The Siren

Chapter 1

I've always loved to sing but my mother and father forbbid it, ever since I was little.

It was a chilly August night and the moon hung, large and bright in the black sky. I sat in my room watching it, longing to go swim under it but that was something I wasn't allowed to do. My parents had a lot of rules and if I didn't follow them then I would be locked in my room. It was about mid night when he came. I sighed and glanced down at the driveway. At first it looked like it did every other night, grey and boring but thats when I saw a man sneaking his way towards the house. I watched him for a minute, curious to how he got this far without our Husky, Vincent, barking, alerting us that he was there. I continued to watch him with my curious two year old eyes. Stood up on the chair that was pushed against the window and smiled. "Hi!" I called. The man looked up in alarm and I saw his pale face in the moon light. He had cold grey eyes and platinum blonde hair. He looked a old but it was hard to tell. He smirked. "Hello there." He called softly. "Isn't past your bed time, young one?" He asked with an amused smirk. The house lights suddenly turned on and he took out his wand. The door opened and out stepped my father, holding his wand defencivly. My father had blonde hair like the man and my eyes. "Ah! It's nice to see you again, cousin." The man said. "We are not cousins." My father growled. The man chuckled. "I was just asking your daughter why she was up so late." The man said casting his gaze towards me. My father look up at me. "Close the window, Erika." He snapped. I closed it but left it open a crack, curious to hear what they were talking about. "Get off my property, Ralphaus." My father ordered. "Now Marcus, we both know why I came here." Ralphaus said looking toward my window. I turned as my door opened to reveal my mother who looked scared. She rushed over to me and picked me up. I wrapped my small arms around her neck. She had short brown hair and green eyes. She rushed me out of the room and into hers and father's room. She set me on the bed and rushed to the window. I watched as she covered her mouth to muffle a scream as a bright green flash came from outside. I was curious as she sobbed. She turned on me. "This is your fault! This is all your fault, you wicked, wicked girl!" She shouted. Tears pricked my eyes. She jumped and screamed when an explosion came from downstairs. The sound of wood hitting marble echoed around the house. "Elizabeth... I just want the child." Ralphaus called from the bottom of the staircase. Mother got on the bed and put me on her lap. She grabbed a near by pillow and cover my face with it. I screamed and clawed at the pillow as it got hard to breathe. I cried as she smothered me with it. I heard the man enter the room. "Give me the girl, Elizabeth." The man ordered. "Muummmyyyy!" I screamed but suddenly she fell limp and the pillow fell from my face. I gulped down air as I crawled away from her. My face was red and my eyes puffy. My hair was wild. I looked up and saw the man point his wand at me. I started to cry and he visibly relaxed. "It's alright, Erika... You won't remember any of this." He said. "Obliviate!" He shouted and everything went white. The only thing I heard was my own screams.

I woke up to someone shaking me. "Erika wake up! Its just a dream! Wake up before you get us in trouble!" My roommate Gracey hissed. My eyes flew open and I sat bolt up, drentched in my own sweat. "S-Sorry." I stuttered. She walked back to her bed and sat criss-cross on it. "Was it that dream again?" She asked quietly. I nodded and rubbed my face. "Yea but this time I got names." I said. I threw the covers off and walked to the window, looking up at the moon. "It was more vivid this time." I said distantly. Grace and I lived in a foster home out side of Surry and the only neighbour we had was on the otherside of our backyard fence. His house was old and dark but the only strange thing was the owner. He looked to be in his mid thirtys and was never to be seen during the school year, only in the summers and even then he kept to himself, mostly indoors or in his tiny green house. Often I would catch him standing somewhere and then vanishing but no one believed me. Mary, foster mother, would say I had a very vivid imagination for a 12 year old and brush me off while she watched her soap stories on the T.V. Andrew, foster father, would tell me to not metal in other peoples buisness and Gracy, being 16 years old, would play along but I knew she would never believe me. I've lived here as long as I can remember but I always felt different. I wasn't allowed to call Mary and Andrew, mom and dad or I would get the belt. They were fair but strict when it came to the rules. Gracey and I weren't allowed to leave our rooms or make noise at night, not allowed to eat sweets, and durring the summer days, were supose to stay out side except for meal times and bathroom breaks. I went back to bed and woke up a bit later to Mary yelling at us to wake up. I got dressed into a nice yellow sun dress and went down stairs for breakfast. I ate an apple and was shoved into the backyard while Gracey was shoved on the street to go play in the park. I sighed and started watering the planets. "You've got the words to change a nation but your biting your tongue. Spent a life time stuck in silence, afraid to say something wrong. If no one ever hears it then how are we going to learn your song? Come on, come on, come on, come on." I sang. Little did I know I had caught the attention of our mysterious neighbour on the other side of the wooden fence. I sang a few more verses and grew bored of the song. I put down the watering cantine and picked up a flower. "Aha aha aha aha ahaaaaa." I sang the melody from low to high. "OoOoOoOooooooo." I sang from high to low. I jumped and gasped as I heard a bang come from the other side of the fence. I climbed the ladder and peered over. To see the man on his tump rubing his head. I giggled causing him to look up at me. He got to his feet and sneered at me but I wasn't effected. He had black shoulder length hair that looked a bit greesy and had onyx eyes that glared into mine. "Hi!" I chirped. He got to his feet and I noticed he was wearing black pants, a white dress shirt under a black long sleeved funny looking coat that had a bazillian buttons. "Why did you fall down?" I asked curiously. He frowned slightly. "I don't remember." He paused looking seriously in thought. His voice was deep and velvety. "I was gardening when I heard a beautiful melody and then I can't remember." He said more to himself. "Well I was singing if that helps." I said helpfuly. "My name is Erika, Erika Fowlis." I said with a smile. His frown increased. "I haven't noticed you here before." He said in utter confusion. I turned my head and glanced at the house to see if anyone was watching but like usual, no one was. I turned back to the man. "My foster parents like to keep me hidden from people." I said a bit more sadder. This seemed to catch his intereast. "And why... is that?" He drawled. I looked as the fence and picked at a wood chip. "I'm different from other people." I said quietly. He looked at me expectantly to carry on. "I can... do things that no one else can do." I said softly. "Can you show me?" He asked in a tone much more gentle than he had before. I looked over the fence and pointed to an unbloomed daisy. I pointed to it. "Pluck the daisy and give it to me." I said. He did as I instructed and I held my open my hand with the small bud in my palm. I put it in front of his face and thought of the time Gracey and I were allowed one sweet on my 7th birthday. I remembered how happy we were. I opened my eyes to see the small bud float and bloom in my hand. He looked like he was in deep thought. He looked up at me suddenly as I dropped the daisy. "Are your foster parents home?" He asked. I nodded nerviously. He turned and walked back toward his house. I climbed down from the ladder as heard the door bell ring. That was quick. I heard Mary call my name and I ran inside to see the man from next door, looking at me from the couch. I sat down beside him and listened quietly. "My name is Severus Snape, your neighbour, and I work at a school that helps people like Erika." He said. Marry turned to me. "What did you do?!" She suddenly shouted. Flinched. "She probibly showed him her freaky problem." Andrew miffed from behind the Saturday paper. "Erika is not a freak... I assure you, Mr. Smith." Severus said with a cool tone. "She would be at school from september to july and only home during the holidays or with your concent, stay at school during them." Severus explained. That grabbed their attention. "Do we have to pay for this?" Andrew asked, setting asside his paper. Severus looked emotionless. "No, Mr. Smith." Severus answered. Andrew turned to Mary. "Do you hear that?! We're free!" He said and jumped up with Mary, embracing each other tightly. I lowered my head but noticed Severus's jaw twitch from the corner of my eye. "When can you take her?" Andrew asked with a twinkle in his eyes that was never there before. "Now if you'de like." Severus said. "Yes! But you should know the her rules." Mary said sitting down. "No swimming on full moons, no singing, keep her emotions in check, keep her away from boys, and always lock her in her room at night." Mary said. "May I ask, why?" Severus asked. Mary shrugged. "The man that left her here, when she was 2, said that if we valued our lives we need to stick to the rules." Mary said. Severus nodded and stood. "Collect your things, Miss Fowlis." Severus instructed. "She has nothing but that." Andrew said, gesturing to what I had on. Severus clentched and unclentched his fists. "Very well... Come, Miss Fowlis." Severus ordered and walked to the door. I got up and followed but stopped and looked back at the grinning couple. "Smile now but I wonder what people will think when I tell them the truth about you, Andrew." I hissed. He paled but I turned and ran out of that retched house. I was finally free!