The first time I came into contact with the merpeople of the Black lake I was very young. Too young. By all accounts. I was watching students skating around on the lake and went to walk on it myself. For those of you that live in colder climates and have been ice fishing you will know the peril that I was in. I did not know this at the time. It was winter the lake was covered in ice and I went to the centre of what I thought was a stable and safe area.

I wondered around and kept walking. At around lunchtime I slipped and fell through some very thin ice. I had thought that it was thick ice, the way people had been skating on it, but I fell in. I went straight through. The water hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like shards of glass penetrating me. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t have time to scream and nobody was around even if I had. As I went down into the icy water, I saw a person look at me. It was a mermaid. I always say the same thing. It was fear. The fight or flight movement. I transfigured to the creature in front of me and it took me to the shore. To where I was safe. For that I owe them my life. Ever since I have held them with the greatest respect.

In 94/95 I was asked to be the “inbetween” compatriot for the merpeople. I spoke with them, guided them and waited at the shorelines as the competitors of the second task completed the challenge.