Seeing in my Sleep

Bubbles surfaced, and popped, on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, where yet another murderer had just claimed the life of a young female businesswoman. The bubbles had stopped by the time police divers fished the lifeless corpse of Reyla Hockinson from the water. Nearby, Chief Walden Warheim fielded questions.

“Yes, Talese Fortham, of the Daily Delaware.”

“How many homicides does this make, and do you have any leads?”

“This is the seventh body we’ve found in the canal that we suspect to have been the victim of a homicide here in St. Georges, Delaware.”

“Yes? KDAW news network,” Warheim addressed the gaggle of reporters by the water, once again being sectioned off with police tape.

“We’ve received reports of a figure, standing eight feet tall, terrorizing this area at night. Is there any credibility to these reports?”

Warheim looked down and sighed. “That is the least of our troubles. We have to take this matter seriously, and not invent fantasies. Those reports are completely bunk. I thank you all for your time.”

The chief stepped away from the microphone, and gathered his unit to head back to their offices.

November’s biting wind, and dipping nighttime temperatures added to the eeriness of the evenings in the area surrounding the murder scene. In her bed, Natalia Jovi wrestled in her sleep. Her eyes slowly opened to see a figure about six or seven feet tall. She began to scream but the large figure, dripping wet, slapped her back to sleep. The spook took her from her bed, and walked down to the canal.

The breathing apparition roused her from her sleep and undressed her. It held her head underwater as she screamed like a lamb. Soon, her lifeless body sank to the bottom of the canal. The figure then swam back to its own realm deep into the water.

Chief Warheim struck his desk. He turned to his deputy.

“Goddamnit! We’ve got another one. We’ve got reports from the Jovis’ that align—whoever it is, they’re wearing high heels that sink into the ground. It’s totally impractical, but we’re making strides in finding whoever is committing these crimes.”

In time, the police set up an unmarked car a few yards away from the site where the bodies had surfaced, or had been dragged from the bottom.

“We just have to wait—” Deputy Dernon started. In the darkness of the night, Sergeant Haddish Haney pointed at the water. It gurgled like someone using mouthwash. A green and black figure emerged from the water. Dernon reached for the spotlight.

“Wait, no!” Haney said. “Let it come up on the shore.”

The monstrosity had slick skin, green and black in the moonlight. It moved methodically and soon stalked towards the row of homes. Just before it reached one of them, Haney turned on the spotlight, and Dorner spoke from his megaphone.

“Stop right now. Back away slowly with your hands in the air,” he called.

The being complied for a moment and then charged the police vehicles. Long blades extended from its hands. The officers opened fire on the creature. It sustained the rounds, but continued to advance. The SWAT team fired a rocket launcher, and its projectile impacted the being. It slowed its gait, and then fell. The officers rushed with their guns to identify it. They removed the mask. The highly developed suit began to trickle blood.

“It’s a female, 7’10” in height. She’s gone.”

For all the death and destruction she had caused, the authorities still kept their composure, and waited for the medical examiner to arrive.

The medical examiner confirmed beyond doubt the person they’d shot was a human being. She’d crafted a suit, and hunted young girls in their sleep to feed her aquababies.

“We know now,” Sheriff Warheim said. “She was not a mermaid. She was something else,” he said.