[ WP ] Give the reader a tour of your mind .

Tinted windowpanes line the foremost wall of the lobby, golden trim lines the high vertical panes through which an overly eager audience attempts to peer. Beyond these darkened apertures lies a generous lobby lined with a bright red carpet, polished hardwood, dim lights overhead and golden trim laid throughout. Near the back wall of this room stands a serious lady, today's tour guide, clutching her itinerary closely to her chest. She stands tall and straight, staring ahead wordlessly into the empty room as she frees a hand to adjust the thin rimmed glasses that threaten to plummet from her nose. Her dark grey skirt suit seems to match the atmosphere of the room, but also seems out of place. A notion further intensified as she constantly adjusts her suit despite her otherwise serious and calm demeanor. 
 
 She glances towards the grandfather clock along the left wall, breathing deeply as the minute hand ascends the final hill. The anticipation seems to be getting to her, as though this were her first day on the job or that she had been given some ridiculous task far beyond her scope. Behind her cobalt eyes lies a fierce storm of determination, one that steadies her mind and body as the clock chimes aloud. The doors open as throngs of people pour in to the lobby for this unexpected tour. They stand before the woman, packed into the seemingly shrinking room as she clears her throat before the final bell. 
 
 “ Good morning everyone, I'm glad to see that you made it on time, ” she begins, casting a brief look of disappointment and judgment towards those rushing in the closing doors. “ Most of you, that is. ” 
 
 Eying the crowd, she walks from one end of the room to its opposite marking on the papers attached to her clipboard with each step. Satisfied with her data, she walks towards the door that was hidden behind her, the entrance to my mind. Grasping the door handle in one hand and the clipboard in another, she begins to turn the handle before some words of advice occur to her. With a half-turn, she stares at the mass of strangers and speaks again. 
 
 “ We will now be entering the mindscape, please keep your hands and thoughts to yourselves unless otherwise prompted. Follow behind me in an orderly manner and I will see to it that you return here safely by the end of this tour, ” she instructs in a clear tone. “ Before we begin, are there any questions? ” 
 
 The crowd seems to consider her words for a moment, leaving an uncomfortable gap that pushes her to move forward. With a quiet response on behalf of the patrons, she slowly opens the door and leads them into a seemingly endless hallway. The hall is lined with a number of rooms each bearing its own elaborate faceplate which corresponds to its contents. The crowd slowly enters the long corridor, hardly filling its space despite the cramped conditions. Once the entrance closes behind the stragglers, she addresses them once again. 
 
 “ We are now in the central corridor. From here we can access each and every topic, no matter how obscure, that he has accumulated over the years. As we continue down the hallway, you may notice that there are some new rooms under construction and some that are in disrepair. While you may feel drawn to enter these rooms, I again remind you to refrain for your own safety. We will enter a select few rooms if we have time. As you have surely noticed, this hallways stretches quite a distance and it will take some time to traverse it, ” she stops to breathe after the speech before adding one last detail. “ I imagine that some of you believe that this hallway is endless, but I assure you that it is not. ” 
 
 As the tour continued, the audience marveled at the broad range of subjects which spanned from intellectual and interesting to absurd and appalling. There were many instances where a rebel visitor reached for the door only to find himself scolded by the guide. They walked for hours down the way with no end in sight as she gave a brief summary, a shortened biography, on the man behind all rooms. Growing tired and disinterested, the crowd began to complain first in whispers and later in loud and obnoxious outbursts that their leader had trouble tolerating. Though several hours had passed and they had seen doors proclaiming marvelous contents and portraits of strange people or landscapes, the group had yet to actually experience something unique for themselves. 
 
 “ If you would, please carry on a little longer. We have almost reached the end of the hallway where we have scheduled a surprise just for you. I understand that we have traveled quite some distance, uneventfully, but the reward draws near, ” she explained. 
 
 It seemed as though many that had gathered there understood and were willing to wait. What troubled her most was that there were an equal number that did not understand and were not willing or capable of being patient. One such person cried out, appealing to his fellow members, and turned towards the nearest door. Grasping the handle and flinging it open, the group was met with a darkened room. From the room seeped shadow like smoke that beckoned them inward with whispers that only their ears could discern. Seeing the door stood open, the guide rushed to close it before they could enter or something could exit. Slamming the door, she stood with her back against the banging wood as screams and yells echoed behind her. As the last bits of smoke dissipated, she lectured the would-be corpse and removed him from the party with a vanishing trap door. Returning to the front, she turned to see that many were alarmed or downright terrified. 
 
 “ I trust that there will be no further issue with your compliance, then? ” she asked with a warm smile as the group looked on incredulously. 
 
 -206
