October

Issue 37

     I make the mistake of looking back.  Sleek heads break the water behind me.  A breath, a glance to get their bearings, and they disappear.  There must be hundreds of them, thousands; a swarm of savage mermaids. The bald heads appear again, teeth glinting wetly in their bulge-eyed faces.  I had no idea they were so fast.

    I’m panicking now, heart racing, chest heaving as I drag breath in.  I feel a fleeting curiosity – what will they do with my corpse?  My flailing arms hit water, air, water… sand. I drag myself from the water, look back again.  Fear helped me there – I’m not the best swimmer. I shake all over like a dog, water puddling at my feet. The mermaids are in the shallows now and I can hear their ugly calls to each other as they creep in as close as they can.