A Mermaid's Emergence

Clara clung to a low-hanging branch, her breath shallow as she listened to the voices drifting down from the grassy bank above.

The voices belonged to a group of men lounging near the edge of Brookside Pavilion. This suburban retreat was a heavily guarded sanctuary, a place where only the city's elite gathered to escape. Today, the serene riverbank was quiet, save for the sound of water lapping a