Chapter 2- Remembering

"Alright class settle down, today we will be sharing the quotes each of you wrote about the siren poem. If you don't want yours shared raise your hand." Mrs. Hilshine is earlier than usual today, maybe she's really into this poem. Although the bell for class hasn't even rang the class settles in, everyone loves Mrs. Hilshine.

 

Nobody raises their hand of course, they all want to judge what the other person has written. Me? well I like to see what's in the mind of others, I typically refuse to judge anyone until the action of judgement is needed. This poem howeever is defniatly interesting; I mean I can take it a few different ways, The siren, she sings into the night to lure men in and kill them. When you first think of the sirens though you piture mermaids; at least I usually do, but this poem makes them seem more like a harpy to me but she still has human hands so maybe more of a demons angel I would say. Then there's the question of whether or not her heart is true. I believe that she only lies about wanting help to able able to lure the men in or is it? Could there be something more to what they are? The biggest question of all that I have always wondered is if only men can hear it, their songs. You hear stories of only men getting drawn in, is it like a dog where only dogs can hear a certain pitched sound? There are alot of mysteries in the world and I'm always thinking about them, not that it does me any good.

 

"Lora would you please tell us what your thoughts on this poem are?"

 

"I don't understand it Mrs. Hilshine, the sirens are always mermaids right? Do they have winged friends that tell them when men are near? Why would the sirens have to kill the men in the first place. What is their purpose, do they take joy in killing, is it payback for something a man did long ago? I don't think what they're doing is right at all. I also don't think that all sirens are bad, I;m sure that there are some good sirens too. Something so beautiful really shouldn't be deadly, and the whole race can't seriously be evil." Lora sounded so enthusiastic about answering I'd swear she's one of them that was able to come onto land or something, maybe she's a halfing. Ahahaha she couldn't be there's no way. Although she is very defensive against saying all sirens are bad but she does believe what they did was wrong.

 

"Very good Lira, I'm sorry Lora... The sirens go by many different forms; they have been rumored as women who have human torsos and fish bottoms, women with angel wings and bird feet, and women with only bird feet or only angel wings. Lora you are most likely on the right track, it's said that sirens are renegade women who are from mermaids and harpies who have decided to lure men in with their sex appeal and beautiful voices; they play the harps or lutes and sing the hearts out. The way they take men out is also widely talked about, some say that the sirens lull men to sleep then sneak aboard their ship and rip them to shreds, these sirens are most likely the harpies since they can simply fly over onto the ship with no problems at all. Then there is the version where the sirens sing a melody the drives men completly insane wanting to get to where the voice is coming from, while not caring and taking their own bodies into fits of doom; these sirens would be the mermaids seeing as it would be indeed be easier to lie on a rock or crawl to shore than it would be climbing up the ship."

 

"What about the ones with just bird feet?" Camice seems to be getting into this whole siren thing. He usually doesn't ask any questions at all.

 

"The women with the bird feet could do either, seeing as they have feet they would easily be able to swim over and climb aboard or dance about on shore luring the men in with their beauty. Some people might consider them fallen angels as well as you all know the harp and loot are usually associated with angelic beings, they may not have the wings but mermaids have been perceived as angels as well. Okay let us change this up a bit, instead of sharing your thoughts on the poem about you share your thoughts on the actual creature called siren. What is a siren to you? What do you believe them to do and why? Tye would you like to answer this one?"

 

"Sure Mrs. Hilshine. When I hear the word siren I think of a half human/ half fish female that has a beautiful voice in which she sings and lures people in, especially guys. They say a siren is tall and skim with brown hair... but that could just be a mirage due to her hallucination powers. I also think she has the power over water. There could be wood sirens that have the same powers except they can contril nature and have a female/root like appearence. To me a siren is a mythical creature that has the power to make people believe what they want them to believe and can makes dreams or nightmares become a reality. Once they capture you, there is no escape other than knowing yourself and using that to tell what is real and what is not. I also think they do what they do because they are lonely and use the indiviuals they capture to keep them company or use them in their bidding."

 

"That's quit a view you have there Tye, would the wood sirens you are referring to by any chance be the bird feet women?"

 

"Indeed it is Mrs. Hilshine."

 

"Very good, now for one more person. Let's see, hmmmmm how abut.... Kalur, would you mind telling us what your thoughts are?"

 

"I don't really have too much of an opinion on this, I know what the books say and history but I just don't know, we don't know what they truly want. They could be like Tye said and lonely which is what I believe too, maybe they are cursed with this sng that keeps them from finding love and that's what they're in search for, maybe that's why they had to leave their homes. When they go onto the boats or ships they could just be looking for a survivor that can break their curse but get angry and rip them to shreds because no one avoided their song and they don't want to be found. I do believe them to be very beautiful even though it could be a mirage but I don't think it is. Think about it, they play the harps and lutes even though they are supposedly evil, maybe they arn't as bad as everyone thinks, maybe they simple are lonely and homesick."

 

"That's an interesting view on them as well Kalur, I see you don't think that they're all that evil in the first place. I like it, I like it alot. It seems you two have very similar views on what makes up a siren and why they do what they do. Alright class that's the bell, have a great evening!"

 

Those two never get picked for anything, Kalur spoke with such intensit about his opinion and Tye of course always breaks it down almost sounding scientific sometimes. Today really is a strange day, but something just feels off like I'm missing something important that everyone else seems to know about. I could just be overthinking things but there are just too many unexpected occurences happening lately. There isn't much use fretting about it though so maybe I'll just go home for now.

 

Is that Mrs. Hilshine? "Mrs. Hilshine is that you?" I wonder what she's doing out there in the woods.

 

"Oh hi there Arul, I was um just picking up a piece of paper that dlew into these woods, it's nothing to worry about. You should go on home now, and don't forget tomorrow we are learning about myths, think of one you want to share with the class." Mrs. Hilshine seems a little bit in edge, I wonder what's wrong. She just turned around and started looking for another piece of pap before heading back into the school.

 

I don't know what it is but I have a strange feeling about those woods, as if I had been in it before but I know that can't possibly be true. what need would I ever have to venture into unknwn territory; everyone says it's not safe so I always stay away but I can't shale this bizarre feeling.

 

 

 

The next day Lia is pretty quiet, usually she is bouncingup the walls asking everyone about the song she hears every night. I wonder what's on her mind, she seems to be a bit sad. Every time I go near her she likes to turn away and busy herself so she doesn't have to talk. "Lia is something wrong? You can talk to me if you want." Doesn't matter what I say or do she just turns again. Well I guess I'll just go to school instead of pesturing my sister. I just don't know what I did to upset her.

 

"Hey Tye, did you knw about the myth assignment Mrs. Hilshine is giving us today?" I dound Tye during lunch, he was sitting on the bench reading a paper for the newest school play, the typical Romeo and Juliet.

 

"What myth assignment? I thought we were still studying Sirens."

 

Seems as though I have confused Tye, if he doesn't know then I'm sure Kalur doesn't know either, I wonder why it was only me that she tld. Maybe I was the only one she saw after school and forgot to tell the rest. Although the sirens themselves is als a myth si I'm a bit confused myself. "Do you know where Kalur is?"

 

"I believe he's picking up pizza for us, cheese sound good to you?"

 

"Yeah sounds great, I'm gonna grab some soda what do you want?"

 

"Hmm I'll take mountain dew, thanks Arul."

 

"Yeah no problem." I wonder what kind of oda Kalur would like maybe a cola, me guess I'll grab a crush.

 

"Yo Arul pizza's here!" Kalur shouted over at me but when I head back the woods just seem to call to me, it's like I know something about them. Wait is that a panther? Impossible i must really be seeing things, but I have to look again, yeah I think I was just seeing things.

 

"Alright Kalur, I got you a cola hope that's alright."

 

""Yea man that's great." We all sit down and start eating our pizza when I start to sing this little hum but I have absoltuly no clue where it's from. It's not exactly a song you'd hear around here. Maybe jus maybe it'ssomething I know from a dream or possibly it's something my sister has sang around the house. I just can't put my finger on it.