One of the Selkies behind him gives a cry of alarm, and soft footfalls quickly close in on him. He shoves his boat out onto the water, tripping into it as the vessel flies away from the shore. He pushes the sail out so it’s tight, holding it out by hand to accommodate for the broken cord. Only then does he allow himself to glance back at his pursuers. Three abnormally large seals are rapidly closing in on his craft, and lagging behind them is the girl he really wants. Not one who is particularly skilled with his words, and unsure even if the creatures could interpret human speech in this form, he gestures wildly: waving the coat and pointing at the distant girl with his free hand. They slow their chase and glance at each-other, comprehension seeming to light their spherical eyes. As one they turn, diving back towards their lagging friend and scooping her up to deliver her to his boat. He loosens the sail, his boat slowing and allowing her to climb on board. She is teary and exhausted, slumping down at his feet. She leans in for her skin but he pushes it out of reach of her grasping fingers. Her eyes plead with him, begging him for mercy. If he is to give her the pelt, she can leave him, so he puts a gentle boot on her stomach to hold her in place. She yelps an animal’s cry of pain and the seals around the boat close in tighter. He reaches into his waistband and clumsily yanks out a thick-bladed bowie knife. He wavers as he leaps onto the pelt, knife first, tearing a great hole in the skin. The captivated Selkie howls in pain, a noise that could rip holes in the heart of any good man, but the fisherman is unmoved. That is, until he is swept off his feet by three huge slimy bodies who gag him and restrain him for their later entertainment. They tend to their sister first, assisting her back into her coat so that she may heal. The pelt was punctured but not fully split in two; she will recover in time.
Four curvy silhouettes, against the dim blue light of the setting Winter sun, stand at the edge of the tallest cliff, with one fifth struggling body at their feet. The winds howl to drown out any screams if the man were to try and gather help, although there are only the seagulls to hear him and they are unsympathetic to his plight. The waves below are hungry and tonight they will be fed. The smallest Selkie places a strong arm on the scruff of the fisherman’s neck and drags him so he is sitting on the very edge. Stones around him tumble down and the sea licks its lips in anticipation of its meal. The girls
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