My heart was pounding, the silence ringing through my ears - the slightest interruption threatened to make me jump out of my skin.
Where was I? At home in my kitchen, making tea - a perfectly normal situation - but I had just arrived after watching Ghost Stories at Mayflower Theatre.
Of course, a the name implies, the production is a horror, designed for fear and tension.
As someone who chickens out of horror films, I'm not sure what possessed me to be in that room, but as we all filled the auditorium, I felt an apprehension that I'd never felt before a show.
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As everyone sipped their drinks, tucked into their snacks, and anxiously checked the time, suddenly the room went black. Already, some screams. Good.
We're initially introduced to Professor Goodman, a sceptic out to debunk the paranormal, who embarks on an investigation of three apparent hauntings - as recounted by a night-watchman, a teenage boy, and a businessman awaiting his first child.
The production is brilliant in building tension at the right spots, creating anticipation for the audience by using simple trickery or bright lights to disorient us. It's safe to say I had to hold my partner's hand throughout the whole thing to get through this one.
Of course, by the end of the one-act play, it becomes easier to predict when the jump scares are coming, but that doesn't take away from any of the fun (or fear).
Ultimately, Ghost Stories relies on jump scares and stereotypical horror elements rather than clever plot lines, but the fear factor is why these types of productions are so popular. There's a reason Ghost Stories is returning to the West End this Halloween.
If you dare visit Mayflower Theatre this week, make sure you bring someone along who is willing to hold your hand.
Ghost Stories is at Mayflower Theatre until June 28. Tickets can be purchased online at mayflower.org.uk or by calling 02380 711811.
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