Night Shifter (title not set in stone)

The air was thick, the room dark. Tom moved slowly and deliberately against the wall. Feeling his way to the door where freedom lay. He could hear the thing in the next room, its growls guttural as it tore into the flesh of his friend, Dan, who had the unfortunate luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Tom waited listening, and feeling useless as well as ashamed. Here he stood praying the creature did not find him while his friend lay dead in the other room.

Tears sprang to his eyes as he thought of what Dan had suffered. If he had to give thanks for anything tonight, it was that Dan had gone quickly hadn’t suffered too horribly before death found him.

He frowned thoughtfully - something was different. Then he realized, while distracted by his thoughts the creature had left or at least had stopped mauling poor Dan.

Tom crept silently toward the bedroom. He reached for the switch. Light flooded the room. He gasped at the site before him Dan lay deathly still, sprawled in an abnormal position. His eyes were wide-open, frozen forever in fear. Deep gashes marred his flesh from head to foot.

Tom could not move. He stood there gaping at the horror. Covering his mouth to keep the gorge that had suddenly rose in his throat from rising all the way. He shuddered and looked away. “Oh my God, Oh my God” He repeated silently.

A noise came from the bathroom. Tom went still; the creature hadn’t left but why was it in the bathroom? What could an animal possibly need in there? He didn’t wait to find out. He quickly ran out of the room.

What is it? Why is it here? Better yet, where the hell did it come from? He had never seen anything like this beast. These questions kept running through his mind repetitively as he ran.

Reaching the door, he stopped and holding his breath, listened intently for any sign the creature was after him.

He heard movement in the other room but that was all. Realizing that it must not have seen him, he breathed a bit easier. He turned to the door, grabbed hold of the knob, and little by little, twisted it. Sweat poured down his face, he blinked rapidly to keep it from going in his eyes he inched the door open just wide enough to slip through.

On the other side, he let out a sigh of relief praying the light didn't alert the monster to his presence.

His hand slick with sweat slipped, loosening his grip on the knob. It slid from his grasp. He grabbed frantically at it only to lend it more momentum causing the door to swing shut with a sickening thud the sound reverberating throughout the hall.

Tom’s heart sank; he swore, “There was no way the thing didn’t hear that”. He thought with dread then swinging around, he tore down the hall as fast as his feet would carry him.

He heard the creature let out an immense roar that sent shivers down his spine and caused the hairs on his neck to stand up.

A crash sounded. The thing had heard him, had broken through the door, and was now racing toward him at frightening speed.

Tom spun around the corner and darted past the front desk where the manager lay in a heap of mangled flesh and bone. He cringed at the site and made for the front door. The beast was right behind and gaining fast. Tom could hear its breath coming in deep even bursts its claws clanged on the floor with every leap.

Just when he thought his time had come, the door to his right burst open, someone reached out, and grabbing his arm pulled him in then slammed the door shut.