The old white Buick drove up the driveway through the heavily wooded property. Daniel had been afraid that he had gotten lost in trying to find this location, but finding the security gate and being let in after a short talk of who he was with an unknown guard through a speaker intercom told him that he was in the right location. The guard had warned him that he was going to be driving for awhile. The paved one way road went on for about three miles when the forest finally gave way to an open mowed  field on rolling hills. Daniel could see his destination just a short distance further. An old stone bricked building that looked like a highly secured prison from the early 1900s. He could make out another similar fortress sitting high upon another hill in the distance, the setting sun casting it in a red bloody glow.

This was to be Daniel's first night of orientation and work. He thought it to be a miracle that he had gotten the job. It paid extremely better than his previous jobs. Even Amber, his wife, had a hard time believing he was going to be making that much when she was first told about it. Amber was six months pregnant, working as an office secretary for the local public high school. Dan had been let go from the zoo a year earlier, along with other staff in a need to cut costs. The two lovers lived in a studio apartment quite cozily, but with a child on the way and with his unemployment soon running out, Daniel was starting to get desperate.

It was a very simple hiring process. Dan first heard of the job through an online job search. After filling out a resume for the website, he was sent a private message about a possible job. An application and tax papers were mailed over night to his apartment, along with confidentiality forms. He was called from an unknown lady to give him a short over the phone interview just three days later. From what he could tell from the interview and paperwork, getting the job was based on the fact he had no college, worked security for a year, and worked cleaning cages and exhibits at a zoo for two years.

The drive way lead into a small parking lot, where a small elderly man stood by the building's entrance of a single green metal door. The man waited patiently as the old car parked, and for Daniel to walk over to him. The old man wore a nonspecific gray work jumpsuit with matching baseball cap that caused long white hair to stick out more than it normally would, looking like a clown's hair with a bald cap. His face was wrinkled and leathery, but pale from not being in the sun often with exception for the dark coloring under his eyes.

“Daniel McPherson?” asked the elder with a voice that could only be described as tired.

“Yes, that is me,” answered the much younger smiling man as he walked over, holding out a hand to shake in greeting. The old man stared at the hand presented to him for a couple seconds before taking it in a grip that surprised Daniel. The man was easily over the age of eighty, but his handshake was strong and youthful. The skin of his hand felt of one who has worked hard for all one's life, making Daniel feel a little self aware of his own hand and how smooth it must have felt in comparison to this senior's.

“Dorado,” greeted the old man with a smirk that seemed forced and unamused. “Jerry Dorado. I have worked here for nearly fifty years, and been trying to retire for ten of those years.”

Daniel was unsure if he was supposed to laugh, or if Jerry was being serious about that last statement. He decided to just keep smiling.

“I am to give you your orientation,” continued Mister Dorado. “You can't even enter this building until orientation is finished. This property is all government owned. All the buildings and all the land, which is over thirty miles in diameter. As you probably thought, this was an old prison. And not just any prison. This was Fort Hillgreen, a maximum security military prison. This was where the worst criminals that were military trained and no longer considered civilian were kept. 

“Over there,” Jerry went on explaining, pointing over to the old fortress and towers in the distance, “is the death row. That was where the majority of the spies and traitors were hanged and shot before the new prison was made. All of this, of course, was before I started working here. The properties were converted into science labs for military testing. Specifically biological testing.”

Jerry paused to watch the new hire's reaction.

Daniel was letting it all sink in. He felt like he was standing in what was likely an unknown important location in history now. 

“It all sounds very interesting,” Daniel stated as he figured he was expected to say something here. “You say they do biological testing here. From the interview, I suspect that my job is working with animals of some kind. Does this mean that, uhm, I am working with... test animals?”

“You are not a PETA nut here to,” Jerry held up both of his hands to make quotations,” 'FREE' the animals are you?”

“Oh, no no no,” Daniel responded quickly, “PETA was mentioned in the paperwork, and I have a feeling I was already investigated for any involvement with such groups.”

Jerry's unamused smirk now looked a little sincere

“We did. You, your family, and all your friends listed on all your social media. And to answer your question, yes. Yes, you are working around test animals. Now, do not worry. You are not working near animals that are infected or anything. The scientists themselves deal with those. You will be working around those that have yet to be tested on. This includes anything from mice and rats, up to dogs, and even chimps and apes. With your background, this should not be a problem for you.”

Jerry stopped as he thought to himself before continuing.

“Now, here is the deal,” said Jerry, his smirk all gone and a look of seriousness upon his face. “The part that must be passed in order to enter this building. As I said, I have been trying to retire for ten years. The problem is, we can not find anyone to replace me. No one stays after their first night, and I must say that I am really getting fucking tired of it. I have owned a nice house in Florida for over fifteen years and I have only been inside it twice. My wife never got to see it... “

Daniel was unsure if Mister Dorado was mad or sadden with what was obviously a slip about his wife.

“What I need to know from you, Dan, is that you will do as I tell you tonight. Do exactly what I say, and promise to never do different after. And you had better damn well mean it because you are not the first I have asked this to.”

Daniel was a little taken aback to this tone. Normally, he would have said 'yes, I will do exactly as you say and do' right now. However, he was struck with just how serious Jerry was being. Was he really serious about trying to hire a new replacement for ten years? And the job will apparently be working near military biological chemicals. Its no wonder this job pays so well. He looked around, the woods near by casting long shadows over the fields with the disappearing sun light as dusk slowly turned into night.

“Yes,” Daniel finally answered, trying to sound as sincere as possible. “I will take this job seriously and follow the rules as you tell and show me.”

Jerry took a deep breath, almost a loud sigh. He nodded and turned around, revealing a keypad inserted into the wall beside the door. The old man casually tapped in what seemed to be a ten digit code, and an audible click was heard. He opened the door and held it open for Daniel. 

Stepping inside, Daniel was surprised by the interior. Unlike the old nearly Gothic look of the century old prison, it was all white. Linoleum tile, plastic walling. Was like an old hospital's emergency room except no paintings or magazines. A single windowed room with a security guard was seen just to the side so not to bee seen from the door way, located at the end of the hallway. The armed guard with a shotgun stood and watched as the two men entered. The window was of thick glass with a single hole. Daniel had the feeling the hole was for more than just talking. A shotgun blast would hit everything within the hall without needing to aim. The uniformed lady gave a nod to Jerry, but her eyes never left sight of the new hire as they walked away. There was a single corner turn at the other end of the hallway, and going around the corner was another guard stationed behind a window at the far end. This guard also gave a knowing nod to Jerry as they walked towards him. There was only a single door to the left of the guard's post. Jerry walked up and tapped on a keypad once more. A click was again heard, and the two went in.

They were inside what seemed to be both a locker room and break room. Lockers lined one side of the room with a refrigerator and a  few vending machines along another with a sink and microwave. A sofa was in a corner with a few cafeteria tables and chairs in the center of the room. A television propped on the wall played what appeared to be a split screen of CNN and ESPN2.

Daniel was given a locker and handed a work suit. Jerry explained that a clean suit will be given at the end of every night. The two exited through another door. This part of the building looked more like how it probably looked half a century ago, with old wallpaper on concrete walls. Jerry showed Daniel where the janitor closet was. After grabbing some basic cleaning tools, Jerry led the new hire to the animal room. The smell was like an entire zoo was smashed into a single large room. Daniel could see that this was once a section of the old prison's jail cells. Three stories tall with an open center, with the sounds of various animals whining and barking.

“Now, the day time crew takes care of most things,” explained Jerry as they walked up to the first cell. “All we do is ensure the animal's cages are still clean and that nothing has died or been killed. Like these first rooms are all rodents. Their cages are cleaned by the day staff so I never had to deal with it. Every once in awhile a rabbit will die, or a mother rat will give birth to a litter and eat some of the babies. You just take them out and put them in that bio bin right there by the door.”

The cell was lined with small cages. Each one had one or two mice or rats in them. He was glad to see that each cage had some kind of item in them to keep them entertained. They moved onto the next cell which had rabbit hutches. The majority of the cells on that side of the room and floor was rodent based, with the exception of the rabbits. Across the hall, Daniel could hear meowing. Cats and ferrets were kept in those cells. Jerry explained that the ferrets were used often since their lungs or something were similar to humans.

“Great for testing to see if something will catch like the flu or cold. Best to just ignore it and just do your job and not think about it.”

The second floor was dogs. The cells seemed to not been altered at all on this floor. Some even had the beds still installed into the walls, each with a few dogs sleeping upon them. Each cell contained about four dogs. 

The third and final floor was more a challenge for these had the apes. Majority of them were chimpanzees, but one cell had an old male orangutang that Jerry called the General. Jerry said that the General had been there for twenty years. There was also two female gorillas that had been there for four years. The General kept to himself, but the gorillas and chimps were a hassle. The basic work for dealing with them was to throw in a treat and use the tools to scrape out whatever fecal matter or debris needed to be removed. Jerry explained that to stay out of reach. If grabbed, you tear out of your suit and clothes as fast as possible. If an ape was being unruly and not letting you do your job, you just report it in the notebook by the bio bin.

The entire job took about four hours. The two men returned to the break room for a lunch break.

“Now, I have to ask again and make sure you will do exactly as I say and do exactly as I do,” said Jerry as he sipped on a cup of coffee. “You are probably thinking that this job is easy and have nothing to worry about after that first room. Right?”

“Well, I was actually wondering about that,” admitted Daniel. “This does seem a bit easier than I thought it would be. I know the apes can be real dangerous, but I know as long as they do not escape they are easily handled.”

“And if they do escape, you will know before you even get into that room. That's why we keep all the other animal secured in the other cells. Those chimps would love to snack on a few Guinea pigs,” commented the elder in such away that Daniel knew he was not meaning it as a joke. “Just call for security, and they will take care of them.

“What I am getting at,” he went on, “is that the next part of the job can be dangerous. Deadly. We will be going over yonder to the old death row. The animals over there are extremely dangerous. Its over there that all the confidential papers were signed for.”

“What's over there? Lions?” asked Daniel.

“Don't know. And don't want to know. Do as I say and do as I do,” the old man warned again. “Over there, they are doing some kind of testing that is best to be ignored. Just do your job and do not let curiosity get the best of you. Do not be a cat.”

“So I will not see these animals?”

“And you are already being too curious!” yelled Jerry Dorado, slapping his hand on the table. Daniel startled to this sudden change in tone, jumping back. 

“I am sorry,” the old man apologized, “But this is serious. It is best to try to forget that there are even animals over there. Again, can you do your job and never stray?”

Daniel nodded, agreeing that he will. However, Jerry looked wary.

“I swear,” Jerry continued, “ I hear and see this too often. I have been doing this job way too long and I am getting sick of it. I am about to quit and just leave and let them deal with everything.”

“Maybe free all the animals and blame it on PETA while you are at it?” joked Daniel in an attempt to get the old man to at least give that fake smirk again.

Jerry looked at the Daniel horrified at first, but that scared expression vanished as he started to laugh almost manically

“HA HA HA! Yeah, sure!” laughed Jerry. “Boy, wouldn't that just show them.”

After their break, Jerry led Daniel down a hall and down some stairs into what seemed to be a small loading station with train tracks leading into an underground tunnel. 

“This here was built sometime in the thirties,” explained Jerry as he stepped into a small passenger rail cart that was on the tracks. He beckoned for Daniel to take a seat with him. “This was one of the few places they made as a possible shelter in case of an attack on US soil for local officials. It was then reinforced to with stand a nuclear attack in the late forties. I will not lie that knowledge helped me for awhile during that red scare bullshit.”

Once Daniel was seated, Jerry pressed one of two lone buttons.  The cart lurched forward and slowly made its way into the dark tunnel ahead.

“Now, its going to be really dark,” warned the old man. “They used to have lights on, but they will not turn them on now unless there is an emergency.”

Just as Jerry said, the tunnel was unlit. Daniel looked back  to see the light of the room they were just in vanish as the cart swerved on an unseen turn. Now in the pitch blackness, Daniel closed his eyes so not to strain them in trying to see through the nothingness. He could smell the dust and dampness of the brick and concrete of the tunnel walls as cart sped faster and the breeze blew against his face. Daniel could feel the cart slowing down after a few minutes. Opening his eyes, he could see light approaching from up ahead.

The room they entered look identical to the previous with the exception of the tunnel being on the opposite wall. Jerry led the new hire up the stairs and into a large hallway similar to the entrance hall back at the other building. 

“This building has no entrances or exits to outside, except for that tunnel,” said Jerry as he walked over and picked up a couple headphones off the wall by the supply closet. “All we do here is clean. This entire prison has been specifically secured and design to prevent anything from escaping. The only thing that-”

“Escape?” asked Daniel confused. 

“WILL allow an escape,” continued Jerry with his explanation, that angered look he shown earlier in the break room creeping back within his eyes, “is human error. This entire hallway encircles the cells and the court yard. It is sound proof. If you were to get trapped in a cell, no one will hear you.”

Jerry handed Daniel one of the headphones. Looking it over, Daniel was surprised to see that they were pretty high tech with indications that they use wifi and bluetooth .

“These are fairly new,” Jerry went on to explain, “I remember when it was just sound blockers and ear plugs. I was so thankful when they agreed to let me bring my son's walkman. These can connect to your choice of radio station or even your phone or mp3 player. I am sure you was told to bring one.”

Daniel nodded. He pulled out his small player and allowed the headphones to connect through the bluetooth functions. 

“How come we have these?” he asked once the sounds of Red Hot Chilli Peppers was heard.

Jerry eyed the young man warily. 

“They all ask that, and I have no answer for it,” Jerry finally responded with a sigh. “The ear plugs and headphones were my idea. The first night here, they did not have them. I made sure they were made a part of the uniform the next day.”

“What did-”

“Don't you even dare ask that?” cut off Jerry. “Don't even think that question. I want to forget that night and you should not be asking. Do NOT be a cat, Danny.”

Daniel swallowed hard. He was confused and growing worried. 

Were they testing some kind of audio weapon here? He thought.

“Remember,” Jerry went on to explain, “If you do what I say and do what I do, you will be just fine and nothing bad will happen to you. But when you go in these rooms to clean, you keep these on at all time and at all cost. If one of these doors are open, you better be deaf. Make sure they are firmly set and will not fall off by accident. And do not ask why. DO you under stand me?”

“Yes sir,” muttered Daniel. 

What could they be doing here? What did Jerry hear? Could it even be the same tests for so long?

Once the supplies were gathered from the closet, Jerry walked to the end of the hallway and to a door  in the inner wall. A red light was lit over the frame and two digital pads were to the right of the door handle. One was a ten digit keypad like those at the previous entrances. The other was a simple light switch with marks reading OPEN and CLOSED. The switch was aiming down at CLOSED.

“There are motion and heat sensors inside each room,” explained Jerry as he pointed up at two lights. One light was red. The other light was not lit.  “As long as that light is red, this keypad will not work and this door will not open. It will also not work if that other light is turned on. If that light is turned on, that means the door leading out into the courtyard is open. This switch opens and closes the door that leads into the courtyard. The day crew leaves food out in the courtyard for it. As soon as it leaves, and the sensors read negative, the light will go green. Flip the switch again to close the door, and if the light stays green afterwards, then it is safe to enter and clean.”

Daniel looked at Jerry, knowing he was going to regret asking the question that was now nagging him

“I do not know what 'It' is,” answered Jerry before Daniel could even ask. “If you cannot stop being a pussy, I will insist that you leave and quit now.”

“No, sorry” muttered Daniel, feeling like he just had his mind read. “I can do this no problem. Was.. uhm.. I was just wondering if. It? It ever not leave the room?”

Jerry Dorado stared at the new hire, debating on whether or not to call him out on the lie. He decided to go ahead and answer the good question instead.

“It has occurred a few times. Just fill out the notepad by the bin like you would for the chimps. And if there is an escape? I doubt you want to be here for that. Now put on the head phones. We have eight rooms to get cleaned.”

Once he was sure Daniel had the headphones on securely, Jerry flipped the switch to OPEN. The two watched the light by the red bulb light up after a few seconds. About thirty more seconds go by and the red light dimmed, then turned green. Jerry flipped the switch back to Closed. They waited. The light turned off and the other light remained green. Daniel watched as Jerry silently tapped the keypad. The old man then opened the door and walked in. 

Daniel gagged at the smell that rushed out. It was a stench similar to one Daniel had smelled once before from back when he worked at the zoo. Back when a polar bear had gotten her head stuck in a drain at the bottom of the pool and drowned. They were unable to remove the bear until the end of the weekend. The smell that filled the entire exhibit when they finally emptied the pool to unstuck the bear and remove it with a crane was close to the smell that filled this single cell. This was worse.

Jerry was fast to make sure Daniel first looked over at the wall with a heavy, steel sliding door. The door was large and filled nearly the entire wall reaching from floor to ceiling. A regular door was just to the left of the sliding door with a caution sticker on it. A green light was lit over it. Unlike the entry door, this door had a push bar to exit with a red box attached indicating that it was an emergency only exit and that an alarm would sound if opened. Daniel figured the Green light meant that it could be opened as long as the entry door was open. The light was most likely red when the other door was locked. Jerry pointed at that door, then with the same finger shook it back and forth along with his head. Daniel nodded in understanding. 

Never use that door.

The cell was made of stone and concrete, and lined with ten foot tall steel plating. The ceiling was fifteen feet high, and the room was a spacey twenty by twenty box. The floor was covered with hay, with a pile making up a creature's bed. There was a large tire lying in the corner, with chunks broken off. These things all looked like that of a cage for a large animal.

There were also some unsettling things within the cell. The scat was all in a corner. It was like that of a bovine type animal, runny and in patties. However, Daniel could see animal hair and even the rusty red tint of blood. This was a carnivore. There was what appeared to claw marks along the walls and doors that appeared to be from a paw or hand with only two digits. There were smears of blood on the floor. A trail lead over to the torn tire. Looking within the ripped hard rubber was a mangled cat. It was crushed and torn as badly as the tire, but it seemed to have nothing eaten from it. 

Daniel reached for it, but Jerry's hand grabbed his wrist. Daniel gave a start, but got it. Do not touch or remove the 'food'.

They went about cleaning the floor and replacing the straw. It was actually a simple and easy job. They were soon done, leaving the room the way they came. Jerry closed the door, then flipped the switch to open the sliding door once again. The light lit up and the other light turned red almost immediately.

Jerry removed the headphones. Daniel followed his example.

“That's all there is to it,” said Jerry. “You do all eight rooms just like that, and you go home. That simple. Now, they do not always come back in so soon after the door opens back up. Do not worry about it, and just leave the sliding door open. Day staff handles it from there.”

The two moved down the hallway to the next door. Putting on their headphones, they flipped the switch, waited for the light to turn green, and entered the room.

 Daniel was again struck with the overwhelming stench of death and decay. Anther torn tire. This time, the animal carcass was unrecognizable and mostly eaten. They cleaned the room as normal, with Daniel trying to hold his breath as much as possible. As they left the room, he turned to ask Jerry about working with the smell, taking his headphones off. The door was not yet shut.

From within the room they had just stepped out of, over the sounds of rock from the headphones, the shrill cries of an animal in pain could be heard. No, not in pain. It was being caused pain. It was the sounds of some creature being tortured and gagging for breath. And just before door finally shut, something else was heard along with the unknown animal in its audible demise. 

It sounded like a woman screaming.

The door closed before Daniel could confirm if it was actually a human or another animal. It all was only for a single second, but Daniel felt like he had just witnessed an accident with a school bus and a train.

Jerry turned and could tell what had happened.

“DID I NOT TELL YOU TO KEEP THEM ON!” he screamed as he grabbed Daniel by his shoulder and started to walk towards the exit leading to the stairs and underground tunnel. “You are leaving right now!”

Daniel pulled away from the surprisingly strong grip of the old man. 

“I am sorry. Trust me, I am so sorry,” the man pleaded, holding his hands up to keep Jerry from grabbing him again. “I really did not mean to do that. And I assure you I will not do THAT ever again. I wish I not even heard that.”

Jerry paced, in both anger and thought. Every time he looked up at Daniel, he would turn and walk further away down the hall.

“I am sincerely sorry,” spoke Daniel again after a few minutes had passed. “I really need this job, and I understand now why you instructed me the way you did. I promise I will not quit like the others, and I will not take the headphones off until after all the rooms are cleaned from now on.”

Old Jerry stood still, not once looking up at Daniel. Daniel placed the headphones on his head, and slowly moved over to the third door. When Jerry looked up finally, he saw Daniel seeming to be pleading to him with his eyes, standing in front of the keypad that only Jerry knew the code to. 

The light was green. The other light dim.

With a deep sigh, Jerry went back to looking at the floor as he walked over and entered the code.

The energy was now gone as they moved slowly with their work. Daniel was of his word and never removed the headphones unless Jerry had something to tell him after leaving the room and the doors was secured. By the seventh room, Jerry was giving that fake smirk again. It seemed that Daniel might just be the one to finally replace him and let him retire.

While in the seventh room, Daniel found the body of a large dog lying among the hay bedding. Its legs were crushed or removed. A large chunk of flesh was missing from under it, its intestine rolled out and seemingly bitten and stamped upon. Daniel attempted to move the body to removed the hay. The headphones prevented him from realizing that the dog was still alive until it suddenly lurched forward and bit the broom's handle, spraying drool and blood all around.

Daniel jumped back in a start from seeing the mutilated dog viciously try to bite him, falling hard onto his back. 

“-MMY! MOMMY!” came the shrieking cry of an injured child.

Daniel's headphones had gotten knocked off from the jolt of hitting the ground. The whimpering snarls from the dying mutt near his feet was now heard, but the pained screams of a child calling out for their mom was coming from outside. Just beyond the sliding door where the unknown creatures were.

Daniel stood up shaking, tears rolling down his cheeks. His mind was in turmoil over what was happening outside that door, and what he should do. He was now positive that he did indeed hear a woman screaming earlier. And now there is a child! 

Why is there a child even here?! Are they feeding people to these thing?!

Daniel was already moving towards the emergency door before he had even decided on what he was going to do about the situation. He was running towards the door when he had. He had to save the child, and then get away from this place. He shoved open the door and ran out into the open air, setting off a small siren in the process. A red light began to flash within the room. Daniel turned to see if Jerry was coming to help, but he saw Jerry's leg disappear into the main hall and the entry door shut. Then the emergency door slammed shut as well, blocking out the red light and the sound of the siren and dog. 

He also did not hear any child screaming. 

Daniel tried to open the door, but the door was designed to only go one way. He quickly looked to his left where he was certain the child had been. Just dry dirt and rock laid over the ground in front of the steel sliding door with the little bit of light from the night sky. Daniel turned his back to the wall, expecting to see lions or bears about to pounce upon him. There was nothing. 

The courtyard was about hundred fifty square yards in size. The land had been torn with heavy rock and boulder lying about with dead trees and shrubs scattered about. Some of the rocks were massive in size, easily concealing most any large creature that wanted to hide. The smell of decay and death prevailed out here, the lack of a ceiling did nothing to help air out the stench.

Daniel could see the light of the other cells disappear as all the sliding doors were closing, stealing away the light even further. Daniel sprinted for the cell just next to the one he had exited from, the door sealing shut before he even made ten steps. He continued to run. He had to find a way out.

“MOMMY!”

Daniel froze. Hearing the child once more, so loud and clearly now. It came from the center of the courtyard among the rocks and dry bushes. Tears rolled down his face as he knew that he should be trying to escape. The child shrieked in pain, causing Daniel to burst forward toward the shadows of the boulders. The kid continued to wail, seemingly unable to keep from taking breath due for the kid's need to release as much as possible to relieve the pain being caused upon them. 

Then silence.

Daniel stood still and listened as he crept along the side of a particularly large rock. He was certain the kid was right around the spot he was facing. The sound of feet in the gravel could be heard just on the other side of the rock. Daniel moved fast to the other side, thinking that it might be possible to still rescue the kid. He could hear the unknown thing speed off before he could even see what it could have been. It sounded like that of a horse.

An animal screamed just some yards away, causing Daniel to jump against the rock. It sound like a rabbit caught by a predator. The the shrill snort of a horse neighing in distress then came from his right. Sweat soaked Daniel's brow as he strained to look and listen. It was sounding like numerous animals were being killed all around him. He slowly inched back around the rock the way he came. Bravery once more making way for his own personal safety.. He turned around to run for the outer wall, and escape this nightmare. There had to be an exit somewhere.

The head and red eyes struck Daniel with a terror he never thought possible. He was caught so off guard that he choked upon his own screams as he fell back, the rock the only thing keeping him from completely falling over as his knees and legs lost their strength.

It stood just over seven feet tall. The head looked like that of an over sized badger, lips snarling to reveal great broad bony teeth that gleamed in the moonlight. That same light reflected a deathly red glow from its narrow eyes. It was about nine feet long, its black shaggy mane spreading from its neck to its lion like tail.  The black hair seeming to melt down over the beige colored body and face. A body similar to that of a stag with long horse like legs and cloven hooves for feet.

It then started to cry. Cry like a woman! It was starting to sob out loud then suddenly SCREAM!  Daniel screamed as well as it was the exact same scream he had heard so briefly just little over an hour ago. 

“MOMMY!”

The child was to his left, but Daniel could not get himself to look away from the beast in front of him. A monster screaming like a woman that was being torn to pieces. He knew now that it did not matter, for he now knew that there was never a child. At least not this night. It was all an act. These things were only mimicking the sounds of hurt and distressed animals and people to lure others to them. Other like himself.

A warmth spread over his legs. Daniel thought he had loss control of his bladder, not caring or having any shame of it for who would not do such a thing at this moment. He could not, however, understand why he was falling backwards. The warmth quickly turned towards a burning sensation just above his hip and spine. As he hit the ground, he could see another one of the creatures standing right above him. Daniel gave a small sigh in knowing that he had not peed his pants. It was only his own blood.

This new creature was only half the size of the first one. Possibly much younger. He could see blood upon its lips, as well as bits of his own flesh and bone crunching under its teeth. He never felt the bite. A bite that had to be monstrously powerful for him to not have noticed. He looked to see more cloven hooves move towards his crippled body. Daniel knew what was to come. Just like the animals left in the cell. Just like the dog that was still alive and had caused him to hear these things. These beasts were going to torture him. They were going to make him scream. And they were going to enjoy his misery. 

Daniel could only think of his wife and unborn child as the first of the creatures stepped upon his shoulder, the sound of his own bones crushing within his head.

“Amber!” he cried out in vain.

9 MONTHS LATER

The red Chevy truck rolled over pavement through the thick woods, coming out upon the open fields as Henry approached what looked like an ancient prison. There was a second similar building just in the distance in the glow of the red setting sun. There was an old man standing by the single green metal door as Henry parked his truck.

The old man looked odd for he did not look like he belonged here. He had white hair combed back into a ponytail. He wore a green tropical shirt and white khaki shorts. Brown open toed beach sandals covered  his weathered, snow white feet. If it was not for the pale white skin, he looked like one who lived on a tropical beach his whole life.

The elderly man walked hurriedly to the truck as Henry got out of it.

“Henry Parker?” said the old man, sounding as if he was in a hurry. Henry thought he could hear a siren coming from somewhere in the distance.

“Yes?” the new hire replied, holding out his hand in greeting.

The old man took his hand, and with surprising strength and urgency, turned him fully around and facing  his truck.

“Go home right now,” said the man, “You are fired and not needed here.”

“What? Why?!” Henry stated, now getting as mad as he was confused. “Who are you? What are you doing?”

“Me?” The old man let go and started to quickly walk to the other side of the parking lot where the other employees had parked their cars, “I am retiring is what I am doing.”

As he watched the old man get in his car and hurriedly speed away, Henry heard what sounded like a stampede coming from somewhere nearby. He thought he could also hear gun shots. There were gunshots and an alarm, and animals and people screaming. He could hear a woman shrieking, and a child screaming for their mom. 

And a man screaming for someone named Amber.