I heard about the Half-Moon beach from a local here in the town that I visited, not one map showed it. But it was said to be a perfectly clean sand beach around a circular bay. Decent waves and no rip currents or sharks due to a large sandbank across the bay entrance.

I'm not a surfer but I do like to snorkel and although the bottom was all sand, there were plenty of fish to see underwater, supposedly. The only problem? It was in the middle of nowhere, five miles out of town you had to take a side road, or path is a better word, that only SUV's could handle. The ten miles to cross it would take an hour or so.

The advantage? Not a lot of families with small children. Just people like me that can't stand congested beaches. Bring enough water for the trip back and forth, but there were a few shops along the beach that had drinks, food and icecream, as well as towels, sunscreen and cream to treat jellyfish stings.

I was a bit worried about my rental car, I had specifically requested an EV, an electric vehicle, but it was said to be a four-wheel drive. Distance wise it shouldn't be a problem, but would it be able to handle the rough path? I wasn't disappointed.

The path was all sand with plenty of holes and bumps but my car took it all without effort. As a matter of fact, I was able to pull a regular SUV out of a ditch, and I was happy to conclude that electric cars really were our future.

It took me forty-five minutes, and there was a decent parking lot under the dunes with about twenty cars. My car locked automatically as I walked away from it. I still had to get used to the fact that my phone was the key, but at least it still worked, even though I had zero signal here. I dragged my cooler and gear across the dune, only to have my breath taken away by the sight of the bay.

It was like a beach from a tropical island, the sand almost white, the water in the bay blue. Steep cliffs all around and both ends of the almost perfect half circle were pure rocks and I could see rock formations still far in the ocean. No boat would get here, the path I just used the only entrance. But people were in canoes, crossing the bay left and right. Some were fishing from the large underwater sandbank, standing about knee deep. But most areas were empty and I found a nice secluded spot where I dumped my cooler and my towel.

I had my swimwear already on under my shorts and in minutes I was in the water, where I put my flippers on my feet and my snorkel on my face. The water was warmer than I expected, again giving a more tropical feel.

There was so much to see, apart from fish, crabs and shrimp I saw a small octopus and even a ray. But most importantly, every ounce of stress left my body. I wished I could stay underwater forever, but eventually thirst drove me back to shore, and I realized I was hungry too.

I decided to save my own water in the cooler and went to the small strip of buildings. Shops was a big word, shacks fitted better. They all had solar panels on the roof, which suggested there was no electricity here. And they cooked on gas, from a tank behind the shack. Prices were not cheap but I had my card in my phone. Except… cash only.

No phone service meant no credit card machine. Problem was, nobody had mentioned it, and I only had a five for emergencies. Thank God the guy whose car I had pulled from the ditch was there, and he bought me lunch. I liked the idea that good deeds somehow paid back.

I took a nap on my towel before I went back under, and after a very satisfying session again, I decided to check the other shops. I skipped the shop with fishing gear and bait. The “general” shop had indeed a solution for bites, stings and burns and I spent my only five dollar cash on an anti-itch cream, as I had an encounter with a jellyfish.

With no money left for icecream, which was fine, because they were running out anyway, I looked at the last shop, slightly taller than the rest, and I saw stairs going up on the outside to what seemed to be a second floor. The name, “The Mermaid Shoppe” gave me a jolt. I loved mermaids, secretly, because people will quickly laugh at guys like me.

As I went in, once more I was stunned. This didn't look like a shop at all, it was more like a small art gallery. Not two pieces alike, I guessed everything was hand made by an amazing artist. He clearly saw mermaids the same as me, as smart, sleek, strong women, with an athletic body and a long tail. Long hair, often red, excessive jewelry, scaled tops covering the breasts, and a breathtaking face. Each and every one. Some made from glass, some from wood, some made completely from seashells, and then there were the paintings and drawings. That's when the model for all this art walked in.

She was as gorgeous as each of the art pieces, except she had long legs rather than a tail. She laughed with a beautiful sound as she saw my stunned face. And I had to apologize for staring at her. “I'm sorry for staring but you're as beautiful as any of these mermaids here.”

At least it worked as an icebreaker, as she introduced herself as Mira, the shop owner. And she apologized for leaving her shop unattended for a minute as she needed a bathroom break. At which I told her not to worry, as it gave me a chance to enjoy the beautiful art. And she replied, “Thanks, glad you appreciate my art.”

“You are the artist? I thought you were the model.”

“I'm both”, and I guess that explained everything. She continued, “But tell me, are you a connoisseur? Most men leave mermaids to the ladies.”

I could feel my cheeks color, but I tried to explain. “I'm a diver. Well, a snorkeler, but I love to learn how to dive. I love the underwater landscape, the fish and all other creatures. Sometimes I wish I could swim like a fish, so sleek, so fast, like how you portray all your art here.”

“So, let me get this straight. You want to be a mermaid?”

I had to bite my tongue to not blurt out “Yes!” and I carefully answered, “Well, you know, just have a fish tail.”

“Very well”, she said, “why don't you find the piece of art you love most in my shop, and maybe I can use that to make a similar piece using your face?”

That was easy, I had seen it already. It was a two-feet statue, curved out of wood, polished to a beautiful sheen. The mermaid was not sitting on a rock like you so often see, but she was swimming at full speed. You could see it in the hair, the powerful move of her long tail, her jewelry all “trailing”, and the way her different fins were angled. Her eyes concentrated on her destination, her royal face a streamlined beauty. Sleek and powerful, I could sense it, and that's what I wanted for myself.

“A good choice”, Mira said, “perhaps my best work ever. It took me a month to carve this. And that was after a month of finding the right piece of wood. You'll have to come back for it in a few months.”

“Until then, can I borrow this one? I don't think I can live another day without seeing this beauty.” I started this sentence as a joke, but I suddenly realized how true it could be. “I was joking about borrowing. How much is it?”

“Given the amount of work I put in it I would have asked two thousand for it, but for a true lover, a believer, I could adjust the price down. Are you a believer, Mr…. ?”

“Johnson. John Johnson. John, please” Next to this model, this artist, my name sounded so dull.

“Well then, are you a believer, John?”

I knew exactly what she wanted to know. But acknowledging it would make me look like a freak, right? I watched Splash, both Little Mermaid movies, Pirates of the Caribbean and a few more, wishing for it to be true, wanting it to be true. And somehow I felt like this woman, who looked like a mermaid herself, would not make me look like a fool.

“Yes. I think I am. I've never told this to anyone, but I want mermaids to be real.”

I didn't say I wanted to meet one and fall in love with her though.

“That means you can have the statue for one thousand. And trade it in for the new one I'm going to make, based on your looks, in a few months. If you want of course. I only ask for one purchase agreement. You can never sell or give it to someone else. If you no longer want it, I will buy it back. For seventy-five percent. Guaranteed.”

“I will take it to my grave, I promise.”

As she laughed about my joke, a sudden thought hit me. “I hope you accept credit cards?” I wasn't particularly poor, but one grand would take me about five months to pay off. Already I saw her shake her head. “Cash only.”

This was not good. It would take me a few months to save that amount. Unless I would cash in on my credit card. An insane interest rate but I could have it by the next day. Unfortunately that wouldn't work, Mira told me. She's closed on Sunday, so Monday at noon would be the earliest chance. But she would hold the statue for me until Wednesday. I couldn't ask for more.

Well, I did. I asked if I could make a few pictures of “my” statue, and she was okay with that. But, after two pictures my stomach suddenly turned. I needed a bathroom, urgently.

She could tell I wasn't joking, my face totally white. The food I had earlier must have been bad. There was a bathroom upstairs, she said, and gave me a key, and pulled me outside, pointing at the stairs on the side.

I made it, barely, finding the smallest toilet area ever. And pretty much everything I ate before came out in one fluid wave. I was nauseated at first but as my body cleansed itself I took a look at the pictures I had just made. And I felt better, with that beauty now in my hand.

Okay, I'll take that back. A sudden burst in my upper digestive tract had me put my phone down on the tiny trashcan, so I could get up and hold both my hands on the small sink, as I barfed out whatever was left in me. I stood there for at least five minutes, my body convulsing, my knee painful as I had banged it into the wall during the violent purge, but slowly things started to get better.

Trying to flush the toilet I found there was no tank, nor was there a pipe at the sink. All I could find was a bucket with what seemed like ocean water. But I did my best to wash both the sink and toilet clean, using up the whole bucket. I should go and fill that up again.

By now however Mira was knocking the door, asking if I was okay. I opened it, saying “Sort of”, but she knew right away I wasn't. “I'm so sorry dear”, she said, “but I have to run. My ride is leaving. I closed up the shop already, but why don't you take your time here to get better. When you leave, just lock the door behind you and drop the key in the little hole between the two planks on the right, you can't miss it. I'll find them there on Monday.”

All I could say was “Thank you”. For not throwing me out, I thought. But she had a gift for me. “Normally I give this to my customers after a sale, but I'm sure you will come back, so please take this now.” It was a beautiful pin, a mermaid tail, just the tail, and I knew right away what it meant. “Only mermaid lovers will recognize this for what it is”, I whispered. “Exactly”, was all she said, and then she kissed me actually on both cheeks.

As I stood there, stunned from both the gift and the kiss, she said, “Just let me get the trash out, so I can give it to the guy who will dump it all in town.” And after she pulled the bag from the little trashcan, she was gone in a flash.

My stomach was still rumbling and I knew I had to fill the bucket first with water, but right there in the corner under the window stood a large bathtub, filled with water. A lifesaver I figured, because I wasn't sure if I could handle the stairs yet with that bucket. Thank God, after that second session there was nothing left to rumble, and I felt much better.

In a way I was lucky. What woman would trust a stranger to clean up after himself and lock the door nicely behind him? But then I saw the pin she'd given me, before I could even pay for the statue. She knew I'd come back, even though it was messing up the rest of my vacation by a few days.

Not that there was much to steal. No appliances, no tv, no toys, no towels, just the bathtub and a few workbenches, and a cabinet under the bench that was locked, I bet with the tools of her trade. Only then did I notice the painting on the wall.

The same mermaid, like my statue in full speed motion, but thanks to the colors the details were more distinguishable than on the carved wood. The red tail was perfectly in line with her red hair, and so was the red breastplate, covered with scales like the tail. I couldn't pull my eyes away, but I knew this was valuable enough to steal. Not that I would of course, but I would make sure the door was locked and the key not in sight.

Suddenly I had an idea. I would make a few detailed pictures of the painting and maybe I could print a copy later for myself. Or was that stealing still? But she had allowed me to take pictures of the statue, right? As I told myself it would be okay I went for my phone. Not in my pocket. I suddenly remembered I had put it aside when I had to barf, but a quick glance in the toilet made it clear my phone wasn't there. It had been on the edge of the trashcan, the same one that Mira had taken the trash from.

There could only be one solution. The phone had fallen in the trash bag and it was now on its way to the town to be “dumped”, whatever that meant. I had to be quick, maybe I could still catch up with whomever had collected the trash from everybody.

As I ran outside there were serious wind gusts going, and I remembered the man I had “saved” telling me over lunch that everyone would be gone by six, as every night here, between the cliffs, fast circular winds would cool everything down to unpleasant temperatures. It had something to do with it getting dark so quickly under the high cliffs, while the heat was still locked in by the bay water.

I locked the door behind me, found the gap indeed, and put the key there, out of sight. Then I had to fight myself down the stairs against the winds that were indeed cold. I was still in my swim trunks with just a tank top that did nothing to provide any warmth.

When I reached my cooler I noticed my towel and shorts gone, undoubtedly flying around somewhere here. What an amateur I was for not securing that better. At least my snorkeling gear was still there, as I dragged it all to my car. Every car was gone but mine. And as I walked closer it didn't unlock like it had been doing for the past couple of days. My phone…

Without my phone this car wouldn't unlock, let alone drive. I would have to walk. But how safe was that? The man I helped earlier was afraid of snakes, but he mentioned bears as well that roamed around here. And it would soon be dark and I had no flashlight. A quick calculation made it clear that I would put myself in serious danger if I tried to walk.

It wasn't so cold here on this side of the dunes, but would it stay that way? Could I sleep between two dunes with what I was wearing? I made an executive decision. Back to Mira's shop. I hoped she wouldn't mind.