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          The bright orb in the sky shined down and reflected down on the glistening waters. Riley let his bag fall down on the dirt trail as he walked mechanically towards the lake, bent down and began to wash his face. The blowing sand and dirt had been harsh and his normally ivory skin was concealed with a dull brown.

“Hurry up son, it’s almost nightfall, we have to catch those fish,” his father urged.

Damn his father for thinking fish came out when the moon was full. It had been an old tale passed down from the line of fisherman in his family. Riley got up and helped drag the boat into the water, steadied it and let his father get on and then he eventually got in as well.

After almost an hour of waiting, it was clear that the day’s efforts were useless. His father was asleep and they were in the middle of the lake when it was nearly midnight. He sighed and his head snapped up when he noticed an unusually large fish slither up from the side of the boat along with eerily beautiful notes. A woman soon emerged and she pulled herself up effortlessly and looked at him with a very doll like look.

She was very beautiful from what he could tell and her light humming caught his breath. He didn’t know why but he joined along. Riley didn’t know the tune but it was very easy and soon she smiled and began to sing. He leaned in closer and touched her cheek, now desperate to feel her and see if she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. He was enchanted by her ghostly song and did not even notice her tail as he caressed her soft cheek.

“What is your name?” Riley asked breathlessly.

            The nameless girl sunk into the water more and Riley leaned in further to the point where their lips almost touched. He didn’t notice that the boat was rocking or that his father was gone.

          She didn’t respond but continued to back away until only her piercing green eyes could be seen.

“Hey, wait! Where are you going? Who are you?” he questioned confused.

He had been so captured in her looks that he didn’t even wonder where she was from or why she was in a lake that was nearly an hour away from town. The boat began to shake erratically and Riley fell into the water unprepared.

His lungs began to burn as he tried to breathe in air but instead took in water. He began to choke and desperately began to kick up to the surface. Before he passed out, a hand reached into the water and grabbed his.