The Merman Trapped in My Lake

“Servane, why didn’t you come see me?”

Those haunting words echoed from the lips of a being—no, a mermaid—mistaking me for my great-grandfather’s granddaughter, whose appearance I apparently mirrored. The tale passed down through generations was dark: my ancestors, captivated by their love for mermaids, had imprisoned her within a lake.

What thoughts must have consumed her over the decades? Waiting endlessly for someone who had long since turned to dust, enduring relentless anguish with each passing day.

Her longing was unmistakable. “I wanted to see you.”

But beneath it all, there was no mistaking the truth: it was revenge.