Sea's Secrets

Piyush, Promise

                          ▪Chapter 3▪

I pushed myself back onto my feet, leaving the figure behind me. I bring myself to turn around, I wanted to scream but I knew if I did Ben would come, and If whatever was standing on my porch was a siren, I know that it could destroy Ben in a second, same goes for me.

Fear pulsed through my fingers causing them to tremble.

“Don’t scream.” A voice from in the night speaks up. It was smooth and comforting in the strangest way, bringing me the sense of familiarity and belonging.

I obeyed and sealed my quivering lips shut. I brought my eyes to search through the dim lighting; all I could make out was a tall, wide outline.

No sooner that I could decipher that the figure was a man; it stepped closer to me, now completely visible. My breath caught, it wasn’t a man, it was a guy, and he looked harmless. He looked like an angel.

My head tilted upward so I could meet his eyes. They were color of my mom’s, the same crystallized blue, which brought out the whites in his eyes, almost making them glow. His sandy hair fell low on his forehead, it looked messy, but in just a way that it looked like it was styled like that on purpose. His tan skin spread evenly throughout his face, making the glowing effect even stronger. His nose and detailed lips lined up perfectly, his face was perfection, and I couldn’t find a flaw. Part of me wanted to stand there forever and gaze at him, the other part knew that his flawlessness meant he really was a siren, a deathly murderous creature.

“Nellieana, I mean no harm.” he says in a watery tone that delivered a calming sense to my racing heart beat. 

Though I felt somewhat safe in his presence and the way he said my name, I still knew that he shouldn’t be here, no siren was ever supposed to find me.

“Who are you?” I say dryly, forcing each word out of my mouth.

“My name is Trethan, part of the Navy Family.” He held his eyes with mine as he spoke in a delicate tone, like he was talking to little kid.

My throat tightened. Navy family, that can’t be right that’s my family.

“How do you know my name?” I say trying to hide the trembling in my voice.

The right side of his lips lifts up slightly as he smiled at me with the look like I was a child, with so much to learn.

“Nellieana, I know so much more than just your name.” his voice lingered as his diamond eyes stay steady on me.

Now the amount of fear out balanced the calm that had vanished within me.

I take a step backwards placing my fingers on the handle of the door.

“Nel! Is anyone out there?” I hear Ben’s voice shout to me as he still lounged on the couch.

Trethan’s face drops slightly to the sound of Ben’s voice. He shakes his head, telling me to lie, telling me to tell Ben that no one was outside, that there wasn’t an angelic monster standing on my porch.

“No one is here; I will be in, in a sec.” I say as steady as I could.

There is no answer from Ben but I could still hear the changing in position as he sat up straighter on the couch.

My focus goes back to Trethan, who looks calm, carefree, like there wasn’t anything weird about him being here.

He smiles at me, thanking me for lying.

The smile I don’t return. “You need to leave.” I say with my greatest attempt to sound bold.

“I can’t do that Nellieana, I have come in promise of your father.”