I sat bolt upright. No. I thought. It howled again. Then snuffling not even 20 feet away from me. I made out the dim outline of a huge black creature. I saw it as soon as it saw me. It gave a grunt, then a snort... Then the shriek.
It sounded like a dying woman, a crying child and nails against a chalkboard. That was all I needed. I jumped up, abandoned my camp and dashed away. But the thing must have known I was going to do just that. It was gaining on me, it's hot breath smelled like rotting flesh. Another shriek made me go faster. Suddenly the ground was at my face. I had tripped over a rock and miraculously, my ankle was fine. But the thing was practically on top of me. I braced myself for the excruciating pain of its fangs in my neck, but they never came. I opened my eyes. A full moon stood bright in the dark sky. But the creature was nowhere. I laid my head back down and in a few seconds, I was fast asleep.
