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The rest of the deliveries went without a drama.

There was one young family with a new baby that was super cute.

Mum was breastfeeding bubs as we came inside, the three dads rushing around, trying to take the boxes from us, fussing over the mother, and managing to trip over each other in the process.

When the child started crying, a dad dropped the box he was carrying, thankfully not the one with the eggs in it.

Mum just reassured him calmly, getting the baby back on the nipple and redirected him to the job at hand.

She thanked us for the delivery and asked idly how I was going.

I mumbled something appropriate, transfixed by her placid beauty, completely absorbed in feeding her child.

“OK, we’ve got to head back and pick up the next load from the warehouse, then we’re heading out to the farm.”

“So there’s a whole farm connected to the Sanctuary? I had no idea this was a whole self-sustaining community when I came for the job. I figured everything got shipped in.”

“Some of it,” Brandon said. “You’re about to see where the supplies are kept.”

We pulled into a shed I’d never been to before. It was filled with floor to ceiling industrial shelving that contained household goods of every description. “How does this all get here?”

“Someone does a run with one of the long haul trucks,” he said.

“I do it sometimes. You could come if you wanted, return to civilisation for a day. Alright, maybe get out and stretch your legs as stacking the truck is going to take a bit.” He yanked his shirt off and tucked it into the back of his jeans.

“And you need to do this shirtless?” I asked, my eyes running across his bare chest. He wasn’t as puffed up as some of the other guys, but he was all muscle and sinew.

“It’s hot, shitty work, but it’s all made a whole lot better when you look at me like that.” He grinned and then loped off into the shed.

“C’mon Bud, let’s get some food,” I said.

He sprang to his feet and ran in the direction of the mess hall.

I was just starting to put something on my plate when the sirens began to wail.

My head jerked up, and I saw everyone drop what they were doing and run for the entrance.

Bud started to circle and howl, obviously distressed by the noise.

I followed the group outside at a slower pace.

Bam! I turned to see the gate to the mine rattle on its frame as something massive slammed against it.

“Get the guns! Get the guns!” people yelled, running to the various buildings.

Bam! Bam! Bam! What the fuck was that? Brandon had said I would be safe, that no harm would come to me on the full moon, then why were people flying around in a mad panic, looking for guns?

It was like World War III was about to break out.

I walked slowly towards the barrier, avoiding the flurry of people around me, peering past the mesh into the darkness beyond it, trying to work out what was battering its way through the gate.

Bam! I heard a scrabbling noise, then a god awful screech, like something sharp dragging itself against metal.

Bam! Bam! I should’ve been worried, tearing off and screaming from here, because I could see the pins on the frame were starting to bend.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Then I heard it, a sound that had my blood running cold.

An unearthly howl, like a wolf’s, yet totally unlike.

It was as if it came from a throat coated with broken glass, forced through vocal cords made of barbed wire.

Too late I realised that moving closer to something that was making that sound was not wise, that everyone was racing to find weapons for a reason.

Smash! The gate flew wide and something that looked like it had crawled from the gates of hell stepped out.

Buddy dropped down into an aggressive stance, growling ferociously at the beast that had broken down the gate.

It was big and black and somehow, indistinct, as if made from smoke as well as flesh.

It had four paws that moved slowly, almost gracefully towards me, bright red eyes that glowed within its smoky form and a long snout, like a wolf’s, that was currently scenting the air, scenting me.

“Oh fuck!” I finally gasped, my brain now realising how much danger I was in.

“Julie! Julie!” I heard people call dimly, but I couldn’t heed them.

“Buddy!” I cried as he slunk closer to the beast. He dropped down into a crouch, his legs coiling. “Buddy, no!”

I threw myself at my dog, but he leapt at the same time, jaws open wide.

The black thing’s eyes flicked to my pup for just a moment, and that was all it took for it to pluck him from its flesh and throw him wide.

“Buddy!” I sobbed, seeing him lying there, motionless.

I ran over to his side, no longer caring about the hell beast, but it did not return my sentiment.

I was slammed to the ground, getting a mouthful of dirt for my trouble, gasping for breath but unable to get any air, as I had been completely winded.

Can’t breathe! Can’t breathe! I thought hysterically, fighting to fill my lungs, but I was no match for the huge weight on my spine.

The horrific growl was now deafening in my ears, so much so that the sound of guns being fired was almost a muted counterpoint.

I felt my shirt rip as I managed to wriggle free enough to lie on my back, and was greeted by the monstrous face of the beast. The red eyes bore into mine, it’s stinking breath washing over me.

I tried to shimmy away from it, tears flowing freely, but it placed both of its paws on each of my arms. I screamed when its claws buried themselves into my skin, using air I didn’t have.

My vision was starting to fail as I gasped, my lungs fighting to fill as the beast’s head drew closer and closer.

“No!” I whimpered, “no!” I lost consciousness just as those terrible jaws descended.