Maria sat on her surf board, as it bobbed up and down on the coastal waves. The neon lights of Ocean Drive burned on the shore in the distance, like green and pink embers. She liked living in South Beach, but the noise never seemed to stop. On the ocean at night there was no noise; no music, or cars or tourists. It was just her, the water, and whatever starlight got past the Miami light pollution.

She was paddling back to shore when she saw something under the water. At first she thought it was a manatee or a dolphin. She’d occasionally seen those swimming around here, spent countless hours watching them under the night sky. But this was different. Maria could make out the green scales of the tail, nothing like the smooth gray of the other creatures. And the top half of the creature was odd. It was shaped like a human torso.

A bright spotlight shown down on Maria.

“Get out of the water!” A gruff voice shouted. Maria looked up, and saw a small fishing trolley, floating half-way between her and the shoreline. A stout man in an orange rain coat and fishing boots stood on the deck.

She looked back, and the strange creature was gone.

The fisherman had his hands cupped over his mouth, and he kept shouting. “Lady get out! There’s a shark in the water!”

The surfer’s eyes went wide. She turned, past the spot where she’d seen the green-scaled creature, and saw the large dorsal fin sticking out of the water.

The shark’s body hovered just under the surface like a dark cloud. It had to been at least 15-feet-long. And it was swimming right for Maria.

“Get over here!” The old man said. “Get out of the water!”

Maria’s hands dove into the water, paddling faster than she’d ever paddled in her life. Her legs kicked frantically. She was an experienced swimmer and surfer. And she had strength and determination beyond that of most people. She hoped it would be enough.

“Look out!” The fisherman cried.

Maria turned just in time to see the shark comp down on the tail of her surf board. She pushed herself off the board, and into the cold dark water. The shark’s teeth came within inches of her face, as it finished off what was left of her surfboard. Then the mammoth mouth turned to her. It was wide open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, embedded in sickly, bleeding gums.

The world seemed to slow down. After all she’d been through, all she’d seen, all she’d survived, this was how it was going to end. She couldn’t out swim this, so she stopped dead in the water, and closed her eyes. She hoped it would be quick.

Maria felt something brush past her leg. She opened her eyes and saw a flash of crimson hair shoot out of the water. A green, scaly tail smacked her away from the shark. Salt water stung her eyes, and she couldn’t see what was happening. But she could hear violent thrashing, and the painful grunts of something human.

She rubbed the salt water out of her eyes, and looked back up. The shark was gone, its dorsal fin receding into the night. In its place was something else. Something with long red hair, flowing over a human torso, and attached to a green, scaly fish body. It swam over to Maria, concern in its big green eyes.

“Are you okay?” The creature asked.

“Yes I’m fine.” Maria said. “That was amazing. Thank you.”

The creature looked at Maria, and flashed a grin of sharp, needle-thin teeth. “You’re welcome.”

Maria and the mermaid swam to the fisherman’s boat. The fisherman reached over the side, and started pulling Maria aboard.

“Did you see that?” Maria said.

“Yeah,” The fisherman nodded. “Now get on-board. I don’t want you getting caught in the net.”

Maria stood up on the deck. “What net?”

The fisherman threw a large net into the water, ensnaring the mermaid.

“Let me go!” The creature thrashed about in the net.

“What are you doing?” Maria cried.

The fisherman pulled up the net, and dropped it on to the deck. “This is the best catch I’ve ever had.” He grinned at Maria. “Little lady, we’re gonna be rich!”

“Let her go.” Maria said.

The smile left the fisherman’s face. “Don’t you give me orders on my own damn ship!”

“Let her go now, or you’ll regret it.”

“Keep this up, and I’ll throw you overboard.”

Maria took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “I’m very sorry to hear that.” She took a step closer to the fisherman.

“What are you doing?”

Maria opened her mouth, revealing a pair of fangs. The fisherman screamed. She lunged forward, and sank her teeth into his soft neck.

The mermaid watched from inside the net, as Maria fed on the fisherman’s blood.

Maria finished, and helped the mermaid out of the net. They lay next to each other on the deck of the boat.

“Thank you.” The mermaid said. She rested her hand on Maria’s.

“It’s the least I could do,” Maria said. “Besides, it’s not every day I get to meet another monster.”