(Penguin HQ. Late at night)
Private climbed out of his bed and walked into the next room. He pulled the tape recorder out again and began his next recording.

"Okay okay. Today was worse than any other. Today he actually appeared before me. In broad daylight. He has never done that before. What's worse is that I heard something. Something not normal. Something I wouldn't expect to hear in the zoo. Not in a million years. Like children screaming. I don't know what he'll do next. This tall thin man with the long arms," Private whispered clearly into the tape recorder.

He took a few moments to breath and began thinking about what to say.

"The closest he had gotten to me before that was just the after the first night I saw him," Private said as he began flashing back again.

(Flashback)

I was heading over to the otter habitat to visit with Marlene, I didn't think that such a short walk could be such a nightmare.

Private was out wandering around the zoo. It was
already dark out and the lamps were turning on for the night. It was a little warm out, but Private was shivering a little bit. He had told the guys about what he had seen the night before, but they hadn't believed him. He was still a little freaked out about what had happened. He figured that if he had a little talk with Marlene, he would start to feel better.

Private peered around and said, "It's a little quiet out. I don't see him."

He rounded a corner and saw Marlene's habitat ahead. He let out a little squeak from his throat and got down to his belly. He thrust himself forward and belly slid towards the habitat. It took him only seconds to get there. He quickly jumped to the top of the wall and peered all around the zoo. The man was nowhere to be seen.
Private scratched the top of his head and wondered.

"Where is he? Has he stopped or something? I'm sure I should have seen him by now," Private asked himself.

He just shrugged and jumped down from the wall and towards the otter cave. As he entered and the corner he began feeling much better about himself.

"Hey Marlene, I was wondering if yo-," Private started, but paused as he rounded the corner.

Marlene was curled up in her bed, fast asleep. Nearby was... was the being that Private feared. The tall man was kneeling next to Marlene with one of clawed hand reaching towards her. Ready to grab her or tear her to pieces. The tall mans pupiless disks were shining as he seemed ready to claim another victim. His limbs were contorted in inhuman shapes, impossible for any living creature to flex in. It was as if the man was nothing more than smoke or mist. But here he was right here before Private. A solid figure.

"NNNNOOOOOO! MARLENE!" Private screamed as he jumped towards Marlene and pulled her out of her bed and to the floor, the tall man leaving Private's sight.

"What the? Private what are you doing?" Marlene demanded.

Private began panting and turned towards the man expecting to see him. Instead there was nothing there. Private sweatdropped as he noticed this. He turned back to Marlene who had her arms crossed and foot tapping on the ground. Waiting for an explaination.

"Umm... sorry. I thought I saw someone in her. Must have been a shadow or my own imgination," Private explained as best he could.

To Private's surprise, Marlene bought Private's story.

"Just don't pull me out of bed again Private. You scared me half to death," Marlene said irritated.

Private nodded and said, "Yes Marlene. I'm sorry about what happened."

Marlene just nodded in approval and Private sighed in relief.

(Present)

Private still held his tape recorder tightly as he finished his story.

"I don't know what that thing would have done to Marlene if I hadn't gotten there in time. I'm not even sure if he could do anything to her. Obviously she hasn't seen this man and I wonder if he could have hurt her if she couldn't. Maybe he was taunting me by threatening to hurt my friends. I can't imagine what he else he could do," Private said into the recorder, but stopped after hearing a strange noise outside the room.

Private froze and wait. But what was he waiting for? For someone to enter? For someone to leave? Or was he waiting for something to appear? He didn't know. After a couple of moments, Private stood from his seat and walked to the door that led into the HQ. He carfully opened the door and looked out into the HQ. Sitting on the floor was a tape cassette. Just like the one that Private had been using for his recordings.

Carefully, Private ran out into the center of the room and picked it up. On the very front, there were two words.

'PLAY ME!'

Private looked at the cassette and back at the tape recorder. He couldn't make out the words, but he was too scared to play the tape right now. He figured that whatever was on the tape, could wait until morning. Private just went back to the tape recorder and took it back to his bed. He placed both the recorder and the new cassette under his pillow. But curiosity took over Private and he felt a big urge to go to the periscope.
He waddled over and looked out. He turned it around, but saw nothing. He felt that he was just being paranoid once again until he came back to the periscopes original position. Standing right outside of the penguin habitat was a shorter man wearing a ghastly white mask. He was staring menacingly at the periscope and kneeling on the ground. He then stood up and jumped to the penguin platform and stuck his face right into the periscope lens. A roaring sound escaped from him.

Private let out a gasp and stumbled away from the periscope. He heard some thumping up above, but those stopped after a few moments. Reluctantly, Private went back to the periscope. He looked out again and saw that the man was gone. Could he have been the one who left the tape in the HQ? Private didn't know, but dreaded the possibility that he would have to find out.