Disguises and Discoveries

Hidden by the shadows of willows, the friends strained to listen as pieces of the overheard conversation began to form a clearer picture—a prank to be executed before the festival’s end. Snippets about a “final act” and “making a splash” suggested a grandiose scheme designed to captivate the unsuspecting audience.
Monica recalled the silhouette they’d captured on video, and a thought struck her: could their mermaid mystery be a part of this group’s theatrics? The possibility that they were close to an answer was both exhilarating and unsettling.