The old snacks factory was a perfect place to find food. We've been looking for supplies for long enough to know the best spots. Of course, it had its downsides - like the fact, that it was really close to the first lab. Like too close. But that also meant that it was probably still full of useful things, unlike most of the more easily accessible locations.

Roman and Iza were cuddling in every corner as usual, not bothered by the imminent threat. Only Hubert was making himself useful, meticulously going through all the locked doors and cabinets. We approached the main production room, when I thought I heard something. I didn't expect the emojis to be roaming here, as they were pure carnivores – no meat here meant there was no reason for them to be here either. But there could be other scavengers, that might be as dangerous as the mindless beasts.

As we moved through the factory for a while I lost sight of my friends. Everyone was busy with their own endeavors. Suddenly Iza was right beside me, her hazel eyes flickering with flirtatious sparks. She was much too close for comfort and I jumped when she playfully embraced me, her hand on my butt.

Her face was right beside mine when she whispered, "You know you're so sweet I could eat you."

Oh shit, oh fuck, this couldn't be true. Being a werewolf she could eat me alive no problem, but I'm sure this wasn't what she meant. She was infected and the parasite made her all hot and looking for partners everywhere.

I heard a low growl behind me, as Roman stared at me in his girlfriend's embrace. We were looking far too intimate. I tried telling him it wasn't what he thought it was, but it was too late. His face elongated into a snout, showing enormous canines dripping with saliva. I tried pushing Iza away, but she was much stronger than me. She held me tight, her breath hot on my neck. She licked the side of my cheek, as I desperately tried to talk to them both.

Just when I was sure Roman would shred me into pieces with his now morphed claws, Hubert run to him and tried yelling about being friends. Well, that was stupid. A mad angry werewolf, most probably also infected, was not to be reasoned with. Roman turned around rapidly and with a single hit sent Hubert flying, his gut spilling on the way. He hit the wall hard and I could hear his skull crack.

I felt nauseous, but Iza was momentarily distracted and loosened her grip on me. This was my chance! I pushed her away and started running, rather blindly, just to get away from the now rabid pair of werewolves. The whole scene wasn't quiet and we managed to get the attention of the emojis roaming on the outskirts of the factory. The ever hungry beasts started flocking in our direction. I could hear numerous feet stomping on the concrete.

Roman and Iza were not yet fully devoured by the parasite – it would be like one or two months before they would turn into the mindless monsters searching only for prey. As for now they still were more or less human (if you can say that about a werewolf), just having big problems with the emotional control. So they would probably rather fight the incoming emojis than join them. Probably...

I heard the sounds of fight in the store room behind me, but I didn't look back. As I ran I entered the big production room, giant windows flooding it with yellowish autumn sunlight. I tried to catch my breath, my head spinning with effort and fear. Shit, shit, shit. This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. When did they get the fucking parasite? They didn't get bitten, so one of them had to be cheating and sleeping with an infected. And I thought werewolves were taking relationships seriously.

Suddenly the doors jumped open with a loud noise and a hoard of emojis poured into the room. Their clothes were rugged and the looks on their faces were feral, but they weren't your typical zombies. No walking corpses there – instead there was a pack of agile and aggressive predators, fast and determined, and always hungry. Their bodies were perfectly human, but there was no humanity left in their minds.

I looked around in panic, desperate to find somewhere to hide. On the far end of the room there was a small door. I darted for it, praying it wasn't locked. As I was fumbling with the handle the maddened crowd closed in on me. At the last moment the door gave in and I jumped into a small, crumped office. I shut the door behind me and heard a loud thump of the first predator hitting its smooth surface. That was close.

But what now? In the complete darkness I lit my flashlight and looked around. There were no windows, just a few cabinets full of some papers and a tiny desk, covered in all kinds of discarded documents and sample packaging for the snacks. I tried keeping quiet. Maybe if I stayed like that long enough the emojis would start looking for some more accessible food. Who was I kidding – they were probably living somewhere nearby to come that quickly – they could even leave a guard here. They did not possess human intelligence anymore, but they became skillful and patient predators instead.

The door was surprisingly sturdy, taking the constant onslaught of punches and kicks from the emojis. But how long before it would finally give in? I trembled and curled in the most remote corner of the office. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms tightly around my knees. The beating on the door resounded in my mind, making my head hurt. I felt tears welling in my eyes.

I remembered Hubert laying in a heap under a wall, like a discarded doll. His intestines were spilling with blood and bile, his head caved in like a broken cup. Shit, shit, shit... But he at least wouldn't get eaten alive. The emojis would devour his carcass, they didn't leave any meat behind. And I, I would feel as they tear me limb for limb. If it came to this wouldn't it be better if I just... if I couldn't feel anything anymore, when they entered?

I checked my pocket for the Swiss army knife that I always carried with me, but it wasn't there. I must have dropped it when I was struggling with Iza or during my flight. I looked around the office again, in search for something suitable. The desk drawers were almost empty, containing some old brochures and a few paperclips. In the cabinets I found more folders and a set of spare pencils.

The flashlight started to dim and flicker. Oh fuck, the battery was dying and I didn't have any spare ones. As I heard a louder banging the flashlight finally stopped working and I was left in a blinding darkness. The despair took hold oh me and I flinged myself into the furthest corner of the room, or so I thought, by the sounds coming from the shrieking door.

A millennium has passed with me trembling and listening to the constant onslaught on the door when something changed in the noises. A commotion started among the emojis, as if something new caught their attention. I froze. Was it possible that Roman and Iza found me and were trying to help me? Maybe they made it somehow here, they were werewolves after all.

Then screams started, intermingled with strange wet sounds, splashes and swishes. I felt they were sounds of a fearsome battle, but I couldn't imagine what was really going on out there. The time slowed down, my breath was rugged and hard, I didn't dare hoping a rescue was coming. Maybe the monsters started to fight among themselves.

After some time, it could be minutes or hours, I have no idea, all sounds stopped. In the eerie silence there came a knock on the door, not like the banging of the beasts.

"Open the door. It's safe now," I heard a calm woman's voice. It was a bit raspy but rather friendly. For a long time I stood there in the dark, just breathing hard and thinking that I imagined it out of fear and despair. But the voice spoke again, this time soothing, like speaking to a frightened animal. I guess I was pretty much like a frightened animal at the moment. "It's all right. They're gone."

At long last I moved gingerly, trying to feel my way to the door. When I pulled it towards me, the light blinded me, but I heard a wet thump at my feet. I started to wink, waiting for my eyes to adjust. Finally, in a halo of warm afternoon light, I saw a tall figure towering over a heap of bodies. In her right hand she was holding an enormous axe. From a bald head to massive, soldier boots she was covered in gore. I gasped. My savior looked like a character from a horror movie – you know, the one that is chasing a group of teenagers. This wasn't boding well.

I backed a little towards the door and stumbled on the remains of one of the emojis. The woman didn't move, just smiled and watched me silently.

"It's safe now," she said, motioning with her free left hand, to show me the dead monsters. "I won't hurt you, unless you're one of those beasts after all," she added with a hint of laughter in her voice. She was so calm and composed it seemed unreal in these circumstances. "Come. Or do you really want to stay in that black hole here?" she asked, unfazed by my silence.

I moved clumsily over the corpses and followed her as she's already started towards the exit from the production room. She said something about the locker room and showers, but I didn't actually get it. I was walking in a haze, the world around me seeming a bit surreal. She seemed surreal.

She searched the lockers and found some jeans and a sweatshirt. Then she moved to the showers. I followed her without thinking, still too frightened to stay alone. She glanced at me with a knowing smile and shamelessly undressed, showing her curvy body, with heavy breasts and round hips. She was a bit overweight but under the fat strong muscles were playing. She tossed out her blood covered clothes and went into the shower that was still somehow working. Mesmerized I watched her wash herself, knowing that it was more than awkward, but still unable to at least turn around.

Washed and wearing fresh clothes she carefully cleaned and dried her giant axe, making sure no splatter of blood was left. She seemed not to notice me the whole time, feeling completely at ease in this strange situation. Finally she looked at me with a slight smile.

"We need to get out of here before it gets dark, or it will be much harder to get to my place," she said and motioned for me to follow her.

I just stood there, seemingly unable to move. "Harder? You meant impossible?" I stuttered, thinking of the vampires starting to roam the fields as soon as the sun set. Since the plague, they stopped hiding among the society, probably because the society has crumbled. They were immune to the parasite – guess being dead makes you a poor host. But the emojis ate carrion as well, so they didn't mind breaking into vampires hideouts during the day and devouring the completely defenseless bloodsuckers.

"Well, even vampires don't survive getting their heads cut off their bodies," she laughed and took my hand like a child's. She lead me to the exit of the factory, careful not to make any unnecessary noises. As we were gaining distance from the building and the sun was getting more and more red on the horizon I heard a double howl. Guess Iza and Roman made it out alive, at least for now. For a moment I wondered who was my savior and what she meant when she said we were going to her place.