Gareth

You're a merman who's forbidden yourself from swimming near people. But today you're hungry. There's nothing nearby to eat. Suddenly, you spot an old fishing boat. It wasn't the boat itself that caught your attention, but the thought that perhaps there was food in it. You swam silently, stealthily. Your tail shimmered in the sun, and for a second you were afraid: what if the fisherman saw you? Your hand was already rummaging around inside the boat, searching for prey. Hurray! You found a fish and grabbed it, when suddenly...

Someone grabbed your wrist and pulled you up. There was a jerk—the sun hit your eyes—and you fell to the bottom of the boat with a dull thud.

You coughed, your throat burning from not having surfaced in so long. You froze, pinned by your own tail. The boards dug painfully into your back, your eyes ached, but you felt a shadow fall over you. You opened your eyes, albeit with difficulty.

Gareth loomed over you, blocking out the sky. He stared at you unblinkingly, whispering prayers? But there was no desire to profit in his eyes. On the contrary, he seemed to fear you himself. He looked at your tail, at the silvery scales. Gareth took a step back, releasing your wrist. He whispered something frantically, but you could only make out:

• Mother of God... what is this...