WATERKIN: shape-shifters dwelling in our rivers, living in our midst. European names: Rusalka, Vila, Vodnik, water nymph.

Half-human and half-Waterkin, Stella helps her Waterkin clan rescue dry-landers during disastrous flooding following a hurricane. Navigating flooded streets, detecting fallen power lines in her shifted state, she avoids hazards and offers invisible help.

She must pass for human, lest her kin be discovered.

But then she finds a child.

A little girl, stranded in a house. The electrified waters would surely kill her.

To save her, she'd have to shift - and shifting in front of humans breaks all the rules.

The girls's safety - or that of her clan?

The fate of a life - and of a people - hangs on the thread of Stella's wisdom.

"Swimthrough Survey," an Olivette Devaux story set in the Waterkin world, was recognized with an Honorable Mention by the Writers of the Future Contest. Find more Waterkin stories at www.mugenpress.com.