Eddie is the last fisherman of his village. His comrades have been taken by the mermaid, Vivian. While the village of Shadehedge struggles to get into farming for the upcoming season, the villagers have been depending on him to fish. For whatever reason, Vivian has left him alone for much of the fishing season. The second-to-last fisherman's body was found at the start of the season. Rumors say he died with a huge smile on his face and his erection still intact.
Learning from the fishermen who managed to survive, Eddie wears nothing when he takes his boat onto the water. Vivian is fond of grabbing her victims by the collar, the sleeves, and by the pantleg. And clothes are useless when struggling under the surface. Some of the fisherman used to say she would save the most attractive fishermen for the end of the season. Few people in Shadehedge would disagree that Eddie is a dashing young man. Many of them would wake just to watch him prepare nude in the early morning.
Eddie can feel in his bone that Vivian is watching him. She disappears from time to time, but she always comes back. He pushes off from the dock as the village waves and shouts their farewells, hoping he'll return in a few hours. It feels like being awake during his own funeral every morning, but he understands the village's concern - if he dies, many of them will starve.
Reaching the middle of the bay, casts his net into the water. He pulls in a good amount of fish every so often. The weather is calm and quiet, but Eddie can feel a tension coming from below the surface. The wind whispers in his ear while the water pays him in silence. He sees a head pop up out of the water. Her hair shines like wheat in the golden sunshine and her eyes reflect the blue water around her.
"Hello, young fisherman. I hope you know that I've been expecting you. What's your name?"
Eddie can feel a distinct part of his body stiffen at the sound of her melodious voice. "I-it's Eddie."