The Siren's Song

Chapter Two- Shower Singing And Midnight Swims

The shell lies in my hands, but instead of it being a vibrant pink, the fragment is a dull white. Plain. Colourless.

Like the colour had been leeched out of the smooth surface, into the air, into that cloud of pink and melody.

I am so confused.

So, let me get this straight.

Cory looks at water. Cory picks up seashell. Cory looks at seashell. Seashell explodes into a gigantic pink cloud. Cory flies. Cory inhales the pink cloud like a freaking vacuum cleaner. Cory falls. Seashell loses colour. Cory refers to herself in third person.

Okay, can someone please help me understand what's going on right now? Because I sure can't.

Whatever. I can deal with this later. Even though I can't control the gnawing, nervous feeling it the pit of my stomach, I can ignore it for a little while, at least until I have any theories. Cause right now, I got nothing. At all.

This didn't happen, we're all normal here, nothing to hide. At all.

I stroke the now white shell absently, which I notice is rougher than it was in its pink glory. Looking up, I shove it in my pocket for later.

I wring out my tangled, damp hair and go inside my new house. I ask dad if I can take a shower, then rummage around in a box for a towel.

I get ready for a shower, and struggle with the controls for a little while (with moving so frequently, I'm used to getting the hang of new shower controls). I finally learn how to work the shower, and I hop in the tub.

Lots of people take showers as their thinking time. I don't. Showering for me only means one thing: singing.

And I am a terrible singer.

I sing in the shower so that no one has to listen to the sound of a dying cat mixed with a power saw and an evil satanic monkey.

I start out with some Buddy Holly, and then move to The Beatles.

"You think you lost your love, but I saw her yesterday! It's you she's thinking of, and she told me what to say..."

I grab a toothbrush for a microphone.

"She says she loves you! And you know that can't be bad..."

Cue air guitar.

"She loves you! And you know you should be glad!"

It's a very good thing that my family can't hear me, because they would probably be deaf by now. Deaf or dead.

When I get out of the shower, my hair is still tangly, but the salt water is out.

Once I get back to my new room, I flop down on my bed and start humming. I love music, it's my release and my anchor. Too bad I'm a terrible singer and have no musical skill whatsoever. I've written my own songs, but it just makes me feel worse since I can't sing them.

I stay like that for a while, humming and musing about the previous incident. It's very peaceful, despite my confusion about my current situation. I feel like I could float up into the sky if the ceiling wasn't such a restraint. Just up, up and away into the abyss.

Like a balloon, my mind soars.

My mind soars away from my problems, until sleep claims me.

***

The moonlight shines off the water of the bay, and the infinite amount of stars freckle the sky like tiny pearls. The world is so quiet tonight; the only sounds in the air are the crickets chirping and the rustle of my feet as I walk through the grass down to the dock. The darkness greets me like an old friend.

The rustle of grass crescendos into a thudding on wood as I transition to walking on the bridge that leads to the dock. I stop when I reach the wooden planks of the dock, step out of my flip flops, and drop my towel to the ground. I start to shiver once I'm not wrapped up in my towel; swimsuits aren't exactly insulated, especially  not this pink polka-dotted bikini that Eva gave to me. I, being me, would personally not wear anything like that, but it was the only one that wasn't still packed. Oh well, it's not like anyone will see me.

I know that the water will be warmer than the cold air, which is a relief. If the water was any colder than the air, I wouldn't be able to swim. I hate the cold.

I grab a canoe paddle, bringing it over to the edge of the dock to see how high the tide is. If the paddle can touch the bottom, I wouldn't be able to swim. I crouch down slowly, lowering the paddle into the water. The paddle eases in, and I can feel the waves rocking it gently.

I stretch my arm out, making the paddle go as deep as it can, but it doesn't touch the ocean floor. It's pretty high tide, apparently, so I can swim. I hoist the paddle up, and to my surprise, the water explodes with little balls of light. I smile to myself. Phosphorescence! What an incredible way to start the night. The way the ocean illuminates with green and blue sparkles is unforgettable. A little surge of excitement courses through me. I can swim in an ocean full of phosphorescence! I splash the water with my paddle, and the phosphorescence bursts again into the sea, echoing the sky and its stars in an eerie shade of aquamarine.

A giggle escapes from my throat. This is so cool! I can't wait to swim. I look to the dark water, take a deep breath, and I jump off the dock.

I jump up, whistling through the air and then falling, and a wave of blue encases me. Bubbles wobble up around me, transparent and reflective balloons floating to the water's surface. My hair is swept up in a flurry of blonde tangles, fluttering above my head. The sea is alight with tiny green sparks, whooshing up around me along with the white water and bubbles. It's like a mime of the immense galaxy, but in the hues of phosphorescence.

Then, the little balls of glowing colour start to spin, whirring around me like light speed. Everything is a whirlpool of blue-green, going around and around and around.

And just as soon as it started, all is stopped.

There is still a bit of glowing orbs floating around where I'm moving my limbs...

Oh no.

Moving my limbs.

I can't move my legs.

I can bend them at my knees and ankles, but that's about it. They feel like they're glued together, impossible to seperate. Fear seems to make the temperature of the water drop.

Anxious, I look down at my legs- or rather, where they should be- and a bout of bubbles escape my mouth in a gasp.

My legs have been replaced with a shimmering orange fish's tail.

Hey guys!

So what do you think about this chapter? I really enjoyed writing it, what with the phosphorescence and all.

For those of you who don't know, phosphorescence is a type of bacteria that grows in the sea, and sometimes at night, when the water is disturbed, you can see the phosphorescence.

So, tell me what you thought about the chapter! I'd really appreciate some feedback if you have the time.

Stay spicy!

-Gilly