Change THAT!

The weather was warm this spring and it was an absolutely gorgeous view from the booth window where I sat having my coffee at Ginny’s diner. Normally I would have been enthralled by it, but today I was transfixed by a fantastical sight.

I stared at the "man" across the table from me, at the flick of a button on the copper cuff bracelet wrapping his left forearm, all semblance of human features had disappeared.

I stared slack-jawed as a true-to-life Gill Man wearing a deep brown suit and tie sat in a booth opposite me, drinking a cup of black coffee.........what I was seeing was impossible.

I rubbed my eyes as no one else at Ginny's diner, my usual hang-out spot when I was running through ideas for an upcoming art project and my apartment got too cramped, deemed anything unusual even though I was having coffee with a 7-foot tall amphibian.

The red-headed waitress in the satiny pink diner uniform that came by our table to check on us didn't so much as bat a heavily mascaraed eyelash as she refilled Mr. Graves's coffee mug and even flirted with him....watching him flirt back was quite the experience.

I sat in shocked disbelief, my own mug of coffee steaming in front of me and fogging up my over large round glasses that I used after too much art time. I pulled my mossy green cardigan tighter around me, its soft well-worn texture creating a barrier between me and the strangeness that I had come face to face with.....Even though the day was warm enough I felt chilled to the bone.

As our waitress left with a wink and Mr. Graves order of pecan pie , he turned to me, all traces of playfulness gone "Miss Alden, I assume that you can understand part of why I called you here today?" The finny parts around his jawline twiddled and he fixed me with an intent gaze. I gazed into those large unblinking orbs, they seemed to glow with a yellowish light, and my unease grew. "I would like to explain the rest."

I took a deep breath and a large pull from my mug, still wondering if I had lost my sanity and this was all a hallucination, I eyed Mr. Graves "I think that would be best." I steeled myself for the coming conversation as best as I could.

You see, Mr. Murien Graves had contacted me a week ago, following my social media post of a sneak peek of the art piece that I was putting into a Hollywood movie monster art show at the end of the month. He had asked me to please feature a less aggressive Monster. I had been perplexed but didn't really want to rework the piece as the scales had been more challenging to work with than I would have liked. So I told him no. He had asked me to meet him for coffee so he could explain.

And now here I was, with a much better understanding of why Mr. Graves wanted a less aggressive take on the Movie monster I was depicting.

I’ve always loved anything to do with myth and legend and had been working on many Cryptid paintings over the years, but nothing could have prepared me for one of my subjects walking up and sitting down beside me...especially one that I had thought was strictly fictional.

He cleared his throat, and oddly garbled sound, and began " Miss Alden."

"Charlie."

He smiled and nodded "Charlie. My people are very careful about our image. We have never been truly seen by any sentient species. We have gone to great lengths to keep this visual anonymity as there is a great deal of safety in it..."

"And the movies and artwork before this, as well as the myths and legends are not included in that?" I felt my eyebrow quirk up. His explanation was not making much sense.

I fixed me with those eyes again “Charlie, do ANY of those looks like me?"

I considered for a moment, tilting my head at him this way and that. "No, actually no they don't. you look something like what I’ve seen but.... all of the work got it wrong. you look a lot like my painting though.... why?"

He sighed and wrapped his hands around his mug, staring into it while he spoke " Because every once in a while an artist or author gets it right. All creative ideas be they written or works of visual art come from some sort of truth. the creative mind is able to tap into something like a collective consciousness.."

"Like the Akashic records?"

He shook his head “No, but why doesn't it surprise me that you would be familiar with those. It goes farther or perhaps wider than the Akashic records.... also, it goes back further. It is a place that only a creative mind can reach, generally in a burst of almost trance-like working...a fervor of sorts. And you Charlie, have tapped into that and found my people's truest form...and you put it on canvas. Which, is why we need you to redo your piece. There cannot be any true record of how we look. and if you could adjust it so as its less violent, that would be wonderful too."

I swallowed "So I got it right, I saw it in my head and thought I was getting it all wrong. I tried so many times to change it but the image in my mind wouldn't go away. So I painted it as I saw it." I sighed.

He looked chagrinned so sorry Charlie. Yes, you did a marvelous job...it’s beautiful and spot on. Which is why it can never see the light of day. I am truly sorry but my people’s safety depend on anonymity."

I was staring out the diner window by our booth, it had started to rain, the images outside blurred and twisted and I saw a scene straight out of a horror movie...only the subject of horror were a batch of people that looked a lot like Mr. Graves. it was all out war, the streets were burning and everyone was dying. The weapons were all so strange and There was blood and death and fire as far as the eye could see, bodies everywhere. in the crowd.....I saw a little girl with long blonde hair, she couldn't have been more then 3, she had tears streaming down her face and was screaming for her mother. I heard my name being called from somewhere far off in the distance but Couldn’t pull myself away from her. My heart broke for her and the desperation that filled those screams. I heard my name again, it seemed closer but I was lost to my vision. They would hit me out of nowhere , completely random. Many times I painted what I saw if I could remember all of the images, just to get them out of my head. I heard my name again, it was louder and closer.

"Charlie!" Mr. Graves had a finned hand on my arm and was staring at me with concern carved on his fish like features.

I stared at him and blinked, My face felt wet and I looked around to see if he had chucked a glass of water at me but found them all full, I put my hands to my cheeks to realize that I had been crying and that my face and the neckline of my shirt were soaked with the tears. I grabbed a napkin and wiped my face, cleared my throat and took a long drink of water. The cold helped to settle my mind. One word was firmly engraved in my mind, Anonymity.

"Does this happen to you often Charlie?"

"Sometimes. Not with this kind of clarity usually though. why do you ask?" The things that I see tend to stay with me. But I had a feeling this vision would be one that I remember even on my deathbed. good god.

His fishlike mouth twisted in a very human looking expression "Charlie please tell me what you saw, if you feel you can talk about it. It’s important."

I nodded and told him everything.

His expression turned grave "Charlie, you are a clairvoyant. Someone who can see beyond the here and now. some have been called seers, witches, prophets....I believe that you have had a vision of a future where my people are brought to light. We have seers among my people, and one of them sent me here. They were only able to get half of the vision-the half that pertained to my people...I believe you got the rest of the message. if that's the case, it is no wonder that you were able to tap into our world so accurately. There is more to you then meets the eye Charlie."

I mulled that over and sipped at my coffee "Why didn't you tell me about your seer before?"

"I didn't think you would believe me and honestly the fact that you have suspended your disbelief thus far is amazing. I didn't want to add the drama of prophecies to an already potentially volatile situation."

I nodded. It was practical, I could appreciate his point of view.

"Charlie, I think its best if you give us your painting for safe keeping."

I didn't like it, but I nodded "I think your right." It was best if his people drifted out of everyone's mind until our two species could come to some sort of peaceful coexistence...and god knows how long that could take.

He blinked and nodded "How much would you like for the piece?"

I stared at him "What?"

"We are not just going to take it. you need to be paid, so what is your price?"

I smiled, "Answers."

He laughed “Why does this not surprise me? Fine. I will also give $5000 for the painting. A lot of effort went into it. What would you like to know?"

I was taken aback. Wow, they really were civilized! "EVERYTHING!"

He shook his head and laughed "How about we start with 1 question at a time? What would you like to know first?"

I opened my mouth and closed it several times, finally settling on "Why can't anyone see you??? I can see you."

His voice held a smile, his however remained unreadable "You can see me because I dialed back the perception filter within a 2-foot radius. It was to get past the inevitable disbelief that comes with this kind of conversation. To you, I am a 7-foot-tall amphibious-looking aquatic humanoid. To the rest of the diner, I look like a mild-mannered accountant with thinning blonde hair and glasses." He tapped his horn-rimmed spectacles for emphasis. "We prefer to blend in. for obvious reasons"

I blinked and shook myself “Wow! Ok....So...I know that the movie director based his creature on an amalgamation of 3 separate myths from the Tupi tribes of the Amazon...some even say he took some inspiration from Lovecraft's work. You don't fit the description of a Lara, so would you be a Yacaruna or Ipupiara... or was Lovecraft more on the money then people think?? I sounded wary even to myself.

Mr. Graves burst out laughing, he laughed so hard he had to dab his eyes with a napkin "Oh my dear young lady! None of the above. Also, we predate the Devonian era by a millennium or so. We have been around an extraordinarily long time. Hence the advanced technology that you saw in your vision."

"Atlantis?"

"Pre-Atlantean. We watched their rise and fall from a safe distance. They were overly ambitious, too ambitious for their own good...and everyone around them are good. We did help with some of the clean-up though."

"Did they know about you?"

"Absolutely NOT. It would have been far too dangerous."

I shuddered.

"Alright, back to the movie for a second."

"It was a true story." He sipped his coffee.

I blinked at him "What??"

He nodded.

"So, you're telling me...."

He sighed "Yes. The movie was based on an encounter with one of our people. And yes" he held up a forestalling hand as though he had been asked this before "That idiot DID try to take the scientist's mate. Creial was always a dumbass!!! even though he was one of the brightest minds of a generation, he was a complete fool when it came to females. "He heaved a tired-sounding sigh.

I knew how awkward I must have looked but Graves gave a groan of disgust" Do you think that we have remained hidden by running around starting fights, killing humans, and kidnapping women?!??!?!! Seriously?!?!?"

I stammered "Wow...so how did he heal from the kidney shot? I mean I know it’s a movie and completely dramatized but I’ve always wondered about that."

"Think About it."

I spread my hands in a surrender gesture "I don't know... how would I know??"

"If a species is compatible we can transfer a healthy organ from the donor."

"Holy wow! So if he hadn't gotten shot nobody would have died?"

"Not quite, but yes essentially."

"Wow, so was this technically a movie glorifying a home invasion?" I was slightly aghast. talk about a perspective check!

He twisted his face a bit and glanced out the window "Not quite. Creial was in the Amazon to do some very important scientific work, he went out there specifically to study some of the climate change effects on the marine life out there as it mirrors our home environment so well and we all knew that we would need to prepare for the environmental changes to come. Thankfully, that little encounter only cost a few weeks of his time, and he got a heck of a mate out of it." Murien smiled a bit wistfully.

My mouth dropped open involuntarily "Wait, you mean.... they got together? The movie depicts..."

He smirked and winked at me "The movie was a dramatized re-telling." He took an extremely smug sip of coffee.

"Wow!" That would take a bit to fully digest. "Are humans and...." I gestured at him" Your people compatible?"

"Well, Creial and Kate had 7 kids, so make of that what you will." He shrugged.

My jaw dropped open again "Thats a lot."

He hefted his mug at me "Yes, it is. Once upon a time we had children much as fish do, over time though our procreational process came to mirror humans more and more out of survival. Believe it or not , carrying young within the body is much safer and keeps predators away. It also helps that we are roughly 3 times stronger than a great white shark and twice as durable. Our offspring stood a better chance this way."

I nodded; I could see that "So how many offspring would normally be produced at one birthing?"

He thought for moment "Oh, back then... anywhere from 3 to 12....nowadays though around 1 to 3 per birth. As our environment changes so do we. Which was one of the things that Creial was studying."

"You talk as if you know him personally?"

Graves laughed "I do! We grew up together. Our people are long lived. "

"How long lived?!"

"Originally, 1000 years was a normal lifespan. Nowadays.... 5000 years is around average." He said it brightly.

"Whaaatt!"

He nodded "The tales of the mythical Yacaruna being helpful to Shaman healings and imparting medical know-how is not far from the truth. We have been helping here and there from the shadows throughout your history. But we have always had to be careful and could only come to those with an open mind. We have a great deal of knowledge, and our advancements are not limited to technology. Medicine, communication, etc. We have had a long time to learn and research and have been a record keeping species from the start."

The server interrupted before Graves could speak further with another round of coffee and brought his pie. I ordered some tea as this was a lot to take in and my brain needed a softer boost to help it along.

She left with a wink and wrote her phone number down on a napkin for Graves. He took it with a smile. I blinked and muttered "Maybe I should have had her leave the pot!"

He chuckled 'Now Charlie, are you REALLY against interspecies dating??" he placed a hand to his chest and acted offended- then shot me a teasing look.

I Laughed "I never genuinely thought about it before. I guess not. But wow, it is definitely a shock. Do your people date humans often?" I asked, I was wondering how that worked into their anonymity clause.

He knew where I was headed with it" Yes, actually quite often. Remember it is much harder to persecute a people who are blended with your own. Originally, we took a completely segregated approach, after much deliberation our elders came to the consensus that we needed to intermingle. The children from these unions are generally human with a peculiar affinity for water and aquatic environments. That part Lovecraft got right, not the turning into fish monsters at middle age though. I have a feeling that was his own way of dealing with middle age. Just a thought."

His pie sat in front of him, out of curiosity I asked, "Can you eat that?"

He looked perplexed “What, pie?" He gave me a dumbfounded look.

"Yes."

In response he took a bite, appearing to savor it "Of course I can eat pie. I can eat everything that humans do and quite a bit more besides. such as raw jellyfish. why do you ask?"

"Oh wow, well because it was just sitting in front of you. I thought maybe you ordered it to blend in."

"Seriously Charlie? I waited because we were talking and it's rude to talk with food in your mouth. I was being polite. Just because I'm an amphibian doesn't mean that I have no manners." He looked as though I was an idiot.

"Sorry! I didn't know! and thank you for waiting but go ahead and eat. I’m in too much shock to pay attention anyways."

He chuckled and nodded "Thank you. And you are right. I’m sorry for taking offense. "

Graves tore into his pie and gulped his coffee down, finishing with a satisfied smile.

I waited till he was done 'I have so many questions, more than I could ever ask you in one sitting. What do I do?"

He smiled bemusedly "Well then I guess we will just have to keep chatting. You know, I hear that there is a gorgeous little villa by the ocean out in Maine that just happens to be for lease for the next 3 years, $1000 per year. I also know that you are looking to get out of your lease from that slumlord that you are renting from. So would you like to meet my people? maybe figure out if you can start to control your visions ?"

My eyes widened "How did you know?

"About your apartment, I did some research. asked around. Your landlord is terrible! and your downstairs neighbors have a roach problem. Burn some white sage in your place."

"To drive out negative energy??"

"No, to keep the roaches out!"

We both laughed. This was going to be the start of a very interesting friendship!

I did change the painting, the “Gill man” now reflects a fictionalized representation and I drew inspiration from Creial & Kate’s actual story. Apparently, they were very much in love until the day she died and she made several valuable scientific contributions to Criel & Graves people.

The painting was well received and enjoyed by all, but my original work hangs in Graves’s People’s Hall of Records as the first painting from a human seer to be able to work in conjunction with the people of the water.