The Shuddering

glinting off teeth too large to conceal.
    Every nerve in Ryan’s body stood on end. Foreboding buzzed along his limbs like an electric current just beneath the skin. Oona tensed beneath his arm, warning the creature to stay back with a growl. The thing swung its head around as though it hadn’t been aware of the others in the room until that very moment, perhaps blinded by the fire behind them—but its eyes were locked on them now.
    Ryan didn’t stop to think.
    As soon as it spotted them, he scrambled to the opposite side of the fireplace and grasped the fire poker, knowing that if he didn’t make his move now he’d never have the chance.
    The creature crouched down, the muscles of its legs coiling up like springs, and leaped forward, landing on the back of the couch like some monstrous bird. Jane screamed, shrinking back; she was the closest to it, directly in its path. It jumped after her, its feet thudding against the varnished top of the coffee table, chocolate cake and an assortment of knives spilling onto the carpet. Its jaws snapped at them, those teeth knocking together with a sickening pop, but it stopped short of the fireplace that blazed behind them. If that impossibly inhuman face could register emotion, Ryan would have sworn he saw a glimmer of fear in its onyx eyes.
    But Oona didn’t understand that the monster was frozen in place. Her lips pulled away from her teeth in a snarl and she bolted forward, protecting her friends. Latching on to the monster’s long, bony arm, she tore at its flesh, shaking her head as if trying to rip the thing’s arm from its body. The creature released a high-pitched scream, a shriek Ryan hoped wasn’t a call for help. If even one more of these things showed up, they were dead. It reeled back, swinging the arm that was being attacked, tossing Oona across the room. The husky hit the wall with a yelp, but adrenaline had her bounding to her feet, diving back into battle without a second thought.
    Ryan lurched forward.
    The hiss that radiated from that gray-skinned monstrosity assured him that it was pissed, and he doubted Oona would survive another hit. Taking care of an injured person was one thing, but an injured dog—it was a near guarantee that she wouldn’t make it. With the thing’s attention on the husky, Ryan bounded at it, the fire poker held high over his head. He swung as hard as he could, bringing the protruding end down onto the monster’s skull. The demon stumbled back as Oona fell on him, her jaws locking onto one of its legs. But the creature was too busy wavingits arms wildly about its head to notice her attack. Ryan gave the fire poker a swift tug and it came free, a geyser of foul-smelling blood running down the monster’s raw-boned back.
    Sawyer dodged around both dog and owner, snatching the small ash shovel off its holder from beside the fireplace. He took a swing as Ryan pulled back, hitting the savage in its emaciated stomach with the sharp edge of the trowel. It emitted a guttural wail as it doubled over, but its cry was cut short when the fire poker came down onto its head for a second time, punching a twin hole in its skull. It veered around, sneering at Ryan, and he lost his grip on his weapon. Scrambling backward toward the fire, he felt the heat lick at his back; the creature rushed after him, stopping just shy of catching its prey for a second time. Extending a gangly arm to grab him, the thing pulled it back just as quickly, its rage transforming to frustration as it wavered from left to right.
    Ryan winced against the heat, sure he would go up in flames if he couldn’t put some distance between himself and the blaze. Sawyer swung the shovel again, striking the beast on the side of its head, but the hit didn’t seem to faze it. It took a swipe at him with its giant hands, and Sawyer fell backward, crashing against the couch. He rushed to regain his footing, but the monster sprang forward, landing on the arm of the couch, looming over Sawyer as he cowered beneath the creature’s cadaverous frame. Jutting its arm forward, it caught Sawyer by the shoulder as he attempted to bolt away. Rather than running, Sawyer gave a startled cry, twisting against the creature’s grasp in a desperate attempt to run.
    Ryan darted forward, not sure of his intentions, only knowing that he had to do something before his best friend was torn in half right before his eyes. But he came to a dead stop when a shot rang out. The room went silent beneath