking; “What if someone is watching us? What could be out here with us, or who?” But in reality you’re just paranoid from the ‘What if’s. The same thing goes on here, except this time, there is nothing to expect. Many people go camping; not many people live in a house that creates infinite spaces out of nothing.