AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a tribute to the 1954 horror classic: "Creature from the Black Lagoon" which celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year. The story also features the return of the thirty something schoolteacher Sarah Laughton who appears in the stories "Five O' Clock", "Thanks, Miss Laughton" and "Horror of The White Worm".

1.

Sarah Laughton stood on the beach and looked around Newton's Bay. The coastal town was built on tall cliffs, surrounding a bay from where the fishing fleets sailed into the North Sea. On her left along the harbour Sarah saw the cairn-like monument to the town's lifeboat crew who'd been lost at sea in 1865. To her right, Sarah saw on the cliffs above her the ruins of St Bartholomew's Abbey which had been dissolved by Henry the Eighth and damaged when the town had been shelled by German warships in 1914. Overhead the sun shone in a blue sky which had a few wisps of cloud.

Sarah had come to Newton's Bay on holiday. She had wanted to come for some time not only to get away from Ashdown, her home town, but also to see if it could give her inspiration for her teaching. As well as its history she'd also been intrigued by the town's stories of ghosts, smugglers and a network of underground tunnels.

Sarah was hot. Although she'd waited until the afternoon before coming out it was still too warm for her, but at least the beach she was standing on wasn't too crowded. Looking around she saw a fat couple and their equally fat daughter walking their dog by the water; a young couple lying on their stomachs close to one another; and an elderly couple sitting on a rock near the cliffs watching their black Labrador dog run around. Houses with white walls and red roofs overlooked the beach and Sarah saw they had staggered gardens set into the cliffs.

Two young men in their early twenties walked past her. One was Turkish and wore classes; the other white. They both had short, swept-back hair cuts and Sarah saw they had muscular bodies beneath their t-shirts and shorts. They both smiled at her, displaying perfect white teeth and Sarah smiled back, feeling her clitoris itch. "Y' all right?" one of them asked. "Yes thank you," Sarah answered, smiling. They walked on, talking to one another but Sarah thought she heard one of them say: "She's fit!"

Fit. I'm thirty-seven, Sarah thought. I'm old enough to be a mother to them! Maybe it was because she looked young with her oval-shaped face topped by brown, frizzed curls. Wide brown eyes; a slim nose and a firm mouth with soft, full lips. Sarah suddenly thought of calling out to the boys and peeling off the old polo-shirt and tatty jeans she was wearing to reveal the red bikini underneath showing off her slim figure. She wanted to play the attractive schoolteacher, bordering on middle age, who suddenly turned out to be sexy.

She kept her clothes on though and watched them walk away. Despite the sunny day Sarah felt depressed. Though she was on holiday she always felt the pressure of teaching nagging away in the back of her mind. She'd been brooding on the latest guidelines issued by the education minister. Books which had been on the syllabus for years were now to be replaced by literature that he felt was more suitable for promoting "British values". Sarah wondered what she was going to do with all the copies of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" that she'd used for years.

Sarah walked along the beach. She wanted to find a place where it was quiet. She climbed a ramp up to the stone pier that curved out to sea. There was an ice cream van parked nearby and she treated herself to a "99"; dipping the chocolate flake into the cream and sucking it of before biting into the chocolate. She stopped. She looked at the ice cream and suddenly thought of sex. Wasn't the cream the semen she wanted to taste and feel inside her?

Sarah finished her ice cream and, crushing the wafer cone in her hand, tossed the fragments to a seagull sitting nearby. It began to devour them ravenously and was joined by several others. Sarah watched the gulls fight over the pieces of wafer and walked away.

2.

Sarah saw there was another ramp on the other side of the pier leading down to smaller stretch of beach. It was separate and formed a small, curved bay with large rocks piled up against the cliffs. Against the cliffs the rocks seemed to form a sort of shelter. The whole bay looked colourful with the blue sea, brown sand and the rocks with different shades of light grey and blue with green coverings of moss and seaweed.

There were no people there.

Sarah walked down the ramp on to the beach. Apart from the sea breaking on the sands it was quiet. On the harbour side of the beach she'd heard the sounds of the town; people's voices and seagulls. Here it was very quiet. She took off her flip-flops and smiled as she squeezed the wet sand between her toes. Walking along the water's edge Sarah found a crab shell with its pincered legs scattered nearby. She picked it up. The shell had been cleared out and the crab's eyes stared at her in bewilderment. She put it down and walked on.

The beach was solitary. Usually if people came here they would leave footprints. Sarah saw none. There wasn't even any litter against the rocks. Apart from the moss and seaweed they were pristine. Looking out to sea Sarah saw to her right and nearer inland a large outcrop of rock which looked like the base of a pyramid with its top cut off. Its sides were steep and rough and there didn't seem to be any openings or beaches to it. Sarah wondered if the rock was the famous Gills Head where smugglers from Newton's Bay had stored their contraband. She heard stories that Revenue men who'd landed there had disappeared; presumed murdered.

Sarah looked at the sea and decided to have a swim. She peeled off her clothes, and wrapping her flip-flops in them, walked into the sea.

The waves hit her. The water was cold, sending a shock through her body. The waves tried to push her back to shore. Sarah pushed through them; the water splashing round her face and body. The water came up to her waist and stomach and Sarah pushed into the water and swam.

She swam the breaststroke: thrusting out her arms and legs. She could do the front crawl but she always felt it expanded energy and she didn't want to tire herself out if the current went against her when she was trying to swim back. She also felt it would be best not to swim out too far. She loved swimming though. In the water she felt you could move your body more and flex and stretch it. In the water she could forget her problems and also feel sensual and free; away from civilization.

Sarah stopped swimming and doggy-paddled and let herself be buffeted by the waves. There didn't seem to be any obstacles around, but she was afraid she would hit herself on a rock. The water was clear but Sarah decided to take no chances. The water was starting to push her back towards the shore and a wave hit her in the face; making her taste salt in her mouth and nostrils.

Something brushed against her leg.

Still doggy-paddling Sarah circled round. She saw the cliffs and the beach, the sea wall and nearby, two gulls riding the waves.

Something touched her leg.

Could it be a fish? Maybe a jelly-fish, Sarah thought.

Something took hold of her leg.

Sarah shook it and whatever it was let go. She started swimming for the shore, pushing as hard as she could. The sea helped by carrying her inshore. Sarah had the thought that something was behind her. She thought of giant sharks rearing out of the water to swallow her whole.

She panted and grunted. She stubbed her toes on stones beneath the water's surface and swore. Finally she felt the shore under her feet. Sarah crawled onto the beach on her hands and knees then got to her feet and ran for the rocks. She sat down heavily, panting and brushed her wet curls away from her face, getting sand in them. She saw there was also sand sticking to her bikini, stomach, legs and arms. She brushed it off.

She sat and gradually her breathing eased. Sarah stared at the water and felt silly for having been frightened. Maybe she'd just been caught in a current and with all the primeval fears of the water: of something monstrous in it had caused her to panic. Maybe swimming from such a remote stretch of beach hadn't been a good idea, she thought, I might have got into trouble.

Sarah sat in her bikini staring at the sea. She watched the two gulls riding the waves. They unfolded their wings and took to the air.

Then the water erupted and the Gilman emerged.

3.

The Gilman walked ashore and Sarah saw that he was tall and muscular. He had large webbed hands and his feet which were also large were webbed too. His skin was scaled: silver in colour and with traces of green and blue. His chest was firm and his stomach was flat yet ribbed almost like the obligatory six-pack stomach.

The Gilman's head was long and elongated with fins on his cheekbones that went round the back of his head. His eyes were like those of a fish: large, dark and unblinking. His mouth opened and closed as he breathed and Sarah saw the fins on his cheekbones moved simultaneously. There were fins running down his arms, legs and his back.

Sarah saw the Gilman's penis. It was firm, erect and larger than normal. She suddenly wondered what it would be like sliding into her or taking it in her mouth.

He was, she thought, a beautiful creature.

Sarah watched him shuffle on to the sand. Sarah watched him look around the beach with interest and shield his eyes against the sun.

Then he saw Sarah.

Although there were no hairs on his face Sarah saw an impression of ridged brows above his eyes. They raised and at the same time he opened his mouth.

He must have seen me in the water, Sarah thought. Maybe he's never seen a woman before and touched me out of curiosity.

She looked back at the Gilman who took a step forward.

She stood up and came out from the rocks to face the Gilman.

He came towards her. Sarah looked straight into his eyes and seemed to sense gentleness.

The Gilman opened his mouth again and made a deep throaty sound like a pig.

Sarah held out her right hand. The Gilman hesitated, then extended its huge, right hand and gently folded it around hers.

Sarah smiled at the Gilman and said: "Hello".

The corners of the Gilman's mouth twitched upwards and Sarah sensed he was smiling too.

She looked down his body. Despite the scales and fins he was almost man-like. He had breasts like a man's with firm, erect nipples and a bellybutton as well. Sarah felt his penis nudge between her legs as though wanting her attention too. She took the Gilman's left hand and said softly: "Come," while pointing over to the rocks. "You're standing in the sun,” Sarah told him. "It's more shady over there," and pointed to the rocks again.

The Gilman looked across and nodded.

"Don't worry," Sarah said, smiling. "I won't bite you."

The Gilman snorted, seeming to smile again and Sarah led him over the rocks.

She sat down in the sand, cross-legged. The Gilman sat next to her, crossing his long legs as well. Sarah saw his still erect penis standing up between them. Why could she not stop looking it?

Sarah wrote in the sand wrote in big capital letters in the sand:

S A R A H

"This is my name," she told him.

The Gilman looked at the letters. "Sarah," she repeated, remembering how she'd taught younger children to read; emphasizing the pronunciation: "Sa - rah" She looked back at the Gilman and thought he hadn't understood.

"Ssaar - rah" the Gilman hissed. "Ssarah - Sarah,"

"That's it," Sarah said. "Do - do you have a name?"

"Gw'ahn!" the Gilman said.

"What?"

The Gilman pointed at Sarah's name. "Gw'ahn". He pointed at Sarah. "Ssarah" he hissed, and then pointed to himself. "Gw'ahn".

Sarah guessed. "That's your name?" she asked. "Juan?"

The Gilman shook his head. "Gw'ahn". He emphasized his pronunciation: "Grr - wah - han!"

"Grr - wah - han," Sarah repeated. "Gw'ahn." She laughed, "As a teacher I should've known better."

"Tea-cher?" Gw'ahn whispered.

"Yes, I am," Sarah said.

"Come tea-cher," Gwahn said and took her hand. They stood up and Gw'ahn walked Sarah to the shore. He pointed to Gill's Head then, squatting down he started to draw in the sand with with one of his long fingers. Sarah knelt down next to him and watched as he drew an outline of Gill's Head. She watched him draw horizontal lines within the outline and then with his finger, make holes at intervals between the lines.

"You live in Gill's Head?" she asked.

Gw'ahn looked at her and nodded. "We like you, but we live in the sea," he hissed. "Others like me. Also females - and our spawn."

"You have women and children as well," Sarah asked. A colony?"

"Yess" Gw'ahn said. "We are Molans!"

"And - that’s what you're people are called?" Sarah asked.

Gw'ahn nodded.

She watched as Gw'ahn started drawing horizontal lines in the sand again, leading away from Gill's Head. At the end of them he drew several spires. "Is that another colony: out to sea?" Sarah asked.

Gw'ahn shook his head and pointed in the direction of Newton's Bay.

Sarah looked at Gill's Head and suddenly realized. "Tunnels," she said. "The tunnels under Newton's Bay. They ran to the Head?"

Gw'ahn nodded. Above the network of lines he drew three matchstick figures. "Your people come through the tunnels. They see us and we them but they leave us alone," he said.

"The smugglers?" Sarah asked.

"Others of your people come. They fight and kill us. We fight and kill them - but only to protect ourselves."

Sarah thought, Gw'ahn and his amphibious people, the Molans, must have lived in Gill's Head for centuries. Perhaps the Molans were off-shoots of Man who lived in the seas. They may also have been the origins of the stories of Mermen and Mermaids rather than the seals that had often been mistaken for them.

Sarah looked at Gill's Head and then turned to look in the direction of Gills Head. The smugglers had obviously used the Head to store their contraband and the Molans had left them alone. They must also have killed the Revenue men whose deaths had been blamed on the smugglers. But if the smugglers had used the tunnels then could the Molans have used them too?

Sarah looked back at Gw'ahn who was watching her thoughtfully. "Did the smugglers do a deal with you," she asked him. "Did they let you use the tunnels to enter and move around Newton's Bay without being seen. It would explain the ghost stories I've ...”

Sarah stopped. She remembered the stories had spoken of strange, demonic like figures seen in the streets; of mysterious deaths and disappearances: some of them women. She'd also heard stories of fish men living in the Amazon, and of a race of amphibious beings that haunted a New England fishing village. The stories had mentioned humans mating or being forced to mate with them.

"Oh My God!" she whispered and suddenly felt cold.

She stood up as did Gw'ahn. He reached out his hands and Sarah shuddered as he touched her. He stroked her breasts and Sarah felt her nipples become erect and itch. Her breathing quickened as Gw'ahn moved his hands on to her flat stomach and she moaned as he placed his hand on the front of her bikini bottoms. She wondered what he thought of her: a smooth-skinned, land-dwelling creature; fragile compared to his strength and adaptability on land and water. Sarah looked at Gw'ahn's tall, scaled body that glistened in the sun. He was breathing faster and the fins on his cheekbones rose and fell quickly at the same time. His penis, still erect, pointed at her and quivered.

Sarah moved forward and kissed the Gilman full on the mouth. His lips tasted of salt. She pressed his body closer to his and felt his moistness seep into her skin. His penis pressed against her thighs and she moaned. She felt Gw'ahn respond by digging his nails into her back.

They parted and Sarah let Gw'ahn walk her back to the shelter of the rocks. She knew what was going to happen and she wasn't frightened. She felt tense and excited.

4.

Gw'ahn took her over to a rock that was sloped at a forty-five degree angle. The top half was covered with dark-green seaweed. She let Gw'ahn lay her down on the rock on her front and felt him start to fumble with the knots on the sides of her bikini bottoms.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Sarah said. She stood up and undoing the knots let the bottoms drop to her feet. She climbed out of them and spread herself out on the rock again; baring her buttocks at Gw'ahn. She lay there, waiting. Then, brushing her hair to the left hand side of head, she turned round to look at Gw'ahn.

She saw him standing behind her. He moved forward and Sarah turned her head back to face the seaweed which she took in her hands. She felt her buttocks parted and Gw'ahn slide his penis into her.

Sarah groaned as Gw'ahn pushed himself into her, then began to move back and forth in response to his movements in her. She felt him put his hands on her shoulders and lift her up. Sarah supported herself on her hands that were clenching the seaweed tightly. She noticed the massive strands, clustered close together. It was also dry to touch and crackled as she twisted them in her clenched fists.

Sarah gasped as Gw'ahn continued to thrust deeply into her. He was going faster now and she heard his gasps and grunts too. She felt his smooth scales against her buttocks.

Oh God, he's just a man fucking me, she thought. It doesn’t matter that he comes from the sea.

Sarah tensed as she felt the climax coming. Gw'ahn went faster and then she felt him ejaculate inside her. Sarah cried out and at the same time she heard Gw'ahn bellow.

Sarah lay, face down on the rock, and felt Gw'ahn start to move inside her again. "Go on," she whispered. His movements were gentle and Sarah heard him grunt softly. She felt his taloned hands gently squeeze her buttocks and gave a satisfied moan.

After a minute of gentle movement, Sarah felt Gw'ahn withdraw his penis from her and she let out a deep sigh. She shut her eyes and listened to the sea gently washing on the sands. She thought: ghost stories, smugglers and sexy monsters. Is that what I tell the kids? I wonder if it could be part of the syllabus. She giggled.

Sarah felt Gw'ahn gently lift her up and lean her against him. She felt his cool, scales against her skin and leaned her face next to his. Gw'ahn grunted softly and folding his arms around her stomach hugged her.

"You lovely, wonderful creature," she murmured to him.

Sarah leaned against him. The fins on his face touched hers and she felt they had a soft, feathery touch. They stood still for what seemed several minutes, then Gw'ahn unfolded his arms and moved away from her. Sarah stood still with her eyes shut and her arms by her sides. She eventually felt him touch her face and grunt. Sarah opened her eyes and was surprised to see him holding out her bikini bottoms to her. He raised his ridged brows at her and grunted again. Sarah smiled sheepishly and taking the bottoms slipped them back on and knotted them on her hips.

"Thank you,” she said.

Gw'ahn took her hand and they walked towards the waves. They walked into the water, up to their knees, and Sarah started panicking. "No Gw'ahn" she said, stopping.

Gw'ahn turned to face her. "Gw'ahn I - I can't go into the water with you!" she stammered." "I don't feel I can hold my breath for long!"

"No," Gw'ahn whispered. "I want to say goodbye,"

"You're - you're going back to Gill's Head?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Gw'ahn replied. He pointed to her. "But come again, when the sun is in the sky at same time,"

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Sarah asked.

Gw'ahn nodded, "I want - much more," and he placed his hand on the front of her bikini bottoms again.

Sarah guessed what he meant and smiled. She wanted to have sex with this gorgeous, underwater man again "And in return," she said, playfully poking his scaly chest, "You can tell me more about your people and yourself. All right?"

Gw'ahn nodded and smiled. Then he stepped forward and kissed her. Sarah folded her arms around the Gilman and kissed him back as the waves washed against them. They parted and Sarah watched Gw'ahn' wade out to sea, the sun glistening on his wet scales. He stopped when the water was up to his waist and turned to look at Sarah again.

"Goodbye," Sarah shouted and waved to him.

She saw Gw'ahn hesitate. Then he waved back one of his large, webbed hands. He turned seawards and dived into the water.

Sarah waded through the water back onto the beach. The tide was coming in now and she didn't want to be stranded. She shook out her clothes and slipped them over her wet bikini and put her flip-flops on. She then walked along the beach and climbed the ramp back to the pier.

The sky was a light blue now which made a soft contrast to the rich blue of the water, washing against and hiding the small beach. In the distance Sarah saw the faint grey-blue tones of Gill's Head. She realized now why it had been called that and felt she now shared Newton Bay's secrets. Sarah smiled at the thought of her pupils asking her: "What did you do on your holiday, Miss?"

"Well, I met a Gilman who fucked me," Sarah imagined saying to them, "And I'm going to let him fuck me again tomorrow!"

THE END