In Too Deep (Blairon)

Fight Or Flight

"No."

I stormed out of the office, leaving a shocked Harry and Dr McLaggen in my wake. Help that creature after everything he's put me through? Hell no! That bastard can starve to death for all I care...

"Mr Weasley!"

I rolled my eyes and began walking faster as the the Doctor speed-walked towards me, looking quite out of place jogging in his fancy clothes. "It's Deputy," I growled angrily and he put a hand on my shoulder, putting an end to my powerful stride. "This specimen will make a revolutionary impact on mankind and you say no ?" He sneered and I scoffed. "My girlfriend is lying in a hospital bed because of that git. His boyfriend is about to go in for his second surgery in four hours and that fishy bastard tried to drown me on my vacation! Like hell am I putting both myself and my friends through that again!" I snapped and his eyes widened. I marched down the stairs, Harry following me apprehensively with wide eyes. McLaggen didn't seem to give up though. He followed me, but his words were incoherent to me. I didn't care for whatever he was saying and I didn't want to.

"Ron?"

The three of us stopped in our tracks as we reached the ground floor where all the doors with card readers stretched down long corridors. At first, I had thought it was either Harry or the Doctor that had called my name. But after a few seconds of deliberation I realized that that was not the case at all...

"Ron!"

The voice echoed around the building like a church bell. My eyes widened and my chest constricted. This couldn't be happening-

Dr McLaggen sniffed, straightened his jacket and walked towards Harry and I. I couldn't look at him. My eyes were glued to the corrider straight before me where an elevator sat at the end of it. "See. He remembers you," McLaggen whispered and I gulped, the rate of my heart beat going up so quickly I felt as if I was going to have a heart attack any minute now.

"Ron!" The voice reverberated around the building loudly and I flinched. How he remembered my name, I don't know. But there was one thing I knew for sure. I had to get out of this building and I had to get out now. The only problem was, I couldn't move. I tried to, but my feet were firmly rooted to the ground. You know that 'fight or flight' thing they talk about when you're in life threatening situations? My mind was urging me to run. Desperation ebbed at every muscle in my body to move. But my body felt nothing but determination to get to the creature calling my name.

Out of nowhere, I began to walk. Sadly, not in the direction my mind wanted to go. "What are you doing?!" Harry hissed as he followed me hastily. We reached the elevator and got in. Knowingly, the Doctor pressed the B on the elevator panel which I guess standed for Basement. "Ron. What the hell are you doing?!" Harry repeated, pulling my shoulder so I faced him. His eyes widened when he saw the look on my face. I was petrified. My hands were shaking and my heart was racing around my ribcage.
"I don't know," I whimpered and his expression softened, though he was still weary.

The elevator chimed to a stop and the doors slid open gracefully. Dr McLaggen led us through a few brightly lit, surprisingly aestheticly pleasing corridors before we reached a large white door which read,

Observation Tanks
Authorized Personnel Only

He slid his key card through the card reader and it dinged before we were let into an extremely large, extremely cold room. There was an enormous, circular fish tank before us the size of our living room. We stood on top of platforms with metal bar like fences placed at the level where the tanks brim was. Men and women in white coats walked around with clipboards and pens. On a ledge jutting out just above the water's surface sat a bucket of fish that everybody seemed to be heavily avoiding.

Then I noticed the aroma in the room. It smelt like the ocean, but something didn't smell right. Like the smell was contaminated.
Suddenly, one of the scientists scurried over to us and addressed the Docter with an air of panic.

"Docter. The sedative has worn off but nothing has changed. It hasn't taken the shape the other specimens have when in contact with water. Unlike them, he still has legs. It's appetite remains in stasis as well. The specimen attacks anybody who goes near the bucket. A few interns have already been injured trying to feed it," she muttered anxiously and McLaggen grunted, fixing his lab coat which I hadn't noticed he was putting on. "Let him try," he stated nonchalantly, motioning to me with his head. His salt and pepper hair bouncing slightly. Harry and I's eyes both widened. "He's not trying anything!" Harry snarled, his eyes alight with anger. "Oh, I think he will," the Doctor said, chuffed, and I rose an eyebrow. Harry turned to me desperately. "Don't do it," he whispered, staring up at me. I don't think I had ever felt so conflicted in my life. But again, my body did the exact opposite thing my mind wanted it to do.

"I need to try," I whispered back. His expression fell and so did mine. He put a hand on my shoulder and sighed. "Please be careful," he said, fixing his glasses on his nose. "Promise," I replied before I was harshly shoved by some random scientist towards the platform overlapping the tank. I could see a long, dark figure sitting at the very bottom and my heart skipped a beat.

"What do I have to do?" I asked. McLaggen had a clipboard in his hand, everybody, including myself, keeping a good distance away from the edge of the platform.

"Just take out a fish from the bucket, hold out your hand and wait," he said as if I were about to feed a dog and not a fucking mermaid! I hated how calm he was being about this!

Sucking in a large breath of salty air, I sat down on the ledge of the platform, keeping a good distance away from the part that jutted out a small distance into the water. I fished (get it?) through the bucket, gagging at the smell before I was finally able to grab a fish without it slipping out of my grasp.

The room was so silent I had to double check to make sure I wasn't alone.

The scientists and interns along with Harry stood far away. Some of them were holding dart guns. Others were furiously scribbling on their clipboards. Whereas others just simply stared in awe.

I stared at the fish and sighed, my hand visibly shaking as I willed my body to lean forward, my arm just making it over the platform from where I sat.

Nothing happened

The silence was unbearable

My arm began to ache and my heart began beating faster with every second that went by.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I'm not religious, but I began to pray for my life.

Suddenly, silent gasps emmited around me but I didn't dare open my eyes. So you can imagine the shock I got when the fish was gently tugged out of my hand and I was splashed by a small fountain of water.