Drenched, I started to sit up but was immediately overtaken by the creature. It weighed a ton and flattened me to the ground. I kicked and punched and pulled it off me as I saw two tentacles burst from the creature’s gills. Those were the source of the marks on the bodies, and now they were coming for me.

I dodged the tentacles and saw they were tipped with a circle of teeth. I rolled away as they tried to hit me again and leapt to my feet. It was at that point that I realized there was a crowd around me. It was the ghouls. They had arrived, but nobody joined the fight. I imagine they were pretty freaked out, but so was I. I needed help.

On my feet I was able to see the creature as it stood. I recognized the shape from the recordings, large head, wide shoulders, and a body like a damn fish except for the arms and legs.

I saw Mo’Lock push through the crowd and come to my side.

“Is this the creature behind the murders?”

“No. It’s just a fish man with tentacles that kill.”

Then I got down to it.

“Everybody surround it!” I yelled.

The ghouls listened and fanned out around the creature. Some of the ghouls had come prepared. They had clubs and sticks. I pulled a knife out.

“Now!” I yelled, and we all charged at the creature.

The monster flailed as he was beaten from every angle. The thing was hit with bats, sticks, and fists. I grabbed one of the tentacles flying around and sliced its tip off, and the creature let out a bellowing scream.

Now the thing was pissed.

The final tentacle started whipping around like crazy. Everybody ducked, trying to avoid it. One ghoul wasn’t so lucky and took a swipe across the face, and the toothy end attached to his forehead and started sucking the unlife out of him.

I lunged with the knife and severed the tentacle as fast as I could. I was too late. The ghoul fell, dead and covered with slop, onto the pavement.

The ghouls and I backed off as the monster started to sway and white fluid spewed from the severed tentacles. The flesh of the beast was starting to change, turning gray and splitting down the middle. At first I thought it was shedding.

I wasn’t far off.

The flesh split from head to toe and fell away like, well, a filet of fish. With the flesh on the pavement, what was left standing was a thick human skeleton covered with veins and nerves. Everybody stood in shock, staring at it.

I spotted my gun on the ground and grabbed it, aimed, and fired right at the skull face. The head blew apart like glass and the skeleton collapsed. We all stood around and looked at the pile of bones and meaty flesh.

Just then Wheatley arrived.