The aquarium was a large building, sort of wave shaped. The entire front was sheet glass. It was dark inside and all the doors seemed locked in the front, so I walked around back. The back was a standard brick deal with dumpsters and a small employee parking lot. There was one parked car, a shitty little sedan.

There was a steel door that was wedged open by a piece of wood. I edged up to it and slipped a little on the pavement. I looked down and saw a trail of slime. Disgusting gray slime. I scraped off my shoe, took out my gun, and pulled the creaky steel door open.

Inside it was dark. I was in some sort of back storage area. On the floor I saw more slop and followed the trail. It led me to a set of double doors that went into the display area. I stepped through and there was suddenly a lot of dim blue light coming from the various displays. Inside these tanks was an assortment of sea creatures, from the smallest fish to pretty large sharks.

I was staring into one of the aquariums when I heard talking coming from another room. I stood absolutely still and listened. From what I could tell, it was only one voice.

I edged along the wall until I hit a corner. The voice was louder now, a male voice, and he was talking to someone.

“Just one more night and it will be over,” the voice said.

I peeked around the corner. There was a man in a lab coat standing in front of a large tank. He was talking to something floating on the other side of the glass. I could barely make out the shape but it looked like a human mixed with a manatee, large, bulky, but with arms and legs. It looked to be the only thing in the tank.

I didn’t need to see anymore. That thing in the tank had to be what I was looking for, and the lab coat dude was obviously an accomplice. I threw myself around the corner and aimed my gun right at Lab Coat.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” I said.

The man turned and smiled. “I’d run if I were you.”

Bam! The thing in the tank pounded the glass and it cracked. A second later, it sprung leaks. The man stepped out of the way as the thing struck for a third time and shattered the glass.

I stood there like a damn idiot as the entire tank, including the thing, came rushing toward me. The water hit me like a freight train and sent me flying against the wall of sheet glass. I smashed through it and landed on the plaza out front. I lost my gun as the water rushed over me.