Lie Down Below (Folk Stories #10: The Mermaid)

Before they were children's stories and princesses, mermaids were an omen, spelling doom for the crew of the ship. It's a long time since these sailors saw the sea; committed to a life of space piracy, their ports are whatever planets they pass close enough by to visit. But bad luck applies among the stars as much as on land.

'The Mermaid' is a less well-known Child ballad, but I like it. I decided to give it a sci-fi spin to make the retelling more interesting and original. So now it's in space. Because SPACE PIRATES.