Sanctum of Death

An animal howl breaks through the silence of the night.

It is as though the sound hits your nervous system directly and your body reacts instantly. Despite the cold of the night, you break into a sweat. You shiver uncontrollably. Your heart pounds, your throat tightens. For a moment, you think you are going to retch. You know that sound. You last heard it at Glenkildove eight years ago.

You can hear the Beast now. Shuffling, heavy footsteps outside, a snuffling animal noise. It is moving slowly around the perimeter of the farmhouse. You think it might be deliberately letting you hear it, letting you work yourself up to a breaking point. But sooner or later, it will come into the house after you. It's just as Áine Madigan once told you. The Beast is always hungry.

What will you do?