“Not one stinkin fish today”. My cousin was out here yesterday caught 5 bass over 5 pounds. I can hear her rubbing it in, “Whos the hammer in the family now”! Ugh….the embarrassment is almost too much to bear. I’ll give it 20 more minutes. The river was especially beautiful tonight. The way the light of the full moon hits the river surface makes it look like a mirror. The mirror is reflecting moonlight and the trees that hug the shoreline. Im in a scene from a sappy romantic movie. Aside from the fact that I didnt catch anything I really just love being out here. On my little John boat, motor off, I basque in the calmness of the water. I let the current gently guide the boat downstream. Ten minutes pass…nothing….15 still nothing. Just as Im about to reel in my line I feel a quick, firm tug on the line. My heart rate increases as I think about not going home empty-handed. Im fully engaged in the battle but if Im being honest there wasnt much of a fight on the other end. I could feel something strong at the end of the line but felt like whatever it was had accepted its fate. As the fishing line is pulled closer to the boat I cant quite make out the type of fish I caught but the silhoette is large and a bit odd. As I get the net in preparation for an enormous fish, something jumps in the boat. I drop my net and my fishing pole and I freeze. Im stunned at what I am looking at. This is no fish. I think its a teenaged boy or a small framed man. I punch myself in the arm thinking I may have fallen asleep in the mild night breeze and gentle swaying of the boat. However, I seem to be wide awake. Im staring at this person and he’s staring back at me. I can see he has a hook in the side of his mouth and wait…it looks like my lures in his mouth. Is this what was on the end of my line? What am I even saying….there is absolutely no way I caught an actual person. My thoughts are interrupted by the look of fright on the young mans face and it seems like the hook looks painful. I instinctively say, “Hello, I mean no harm’. I put my hands up hopefully to show the man that I have no intent to hurt him. I. point at the hook and slowly walk over to him. He remains still and I cautiously remove the hook. He immediatley puts his hands to his mouth and gives me a look that I understand as “thank you”. I just stare at him, I have so many questions. I start to blast of my concerns rapidly. “How did you not freeze being in the water so long? And wait, most importantly “how did you breath under the water”? He smiles as if he undertands what I am saying but he doesnt speak. He takes my hand and puts it on his forearm…his skin is inexplicably warm. Then he lifts his arms up and I am stunned at the site of gills. I stumble back as the shock of what I am seeing is weighing on me. He puts his arms out and prevents me from falling overboard. I sit down, half petrified half amazed. He pulls out a small object from his cut off short pocket….the only article of clothing he is wearing. He places the item in my hands and dives over the side of my boat. Everything happened so fast I didnt see a splash or in which direction he swam. I try to looking over the edge of the boat but I see nothing. I then look at what he put in my hands and its a small smooth stone emitting a fantastic red glare. What just happened? No one will believe this story so I guess Ill stick with going home emptyhanded and let my cousin have her glory.