Sixty-Second Dark Fairy Tales

The Siren's Call

A man's heart belonged to the sea, so he left his family and heeded its siren call, becoming a pirate. The salty tang of the ocean air and the thrill of plundering and pillaging filled his veins with the intoxicating rush of adventure. One moonlit night, as the silver light danced on the waves, he heard his name whispered on the wind, a haunting echo that chilled him to the bone. The night air was thick with foreboding as he peered over the ship's edge and glimpsed a shimmering figure beneath the waves, a mermaid with eyes as deep and dark as the ocean itself. Suddenly, a violent storm struck, the sky torn open by jagged lightning that illuminated the chaos, and the ship splintered beneath him, the thunderous roar of the sea swallowing his screams. Awakening on a desolate beach, the air heavy with the scent of salt and decay, he saw the mermaid emerge from the sea, her ethereal beauty stark against the dawn's pale light. Her voice, soft and chilling, whispered his name, and as she drew closer, she revealed herself as Lady Death, come to claim his soul, for he had not survived the wreck.