The Sound of a Siren's Call

60.) Sinking Ships and Siren's Calls

Recklessness ran in the family. My dad was quick to act, quick to move on from anything. I was impulsive, in a way, so was my mother. The group of us made for a colossal wreck.

The upside was that my father seemed to have moved past his anger, slipping back into the ease we'd had before. It was nice. I looked at him, eating, talking. He didn't sign.

I'd been waiting for him to be done for the better part of ten minutes, but he showed no sign of slowing down. I waved. "Hey."

He held his finger up, then signed, "wait."

So I waited some more until he finally turned to me.

"What?"

"You know that boy that was on the ship?"

My father looked at me. "Yeah?"

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"I don't. Not any of my business."

"Can you write to Captain Fersoan and ask?"

"What's he mean to you?"

"He's a friend."

"Nothing more?"

"No, nothing more. Juniper's in love with him."

"Who's Juniper?"

"A siren. You don't know her."

He nodded. "So, can't the siren take care of him?"

"I want to make sure they're safe."

"Admirable. I'll write."

There was a look in his eyes of impatience. The conversation was through, but I'd gotten what I wanted. Pinning my hopes on a message would have to do. For now.

Ψψψ

I held it in my hands, finally. The letter. Days of my father thinking up contrivances to keep me onboard the ship had finally born fruit. The letter. I ripped it open.

Two lines. Days of waiting had resulted in two lines, hastily scrawled.

We have him. We'll hand him over for a price of 2,000 doubloons.

I took a deep breath. My father would never pay it. I knew that. It wasn't worth trying. I could imagine his face, his hands. He wouldn't be any help. But I knew who would.

I closed my eyes. I needed to see my mother. I needed to raid with her for a few nights. If I were serious about it, I could produce that in a heartbeat.

I would have to convince my father to let me go with my mother. He'd probably have her breathing down my neck, but that was okay. I put the letter in my pocket and gripped the railing that ran along the edge of the deck. The wood was rough. Most of the polishing had worn off long before. I could feel a splinter working its way into my palm as I stood.

I turned and went down the stairs. I beat my knuckles against my father's door. A few seconds went by. He opened it.

"Arriana."

"I want to spend a few nights with my mother."

"You've never wanted to spend a few nights with your mother."

"I do now."

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I need money."

He nodded. "Why do you need money?"

"I have to pay a ransom for my friend."

He nodded again. "You must really like your friend."

I bit my lip. We'd never really had a conversation. Certainly not the conversation. I'd never told him, "Hey, dad, so I'm into girls." I certainly wouldn't have that conversation when I needed something. Not that I thought he wouldn't be okay with it. Not that I thought he'd care one way or the other.

"Yeah, he's nice enough."

"Fine, but then I am sailing us to Captain Fearson. I'll write to him to deny the ransom if you're not back in three nights. Understood?"

I nodded. I took a deep breath. The easiest part was done. Next, I would have to face my mother and I really didn't want to face my mother.

"When do you want to leave?"

I looked at my father. "I'll do tonight after dinner."

He nodded.

It was late afternoon. Dinner would be soon. I wished the time didn't pass as quickly as it did. I liked the ship. I was slow eating, as though that'd slow anything down. No matter how much I wished there was some other way to come up with the money or some other way to raid the ships. But no, I needed her.

Then it was time. There she was. I didn't know how my father had gotten in contact with her so quickly, but there she was, bobbing in the water below. The sunset turned the sky red, and painted the sea with it too. She bobbed in the reddish water, the one thing that would get me to Castor and Juniper.

I looked to my father. He gave a stern nod. I clutched the bag I'd brought with me. This was a mission. I looked at my mother again. Then there it was. I climbed over the railing. I jumped, crashing into the water below. My body tingled as I fell back into life I used to know. I floated back up to my mother.

"Welcome home."

Then she turned away. Just like that. And they all started moving. It was all I could do to keep up. Then there it was. The ship we'd drown. My ticket to Castor.

I closed my eyes as they sank the ship. I didn't like that part of it still, but I needed to remember what I needed. I needed to thin, of them. And there it was. My mother tapped my shoulder. It was done. It was gone, capsized and sinking quickly.

I moved toward it. Anything worth anything I would take with me. I gulped, the sea salt in my lungs again. I moved toward the ship, slipping into it behind the other sirens. Anything shiny was theirs in an instant, but I was careful. I grabbed necklaces made of pearl, I grabbed trinkets off desks. I grabbed dull coins. By the time the night was done I was exhausted ang my bag full. I drifted out to meet my mother. She grabbed my hand and then we were drifting back to the cave. Her cave.

I put my head on the sand, my bad around my arm. Sleep found me quickly. Sleep and dreams of sinking ships and drowning men. And my mother in the center of it all, laughing. The night wore on, my dreams a turbulent mix of ships sinking, blissfully moving through the ocean's depths to their dooms.