Nalu: The Siren's Song

Chapter 2

Using my hand sized dagger, I cut a small nick in the wooden hull next to the many other marks. It has been two months since I left the castle and I have had no luck. I met many nice people on some neighboring islands, but none of them were the right one.
I am now heading into waters farther than I have ever traveled. My map is not much help, but at least I have my compass and the constellations in the night sky as my guide. I know I must not give up hope. She is out there somewhere and I am going to find her no matter what it takes.
The sudden hiss of my cat gets my head out of the clouds and my mind focused again. He seems to be looking for something in the water. "What is it, Happy?"
    He whimpers and paces around the hull before returning to the bow to hiss at the water again. I look around but do not see anything out of the ordinary. "There's nothing there." I say, but Happy continues to stare daggers at the shimmering sea below. It is probably just a dolphin or a sea lion.
Streaks of fuchsia flow across the dusky sky as the sun gets ready to rise.A sudden splash in the water catches my attention. Happy hectically runs around the hull hissing with a frantic look like a young child high on sugar.
Suddenly, he darts to the bow and stares down at the sea, unblinking. Something is in the water.
    I hurry towards the bow and push my cat back. My eyes scan the ocean, looking for any signs of movement while Happy goes back to pacing the hull with a low hiss lingering in the back of his throat.
After searching the sea for a few more minutes and still finding nothing, I give up and return to stern, where my satchel is and grab an apple for breakfast.
Golden rays of light burst through the Crimson sky as the sun finally awakens. As I look towards the heavens at the magnificent sight, I suddenly hear a beautiful, lulling voice float across the calm sea. The feminine voice sounds haunting yet beautiful at the same time.
I can't help but be drawn to it. Immediately, I change my course east, where the voice is coming from. The closer I get, the slower and sweeter she sings.
Soon my sailboat approaches several jagged sea stacks and long, sharp rocks that stick out of the now-murky water like giant spikes. I can see the wreckage of multiple old ships decaying around the stone spikes as we sail past.
Mysterious fog rolls in and I can barely see where I am going, but I can still hear the voice getting louder and closer as we sail on.
Out of nowhere, the singing abruptly stops and I snap out of my trance, wondering where I am. Thick fog surrounds my little boat and I no longer know which way to go. A soft splash disrupts the still waters. At first I think it is just my imagination, but then it happens again, this time slightly bigger and closer.
Happy hears it too and starts hissing in a frenzy. Something really is in the water, and it is coming our way.
"Who's there?" I yell, but receive no response. A gentle breeze swoops in and gently brushes the fog away. Some soft mist still lingers making it hard to see clearly, but even so, I can roughly make out the shape of a girl in the water. She swims closer and I can see that she is no ordinary girl. She is a mermaid.