Anchor | On Hold

1

Chapter One: Dark Waters

➳❝Evamine[inspiration].❞

Where the water hues from blue to black and the caves unending, what the humans call the unknown, the sirens call their home.  When the uninvited stumble upon their kingdom of darkness, the sirens of the deep present themselves. Brushing their fingers through beautiful hair in view, they sing heavenly songs, drawing men closer. A facade. If they knew the mermaid's true intent, they would sail in the other direction. Many sirens thrive in dragging the bodies of sailors and soldiers to the depths of the ocean. It's then they feed on the souls of the damned and regain their youth.

A soft splash sounded behind Evamine, her sister Yalori hopped onto the rock beside her and took a deep breath of air. "Hello." She breathed in the wail of the siren.

"Hello." She replied in the common tongue, and returned a smile.

She sighed, tucking her bleached hair behind her webbed ear - the soft sounds of the small starfish latched onto her earlobes seemed to soothe her. "You're speaking that language. You know, if father hears you, he may just murder you."

Eva chuckled lightly at the thought. "Father would never kill me, I'm his daughter."

"Yes, but he's got seven of those...and four sons, you wouldn't be much of a loss." She winked. Evamine shifted in position and let her rose tail gently lap against the waves. "I'm joking...but you know he sent me up here to bring you back, right?" Yalori gave an innocent matter-of-fact look and shook her head lightly. "He's starting to get frustrated...and I fear a storm is coming."

Eva chuckled. "Thank you, Yalori, I'll take care of him - I just want to watch the sunset tonight." She pleaded. "Please...tell him I shan't be long."

She took a deep inhale of air. "I really miss the sky sometimes - I feels good to breathe it." She bit the inside of her cheek. "Take care, Eva." With that, she gently brushed her shoulder and smiled before diving back into the blackened sea, the last view of her pearly-white tail.

Evamine stared up. Her eyes shimmered with the bright stars that littered the deep, dark sky and her heart sunk with the thought of going back to the depths of her home; to be honest, she felt like she to take a breather under the water - she'd been up here for an hour and a half and her breath was running out. Taking one last glance at the luna moon, she dove into the murky water, her rosy, thin tail left the air last and she made her way back to her father's beckoning call.

On her way down, a glimmer caught her gleaming pink eyes. A shiny tinge of discovery, just beyond the waves.

Curiosity caught her, and she hesitantly swam for the direction of the light.

It wasn't far, but she was sure she hadn't seen it a moment ago; as though it had just materialised into view. She peeked her head just above the waves, certain she was only going to glance.

But then, she saw it. A beautiful wooden mast, silky white sails, pearlescent decals. A ship. The front carried a sculpture of a mermaid, a stunning woman, made of wood.

Eva felt fascinated; never before had she seen her kind depicted on a ship. She mumbled beneath the waves in awe.

She knew this meant one thing to her sisters – dinner. But she only wanted to take a look. It was okay to get closer, just to look, right?

She nodded to herself, and with one look to ensure she wasn't being followed, she took off towards the wooden beast. She only wanted to see it up close, just for herself.

It drew closer. The closer it became, the bigger she realised it actually was. It towered above her, bigger than any fisher-man's boat or poacher's tug. She gulped, and head beneath the waves, heading for the base.

Once she was underneath, she glanced up, amazed in wonder. Never before had she been so close to such beauty. If she wanted to, she could touch it.

If she wanted to.

She edged closer, reaching her finned hand for the base of the beast; slowly, she pointed her finger to its wooden posterior. She touched it. It felt electric. She dared to waver a whole hand.

She yanked it back, quickly, remembering the danger of the inhabitants of the beast. Dangerous creatures, desperate for discovery.

With her curiosity satisfied, she turned to swim away, back towards the depths; towards her family.

Suddenly, a piercing clang resonated through her ears. She grasped them, to keep the sound away, but she could not stop it. It rung through her like a bell, and then it came. The sudden intense pain resonating through her tail. Something had lodged itself through her, cutting like a knife through butter; it ripped into her tail, and with a sudden, unspeakable force, she was dragged with great speed down to the depths.