The Mermaidologist

Mermaids and sirens, according to the Greek and other culture's myths that have survived the test of time, are mythological beings that have plagued the fantasy of sailors and fishermen since the time of the first travels by boat.

They are described as either beautiful, half-women half-fish beings or half-rapacious half-young maidens, and they lure ships into the depths of the sea to kidnap the sailors or make their ships crash against the rocky shores of their islands.

They know not love, or affection, but the survival instinct that pushes them towards the unquenchable thirst for life.

In fact, they do not kill out of spite, but rather to defend themselves from the attacks of mankind: while the sirens' islands are said to be perfect replicas of glimpses of Heaven, fertile and welcoming places shaped by the magic of the sorceresses, and often decorated with treasures, the unexplored submerged lands ruled by the mermaids are full of unthinkable secrets.

And they know what lengths humans' curiosity can go in order to discover said secrets and to find the treasures.

Nowadays, because of the arrival of technologies that could easily reveal their existence, mermaids and sirens have become almost impossible to find. They've decided to hide, waiting for a time where humans won't roam the Earth as freely as they do now.

Sometimes, some of the youngest of the various mermaid clans get particularly brave, and try to attack the big ships that float on the seas and rivers: of course, because of their not yet fully formed size, their attacks are often futile, and only put them at the risk of being spotted. Luckily for them, nobody has been able to get a fully HD picture yet, and so they are still safe.

However, they do often get scolded and punished by the eldest, who sternly remind them of the dangers they could counter.

Sirens, on the other hand, have decided to hide their islands behind thick blankets of fog or by disguising them as other natural elements, and they move them with their magic. Many ships have encountered a sad fate solely because they accidentally intercepted the route of a floating island. One of the most famous cases that will perhaps sound familiar to the readers is the Titanic: the iceberg that hit it wasn't, in fact, an iceberg, but rather an island disguised as such.

Luckily for them, the sirens that inhabited it were quick enough to make the iceberg disappear behind the fog, making sure that a real one could take its place.

But now, with the mind's eye, I can see some people reading my words with an astonished look on their faces. "How dare you affirm such extravagant ideas?" "Don't you know that sirens and mermaids only exist in fantasy?".

And three years ago, I, too, would've asked and said the same, but things have changed, as I met someone with an impossible story that changed my mind.

And while these are legitimately good questions, I just want to point out how the story that follows is not one that could give those questions the answers they seek.

I do not have scientific articles or proof to show you and to entice you, and, as a well-mannered person, I have no intention in fabricating false evidence to back up my story.

The only thing I can say is to perhaps leave your doubts at the door, to indulge in the fantasy world that you left when you entered adulthood. Because before the 20th June of three years ago, I, too, was a disillusioned adult in search of a normal life, trying to find happiness by following the rules dictated by a cold, money-driven, hustle-built society.

It happened on a very warm day, the sun of June was illuminating my city in the best way possible. Many children were around, free from the heavy bindings of education for at least a couple of months, and they really represented the carefree energy that was animating the entire city.