who we are and all that we're trying to be
Nose pressed downward, he followed and tracked an unfamiliar scent, until it ceased along water edges, the notches of the canal. Ripples in the water caught his attention, expecting some animal to rise from the surface, catch its breath, then meander back down again, habitual, routine natures for sea creatures.
What he hadn’t predicted was a person’s head ascending past the veneer, quiet, staring, nothing formed out the exchange. He watched and waited for several beats, for something to pass, for a melding of moments – but then nothing. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing into scrupulous speculation, mind churning into the potential of the individual, the stranger, before him. Hadn’t he heard rumors they’d built these canals for the mermaids, permitting them to traverse back and forth, rather than being isolated to the sea? The beast snorted, uncertain how they’d communicate, or if this was even one of their species. He sat back on his haunches, proclaiming no threat despite the massive bulk, size, and fangs, the deep rumble of Attuned nature cast out into the ether. Merfolk?
It takes dying to know
How to live as ghosts
