The Beacon
Josiah had seen them before, of course. But never this close. When you spend every night alone at the top of a lighthouse, you understand how the water shimmers. You also understand what it looks like when the shimmer disrupted by something moving directly toward you across the surface of the water. As Josiah descended the spiral staircase to greet the arrival, he speculated as to its nature. It seemed too small to be a boat from the mainland. But it was shinier than a dolphin. So when he opened the door and picked his way over the rocks, the realization hit him at same exact moment he looked up and saw her on a rock. The mermaid was lying peacefully, propped up on her elbows as the waves lapped at her tail. She didn’t …