I'm a modest working man in my late 30s. I work at a warehouse that packs various foodstuffs and ships them out. I've only been working here for about a year, stocking shelves with crates and boxes that'll be shipped out in the coming day. Unlike a lot of the warehouses in my area, our facility has a strict closing time; "All employees must exit the building by 7:45 PM." Is the continuous monotone mantra that plays over the intercom after the clock strikes 5:00. I don't know what happens there after we leave, or at least I didn't until a few weeks ago. I don't think the warehouse even has guards or cameras anywhere but the exterior of the building.

A few weeks ago back in early October, I had finished up my shift as usual but when it came time to leave, I couldn't find my keys. I looked at the clock as the phrase echoed throughout the warehouse, "All employees must exit the building by 7:45 PM." It was around 7:25 so I had a bit of time to search for my keys before I left. It was an eerie feeling walking around the facility. Most people leave by 7:00 so I was the only one there besides the guards outside. My footsteps on the tile and concrete were deafening in the large quiet building as I looked through the break room, parking garage and front desk before I found them in the cargo bay near a handful of crates. I stuffed my keys into my pocket, squatting down and lifting the first crate up onto the shelf, then the second, and then the final crate. I looked at the time, 7:42, I sighed, just enough time left to get back to my truck.

As I walked back towards the parking garage, I saw a small, thin figure scuttle past me out of the corner of my eye. Out of instinct I turned to face the direction of the figure to see nothing, "Probably a rat." I said to myself, brushing off the encounter. As I continued on my way, I heard someone or something muttering nearby, "Hello?" I called out, receiving nothing in response before I heard the sound of a crate falling over and pattering on the tile floor. I gulped and decided to check it out in the morning, walking to the garage with a quickening pace but as I walked, I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind me, quickly getting louder and closer. My walk turned into a jog and then a sprint as I ran, trying to get away from the sound.

I soon reached the door to the garage and looked behind me...nothing. I sighed in relief as I turned to the door, trying the handle...but it was locked. My eyes widened as I looked at the clock, illuminated by the dim and buzzing lights; 7:50 pm. I sighed, I'd have to stay in the building that night. Walking back to the break room and sitting on the couch, I turned on the television, grabbing a microwave meal out of the fridge and heating it up. After I ate, I soon fell asleep but was awoken by the sound of heavy wheezing and what sounded like clattering teeth. When I sat up, it stopped and was replaced by the sound of footsteps on tile going away from the room.

I looked at the clock, 12:24 AM. I resolved to figure out what the hell was making the footsteps, walking out into the warehouse, armed with a flashlight and kitchen knife in case it was a burglar who was armed. I walked into the dimly lit cargo bay and found a small trail of an inky black substance leading into the vents. I shuddered, soon leaving and heading into the stocking area, seeing a crate knocked over, bags of meat ripped open and pillaged. I looked over and saw a small hole in the side of a wall, a plank of particle board laying beside it. It was then when I met...it.

I felt my legs get ripped out from underneath me as I fell forward, the knife falling from my hand. I whipped around and came face to face with the thing of nightmares. It was hairless with large eyes, a large maw filled with jagged needle-like teeth and claws longer than my arms. It screamed at me as I kicked it off of me, it's claws easily slicing through the thick jumpsuit I wore and sinking into my flesh. I screamed in pain and horror as I threw it off of me, blood pouring from my calf and thigh. I grabbed the knife, but that thing got away before I could jab it.

I hissed in pain as the adrenaline slowly began to die down, the intense burning, stinging pain of the nasty gashes in my leg caused me to hobble to the nearest first aid kit and douse a cloth in hydrogen peroxide before wrapping it around my leg. I grit my teeth as the stinging worsened, slowly fading afterwards. I grabbed the knife, limping to the supply room, I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Rummaging around, I found a pry bar as well as a nail gun that would be a better weapon than just a kitchen knife. I also crafted makeshift armor out of the crate wood before setting out towards the garage. I heard the sounds of nails scraping against tile and demented coughs and screams around me as I trekked to the back store room.

Just as I got to the door, that thing came back, screaming at me. I swung around and shot it with the nail gun, the two nails hitting its arm and throat. That did little to stop it as it charged at me, running on all fours, it's mouth a gape as it screeched. I shot at it again, a nail landing straight in it's left eye, thick black pus-like blood oozing from the wound. It struck me like a freight train, tackling me to the ground and biting into my arm. I yelled in pain and stuck it in the neck with the knife over and over, it's claws tearing through the wood and into my flesh. I took the nail gun and put it to the creature's temple, firing and finally putting it down.

I shakily stood up, slipping a bit on the mixture of red and black fluids pooling at my feet. I shot the thing again just to make sure it was dead before prying the door open and limping as fast as I could to my car. I called an ambulance as I blacked out, waking up in a hospital room, stitches and bandages encasing my arms and legs. I told the police my story but they said they never found anything like that in the warehouse, just a pool of blood. I was released the next day, I know that thing is still in there...

Waiting for it's next meal...