Chapter 22. The mermaid of Zennor

  Finn sat on the edge of the low black granite bluffs that bordered

  Zennor beach and ate the sandwiches Nain Joan had packed for him.

  He looked through his sketch pad at the drawings he'd done. Tonight at

  home he was going to tidy them up and add water colour to the ones he

  was happiest with.

  He was about to get up when something caught his eye in the swell below.

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  The winter storms had left long strands of reddish brown kelp in the shallows.

  At first Finn thought he was looking at a small bloom of kelp, then he saw a

  rolling movement. He kept watching and saw clothing appear,

  then a face - a girl's face.

  She was deathly pale, but she was alive.

  Finn kicked off his shoes and jumped in. He lost sight of her when he landed

  in the water but the girl surfaced near him gasping for air. Finn grabbed her

  by the hair and it swirled around him as he held her head above the water.

  "I got you."

  *

  "I was so sure I would never see my family again. The only thing I was

  thinking about when we reached the shore was getting back to them.

  I'm so sorry I ran off without thanking you."

  Finn smiled. "You have nothing to be sorry for Vie."

  ''I didn't tell anyone in my family about what had happened, and we left

  to go back to Perwillowen the next day."

  "It's getting late," Finn said.

  They walked arm in arm across the lawn towards the house.

  "You don't have to go." Vie said." Stay here tonight."

  Finn stopped before they went inside

  ''Will you do something for me Vie?"

  ''Anything Finn, just ask."

  "Come to lunch tomorrow, I want you to meet somebody."

  *