Night Shift

It was apparent that no one wanted the night security position at the aquarium. The last three guards had quit. All three had inexplicably not shown up for their shifts, with no notice.

It was a dream come true for Andrew. He couldn’t believe his luck snagging the position. He had spent nearly every day last summer at the aquarium, and now he would be paid for it. The aquatic life had become a bit of an obsession for him since he was a small boy.

Andrew wandered the halls, alone, sniffing the salty humid air a little more than necessary. The rubber soles of his boots squeaked on the painted concrete and echoed through the low cavernous ceilings. He sighed. This was heaven. He thought he could die a happy man now.

He moved a bit faster around a corner, looking for his favorite exhibit. The Jellyfish were in this wing. Andrew thought they were spectacular. Dotted around the dark room, circular tanks were lit up to catch the billowing bodies puffing around in the water. He pressed his hand to the glass of the nearest one, and an orange jelly whizzed past his face. He breathed out, fogging the glass. This embarrassed him, and he yanked up his jacket sleeve over his fist and rubbed the fog away. He was acting like a schoolchild. He wandered to the next tank and watched clear jellyfish lazily float. He leaned back against a clammy wall for a good half hour before moving on. He did, in fact, have a job to focus on.

The shark exhibit took up another half hour of his shift. He stood in the tunnel, face pressed to the glass, watching the deadly beasts cut through the water on a mission. He wished he had the same amount of grace and masculinity as they exuded. Andrew was tall but thin and boney. His blonde hair grew straight up no matter how hard he tried to tame it, it would not yield. His eyes were a bright blue, but they protruded from his sockets as if they were trying to jump out of his skull. He had trouble seeing past his reflection to gain confidence with women. When a lady looked his way, he turned beet red, and his throat would dry out, sending him into a coughing fit instead of suave words to woo her.

A splash sounded from deeper in the aquarium, shocking Andrew. He lifted from his bent position and pulled his flashlight from his back pocket. A small giggle came next. Andrew froze, and listened. Another quick splash and two giggles followed by a clapping sound. Brandishing his flashlight like a weapon, he peaked around a corner. Nothing but pufferfish and eels. The giggles were louder now, followed by high-pitched voices cooing words he couldn’t quite make out.

“Who could possibly be here, this late at night? Did someone get locked in?” Andrew began to panic as he thought out loud. It was his first night, he didn’t know what to do with someone locked in. He turned another corner, raising the flashlight higher over his shoulder. He was in front of the main arena. This room hosted a floor-to-ceiling two-story high tank filled with sea bass, tuna, and tiny schools of fish in every bright color. It was home to Steve the turtle, the aquarium mascot. He tiptoed into the room, but his shoe caught on the floor, causing a piercing squeak.

A body slammed against the glass of the tank. Andrew screamed, high and loud, throwing his flashlight wildly at the glass. Deep brown eyes smiled at him. Oh, Lord. He thought. A Mermaid. Live mermaids sometimes swam with Steve and took pictures with children. These young ladies were talented acrobats, holding their breath underwater for shocking lengths of time. The Mermaid pointed at an open door off to the side of the stage and wiggled her fingertips, before floating off. Another mermaid swam by, watching him.

Two. Two mermaids. What was he going to do with that? He wasn’t told about a rehearsal. But did that matter? As the lowly security guard, surely other employees would come and go without his knowledge. The girls swam past again, pointing at the door and quickly swimming away. He tugged on his hair and looked around the room. Andrew wasn’t sure if he should go through the side door. What would he say to them? They were gorgeous creatures with dark eyes, milky skin, and vibrant rainbow hair that matched their tails.

He picked up his flashlight, embarrassed at his reaction, causing his face to heat. The door led to a set small hallway stacked with nets and buckets and a set of stairs. He climbed them slowly, listening to a drip behind the wall. He tried to calm his breathing. He reached the top step, and slowly looked over the small pathway alongside the open tank. He was in awe. The water felt wild as he looked down into it, churning and splashing with the steady hum of the filtering system. A slim hand shot out of the water, followed by long wet hair, and creamy soft shoulders. Every bit of Andrew was awake and alert. He stood motionless, waiting.

“Hi,” She breathed and smiled as he stiffly nodded stupidly. “Come swim with us.”

Andrew tried to respond, but his throat stuck together as he formed the words.

Another face appeared in the water, this one much closer. “Please,” She blinked, slowly. Once. Twice. He nodded but stayed still. “Take off your pants and shirt, and put them on the bench with our things.”

Andrew looked behind him at a small pile of clothes on the bench. Boots and khaki pants. Strange clothing for young, pretty ladies. He didn’t care. His focus was on getting in the water. He was clunky in undressing, his fingers were shaking and fumbling with the buttons. He tried to give himself a pep talk, but he couldn’t find encouraging words to say.

The water was cool and salty, keeping him buoyant as he slipped in along the side. He pushed off the wall towards the middle. This was strange. He would be fired, he was certain. His head was muddled, with the enticing women and he couldn’t think about anything other than being in this tank.

The girls swam around him, giggling. One grazed him with her tail. The scales felt slimy, like a real fish. It caused him to shudder. The other swam closer, their circles became tighter. Her fingers touched his shoulder, sticking to him. She let go, and dove under the water, pulling on his foot as she did. He was pulled under for a moment before she let go. He bounced back to the surface, sputtering and coughing. He shook the water from his eyes and looked down at his shoulder. Tiny marks dotted his skin where she touched him, almost like that of an octopus’s suckers.

Something about this is wrong. He couldn’t see them any longer, but he could hear them splashing and laughing. They sounded feral. Andrew began a slow backward swim to the edge of the tank, keeping his eyes forward. He needed to watch if they were coming back his way. His hand hit the side, and he closed his eyes briefly in relief. He opened them again, and a pair of dark eyes were lined up with his. He let out a panicked squeak and lunged behind him for the edge. For safety. He crashed into a slimy body behind him. The girls wrapped their arms around him, their mouths opened wide, showing him rows and rows of tiny sharp teeth. The mermaid before him bit into his shoulder, and the one behind bit his back. He screamed, one final scream, as they plunged underwater, dragging him to the bottom of the tank.