Syokoy( Merman)

         Do you believe in Syokoy ( Merman )?   I was in high school then. I went to the river where  many logs are piled to be towed by a launch ready for loading on a big ship.  I could not  remember the exact time but it was daytime.  I stepped from one log to another. I enjoyed it. There were other women and men who were washing clothes at a distance far from where I was. Suddenly, a syokoy appeared just  five to ten meters away. He looked at me. He was black and his eyes were  big  and red. .  He had  fin  at the top of his head down to his neck and spine
         Since I heard about them on stories , after a few minutes of seeing him. I immediately ran back , stepping on  all the logs filed,  unmindful  if the logs were not tightly tied. My heart beat fast. When I reached the bank of the river, I  did not look back afraid of seeing him again. I could easily remember his feature.  Young as I was at that time, these creatures are often the characters played on many soap operas and movies . Perhaps, they will not appear on film location because of so many people around. Just thinking how they will feel if one of these creatures suddenly appears to them.