On the Origin of Gladys

First thing you will notice about the monster isn’t her scale or smell. It is her sound; a horrible gurgle that pierces through the tides and into your soul. No aquatic vertebrata I have witnessed in all my years on the seas possesses such a sound. Another important thing to consider is that the laws of time and space hold the most tenuous of grasps on her. She comes and goes as she pleases; from the shores of Aeternum to the rivers, lakes, and even ponds nestled within. I have spotted her all over, although I am the only one to bear witness. The reasons for this escape me. Perhaps this fish means to torment me by making me look foolish to my peers? If so, it has worked on several occasions. Damage inflicted by a bite from her will transfer to every subsequent respawning. I have learned this from painful personal experience. Regardless of her inexplicable and powerful properties, I will not rest until I have her hooked, weighed, and gutted. She took something precious from me and I intend to retrieve it. I am weary of sitting in this chair, of this pain, and this half existence.