Two men were walking down the twisty forest path, quickly approaching the beach. The first one, an old bearded man with a parrot on his shoulder, looked thin but tough. Missing one arm and one leg, he certainly went through a hard school of life. Don’t feel too sorry for him though, he made up for the missing parts with a wooden spike, a sharp metallic hook and a nasty temper. The second person was a young fella, carrying a heavy-looking sack on his back and looking generally perplexed about the whole affair.

“Hurry up, lad. We would not want to miss the tide. Those things are sneaky; you could rarely catch them off the water. But even sea creatures cannot miss a chance to bask in the sun in weather like this. Did you take all the necessary gear?” – old man asked grumpily.

“I took the rope, the net, two knives, hooks... and what else?” – young lad mumbled confusedly.

“Barnacles. Did you take the barnacles?” – old man snapped.

“Oh, let me look” – the lad started rummaging through the sack – “Sorry, seems like I left them at the shed.”

“Dumb as a rock, you are! If one of those creatures notices us before we approach and opens its bloody mouth, we’re done for. That’s what I get for taking a newbie for the job” – old man exhaled angrily – “Don’t do anything until I say you so, got it?”

“Y-y-yes, sir! A-a-as you say, sir” – the poor lad looked startled and disoriented – “A-a-anyways, those creatures, what are they like?”

“Nothing. They are just fish, nothing more. Do you have any problem with catching a fish, boy?” – old man suddenly stopped, giving his inexperienced partner the evil eye.

“I mean… no. No problem for me. I was just wondering…” – he made a pause, considering if he should ask any questions – “I was wondering why we are hunting them. Aren’t they living creatures with souls and feelings just like the rest of us?”

“I will say it to you one time and one time only. They’re not people. They’re not cute adorable animals that you want to pet. They’re monsters. They may look human, but believe my word, they’re soulless. Don’t be tricked by their pretty faces and womanly curves. They’re violent predators who would lure you into their den and bite your head off without hesitation. So choose: be quick and merciless or be slow and dead. The fishmonger from the docks promised to pay us handsomely for every tail, and even more generously if something is still attached to it. Hahaha!” – old man broke into a laugh, obviously very amused by his own joke – “Hrmph…So, what was I saying? Oh yeah, don’t overthink it too much. If you want to bring home a pretty penny, they have to be just fish for you. Now, are you with me, or are you going to act like a philosopher and make me send you away?”

The boy was quick to weigh up the pros and cons. “Let’s go fishing” – he nodded and headed on.

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