The Catfish King

There's a place where things come to rest, a final destination for the things in this world that flow downhill. And then there's the Delta for everything that doesn't get there. For most of the creatures in this world, it's the opposite of a home. There's no comfort or happiness or belonging in the Delta. But like a home you can put anchors down and they stay put.

Water and earth tangle around themselves here like the arms of two lovers. Together they clutch an unpleasant little piece of sod to their bosom called Snagg Island. To the Catfish King the banks of this island are indeed home because comfort and happiness and belonging mean nothing to catfish. Like a miser loves gold and a hermit loves loneliness, catfish principally love what they eat and the one impressive trait they have is how hungry they are. Their king was no exception. But he had a particular fondness for little girls who leave the surface and the sunlight behind to descend into dark muddy waters.