Hook, Line, and Sinker - An Oklahoma Fairy Tale

So, a few months ago, I decided to enter a fantasy short story contest. The theme was "sea creatures," and the story had to be no more than 2,000 words and include three specific things (none of which I can currently remember, but they are in the story).

Apparently, my twisted brain decided to come up with an unhinged tale about red dirt mermaids traversing muddy Oklahoma rivers. My office manager and I had an absolute blast as I crafted this tale. Now that the judging is over and they've announced the winners, I can publicly share the story with you. I didn't win (didn't even make it past the first round of judging), but I'm still pretty proud of my story. I'm thinking about fleshing it out a bit and maybe creating an anthology of Oklahoma-nized fairy tales.

Anywho, hope you enjoy my Oklahoma fairy tale -- "Hook, Line, and Sinker."

Synopsis: Delilah is always keeping an eye out for her stupid, older brothers, lest they get in trouble again. But sitting out next to a river, waiting for the mythical Red Dirt Mermaid that only appears under a full moon, takes the cake. Little does she know, the full moon is about to reveal a lot more than just a mythical creature.

You might be asking why I’m sitting on the banks of the Deep Fork River under a newly turned full moon, counting down the minutes until midnight. It’s not exactly the best way to spend your 21st birthday.

The only answer I can come up with is making sure my dumbass brothers don’t get themselves killed or arrested.

I give it a 50-50 shot.

When they’re not in the drunk tank, they’re usually doing something stupid, all to make a quick buck. They could get a job at the local Walmart like me -- or any job. But no. That’s a “waste of their skills.” Which is why it usually falls on me to pay the bills. Especially since whatever money Daddy left us when he died long ago dried up.

Sheriff Grant said he’d come down hard on Obie and Jeb next time they get caught, which is why I’m sitting here getting eaten alive by mosquitoes with rocks digging into my butt, while the two idiots get drunk on Coors Light.

“Shh! Ya hear that?” Jeb whispers, though it’s more like a shout now that he’s seven beers in.

“I thought I saw somethin’,” Obie whisper-shouts back.

I roll my eyes as my fingers quickly work through the loom, weaving together another potholder. They don’t bring in much at the flea market, but they keep my hands busy. Otherwise, I’d likely strangle my brothers.

I’m pretty sure what they see is a fish. Not the mythical Red Dirt Mermaid.

“Hand me another beer,” Obie says, holding a hand out to me.

“How much longer are we gonna be out?” I ask, not bothering to keep my voice down as I reach into the cooler and pull out another can.

“As long as it takes,” Obie replies, glaring at me with dark eyes. “Keep yer voice down, Delilah. Better yet, why don’t ya go on back to the truck and let us men take care of this.”

I slap the can in his hand, narrowing my blue eyes at him.

“Last time I let ‘you men’ take care of anythin’, ya’ll burned the barn down,” I hiss. “Not goin’ to the truck, even if ya want to spend the whole night tryin’ to catch some stupid fairy tale.”

“It’s not stupid! Daddy said he caught one years ago!” Jeb exclaims.

“Yea, well, Daddy also caught the clap from Ginger the bartender. And got himself killed,” I mutter under my breath.

Unfortunately, Obie hears me. I wince and lean away as he starts to raise his arm, but Jeb grabs it.

“Look! Somethin’ over there!”

Obie turns his attention back to the river. I’m not sure if Jeb actually did see something, or if he’s trying to keep Obie in check. Neither one of my brothers has ever really liked me. Probably because Daddy cheated on their mama with my mama, and they both ran off.

I wonder about my mama often, though I’ve long ago given up on her ever coming back. I don’t even know her name, just that it was one night of passion Daddy would never forget. I wish I didn’t know that.

I huff and pick up my loom, swatting at another mosquito. As far as birthdays go, this one is the worst. At least as soon as the clock hits midnight, I can’t get in trouble for digging into the beer cooler myself.

“Ya think she’ll be pretty?” Jeb asks.

“Damn straight. Daddy said they’re all pretty,” Obie says. “But we gotta keep ‘er from the water, or she’ll turn back and get away…”

“Unless ya’ll have already eaten her,” I say. “This is your favorite noodlin’ spot.”

I look up, finding both of my brothers staring at me with wide eyes and pale faces. Jesus, I almost can’t believe the two idiots are just now realizing there’s a good chance they’ve already consumed their mermaids.

We’ve all grown up listening to Daddy talk about the Red Dirt Mermaids. They disguise themselves as catfish -- or any kind of fish, really -- and can only change shapes under a full moon. The boys loved the stories because, well, pretty women. I loved them because the mermaids were free to roam, so long as they got back to water before the moon waned.

“I’m sure it’s fine, Obie,” Jeb says, patting Obie on the back. “We’ll catch us a Red Dirt Mermaid.”

I sigh as they return to their vigil, and I start weaving again, though pause to slap another mosquito on my leg. At this rate, my entire body will be as red as my hair in the next hour or so. My brothers keep whispering to each other so low I can’t hear. Probably talkin’ about all the dirty stuff they plan to do to their mermaids.

I let the gentle babbling of the river and the cricket symphony lull me, as a breeze rustles the hair on the back of my neck. My mind wanders, dreaming of what it would be like to take to the river and follow it all the way across land and state lines to the ocean.

To finally get out of this godforsaken town. I

’d love to leave, but you kinda need money and a plan. At the moment, I have neither. Hasn’t stopped the desire to run, which has only gotten stronger over the last year.

It’s like an itch under my skin. One I can’t quite reach.

I take a deep breath and let it out, but then freeze, my eyes fixed on my watch that reads midnight.

Something’s different.

In the last second or so, the air has gone still. The crickets cut out, and I can’t hear the buzz of mosquitoes. Even the river seems quiet.

I glance around the banks and the trees, my body taut as I feel eyes on me. I’m not sure if it’s another person or if it’s a different kind of predator. We do have coyotes and cougars in this area.

“Look!”

I whip my head back to the river, noticing an odd sort of bubbling moving through the water. That wouldn’t necessarily be weird, except it's moving upstream towards us. In a split second, I’m on my feet, poised and ready to run. My brothers, the idiots, are up, but have moved into the water, large dumb grins spread across their faces.

A soft humming starts up. I look around, trying to find the source. A voice that sounds strangely familiar starts singing. Whoever it is is getting closer. Enough that I can make out the words to “Fishin’ in the Dark.” Daddy used to sing that when I was little.

It’s then that I realize the singing is coming from the water.

The bubbles stop about two feet away from my brothers, and something breaks the surface. At first, it looks like a slimy, muddy-brown head with long, barblike whiskers. But as soon as it hits the air, all that melts away, revealing bright red hair, an impossibly beautiful face, and creamy smooth skin.

Oh, and eyes that look like mine.

The woman stays about waist-deep, smirking as she keeps singing, and completely unbothered by the fact that she’s stark naked. Drool glistens in the moonlight on my brothers’ chins. Blessedly, they’re too stunned to speak.

This can’t be real. Surely it’s a prank.

Her blue eyes then turn to me and widen. The singing stops.

My heart thumps in my chest.

“Delilah?”

Either I’ve fallen asleep, and this is some wild dream, or the Miller brothers have outdone themselves. Because there is no way I’m standing next to Deep Fork River with a butt-naked lady who was a catfish just seconds ago and apparently knows my name.

“Yea… Do I know you?”

“I… You probably don’t remember me, but… I can’t believe it’s really you.”

The woman easily strides through the water and up the bank until she’s right in front of me. She reaches out and caresses my cheek with a wet hand.

Surprisingly, I don’t back away. Something about this feels like… home.

“I worried I’d be too late, or I couldn’t find you, but… here you are. My precious Delilah.”

Tears glisten in her eyes as I take a step back, my good sense finally snapping back into place.

“Okay, I don’t know who you are. And I should prolly get those dumbasses home before they do somethin’ stupid.”

Her brows drop as she glances over at my brothers and back at me.

“But… I’m your mother. And… we’re not human, Delilah.”

For a moment, my heart stutters, and something like hope starts sliding in. My mother? Not human?

And then I pop that bubble of hope. There’s no way this woman is my mama. This is all some elaborate ploy. Nothing more.

“Right. Who put ya up to this? Is it the Millers? I swear to God, Luke can’t take rejection like a normal person-”

“No one put me up to this, Delilah.” Her voice is harsh, and a tiny bit of fear kicks in. “I met your father on this very riverbank, and we had one night together. Nine months later, I returned and birthed you under a full moon. You’re a halfling mermaid, so you needed to be with your human father. I left you on his doorstep with a note saying I would return for you on your 21st birthday. Did he say nothing?”

She looks confused. Hell, I’m confused. As far as I’m aware, there was no note. And well, the whole mermaid thing.

“Riight… So… I’m gonna go now. You have a good night.”

I start towards my brothers, but the woman (Mama? That feels weird) grabs my arm. Before I can even get a scream out, she’s yanked me into the water, right to the deep part of the river. A weird tingling shoots up my legs, and my head slips under the surface. I scream and… what?

Water is pouring into my mouth, but… I’m not drowning.

The scream cuts off, and I look around, finding I can see clearly through the muddy water. I take a deep breath, and it’s like I’m breathing air, but I’m clearly not.

The woman pulls me back up, smiling at me. My brain is all over the place, but I swear that right where my legs should be, there’s a long, muddy brown tail.

Shit. She’s telling the truth.

My dumbass brothers were right.

Red Dirt Mermaids are real, and I’m apparently one.

“Do you believe me now?” she asks. I nod. “Good. Your body is adapting beautifully, but there’s so much more I’ll teach you…”

“Why couldn’t I do this before?” I ask as she leads me back to the bank, and my legs begin to reform. It’s a strange feeling, but I’ll get used to it.

“All half-mermaids shift for the first time when they turn 21. But now that you have, you can turn into any kind of sea creature. Saltwater. Freshwater. We can live anywhere,” Mama says, a bright smile on her face.

“Wait. We can leave Oklahoma? Go anywhere? Even the ocean?” I asked, my heart pounding.

Mama smiles as she leans forward and kisses my forehead.

“Yes, darling. Anywhere. But first… I need to eat. I’m famished after traveling so long.” A

giddiness comes over me. I’m leaving Oklahoma. It’s real. I can’t even, wait- Eat?

“Uh… Mama… what do we eat?” I ask, watching as she slowly stalks to my brothers, who are still frozen in a daze.

“First lesson, Delilah. Men are only good for two things… food and fucking.” She stops and looks back at me, her grin now sharp and filled with even sharper teeth. “Can’t fuck these two, but they do look delicious…”

She turns back around, and my heart almost stops. Granted, it only takes me half a second to make up my mind.

She’s right. Can’t fuck ‘em.