A pickup truck moved through the compacted dirt, bumping a bit since the ground was uneven thanks to roots of nearby trees poking up from the ground. The truck would look very out of place since on either side of the truck were buildings which at least on the front facing part of the building took on a fantasy style approach with bright colors. In truth those buildings, while simple where modern with the upper “floors” of the building being used for storage by the shops which ran out of the bottom floor. The shop owners who in truth made their living traveling from one Renaissance Festivals selling their items were doing the final preparations for the opening of the gates and the arrival of their customers.
The truck came to a stop outside of a medium size clearing, well it wasn’t an opening per say. A hedge maybe five or five and a half feet tall surrounded the outside. Inside the area was paved with a flower garden around it. In the center was a fountain but it was currently dry.
The workers got out and began to place pieces of plywood down on the pavers to protect them. The thing they were protecting them from arrived, as a heavy vehicle arrived.
“Someone ordered a bobcat?” inquired the driver as the bobcat
“Yes, we got a fountain to put in and hook up before we open the gates.” Stated the main worker as the driver looked at his watch.
“Pushing it.” Stated the driver “But we can try.”
Using multiple straps and the like they lifted the fountain from the back of the pickup truck.
It was a rather beautiful fountain, clearly made of concrete but painted in multiple colors. Along the base standing maybe 2 ½ to 3 feet tall each where six mermaids and two merman. Each of the merfolk were slightly different, different colors not only in their flesh but their tail colors. Some even had strange tails, one had an octopus tail, one had a shark tail, one looked like a lionfish and the others had classic tail but with some slightly modification like fins or not.
The workers placed the fountain down and they were amazed how quickly they got the fountain in place and everything attached. One of the workers was a plumber and he attached everything and by the time everyone had finished cleaning up, the water was flowing from a fountain in the center of the ring of merfolk.
“Everything seams good.” Said the plumber as the fountain filled up. He blinked for a moment and looked at one of the mermaids.
Did that tail just move?
“No…it must be a trick of the water.” thought the worker as he let the fountain fill up before heading back stage just as the gates opened.
What he didn’t know was that he wasn’t mistaken, that statue had moved. It had moved before it had sensed a good candidate or candidates to be transported and transformed into merfolk.
Now they waited.