The Night Shift

A lone female figure dressed all in black, and wearing a set of peculiar glasses, darted silently between the shadows outside the aquarium. She glanced in growing agitation at her watch before continuing on at a hastened pace. One thing was clear, Alice was running out of time.

She made her way towards the entrance but had to duck down quickly as the doors to the security room opened. Light spilling out into the brisk night air. A guard walked out, cigarette in hand. He struggled for a few moments fighting against the wind to light it, his dark brown eyes absentmindedly glancing around the area.

A keen observer might have noticed something not quite right about the wall. A shadow that didn't fit. They may have even noticed a slight movement at the edge of this shadow, as Alice lay frozen in place, her trembling fingers millimetres from the edge of the light. But this guard was not a keen observer, at least not on this night. Instead, he took a few long drags of his cigarette before stomping out the ashes and stepping hurriedly back into the building away from the cold.

Alice lay still a few moments longer before gathering herself and moving on, more hesitantly than before. She edged around the side of the building and tried the delivery door. It was unlocked. So far, everything was going to plan.

Back in the security station, the distracted guard sighed heavily. No one liked working a night shift on their birthday. Andrew glanced at his phone again, it was almost midnight and his girlfriend had stopped responding to his texts about an hour ago. She was probably sleeping.

"Seriously, is the point in having a night guard for an aquarium?" he wondered aloud, not for the first time. "Even if someone did break in what would they steal? An octopus?"

Alice stumbled through the passageway into the main hall of the aquarium, using the faint light from her phone as a guide. The exit signs illuminated the massive tanks, eerily empty as the clownfish lay sleeping atop the anemone near the sandy base. And in the dim light the translucent box jellyfish cast curious shadows along the colourful information signs lining the walls.

Andrew had always loved the aquarium as a child, the wonder of discovering new species, the joy of learning about the exotic fish. But the night guard position was not nearly as exciting as it had been on paper. Most of the fish slept at night and he missed interacting with the visitors. He wasn't due to walk around the exhibits for another half hour but staring at the screens was dull work.

Alice beelined to the far wall. Passing between the elaborate gift shop and the low open petting pool where the spotted eagle rays cozied up to visitors during the daytime. She made her way into the deserted underwater tunnel. One of the perks to this after-hours escapade.

"Stupid keys," Andrew muttered to himself as he struggled with the front door.

Finally, he heard the telltale click and entered into the deserted aquarium making his way through the dark. He had a flashlight but he knew this path well and he preferred the way the water played with the shadows in the dim light from the exit signs. He smiled ruefully to himself, as he made his way to the underwater tunnel to visit the sharks. At least he wouldn't be spending his birthday entirely alone.

A sudden movement caught Alice's eye. She froze in fear as a large shadow loomed from behind. Had she been caught? There was nowhere to hide. The shadow grew larger and larger until- it passed right over her.

Confused, Alice glanced behind her. But there was nothing there. She looked back around, then finally looked up and laughed in relief. A whale shark was gliding lazily overhead. It's plain pale belly contrasting with the spotted and lined pattern she knew covered the dark grey back. Alice took a deep breath then continued through the dark tunnel. She was almost there.

The tunnel was Andrew's favorite place in the whole aquarium. He used to come here as a child with his older brother and race the sharks. Things were simpler back then. He could still see them running around, laughing and whispering and- wait a minute. He froze, alert. That whisper definitely wasn't from a memory.

Silently he pressed on through the tunnel, bracing himself for whatever was on the other side. He peered into the dim room, his eyes taking a moment to adjust. One step. Then another. He frowned, reaching for his flashlight when-

"SUPRISE!"

Alice shouted, a huge smile on her face. She pressed a button and the lights came up. The room was filled with balloons, streamers, and a large cake. Big party glasses sat crookedly atop her face.

"Happy birthday darling," she said.

"Wha- how... I don't understand," Andrew stammered.

"I snuck in through the side entrance. I know, I know, it's technically illegal but I couldn't let you spend your birthday alone. Besides, I think the fish will keep our secret," she said, winking.

Andrew felt a large smile spreading across his face. He always called her his partner in crime and this time she'd stolen his heart.