For Josh, falling in love does not fit in with his rock and roll lifestyle. And falling for someone who believes in mermaids? Who wants to be one? Well, he wasn't expecting that, either.
But the sea is deep with mysteries. Sometimes they wash ashore, whispered in the hush of a quiet tide, and all you have to do is listen. Other times you have to explore the dark beneath the surface yourself, unsure of what you might find...
Bonus story: the British Fantasy Award winning story Shark! Shark!
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[I FIRST SAW Genna at one of our Isle of Wight gigs]***
(This Is Horror, 28 August 2014, first published 22 August 2014, 86 pages, ebook from @AmazonKindle)
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I've read a lot of Cluley's short fiction in various magazines and anthologies over the year and have tended to be impressed by his work. Water for Drowning is a hugely enjoyable story. I'm also fascinated by Mermaids and am especially drawn to the darker side of their mythology. Josh is a great character, very typical of a teenage band member. I liked the fact the story is narrated by him in the first person. I love first person narrators when they're done well and Cluley ticks all the boxes here. Water for Drowning is a very sad tale. Genna is a tragic figure. I wanted to put my arms around her and shield her from the world. Josh is a pretty horrible person. The only thing that let the story down is the fact the ending is predictable and I didn't feel like this was a horror story. Still, Water for Drowning is a good story.
