A guttural growl echoed through the basement, and my blood turned to ice.
"What was that?" Tom hissed, his voice barely audible.
A shadow moved in the corner, large and hulking. Then came the sound of heavy footsteps, slow and deliberate, as if something - or someone - was stalking us. The figure stepped into the light, and I felt my stomach drop.
It was a man - or what used to be a man. His skin was gray and stretched tight over his bones, his eyes sunken and glowing with an unnatural light. His mouth twisted into a grotesque grin, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth.
"You shouldn't be here," he growled, his voice echoing like thunder.