Dangers of the Sea || Byler Story ||

26 - My Jolly Sailor Bold

Third Person POV:

The ship was sailing through the waters, and they were far out enough that they couldn't see any land in any direction.

Will was still clutching Mike's hand, even though no one was speaking now that the captain was on the main deck. He had his hand clasped behind his back as he watched the water. After a few minutes, he looked up and walked over to the cage, rummaging in his pockets.

"Put these in now," The captain says, dropping in five pairs of earplugs.

"Why?" Dustin questions.

The captain chuckles smugly. "We're about to sail through mermaid invested waters," He says putting in his own. "You can refuse to wear them, you are in a cage after all. But I would advise you to."

Jane glanced down at them before putting them in her ears, with Dustin and Will following suit.

Lucas and Max exchange a look before putting them in as well. They needed to keep up the appearance of being humans, otherwise who knows what will happen.

"There's a storm coming, Captain," A pirate says from the crow's nest.

The captain scoffs. "It's always storming when they're around," He says, before grabbing Mike's wrist and wrenching him away from Will, pulling him over to the middle of the ship. "There's a ship close by, with one of my biggest enemies on it. I want you to sing them dead."

Mike blinks, nonreactive. But then his eyes narrow in on a ship at the horizon, a raindrop falls down on his face.

It starts raining slightly, only a drizzle, but then it gets heavier and heavier.

"Sing, mermaid, sing them dead," The captain says. The other ship was closer now.

Will watches Mike, subconsciously wiping the rain away from his eyes. His friends and him were already soaked, same with everyone on the deck.

Mike begins vocalizing, his angelic voice echoing across the sea. The earplugs block out enough that Will doesn't get entranced, but he may as well be, since his eyes widen and he stares at the mermaid in shock and awe.

"Upon one summer's morning, I carefully did stray.." Mike starts singing. Will's mouth drops open. He sounded like a literal angel.

"Down by the Walls of Wapping where I met a sailor gay. Conversing with a young lass who seemed to be in pain." The ship from afar slows down, and they could hear the splashing of people jumping off. "Saying 'William, when you go, I fear you will ne'er return again'."

"My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold.." Mike sings. "There is nothing that can console me but my jolly sailor bold.."

Mersagas started singing with him, an eerie harmony. But none of them sounded anywhere as good as Mike.

"My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold.." Mike sings again. "There is nothing that can console me, but my jolly sailor bold.."

He stops singing. Will and everyone watches in horror as the ship cracks in half and sinks down.

Followed by the laughter of the mersagas, happily taking the free meals. The laughter echoes through the storm, chilling Will down to his already soaked bones.

The captain grins, grabbing Mike's wrist again and pulling him back over to the cage, flinging him against it. Will reaches out and grasps onto Mike's hand, which is trembling. Either from the cold or the pure fear of what he just did again, it couldn't be decided.