She Dreams of Water

A Moonlit Meeting

Blythe attempts to struggle to her feet, but the wet fabric of her dress clings to her thighs. She falls onto her rump with a splash, alarm growing at the sight of something massive moving agilely under the surface of the water.

The blonde freezes in fear as just a pace away now, something breaches the waves. 

It's...a woman?

As if in a waking dream, Blythe beholds the emerald green irises that peek just above the veil of the ocean, entranced with the stark contrast between them and the carmine tresses which drift gently in the current.

The woman approaches, form slowly emerging from the water. As the distance between them closes, ice fills Blythe's veins as any doubt in her mind is eradicated—this creature is not human. If it's not the presence of gill slits, claw-tipped fingers, or sideways-blinking second eyelids that give it away, it's the giant orange tail that does.

The blonde freezes as she tries to recall all that she knows about sirens, vainly searching her memories for weaknesses or ways to escape. Unfortunately, she comes up short as her brain repeatedly trips over the rumor that they eat men alive.

Certainly, the creature seems to be sizing her up, carefully studying her from top to bottom. Blythe swallows nervously, wondering if the monster is contemplating an imminent assault.

She jolts as the siren extends a clawed hand, seizing the edge of her dress. It rubs the fabric between its fingers delicately for a moment, studying the texture, before it decides to lift it up to peek underneath.

The action causes Blythe to yelp, kicking the clawed hand away with a slipper-clad foot. The siren flinches at the action, simply staring at the long leg now pointing directly in the air before returning her intense gaze back to the blonde. "So you are uninjured?"

Blythe gapes, mouth opening and closing a few times uselessly as she tries to understand what is happening. What should she do? should she reply?

After a beat of silence, the siren makes a trilling coo sound. "If you are injured, I can heal you. Where does it hurt? Can you speak?"

"No, I—don't touch me!" Blythe scuttles back, finally out of the water.

The siren only watches, lowering herself to a catlike position on the shore, head cocked owlishly. "So those legs do work. Were you perhaps exhausted? Frightened? Not by me, I hope."

When Blythe remains quiet, still completely in shock, the siren chuckles. "You are wise, being so cautious. But if you insist on sitting there, unmoving, you might as well provide some good conversation. Eh?"

"What do you want?" The blonde's voice wavers.

The creature cocks it's head inquisitively, gaze probing. "Well, for one, I'd like to know why you screamed as if death himself rose from the waves to meet you. And, if I may inquire further... I am intrigued by the garb you wear..."

"my...garb? It's a wedding dress...today was my wedding."

The siren chirps excitedly, tail thrashing. "So you solidified your bond with your mate? Congrats."

"Do not congratulate me," Blythe croaks, voice dripping with despair, "he is my prison. I have no future, tied to that man."

The Siren hums, slapping her tail against a wave that pours over her frame. "Do you require assistance?"

"Assistance?"

The redhead nods, clever eyes shimmering. "Yes. You seem distressed, do you need help?"

Blythe tenses. This had to be a trap—the blonde thinks of the cautionary tales she has been told since childhood; she was not willing to enter into a contract with this creature, any wish the siren granted would surely come at a great cost to Blythe.

Besides, if not even her own family could be trusted, how could she put her faith in this stranger? In this monster?

She stands, attempting to carry the wet weight of the dress gracefully as she turns to leave. "I don't need your help...."

"Wait!"

The blonde pauses, tense. The siren scoots forward, tail thrashing. "Tell me your name, at least? It's not often I meet a human..."

Blythe fidgets with a strand of hair, nervous. Would revealing her name give the creature power over her? It's a bad idea...but she's curious.

"I'll tell you if you tell me yours first."

The redhead grins, revealing sharp canines. "I am Calypso. And you are...?"

"Blythe."

Calypso makes a trilling sound. "A beautiful name for a beautiful maiden."

The blonde flushes, turning her back on the Siren. "Goodbye, Calypso."

"Goodbye, fair Blythe."

Taking the sound of the Siren diving into deeper waters as her cue, the blonde makes her escape. As she approaches the cottage, she sighs and sees that nobody has noticed her absence. The guests have all left and her husband is snoring, slumped over with a bottle of wine.

Thanking the Pantheon that she will not be expected to "perform her wifely duties" tonight, Blythe heads to her new room. Once there, she quickly strips out of the tarnished wedding dress and into her nightclothes.

As she lays in bed, she tries to empty her mind of all the fears and anxieties that swirl about like a monsoon. But as she slips into blissful unconsciousness, her mind drifts to thoughts of blue-green waves, red hair, and shimmering orange scales.