The Siren's Prisoner (Completed)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Carol looked at me, shocked, then she smiled. "Do you have a message for me?" I nodded. "I always did know my Leonard had things he would want me to know. I always wondered why I could never find a letter in his things." Carol led me to the living room. Gemma didn't follow us; I guess she thought we needed privacy. I was glad she left us alone, I wasn't sure how I would have gotten rid of her otherwise. Carol settled herself in a large armchair and looked at me expectantly.Now that I was in front of Carol, I wasn't sure how I was going to tell her.

 The living room was quite beautiful. I didn't think I'd see a room in the house that wasn't. The house was neat and orderly, a fact I credited to Carol. There was a large sectional and the chair that Carol had sat in for seating. A large fireplace on one wall demanded attention.

 I walked to the fireplace and stood in front of it. Around twenty pictures littered the mantle, but three were in large frames and immediately caught your attention. The first was a picture of Gemma and a man that must have been her husband, since I knew that she was married and had no siblings. The second was a picture of two young children, the twinkle in their eyes promised that this was probably the only time they stood still.  The third was older and portrayed two people hopelessly in love. They had probably not even seen the camera that had taken the photo because they were so immersed in staring lovingly in each others eyes. I knew what to say now.

 "Leonard really loves you", I said quietly.

  Carol looked at the photo I was looking at and smiled. "I know my Leonard loved me very much."

  I turned around to face her directly and stared straight at her. "No, Mrs. Nolan, Leonard loves you." I waited for my words to sink in. I knew when they because she went pale.

  "Leonard is alive?" she asked. I nodded.

  "Why did he not contact me?" she asked, looking like a small child who had lost their mother.

  "He couldn't. It's one of my mother's rules."

  Carol looked at me and paled even more. "Are you Leonard's daughter?" she asked.

  I knew I shouldn't, but I laughed. I laughed so hard that tears came out of my eyes. "How old do you think I am?" I asked, when I had stopped laughing, wiping the tears from my eyes.

  "Twenty", she said quickly, confident she was close.

  "I am one hundred and ninety-nine years old," I said gently.

  She looked at me in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

  I paused, this last bit could scare her. "I am not human", I answered honestly. 

 I had to respect Carol. She didn't shy away and didn't look scared. She looked at me evenly. "What are you?"

  "My kind call ourselves Aikaode, but you might know us as sirens." She nodded. I continued. "The thing about Aikaode is that we are immortal as long as we sing to keep ourselves alive, but those years have to come from someone else. My mother kidnapped Leonard thirty years ago and gave him to me. I was surprised when he didn't scream. He didn't even look scared, just asked me what I was planning on doing." Thirty years later and I was still surprised he didn't see me as a monster. I know I thought of myself as one. "I told him and he asked me why I had to do it. I told him the truth."

   "Why do you do it?" asked Carol.

  "Because I am sure my mother would kill me if I stopped." Carol looked shocked. "Aikaode are not kind. They could care less about their children. I am the only Aikaode that seems to care what happens to care about death and I hate it. That is why I am going to return Leonard to you."

  "Why should I believe you?" asked Carol. That was a possibility I had also thought of: disbelief.

  "You will believe me. Leonard is my friend and I refuse to kill him." Then I closed my eyes and disappeared.