Random stories

It is not often someone comes across an opportunity such as this. It’s rare for someone to even have a golden shot, let alone hit the bull’s eye with it. But I’ve done it.

I own and operate a shipping company. A regional one. Recently the big businesses started closing in on my shipping range. Cheaper prices, and faster boats. How am I to compete?

“Well, seal folk huh?” I ask the angry woman standing right in-front of me. “I’m gonna be honest, my belief in magic died when I turned 5.”

“Where is it?” She growls like a primal beast.

“I’ve noticed you lot, by that I mean you and your kind, have been emerging from the depths more often.” I say as I take a seat and pour her a drink. “Tequila?”

She walked over to where I am, and slapped the drink out of my hand. “I want my skin back.”

I just stare stunned for a few seconds. “We’ll get to that in a moment.”

“My ancestors warned me of the surface, you want my hand in marriage?” She asks

“No… I’m married.” I say pointing to the ring on my hand. “I want to know why your kind keeps on coming up to the surface.” I knew it might be redundant to ask this, but I had to confirm my theory.

The selkie pointed to her ears, “The noise stops when I surface.” I lean in and take a look. I smile, her ears show signs of scarring. The new boats, ever since they’ve arrived, I’ve noticed selkies on the shoreline.

Something in the new boats the big businesses were bringing in was causing this, something my boats were not. “And this has been happening since when?”

“A few months ago.”

“Well well well little miss seal, it seems that I have the perfect opportunity for you. What do you think about a partnership between us?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Well I can make that noise stop dead in its tracks, but not without your help.” I lean in, “Tell me, what is a society of selkies like? I’d assume that going deeper into the depths would also be a way to avoid the noise, a much safer alternative than the surface.” My eyes narrow. “Unless of course, something has been keeping you out of the depths. Like another colony of selkies?”

She froze, with fear visible in her eyes. “My ancestors warned me, the cunning of humans even surpasses that of the devil.” She says through gritted teeth.

I chuckle at that comment. “Well, not all of us are granted that gift. Some of us have to work for it. From what I can tell, you’re from a colony either much smaller and much weaker than most, you get pushed around by the other colonies forcing you to make drastic decisions to survive.”

I look at my visitor, who is feeling a mix of anger and fear. Seems I got another one correct. “Well, if one thing surpasses our wit and cunning, it’s our knowledge.” I say. “Over the centuries we’ve developed weapons so powerful we’re now capable of destroying the world of that’d be out will. But you’d only need a fraction of that power.”

“You’d supply me with human weapons?” The selkie asks intrigued.

“I’ll also do anything I need to to keep the existence of selkies a secret to the rest of humanity. I may not be a saint, but there are far worse things waiting for you should that information go public.”

“What do you want?”

“Thought you’d never ask. I want you and your colony to move these crates underwater. I’ll take all necessary precautions to make them durable and comfortable enough for the journey.”

“That’s all? For all that, this is all you ask of us?”

I laugh. “Yes. I’ll make the noise disappear, I’ll give you power beyond what the other colonies though possible, I’ll do anything to keep you safe, if you move these boxes around under water. Your skin is in that box over there.” I say as I point to a box across the room.

The selkie just looks confused at this point. “How do you know I’m going to be back?”

“Why would you run from something like this? Where would you even run to?” I responded.

“You really are a demon.”

“Who else could you have turned to?”

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Submitted by firestrom8265 on Fri, May 05, 2023 to /r/WritingPrompts/

The prompt

You steal the coat of a selkie, not because you wanted a wife, but because you wanted to propose a business partnership with them, seeing great value in their magical/aquatic abilities.