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The dweller under the waters
I've seen a mermaid

I've seen a mermaid

Here in Santa Soledad, a municipality in Baja California Sur, there's often talk about mermaids. Our parents and grandparents, who include fishermen and maritime transporters, describe them as occasional silhouettes swaying among the open sea waves or enchanting songs that beckon one to lose themselves in the vastness of the ocean. It was the members of 'El Pelotón' who changed my community's perspective on such creatures, at least for a while, and initiated a series of events that would ultimately lead to the story I'm about to share with you.

'El Pelotón' does not refer to any disciplined military group of men, as one might imagine, but rather is the nickname for a bunch of old alcohol addicts whose notoriety makes them detestable among us. They were known for various altercations in our city, ranging from street fights to vomiting in local bars, but the absurdity with which they emerged in September 2019 was as strange as it was controversial. They claimed to have seen a bunch of mermaids resting on the shores of the beach. They described them as unparalleled beauties with voluptuous bodies that were not only kind but even invited them to engage in intimacy after a brief chat. The sensational news, combined with the vulgar details that the elders shared with such relish, was enough to cause a frenzy among the people. Most adults dismissed the bragging of this deplorable group of senile old men with disgust, but teenagers were fascinated by the story, and a hysteria ensued, giving birth to many mermaid fantasies.

My fascination with the ocean had nothing to do with my sexual instincts, but the afternoons I spent observing the sea from the pier were ruined by a bunch of hot-blooded teenagers who joined the trend and began frequenting the beach. To make matters worse, they were my high school classmates. I was fifteen at the time. I had to join in the gossip about mermaids to avoid admitting that I enjoyed admiring the sea for its simple beauty. My mind had remained sane until then because my internet access was limited, but it was corrupted a bit after hearing so many wild fantasies about mermaids. Initially, there were about sixty kids visiting the beach for hours. After a few months, they had halved, and within a year, few remembered the matter. However, I got used to spending time on the breakwaters, the loneliest place on the beach, to continue admiring the vastness of the ocean in peace. By the time the 2020 pandemic was at its peak, I still maintained my routine, but now in greater solitude than ever, a time when I spotted a strangely humanoid silhouette swaying in the distant waves of the pier, very similar to the presumed figure of mermaids: human torso and fish tail.

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I inquired among my acquaintances about the topic, hoping someone had a similar experience or at least a logical explanation for what I saw, but all I received was mockery. I had other similar encounters but kept quiet to avoid damaging my reputation and secretly investigated the matter until curiosity consumed me alive.

The next time I saw something, I didn't hesitate to step forward to confront whatever was moving in the water. It happened on a Christmas Eve eve, when the breakwaters were completely empty, and a strange movement in the distance caught my attention. As I approached, I could see a long fish tail swaying between the sea surface and its bottom. Its movements were strange but reminded me a bit of how dolphins playfully interact with water in front of humans to attract their attention. I felt immediate curiosity about what was on the other side of the tail, but I didn't dare to jump into the water to find out. She was the one who presented herself to me. She emerged from the water as if it were natural to appear in front of humans, and we locked eyes.

That was the first time I saw a mermaid. Her beauty was truly beyond anything imaginable. Her hair shone in an orange hue, her eyes reflected the harmony of crystal-clear waters, and the curves of her body were as pronounced as the old folks had said. Her appearance was so otherworldly that I could hardly classify her as human, although the attraction I felt for her was so maddening and instinctive that for a moment, I wanted to dive into the water just to touch her. Seeing her beautiful smile and hearing her sweet voice almost enchanted me, but I managed to control my instincts by remembering how repulsive my classmates looked behaving like animals in heat.

—Who are you? —I asked, kneeling on the shore.

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