It was pitch black as they rolled over to sleep; Merrick listened to the howl of the wind against the door. The distant hooting of owls sharing the same soundscape.

‘Say, can I…Can I…I ne’er felt gills on a human ‘fore.’

Merrick rolled in his sleeping back to face the dark lump that was Jackson, ‘Is that what ya got me in ‘ere fer? T’ cop a feel?’

Jackson switched on the torch between them, ‘Fuck no! I ent like that! I ent no pervert.’

‘The lady doth protest too much.’ Merrick smirked.

Jackson baulked and slid up in his sleeping bag, ‘I shoulda ne’er asked. I apologise, sir.’

Merrick shook his head, ‘It’s fine, Jackson! Come on then,’ Merrick leaned over the torch light, casting a huge shadow on the walls, ‘Have a feel.’

Jackson ran his tongue over his teeth, ‘Ya sure?’

‘Yea. Curious folk are better than pre-judgement, fella.’

Jackson reached over hesitatingly, running a finger over the slits in his gills, ‘Wow.’

He spat, ‘Wow!’ He shook his head, ‘Do they, do they work, like?’

‘Nah. non-functioning.’

The wind filled in a gap of silence between them, along with the ‘too-wit’ of a female owl very close by.

‘What’d ya think is wrong wit’ bein’ like that?’ Merrick finally asked.

Jackson was still looking wide-eyed in amazement, his finger tracing down the slits on Merrick’s neck, ‘What?’ He asked with a frown.

Merrick leaned further in, ‘Ya know, like…’ Merrick kissed Jackson on the lips gently, ‘like that.’

‘N- No…I ent.’ Jackson stuttered. ‘And you shouldn’t be goin’ roun’ doin’ that t’ men!

Ya’ll get yasle’ kilt’

‘Why? Are you gonna kill me?’

Jackson swallowed audibly, ‘No.’

‘Well, that’s good then.’ Merrick smiled across at him.

They lay on their backs in their sleeping bags, back into the blackness of the night; the wind continued to howl and bang at the door menacingly.

Jackson swallowed away something that haunted his mind before sighing as though he had resigned himself to some disagreeable fate.

Merrick kept his eyes closed, listening to the rustling coming from beside him, then the purr of a zip coming undone, the padding of hands and knees crawling against the grain of the wooden floor.

Then he felt it, the breeze of exposed skin. He opened his right eye and was met with Jackson looking over him.

‘What’s this?’

‘I don’t know.’ Jackson confessed as he ran his hand down from Merricks gills to his chest and ran his fingers through his chest hair.

Merrick strained his neck and kissed Jackson, pulling him in closer.

‘I didn’t think you…’ Merrick started.

‘I don’t know,’ Jackson whispered, ‘so jus’…’

‘Shut up.’ Merrick finished the thought.

The wind had since calmed down, and the floorboards creaked underneath their weight.

‘I always wonder wit’ men like yasel” Jackson started, his head resting against Merrick’s chest, ‘Are ya jus’ a man lookin’ fer anythin’ thee can get?’

‘What do ya mean?’ Merrick frowned.

‘If thee ent no woman around, ya jus’ take a fella like me to replace ‘er, like.’

‘Men like me?’ Merrick looked down at Jackson’s face, ‘more than one?’ He grinned, ‘But ya ent that way!’ He laughed.

‘Shut up!’ Jackson retorted, ‘Jus’ answer the damn question!’

‘What makes ya think you’re a good replacement fer a woman?’ Merrick asked, amused.

Jackson slid out from the sleeping bag and crept toward his own.

‘Anyway, ya think I couldn’t get me a woman if I wanted one?’

‘No, no! I ent sayin’ any such thing!’

Outside, time ticked away with the sound of rain dripping from the shack’s roof, cigarette embers marking down the minutes between Merrick’s fingers.

Just as Jackson had started to drift off to sleep, Merrick piped up, ‘What wus that ’bout ya goin’ t’ cidy?’

‘I ent goin’.’ Jackson replied sleepily.

‘Ya won the loddery?’

Jackson shifted in his sleeping bag, ‘Ah might ‘ave.’ But even if I ‘ave, I ent goin.” Jackson sat up, his back against the wall, ‘I wouldn’t go there ‘less I wus goin’ down t’ shoot ’em all down.’

‘Ya don’t wanna do that.’ Merrick told him

‘Ya bet I do!’ Jackson replied, ‘Look ‘ow they ‘ave us live! Those purebloods got it comin”

‘First someone teks ya eye, then ya tek theirs, then what are ya left with?’ Merrick asks the darkness.

Jackson frowned, ‘Say, what?’

‘Ya left blind! Thee take ya eye, you take theirs, they take your other eye, you take their other eye. Then ya fight blind and ya die.’ Merrick puffed up a pillow and clasped a hand behind his head.

‘I’d fight those fuckers blind if I ‘ad t’.’ Jackson replied.

‘I’m tellin’ ya,’ Merrick looked up at the ceiling, listening to the rain drip, ‘it never works out ser well.’

”ow’d you know?’

‘Never mind wut I might’ve done.’

Jackson squinted his eyes to see the shape of the man beside him on the floor in the dark. ”Ave ya kilt a man?’

Merrick got out of his sleeping bag, ”ere let me show ya somethin,’ He grabbed Jackson’s hand and pulled him up off the floor, ‘Come on.’

‘Wait, wait,’ Jackson loosened his hand from Merrick’s grip and put on a pair of boxers before following him outside.

‘Ya see down there all thum cidy lights?’ Merrick pointed down the cobbled street at the distant lights.

‘Yea.’

Merrick looked up at the sky, and Jackson followed his gaze, ‘Ya think thee can see those stars down there?’

Stars twinkled through transparent wispy clouds, the scars of scattered rain showers moving through the sky to reveal the brilliant void of space.

Jackson shrugged.

Merrick shook his head, ‘Thee cant. They’ve blown themselves up wit’ so much artificial light down there they forgodden real stars exist.’

A Wub hurried past, making a bubbling sound that they made when running.

‘Ent it interestin’ wut thee left behind?’ Jackson asked prompted by the sound.

‘Ya not one of those that think thee left ’em behind on purpose, are ya?’

Jackson shrugged again, ‘Mebe.’

‘Nah,’ Merrick said, ‘I think it’s like ‘ow we ‘umans introduce new species to new lands from ships and t’ like accidentally.’

‘Except the Wubs are alien.’ Jackson said.

‘So are t’other species when they arrive on new land. Anyway,’ Merrick took a piss where he stood, ‘They ent alien anymore.’

”Ow’d ya figure?’ Jackson asked, looking at the butt of Merrick as he relieved himself and he grinned, ‘ent ya a bit cold?’

They lay back down in their sleeping bags, hands clasped behind their heads.

‘So,’ Jackson started, ”Ow’d ya figure?’

‘Figure what?’

‘The alien thing, the Wubs.’

‘Thee preddy much naturalised now ent thee?’ Merrick said, ‘Like, back in’t day when Romans introduced non-native trees and ‘t’ like. Anyway,’

Jackson heard the floorboard creaking and then felt a weight on him, ‘I figure ya shut up wit’ the questions now,’ Merrick told him as his hands roamed between Jackson’s legs.

A wub scurried past; Tucker whinnied uneasily on his feet and waved his head back and forth.

‘Easy, easy!’ Merrick whispered.

The wub scurried into the surrounding foliage and out of sight.

‘Easy there, Tuck! Easy!’ Merrick continued to whisper gently into Tucker’s ear; his ear twitched at the sound, his hooves firmly setting themselves on the track.

Merrick and Tucker sped back into a canter until they reached the maw of the edge land, back into the human wilderness.

A line of dilapidated shacks stood crooked on either side of the dust road. They stopped before a couple standing outside one such shack, the woman looking wide-eyed at Tucker.

‘’e’s got thum devil eyes, ‘e as, Colt.’ She turned to her husband, ‘I ent ‘angin’ ‘bout fer no devil eyed ‘orse!’

Colt rolled his eyes, ‘The ‘orse is a beaut! Ne’er sen one like it!’

Merrick dismounted and straightened the collar on his coat, up and around his neck, before holding out a hand for the woman.

She looked around shiftily before taking his hand gingerly.

‘Why,’ he lifted her hand to his lips, ‘what a ‘andsome ‘usband yer got there.’

The woman’s hand fell limp from Merricks.

A little child peered shyly around the shack door; Merrick smiled and winked. The girl withdrew back behind the creaking wooden door.

The woman’s mouth gaped open, ‘yer what? Ya got eyes fer mah man?’

Colt’s moustache rose with a snigger, ‘’e sure ‘avin’ yer on!’

‘I ent no kidder when it comes to ‘ansome men like yasel’’

Colt’s moustache flickered instantly into a frown, ‘yer what?’  I aint that way inclined,’ He spat, ‘Now if you dunt mind!’ He turned, shooing him away with a wave of the hand, ‘Leave us outta ya perversions!’ He put an arm around his wife and ushered her back into their ruined shack.

‘Well, Tucker, looks like it’s jus’ you an’ I,’ He winked at the sparkling blue eye before climbing back into the saddle, sending dust up in their wake.

Distant street lights from the cities zoomedpast, like stars sparkling through the gaps in the trees.

They came upon a street that looked as though it had just been sketched into existence. Wooden buildings stood in the shadows of the night.

He looked over his shoulder at the distant city lights, then up at the sky, ‘At least we got real stars,’ He patted Tucker, his fingers trailing through his white mane.

Tucker’s hooves clopped loudly on the cobbled stones of the next street. Merrick hitched him up outside the only building with lights on inside.

‘Now, ya know the drill, Tuck! I gonna leave ya fer a liddle while, but ah’ll be reet on in there,’ he pointed at the door to the bar.

Tucker nodded his head down, ‘That’s a good boy!’ Merrick said, stroking down Tucker’s long face. ‘Yea, good boy!’ Tuckers ears twitched at Merrick’s voice soothingly.

Merrick stepped into the shabbily built pub, only two other patrons were inside.

The head of the man behind the bar jerked up to the sound of the doors closing behind him, ‘Nearly dropped off there!’ He laughed a toothless laugh.

‘Whiskey on the rocks.’ Merrick slid the coins across the bar.

‘Ya know, not many left now,’ The barman told him as he slid a glass of whiskey across the bar.

‘Yea? Thats what they want.’ Merrick sipped the whiskey down.

‘Truth is, it’s us that got it fer’t better!’

‘I been tinkin’ ‘bout the same.’ Merrick nodded to the barman.

‘Yea. Men like you come in all’t time an’ say that. Then you win the loddery one day and…’ The man raised his brows, ‘Suddenly, they up in’t cidies, thinkin’ they cheatin’ death.’ 

‘Well, I wouldn’t worry ‘bout that. Ah don’t play the damn loddery!’ Merrick  replied.

The barman laughed, his tongue sucked against his gums, ‘The best way, the best way!’ He patted Merrick on the shoulder.

Another man entered the bar, and the barman laughed at the arrival, ‘The busiest night of me life, eh?’ He asked in jest. ‘I gonna be rollin’ in it!,’ He said, ‘Hey,’ He nudged at Merrick with his elbow, ‘I could be goin’t’ the cidies yet! Buy mesel’ a few clones, make out like I’m cheatin’ death!’

Merrick nodded and sipped the rest of his whiskey.

The man who had just arrived approached the bar and sat beside him.

‘Rum ‘n’ Coke, please.’ The man looked at Merrick , ‘That your ‘orse back there?’ He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.

Merrick  turned to look over his shoulder, ‘It might be, ‘pends whose askin’?’

The man held his palms up, ‘Ah mean no trouble, Sir. Jus’ that is one special ‘orse ya got yasel’ there. Ah wouldn’t ‘ave ‘sen ‘im if it weren’t fer ‘is white mane!’

‘Yea, I won the ‘orse loddery, ya could say.’

The man slapped his thighs, ‘Ya don’t say, man!’ He whistled.

‘I thought you went out t’ the cidy?’ The barman jutted his chin as he asked.

‘Nah, I ent goin’ that hell ‘ole without a gun!’ He smiled.

The man looked over his shoulder, out the window, ‘That ‘orse sure is mighty fine!’ He whistled, ‘’E even got them blue eyes!’

‘Jus’ the one.’ Merrick told him.

‘Eh?’

‘Jus’ the one blue eye.’

‘Well, ones enough for me!’ The man grinned, ‘Ones enough fer me t’ fall right on over there in love!’

‘it’s the blue eyes that get ya, is it?’ Merrick asked him.

The man laughed and drank up his rum in one swift gulp. ‘Say,’ He started, ‘Ya ent plannin’ on ‘avin’ ‘im tied up out there all night, are ya?’

Merrick  held up his whiskey glass, ‘Don’t know ‘bout that, ‘pends ‘ow long this place teks to throw me out!’

‘Nah,’ The man shook his head, ‘We can’t be ‘avin’ that! That ‘orse is too damn fine a specimen to be out in’t cold of the night, like! And I bet ya there’ll be men out there eager af’er ‘im!’

‘Well, I got nothin’ else I could do wit’ ‘im, so, let them try.’

‘Nah! I won’t ‘ave it!’ He slid off the stool, ‘Say, why don’t ya put ‘im in mah ol’ stable fer’t night. And say ya could crash at mine, sleep on’t floor.’ He held up his hands, ‘No luxuries at mine, mind,’ He looked Merrick up and down, ‘But the floor’ll do fer a man lik yasel’ I reckon!’

Merrick  mulled this over for a moment, ‘Well, first, at least give me a name.’

‘Jackson Whitlock.’ Jackson nodded across to Merrick, ‘Yasel’?

Merrick  smiled wistfully, ‘Should ya be invitin’ a man ‘fore ya even know ‘is name?’

Jackson shrugged, ‘Well, tell us yer name and we won’t be strangers forever.’

‘A man can be called many names, don’t mean ya know ‘im.’

‘Reet, wise arse.’

‘It’s Merrick , though.’ Merrick  held out a hand, ‘Nice to meet ya, Jackson.’

Jackson shook his hand firmly.

Merrick  slid off the barstool, ‘Shame ah got brown eyes, ent it eh?’ Merrick walked out of the bar.

Jackson frowned and followed him outside. ‘So we gettin’ this fine boy to the stables, or what?’

They walked Tucker across the road and into the stable, ‘Ow comes ya got an empty stable?’ Merrick  looked around at the bales of hay inside the hastily built place, ‘If it can be called a stable.’

‘I used’t’ ‘ave a horse.’

‘Used’t’?’

‘’E up and died on me dint ‘e?’

Merrick looked at Tucker and stroked his long face, a feeling of dread at the thought of losing him swelling his heart. ‘Yea, ya ‘ate to lose ‘em’

‘Ent that right!’

Once they’d got Tucker in and comfortable, Merrick followed Jackson into the wooden shack beside it.

‘Luckily for you,’ Jackson said as he rummaged at the back of a room behind a bit of unfinished wall that jutted out near the toilet, ‘I got two sleepin’ bags!’ Jackson threw a green sleepin’ bag at Merrick and took out a blue one for himself.

‘Say, ya think they’ll be back?’ Jackson asked casually.

They sat back to back while they each undressed.

‘I think they came wit’ indifference and left wit’ indifference.’ Merrick replied, taking his socks off.

Merrick stood from his sleeping bag and piled his clothes neatly on a wooden rocking chair to the left of the toilet.

‘Wow,’ Jackson looked Merrick’s naked body up and down, ‘Ya ent shy at all, Sir!’ His eyes drifted down to Merrick’s feet, ‘Let’s see what ya got,’ he said, ‘Webbed feet! Me too!’

Merrick got into the green sleeping bag beside Jackson on the floor, a torch light lit up between them.

Jackson gasped now he had a better view of Merrick in the light, ‘Gills!’ He pointed to his neck, ‘I didn’t think anyone ‘ad ‘em! Thought it were a myth!’

‘Well, ‘ere I am, your mythical bein’ in’t flesh!’