Rumor Has It...

"I know a secret about that water tower," a little girl said. She was walking her dog past the familiar landmark just as I was taking this picture. "So," she said. "Wanna hear it?" "Sure," I said. "But do I have to keep it a secret, or can I tell other people about it?" "Oh, you can tell them," she said. "But they'll never believe it. Nobody does." She lowered her voice to an almost-whisper and opened her eyes wide. "There's a mermaid living in there," she said. "And she can't get back to the ocean because it's too far and she'll dry up. So that water tower is like her aquarium." The girl looked up at the water tower and paused for several seconds. "Sometimes if you listen carefully you can hear her singing," she said. "But it's usually during a full moon or something weird like that. Okay, bye!" The girl walked away with her dog and I stood very still for a moment and listened... Nothing. Oh well. I'll try again during a full moon.