Unnatural// 5SOS & 1D

Sirens// part three

n.h: What A Beautiful Sound

It had been a week. A week since I saw that girl in the lake. A week since I heard her voice. A week since I had slept properly. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I told myself over and over that she wasn't real, I had imagined it. She was just some elaborate dream. I even asked my mom about it later and she admitted that my dad and her could have imagined the footsteps they heard going down the stairs.

"Honey, you have to remember, your father and I both work really hard. After a while you become a bit delirious." So even my parents were unsure or not if I had even gotten up and gone outside. I may have just gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That's what they could have heard but that still didn't explain the vivid picture I had of the girl.

I talked more with Harry about it but he still thought the whole idea that I had seen a Siren was crazy. "I don't know what you want me to say Niall. Do you want me to confirm the myth. I didn't see her." I told him he was right of course. I didn't even know what I wanted. Maybe I just wanted an explanation as to why she was in the lake, how I could hear her singing and why she was doing it in the middle of the night.

I was sleeping fitfully again that Thursday night/Friday morning a week after I first heard her singing. It was so crazy but I could have sworn I heard her voice every time I closed my eyes. Sighing, I turned onto my side and glanced at the clock. It was nearly two in the morning. I squeezed my eyes shut. I needed to get to sleep. I had school in the morning. I did fall asleep, much to my surprise but not for long. At exactly two o'clock I woke up to hear someone singing.

I groaned a little, thinking my alarm clock had gone off and was playing the ever annoying pop song I had set as my alarm to get me up in the morning. But it didn't sound anything like that and it was a bit muffled. My eyes shot open. It was that same melody from a week ago.

Sitting up in bed, I glanced at my window. It was closed. Had it been open last week? Is that why I heard it better then and why it was muffled now? Slowly, carefully, as if the singing might stop if I made too much noise, I crept to my window and pulled it open. The singing immediately became louder and I became rigged, the hair on the back of my neck rising.

I was quickly overcome with the urge to follow the sound of her singing. I had to meet this girl. I had to see her again. I had to ask her what she was doing. Before I knew it, I was fully dressed, complete with running shoes and a light jacket. I booked it to Lake Erie. I knew exactly where to go.

As I got closer to the shoreline, I could see her wadding in the water. It lapped at her shins and she was swaying a little to the song she was singing. It almost looked like she was dancing, casting a spell.

I made the mistake of not looking where I was going and stepped on a twig. The sound of the breaking branch made her gasp and turn towards me. "Don't be scared." I exclaimed immediately, putting my hands up in front of me, trying to show her I meant no harm. Even though I was still under the cover of the trees, it was like she could tell exactly where I was, she was staring back at me. I slowly stepped into the moonlight. She didn't move from her spot or position. Her arms were up against her chest, hands formed into fists.

"I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?" She didn't reply just looked me up and down. Her eyes were still wide, still scared. I felt a bit self-conscious as she looked at me. I had just thrown on whatever clothes were laying on my bedroom floor and I really hoped they didn't smell. She on the other hand was beautiful. Her dress was white this time, and she had the same flowers in her hair as she did last week.

"Siren." Hearing her speak brought me out of my daze.

"What?" I questioned, straightening up.

"My name." She stated. I watched her lips carefully as they formed the word again. "Siren." I tried to smile but it faltered a little. My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest for two reasons. Reason one, I was almost absolutely convinced she was a Siren, like Harry had said and reason two, because she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

"I.. I'm Niall."

"Niall." She repeated, testing the name.

"Yeah. Kind of strange, I know." I said, suddenly embarrassed. She smiled brilliantly.

"No, I like it." I sighed in relief. If she liked my name then she could like me.

"Why are you in the water?" I questioned. She glanced down at herself, lowering her arms. Her fingers barely skimmed the rippling surface.

"Because I like it."

"You'll ruin your dress." She smiled again and nodded. That's when she began to move towards me. I've never seen angels walk before, but I would expect them to walk just as she had. It wasn't walking really, more like gliding, like her feet were hovering just above the ground. I held out my hand to her as she got closer. Hesitantly, she took it.

Her skin was so pale, I swear it could have been translucent. I thought I needed to get out into the sun. Her hand was also warm despite how cold I was assuming the water was. The bottom of her dress, was water logged and clung to her legs. Her feet were bare. "Where are your shoes."

"Over that way." She said, flicking her wrist to the woods. I didn't check to see if she was telling the truth.

"So uh.. What are you doing out here?" I questioned. I should have let go of her hand by now but it's like my brain was no longer controlling my hand. She just smiled and led me farther away from the waters edge. We carefully sat on the ground and she let go of my hand. I resisted the urge to touch her again.

"I like the lake and the moonlight." I nodded my head slowly. Both valid reasons but wasn't she cold? "I like how cold it gets out here." Had I asked that out loud?

"Do you uh.. Live around here?" I asked nervously.

"Sort of." She replied softly, nodding her head side to side.

"What do you mean sort of?" I asked. She didn't reply, just shrugged. We were quiet.

"Do you do this every week? On Thursdays?" She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. I breathed in deeply. She smelled like water lilies.

"I've only done it twice now." I smiled, which means I hadn't missed her singing before hand.

"Where did you learn to sing? You have a beautiful voice."

"Thank you." She murmured, glancing down, embarrassed. "My sisters taught me. They sing too." I smiled. Sisters how nice.

"How many sisters do you have?" She opened her mouth to reply but stopped and turned to face the lake again. She pursed her lips and frowned a little. It's like she could hear something I couldn't.

"I'm sorry Niall, I have to go." She said quickly standing.

"But.. Why?" I asked standing I with her, panic rising in my chest. She was leaving? I wanted to talk to her more, be with her, be around her.

"I just have to. I'm sorry." She paused. "I'll be back though, to see you. We can talk." She smiled and my heart could have just melted.

"Okay, that's fine with me." I smiled.

"Goodbye Niall." She said waving a little. I didn't know what was making me walk backwards and away from her but my feet were moving without my consent.

"Goodbye Siren." I said with a smile. I turned around and walked into the line of trees. When I turned around a minute later, she was gone. I quickly ran back to my house.