A Sirens Song

Something struck a chord and I felt like exploring the possibilities.

Dark blue shapes twist below the waters, releasing the occasional bubble of from broken lungs, hiding under the storms in the sky. Ready to strike at any moment, the men in the ship were aware of the stories. This didn’t stop them from creating another to be afraid of.

Lillian Waters, tied and gagged on the ship’s deck, screamed silently for their forgiveness and mercy. She didn’t want to meet the solitary end that was calling her name, not in the middle of this summer storm. Not any time. She just wanted to see what life was like for the men.

The real men didn’t take kindly to the woman hiding on the ship, cursing her name and swearing to cast her overboard. Little did they know.

Wind howled at the ship, attempting to rip the sails from the seams, screaming at the tested and tried wooden seamless planks tying the floating device together. Lillian felt peaceful amongst the wind, hair whipping against her pale face. It was more of a caress than the reminder of her impending death.

‘This is your fault’ a man screamed, holding onto the side of the boat, green as the grass on the mainland. The others were as white as a sheet, fearing the winds and the devils this woman had brought upon them.

They had failed their gods, letting a woman onto the ship and riding the waters that took many a brave man’s life. Lillian had to drown for the pain she was causing, and they knew they would lose some of their own men for her mistake. That’s just the way the dice rolled.

Hauled by two of the stronger on board, Lillian screamed to the heavens, asking for her life to be spared. She would do anything. Her feet stamped on the wood, frail attempts to catch the heel of her boot on something substantial. It didn’t work.

The waters thrashed below her, gurgling gleefully at the terror thrown across Lillian’s gaunt features. This wasn’t supposed to be her end, she was a lady, the daughter of a very powerful man. But none of that mattered on the stormy seas when lives were dwindling and the only reason men could find was her. She was doing all this.

Air caught in her lungs and the wind calmed but for a moment. Light bolted through the sky, stuffing her fear down her throat and blinding her sight with hatred. Little did she know.

She fell. Twisting and screaming as her body smashed into the fierce waters, sinking slowly into her memories as the cold bit away at her consciousness. Light memories came first. Laughing with here papa and sisters, kissing the boy she loved and was to marry. His face marred by the hate consuming her dying heart, his loving confessions overruled by the jeering of the men on that boat.

All she wanted is to see new light. She didn’t know it would be the end of an era.

Ice seeped into her limbs, twisting them into unusual shapes, marring her features from pain into hatred, fingers to claws. Heart pounding exceedingly fast, lighting shooting through her veins, cutting arteries to shreds and leaving a cold something in it’s place.

Her eyes flashed open, pain seeping from every pore of her body but unable to scream. Bones shattering inside her skin only to form into new shapes, inhuman shapes, shapes that shouldn’t exist. Shapes that only belonged in myths.

Iron knives pushing out from under fine fingernails, teeth cracking and falling onto a limp tongue, giving way to three fine rows of razor-sharp gleaming ivory. The cold no longer tore at her skin, cracking the finer parts of her body into dying flesh, instead singing to her smooth skin, moisturizing the wounds caused by the men.

What was once her strong spine, shattered into thousands of fine china against the turmoiling storm, fused together to create an iron clad weapon. Scales breaking through skin, destroying the human nerves. Hints of blue scattered through the black, her pain and sadness seeping into the creation of her worst dreams.

Hatred singing a terrifying tune in her new water heart, unable to be won over by the softness of her human nature. Lillian broke free of her waterlogged human carcass, watching the remains of her innocence fall to the ocean floor.

Her rosy lips parted as if knowing what comes next, a dark melody twisting a beautiful tune from the depths of her broken life. Notes founding with tunes alike, her slitted eyes found other beautiful demons twirling in the waters beside her.

They took no notice of her, focused only on the dying ship above them. Her eyes too found the surface. What once would have struck empathy and pain in her lifeless heart, stirred up darkened joy and glee as the screams of little men filtered through the furious waves.

Sick of the loitering below waters, Lillian drifted to the surface with a silent flick of her scaled tail in place of her dainty legs. A malicious grin on her sickly beautiful face, Lillian called out to the men on board.

‘Oh, fearless men, follow my tune,

To safety I’ll show you the way,

Through the darkened waters,

To sandy bays of another day,

My loves, trust me true,

I’ll show you the way to the shores,

Fear not, an angel I’ll be,

If only you follow me the way’

Enchanted notes found their way to the ears of men, eager to please and unable to stop, rigging the boat to follow the sounds of an angry warrior in the waters. Tales of old forgotten, and warnings of past men falling on deaf ears, the men swear that the way to safety is this way.

Waters and skies working alike, casting men into blind darkness, leaving the boat to scream onto sharp rocks without a second’s doubt. Bodies flung into tossing waters, sharpened rocks, feeding the demons of hatred and death. Flashes of blues, greens and purples flitting amongst the bodies, hauling them to the surface only to plunge them back down.

A killer playing with the mind, teasing the broken and breaking the strong.

Little did they know; a siren’s song is never to be trusted.

Little did they know, the sacrifice written in the books of old are where the demons of myths are created.

A woman on board this ship was your only chance to break the balance. Fearing the dark and shame, your men deleted your chance of life and threw your lives to the shadows waiting below the waves.

Lillian Waters, the girl that could have saved your souls, had only you listened, broke your backs and drowned your souls and ne’er will you find peace.

A siren’s song will live forever on. Unbroken and feared, building by the day and spreading through darkened bloody waters.

Reviews

[Agyani]

This truly is quite a different take on the legends regarding mermaids. Quite an exploration, Willa Danvers!
" the men in the ship were aware of the stories. This didn’t stop them from creating another to be afraid of."
"Bones shattering inside her skin only to form into new shapes, inhuman shapes, shapes that shouldn’t exist. Shapes that only belonged in myths"
Both of these sentences were just amazing. Really well written!

"All she wanted is to see new light".........isn't really clear what you're trying to say here
" lighting shooting through her veins".........I think you meant lightning here.

All in all, this was a great story. An old legend and story explored in a beautiful way and written skillfully. I just think you could think about showing the change into the aquatic being a little better. Maybe talk a bit about it, tell what's happening. You've talked about the transformation but not really about how it's happening, exactly what it is that's causing it.

[WillaDanvers]

Thank you for this! I will edit those two so they make sense and will definitely look into expanding this piece to add a little more detail!! :)

[LazerRays]

Sirens are pretty awesome. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology so it was nice to read this :)
Bah. Ignorant men. They deserved it! This flowed nicely, and I love the plot. Thanks for entering my contest!

[WillaDanvers]

Thank you Sarah! :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Sirens song, dangerous song to pay attention to.
"A siren’s song will live forever on. Unbroken and feared, building by the day and spreading through darkened bloody waters."
Myth and tale is my favorite. Those sirens of old took many men to the sea. I enjoyed this tale my friend. Thank you for sharing the amazing story.
Coyote

[WillaDanvers]

Very kind of you Coyote!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome my friend.