The Merfolk of Black Reef

Chapter One | Adrian

It had been a long day.

There was an unpleasant ache in Adrian's muscles as he assisted his captain in mooring his fishing boat, Red Devil. The vessel was bobbing on the water as the waves lapped at its' belly.

There was an idle hum of conversation between his crewmates as Adrian looked around the docks, watching other sailors moor their vessels. A few, noisy gulls flew overhead as they approached the beach, where the sun was setting on the horizon. The water had taken to a warm glow.

"You headed home, boy?"

Adrian turned his head, glancing at his captain. The man was almost a spitting image of what one might envision a stereotypical sailor to look like; scruffy white beard, pale face, wrinkly features and a cap on his head, covering his wiry white hair.

"Yeah," the young sailor said. "Can't keep ma waiting. Don't want her to think I'm screwing around and leaving the work to her."

The captain laughed loudly from deep within his chest, his kind eyes crinkling up. "You best get on then!" He urged, giving Adrian a light shove. "Don't want your mama chewing me out."

The brunette smiled fondly, and he waved a farewell to his crewmates before he began the walk home, the rickety boards of the dock groaning beneath his feet. He tenderly touched his arm, wincing as he did so. His pale skin was red with sunburn, but that was what he got for not wearing protective gear while on the water.

Home, for him, was his mother's inn, a quaint little hotel with a small seafood restaurant on the deck. It was considerably close to the beach, which meant plenty of clientele, especially when the sun began to set, and people desired to settle for the night.

Adrian had never liked taking the short route home, as it took him through the heart of town, where plenty of tourists would be to admire the tall statue of Black Reef's deity; Anzu, the mother of Merfolk. Given how many people would be there, flocking like gulls, it would take him longer to get home through the shortcut than it would through the long route.

And so, he walked, his feet carrying him through a small fish market discreetly placed by the edge of the town and down to the beach, where few people dotted the shoreline. He walked on the white sand until he reached the secluded spots, where tourists had no knowledge of. There was a rock wall to the left-hand side that Adrian had grown accustomed to climbing as he had done it a thousand times. His hands and feet naturally knew each nook and crevice.

As he pushed past the thorny brush, he noticed a heap in the sand. It looked like a mass of fishing nets tangled around something, or someone.

With his curiosity piqued, the sailor approached the net hesitantly, footfalls muffled by the sand as he got closer. Was that a tail?  Was this an orca calf? Confusion washed over him. There were no orcas in these waters; they were much too warm for such an animal.

Finally, close enough to get a good look, he felt his body tense up. The being was no orca, he realized. It seemed to be a mermaid, but she looked to be long dead; stiff and dry in the sand, hooks stuck in her tail.

Adrian knelt, lightly touching her shoulder. Her skin was soft; pale and dotted with freckles. Her hair fell in long, vibrant red curls, pearls woven into them. But for him, the most startling feature was not her tail, but rather, her mouthful of sharp teeth.

There was a pool of blood around her, soaking the sand, and her black and white tail had ugly purple bruises and deep, painful lacerations where hooks had ripped into her skin.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and Adrian jolted in surprise as she blindly swatted at him, afraid and vulnerable. Green eyes wide with fright, the mermaid tried to move away from him, but to no avail, as she could sparsely move her tail.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Adrian said, but his tone was uncertain; as he was unsure of what either he or she would do. "I just want to help," he added, raising his hands in surrender. "Can I cut you free?" He asked slowly.

The mermaid didn't reply. She watched him with wide eyes, tensing when he pulled out a switchblade. The young sailor moved slowly, as if handling a young animal, careful not to startle her.

She winced as the knife began to cut through the net, thick rope fraying as he swiped at it, her tail gradually finding more room to move.

Finally, it came down to the hooks; the sharp metal was embedded deeply in her tail, having cut through blubber and tissue as if they were paper. He wasn't sure how to handle such a strange situation. Just a while ago he was out fishing, and now he was aiding a mermaid, a creature he didn't even think existed.

Adrian's hands hovered over the wounds, unsure of what to do. Gently, he placed his palms on her tail, and the mermaid winced again. "I'm going to have to pull them out," he warned. "It'll hurt. A lot."

Much to his surprise, the mermaid nodded in reply before lowering her head into her arms. She did not want to watch.

Muttering a sincere apology, Adrian gripped a hook and ripped it free from her tail with a hard jerk, the mermaid crying out in agony. There was still fleshy tissue caught on the hook, and Adrian ducked his head a moment to avoid throwing up before he let out a shaky sigh, moving onto the next hook.

Finally, the last hook was caught in her fluke. The sailor inhaled deeply, one hand holding down her tail before the other grasped the hook, ripping it free. The hook tore through the fin, and the mermaid shrieked in pain, slapping him hard in the face with her tail before dragging herself into the water, leaving behind a trail of blood.